Joy Is in the Circle
The soul is a circle. -PLATO

Application of the principle, then, is simple: to increase joy, the 
experience of abundance, increase circulation. This principle applies 
across the board. From the abundance of ultimate spiritual liberation, to 
the abundance of health and longevity; from the abundance of happy 
interpersonal relationships, to the abundance of material 
prosperity-circulation is key. Abundance results from the free flow of energy. Lack is an 
indication of an interference in natural energy flows. Joy is the 
feeling associated with freely circulating energy. Pain is the feeling 
associated with a block or interruption in the free flow of energy.
We can say, with William Blake, "Energy is Bliss." But energy is also 
pain. How we experience energy depends upon how open we are to leering 
it flow through us. Because the ego is, by definition, a contraction of 
awareness, it is also a limitation of energy. Often we resist energy 
because we feel that it is more than we can handle or control. We fear 
being overwhelmed by it. We resist energy and block the flow of ch'I  by 
holding on.
* Holding onto the breath impedes the circulation of oxygen and 
produces pain,
* Holding our muscles in place (chronic tension) impedes circulation 
and produces pain. 
* Holding onto limiting beliefs impedes mental circulation and produces 
pain,
* Holding onto grudges or resentments impedes the circulation of 
emotional energy and produces pain.
* Holding onto (withholding) our natural gifts impedes circulation and 
produces pain.

  In the West, we know a great deal about lines, but we have forgotten 
the power of the circle. We know about lines of reasoning and logic but 
discount the circle of intuition. We know about deadlines, timelines, 
and lines of history but discount the cosmic cycle of return. We know 
about getting in line and conforming to the will of society but have 
discounted knowledge related to the cyclic seasons of the human life 
revealed in traditional mythology and ritual. We have lines of concrete and 
pavement, and our homes are square boxes, but we have lost touch with 
nature and our own biorhythms. Of course, first and foremost, we know 
about chasing the bottom line, but do we know how to sit still and really 
listen to the circle of our own breath? Now lines have their place, but 
life is a circle-and the way of life is circulation.

* Healthy bodies result from the unimpeded circulation of energy, 
blood, and oxygen.
* Happy relationships result from good communication, and communication 
is circulation-the free flow of energy, ideas, and feelings between people.
* Peace of mind results from proper mental circulation, which is to 
say, from being in the moment-neither holding onto the past nor grasping 
for the future, but letting experience move through us.
* Creative expression results from circulating our natural gifts.
The Taoist says life is bliss. The Buddhist says life is suffering. 
Both are right-it's just a matter of where we are starting from. If by 
"life," we mean pure energy and consciousness, it is bliss. If we mean by 
"life," the humdrum of human attachment and struggle, then indeed, it 
is suffering. One approach assumes an identification with nature as the 
starting point; the other, identification with the ego- Our planet 
spins round the sun, while the entire galaxy whirls about. We live and die 
and are born again. Some say, "If life is just going round in a circle, 
in a cycle of rebirth, then what's the point?" Indeed, it has many 
points, but that is not really the point. The point is that all points are 
connected in the circle of life. Nothing can be isolated from anything 
else. We have but to merge with the circle and go merrily, not grudgingly, around. 
  The joy is in the circle.

  Have you ever noticed that everything an (Native) Indian does is in a 
circle, and that it is because of  the Power of the World always works 
in circles, and everything tries to be round ---- everything the Power 
of the World shapes is done in a circle   ---Black Elk


THE EIGHT PRINCIPLES FOR ABUNDANT LIVING


1. Recognizing the unity of all things starts you on the path to true abundance.
2. Learning to receive opens the door to your greatest good.
3. Following the path of least resistance brings success with ease.
4. Circulating the energy in your life strengthens health, deepens 
relationships, and generates wealth.
5. Honoring your innate dignity and actualizing your inborn abilities 
is the road to authentic power.
6. Balancing Yin and Yang eliminates stress and brings peace of mind.
7. Taking time to be, to grow, and to nurture your relationships gives 
you the strength to persevere.
8. Achieving your destiny is a matter of trusting and embracing the 
organic pattern of your life.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Subject: Resentment The Great Ch'I Robber - Extract from the TAO of Abundance

Resentment: The Great Chi Robber Heavy thoughts bring on physical maladies;
when the soul is oppressed, so is the body.
--MARTIN LUTHER.

