Tag: mindfulness

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How To Change The World

Steve Rowe

  We live in a reductionist society.  We are reliant on the few for everything we do and have. Our jobs, our income, our media, our entertainment, our religion and spirituality, everything is very carefully controlled. We are encouraged to look outside, to aspire to external beauty, good jobs, good houses, money and these are all held like carrots for a stupid donkey. Even our religion is politically controlled and run. Our elections are like turkeys voting for Christmas. We are never encouraged to look inside and explore the bigger inner universe, to challenge every bit of information that is … Continue reading How To Change The World

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They’re Not Your Friends….

Steve Rowe

They’re Not Your Friends…. Those thousands of voyeurs you have on social media; The people that appear to be friends all the time they get what they want from you; Using you as a stepping stone to climb the social ladder; They’re not your friends; They will stick a knife in your back as soon as it suits them. Your friends are always there; Whether they agree with you or not; Even if being friends with you harms their ‘social standing’; They support you in the hard times; Phone you when there’s no reason; Send you jokes they know you’ll … Continue reading They’re Not Your Friends….

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Doorstep Zen

Steve Rowe

Doorstep Zen This is my Dojo (place of learning the ‘way’) doorstep, as you enter you bow, as you bow you look down and this is what you see. ‘Shi’ means ‘warrior’ but more in the sense of ‘cultivated person’. ‘Kon’ means ‘spirit/heart’. ‘Budo’ means ‘to stop the spear’ or peacemaker. ‘Kan’ means ‘place/clubhouse’. So, ‘the place of the peacemaker with a warrior spirit’…. As you enter the Dojo the doorstep reminds you to leave the past and and future behind and become fully immersed and engaged in the present. The bow is an act of  mental cleansing, reminding you … Continue reading Doorstep Zen

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The Present Is A Present

Steve Rowe

The Present Is A Present You cannot get into the future. You cannot get into the past. You cannot get out of the present. Therefore time as we know it doesn’t really exist. There is only the present. The present does not pass through time; Time passes through the present. It’s important to understand this; Guilt from what you think is the past, taints the present; Worrying about what you think is the future also taints the present; There is only the present. It is all one. It’s called the ‘present’ because that is what it is; A gift for … Continue reading The Present Is A Present

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Liar, Liar Your Pants Are On Fire

Steve Rowe

Liar, Liar Your Pants Are On Fire I’m looking for truth; I hate being manipulated; When I meditate, I discover who I am, And what I really think. Everything around me is a lie; Every lie wants to be a part of me; And take over my soul; Each one manipulates me; And tries to determine how I think. Religion is a lie. Nationality is lie. They don’t exist; They are made up by people; And yet we are expected to fight to the death over them. Money is not real; Only numbers on a spreadsheet; Yet because of it … Continue reading Liar, Liar Your Pants Are On Fire

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My Body Is Like My Dog

Steve Rowe

  My dog is my old friend, when we were young we used to run around and wrestle and for 13 years where ever I’ve been he’s been there with me, at my feet or on my lap. Now his doddery old legs barely carry him and his arthritis and old injuries are a constant nag and need medication but our intertwined lives means that we are still the best of friends and know each others thoughts and emotions. My body is my oldest friend, for 68 years it’s carried me through 50 years of martial arts and every sensual … Continue reading My Body Is Like My Dog

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Why Are You Ignoring Your Oldest Friend?

Steve Rowe

Why are you ignoring your oldest friend? It’s always been there with you, holding you up in the hardest of times, crying and laughing with you, always supporting you from the ground up – and yet you steadfastly ignore it! It talks to you all the time, tells you when it wants to exercise, rest, eat, drink, and yet you treat it rudely. Well STOP IT! And start paying attention. Your dog doesn’t speak your language and yet you understand everything he says, when he wants attention, feeding, drink, walkies, you treat him well and love him. You body does … Continue reading Why Are You Ignoring Your Oldest Friend?

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Intensity In Meditation

Steve Rowe

  I teach that for mindfulness, meditation and Martial Arts, the mind needs to be aware, focused, sensitive and intense. The right kind of intensity is a key factor and often misunderstood. You cannot be half hearted. The enemies of the mind are apathy and distraction, to avoid them the mind must be intensely focused and that requires the right kind of effort. To me, after posture and breathing are correct, it’s like getting into an elevator and dropping instantly 100 floors down. This is both my meditation and fighting mind, it cannot be disrupted. Sometimes it feels like I’m … Continue reading Intensity In Meditation

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Direct Knowledge Is Different

Steve Rowe

  I used to get my knowledge and wisdom from others at lectures, in books and lecture tapes.  I would meditate for ages on the wisdom of the Buddha, Lao Tsu, Ajhan’s Chah and Sumedho, Alan Watts, Kahil Gibran and many others, I studied Buddhism, Zen, Chan, Taoism, Wicca, Paganism, Ritual Magik, Spiritualism and all their associated arts, but when the breakthrough occurred, I stopped. No longer did I need to refer to others, because I was able to look inside and find my own ‘wisdom mind’. When I sat or stood still, I could access the part of me … Continue reading Direct Knowledge Is Different

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Mindfulness

Steve Rowe

  MINDFULNESS Our use of the word ‘mind’ in English can be quite versatile.  As a noun it describes our awareness, consciousness and thought, as a verb it can mean ‘to take care of’ like in ‘mind the child’ or when getting on a train ‘mind the gap’, so to be ‘mindful’ is to increase our awareness and consciousness and to take care of our thinking and feelings. So we ‘mind the mind’, we take care of it.  All the time we remain mindful, we are watching our thoughts, emotions and actions and this act in itself is life changing. … Continue reading Mindfulness