Everything We Do Is A Choice: Being Aware of Our Choices

The other day I was giving myself a "good talking to"… telling myself I really need to exercise regularly, eat better, take better care of myself… You get the picture. It was one of those days when I was determined to do better and was giving myself what was supposed to be a "pep talk"...

This week, our focus is "perspective" or how we see ourselves, the people around us, our surroundings, and our reality. As shown in the picture above, something that appears huge, to a ladybug, can be tiny for a two-legged human, or even a four-legged animal.

This weekly astrological journal is based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.

It’s painful to find yourself seriously stuck. Despite doing all the right things, inexplicably you’re unable to reach a long-held goal, whether it’s in your career, your relationships, your finances, your creative life, your health, or your personal growth.

When we obsessively focus on something that is, or isn't, within our control, it can feel like we're carrying a giant boulder on our backs. Instead, we need to treat that one aspect of our lives as small rocks in our pocket so we can...

The creative journey of intuitive plant connections, combined with reiki, has become my path and continues to evolve as I come into alignment with my own true nature.

Researchers have created a way to look into the brains of two people simultaneously while they’re talking. What they found will not surprise anyone who has found themselves arguing about politics or social issues.

Anyone with even a passing interest in the global environment knows all is not well. But just how bad is the situation? Our new paper shows the outlook for life on Earth is more dire than is generally understood.

We have heard that "ignorance is bliss," and we usually judge and criticize ignorant people. Yet there is a form of ignorance that serves us well, and that is ignorance of limiting beliefs. A Calvin and Hobbes cartoon declared, "It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept."

I want to invite you to breathe in and breathe out, and as you breathe in and breathe out, become aware of your heart as a portal. This multidimensional door has pathways that lead to infinite places, which lead to infinite sacred sites, which lead to infinite realms of consciousness.

Fear is debilitating. It affects us our thinking, our health, and our relationships. And we know, it is very present in these times. But there are ways to leave fear behind and enter a life of joy...

Lockdowns have a disproportionate impact on the most disadvantaged people in society. This cost is greater still in poorer countries, where not going to work can mean literally having no food to eat.

When people stop fighting and start listening, a funny thing happens. They realize they have much more in common than they thought.

How many emails are in your inbox? If the answer is thousands, or if you often struggle to find a file on your computer among its cluttered hard drive, then you might be classed as a digital hoarder.

Being forced into isolation and confinement creates a number of potentially stressful demands. However, we might be able to learn a thing or two about coping with these demands, from people who choose a life in such settings.

It has been tremendously helpful for me to understand the difference between consciousness and spirituality. Spirituality is one type of energy — the energy that links us to our deepest essential nature and to the universal source. Consciousness is the awareness of all of the energies within us..

Most people generally think that cats do nothing, are lazy and all they do is eat and sleep. Not so! Did you know that cats have a specific job to perform in your life? Did you ever wonder why so many people have cats nowadays, more so than dogs? Here's an unknown tip inside the secret life of cats...

For many people, an essential part of any exercise regime is the music that accompanies it. Whether you’re a runner, a rower or a bodybuilder, there’s a good chance you have a favourite selection of tunes and some headphones to help you through.

In the middle of the 20th century, when lotteries first started in the U.S., they were sold to states as a benefit to the American public. That suggests that bigger and bigger jackpots should mean more tax dollars to spend on public services like education.

The flag’s prominence in the Capitol riot comes as no surprise to those who know its history: Since its debut during the Civil War, the Confederate battle flag has been flown regularly by white insurrectionists and reactionaries

Signs left by the angels are meant to help stir and awaken our intuitive nature so that we can expand our conscious connection and deepen our relationship with a higher power. The power is not within the sign itself; the power is within the message that the sign reveals...

Tattoos are something you are going to wear and stare at for a long time. Once you decide to get a tattoo, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the body’s energy zones and how they interlock together as one consciousness.

The world tries to mold every person into a commodity: useful, efficient, obedient - never rebellious, never asserting itself, never declaring its own individuality, but always being subservient, almost like a robot.

TV viewing has become more important during the pandemic, but a sense of shame still lingers around it. Even TV scholars still use the term “guilty pleasures” to describe their enjoyment of reality TV or series which attract some of the biggest viewing audiences, such as I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here,

The end of the last ice age, around 12,000 years ago, was characterised by a final cold phase called the Younger Dryas. Scandinavia was still mostly covered in ice, and across Europe the mountains had many more, and larger, glaciers than today.

Comparisons between the United States under Trump and Germany during the Hitler era are once again being made following the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

For many people, the pandemic has been a lonely experience. Because of this, it might be tempting to go on the internet and look for a new animal companion.

In a new study, researchers found people who had higher levels of self-control as children were aging more slowly than their peers at age 45.

Although the eradication of smallpox is often held up as proof of the definitive success of vaccines, it should not be forgotten that smallpox raged for centuries before it was finally brought to an end.