  Resentment brings guilt and cues us off from the innate bounty of the 
Tao. When we resent others or the circumstances of our own lives, we are 
bound to feel guilty. 
  Guilt, in turn, makes us feel unworthy and undeserving. 
It saps our strength and robs us of our destinies. When Jesus 
said, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against 
us," he was not stating a wish or hope but a metaphysical reality. 
  We hold against ourselves the judgments we make of others. Withholding love 
and forgiveness keeps energy from circulating. This blocked energy is 
experienced as pain. In defining the word resentment, the authors of my 
dictionary chose the words "ill will." Ill will suggests sickness as 
well as hostility. Ill will robs us of our peace of mind. It creates 
physical tension, emotional dryness, and mental stagnation; 
in other words, it blocks the flow of chi.
  
  Gratitude and ill will cannot reside simultaneously in the same heart. 
We cannot bring good to ourselves while wishing ill to others. As 
gratitude can bring only good fortune, so ill will can only bring 
misfortune. As resentment blocks the flow of ch'I, so gratitude gets it 
circulating again. We can stop a downward spiral at any point by practicing 
gratitude- Think of one thing you are genuinely happy about or grateful 
for, hold it in your mind's eye while focusing feelings of love and 
gratitude onto it. 
  Then transfer that feeling onto people, circumstances, or 
events that you find more difficult to love. Reclaim energy lost on 
resentment and guilt. Make a list of your resentments and practice 
bringing love to them. (See the exercises at the back of the book.) 
  In so doing, you break the cycle of resentment, guilt, and self-sabotage. 
You get that energy working for, instead of against, you. 
  Remember that circumstances that appear as obstacles or barriers, 
or people who are opposed to us in purpose or even hate us, have something to teach us. 
Find that something and you can't help but be graceful.
  Gratitude is the feeling of abundance. We are grateful for what we 
have. We resent what we think we lack. Even before the inspirations you are 
working toward have become manifest realities in your life, be grateful 
for them. In so doing, you will begin to convince your subconscious 
mind that you have already accomplished or received them. 
  We've all heard people say, after they have achieved a measure of success, 
that they knew it was going to happen all along- We act differently when we know 
that we will achieve a result than when we are merely wishing or hoping for it. 
  Imagine that the results you seek are already accomplished, and be grateful for them. 
Ask yourself. What can I do now to show myself, when I look back over my 
actions, that I knew all along that I was going to be successful?

  It is gratefulness which makes the soul great. -ABRAHAM HERSCHEL

  The noted American philosopher and pioneer psychologist William James 
advocated this act-as-if principle as a powerful tool for transforming 
consciousness- According to James, 

it is easier to act your way into a new kind of thinking than 
to think yourself into a new way of acting. 
  
  As you begin taking definite actions toward the accomplishment of your 
goals, you demonstrate to your subconscious mind that you are serious 
about attaining them. If you wane to be a writer or a painter, begin 
writing or painting, even if you can only do it part time. 
  The body of work you amass will convince your subconscious mind that 
you are indeed serious about your new career and on your way Co-manifesting it.
  If you want to start a business of your own, put together a business 
plan, even if you don't know where you are going to get the Start-up capital. 
  If you always go as far as you can with what you have, 
you will find that you can always go further. 
  As the German poet Schiller put it, "Who dares nothing need hope for nothing." 
  Dare to begin taking immediate action toward the results you seek, 
and you get energy moving in that direction. You build a force of momentum 
toward the results you desire.


Simple steps to Cultivating Ch'I

 1. Be cheerful
 2. Breathe
 3. Move your body
 4. Rest your body
 5. Master your emotions
 6. Meditate
 7. Simplify
 8. Spend time in Nature
 9. Eat well
10. Cultivate an awareness of your surroundings