When I calmed my mind enough to listen to God's Voice within me, I realized I hadn't done anything wrong. The cancer was part of the unfoldment of the part I had to play... Through prayer and meditation, it came to me that breast cancer was an opportunity for growth, just like any other challenge I'd confronted in my life.

Back in March 2020, my colleagues at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future at Boston University thought that it might be useful to begin thinking about “the day after coronavirus."

Over the past 20 years, static muscle stretching has gotten a bad rap. Once considered an essential part of any sport or exercise warm-up, static stretching has now been removed from the picture almost entirely.

The teachers are not alright. As families across Canada juggle a variety of states of lockdown due to COVID-19, many teachers continue to voice concerns that government plans to keep students and teachers safe in schools are inadequate.

Some animals have highly developed senses of smell. They include rodents; dogs and their wild relatives, like wolves and coyotes; and mustelids – carnivorous mammals such as weasels, otters and ferrets.

As the pandemic forced many Americans to hunker down at home, the video game industry saw record spending and profits in 2020. Interacting with other people through gaming became, for some players, essential for social connection.

The day following the January 6 2020 storming of Capitol Hill by Trump supporters, whose use of the Confederate flag signalled a white supremacist insurrection, Simon & Schuster announced that it was cancelling the publication of Sen. Josh Hawley’s book, The Tyranny of Big Tech.

We always have many choices before us. If we believe we must grovel, plead, or struggle to manifest our dreams, these choices can seem overwhelming, even frightening. But if we realize that every choice before us represents the universe inviting us to remember who we really are, and...

There is no doubt that we live in challenging times. But challenges can also lead to opportunities and lessons about how we might live our lives differently.

The world watched with a sense of dread in 2018 as Cape Town, South Africa, counted down the days until the city would run out of water. The region’s surface reservoirs were going dry amid its worst drought on record, and the public countdown was a plea for help.

Incredibly, a whole year has passed since the first emergence of COVID-19. What looked like a temporary inconvenience at first is turning into a permanent fixture that might forever change life as we knew it before 2020.

A danger of reducing the new BP target to a headline is it might sound like we should be getting everyone’s blood pressure down to 120. That’s definitely not what the new guidelines say, or what the evidence supports. It’s complex, and...

Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden has been described as “the most significant children’s book of the 20th century.” The novel is a sensitive and complex story, which explores how a relationship with nature can foster our emotional and physical well-being.  

You can have a consultation with your GP, psychologist and other health providers via video or phone, rather than going in. Some but not all health care can safely be shifted online. But it can be difficult to know when it’s OK to skip the in-person visit. Here are some pointers to get you going.

I was very close to my father, and very upset when he died. A few days after his death, I turned over in my bed, supposedly still in mid-dream, when a shadowy form appeared. He, for I assumed the figure to be such, was similar to those dark depictions of the spirit...

Several technologies have matured that allow people to recycle waste plastic directly by 3D-printing it into valuable products, at a fraction of their normal cost.

Human experience with disasters and crises is obviously not new. There are common patterns in the ways people come together to respond to these kinds of events — regardless of whether the trigger was a natural hazard, technologically based or human-caused.

With numerous countries back under severe pandemic restrictions, many of us once again find ourselves questioning whether our heavy reliance on technology is impacting our wellbeing.

Most people know about vitamins A, B, C, D and/or E, but vitamin K slips under the nutritional radar. Yet it is essential for life because it’s required for blood to clot normally. Now scientists are now realizing there is more to know about this less appreciated nutrient.

The success of a long-term dog-owner relationship depends on building a good foundation. Here are six things every owner needs to know about looking after a puppy and developing a long-lasting relationship with their new best friend.

Fad diets certainly aren’t a 21st-century obsession. In fact, they were also a popular way for people throughout the 20th century to slim down and improve their health.

Several days ago we attended the Cultural Awareness Program at Mt. Madonna School where our grandson is in first grade. His grade of ten adorable students reenacted a Buddhist story from Cambodia. In this story a single mother has three grown sons. She is very concerned that her sons do not help her or anyone else, and care only about money...

This week, as we continue our journey into what has been - so far - a tumultuous 2021, we focus on tuning in to ourselves, and learning to hear intuitive messages, so as to be living the life we desire... one step, one choice, one moment at a time.

This weekly astrological journal is based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.

Our pets are constantly interacting on the subtle level, directing data at you while picking up messages from you. Most likely, you’ve been relatively unaware of exactly how much intuitive communicating is already occurring between you and your pet. Understanding...

As the publisher/editor of InnerSelf, I read a lot of material dealing with personal empowerment. And some of the things I read really resonate  with me, and I end up adopting them. It's sort of like creating a tapestry using threads coming from various sources. 

Like many people, you may have resolved this New Year to read more in 2021 and spend less time on your screens. And now you may be wondering how to find the time to do it...

It seems the once taboo subject of group sex is finally entering the mainstream. One of the reasons for this is the prevalence of organised sex party networks. These networks were formed to provide a space for like-minded people to meet in a secure environment to engage in ...

Hundreds of pro-Trump rioters charged into the US Capitol on January 6, 2020, where Congress was set to certify Joe Biden’s presidency. Four protestors have reportedly died in relation to this protest, including a woman who was shot.

We all desire happiness, and yet happiness seems to be just beyond our reach. However many 'how to be happy' books might appear, human beings are still largely beset by the same problems as their ancestors. The poor seek wealth, the sick yearn to be healthy, those suffering from domestic strife...

In a world immersed in urgency, with alarm bells ringing left and right and dire predictions for our future, how dare I come up with a banner marked, “Yes, so many good things are happening”? Simply because how we

Australia’s health system has embraced telehealth during the coronavirus pandemic, with patients getting care online, by video or by phone. But what happens to this post-pandemic is uncertain.

Our intuition can magically show you what can be helpful in your healing. You must be open to listening to these messages from your body, mind, and soul. I healed from Lyme dis­ease by listening to that deeper wisdom and creating my own protocol.

As researchers in the field of kinesiology, we’ve studied the effects of connected fitness on motivation and fitness outcomes. If you’re looking for ways to beef up your fitness during pandemic-related downtime or to replace a pre-COVID-19 exercise routine

The most likely reason smoke detectors go off unexpectedly is that people aren’t changing the batteries in them often enough. In most sensors you might think of, the strength of the signal goes up when they detect what they’re supposed to.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reignited interest in wastewater surveillance, where sewage systems are monitored for the presence of viruses, bacteria and other pathogens.

The bummer about 'shoulds' is that when we are dominated by them, we are also dominated by the fear of being rejected or abandoned in some way, because that's the core emotional fear that activates many of them. These ongoing fears leave many of us drained and exhausted...

The raging coronavirus pandemic, along with political turbulence and uncertainty, have overwhelmed many of us. Indeed, all through these times, both the dark and bright sides of human nature were evident as many people engaged in extraordinary compassion and courage when others were committing acts of violence, self-interest or greed. 

For decades, humans have been selectively breeding cats and dogs to exhibit exaggerated features – particularly in their faces. When it comes to cats, the very flat, round faces of the modern Persian and Exotic Shorthair are classic examples. While it might be cute for humans to look at, there are various downsides for the animals when it comes to looking this way.

Many people in the West interpret Buddhism as a path of meditation leading to enlightenment. What many may not know is that this interpretation differs vastly from its practice in East Asia.

The Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week and strengthening activities on two or more days per week.

We enter 2021 at a critical point in human history after events of last year revealed what has lurked too long in the shadows, manipulating agendas to its own ends. The Saturn / Pluto conjunction of January 2020 cast light on those shadows, for all to see.

The way we communicate quickly pivoted to Zoom meetings, remote learning and messaging on social media. And in the absence of face-to-face interactions, people quickly became more reliant on emojis to help express their thoughts and feelings to an audience they can no longer see in person.

Throughout the years, I became more cognizant of the high levels of stress, anxiety, suffering, and exhaustion that are the signature of our modem lifestyle. It became clear that the vision of woman being offered by the dream merchants of our Western society was extremely problematic.

Even if you exercise everyday – whether that’s at home, at the gym, or taking your dog for walks – you might not be getting as much physical activity as you think you are.

“Any time gone by was better,” wrote the Spanish poet Jorge Manrique in the 15th century, perfectly capturing what a powerful emotion nostalgia is.

Like several classics penned during the golden age of children’s literature, The Wind in the Willows was written with a particular child in mind.

A preschool enrichment program that helps boost social and emotional skills pays off during middle and high school, according to a new study.

Placebos have been around for thousands of years and are the most widely studied treatments in the history of medicine.

One of the consequences of the current coronavirus pandemic is that it has brought us face-to-face with our own mortality. Not only are we vulnerable to disease, but we can also share diseases with other animals.

James Bregman, 1964 Olympian, said, "The real courage is what you do on a daily basis, how you conduct yourself to the standards you have set. That will lead to doing the right thing. The more times you do the next right thing, the more ingrained proper conduct becomes. It starts with little things..."

For most of us, 2020 was an exhausting year. The COVID-19 pandemic heralded draining physical health concerns, social isolation, job dislocation, uncertainty about the future and related mental health issues.

In recent years, the most popular gadgets sold on Amazon have included a variety of smartphones, wearable tech, tablets, laptops and digital assistants such as Amazon’s Echo Dot. But any device connected to the internet (including almost all of the above) exposes our personal data to a host of threats.

The catastrophic fires in Australia in early 2020 were actually a holdover from 2019, but they were soon followed by flooding in Indonesia, a super-cyclone hitting the coast of India and Bangladesh and then more flooding, this time in Kenya and wide swaths of Central and West Africa.

The MORE Act.bill sought to decriminalize marijuana nationally by removing cannabis from the federal government’s Schedule I controlled substance list

Making and breaking New Year’s resolutions is a familiar and discouraging annual ritual for many people. In a few short weeks, many find they are unable to meet their goals of self-improvement,

So you’re pedaling your heart out or running like you’re escaping a zombie horde. You’re feeling accomplished, on cloud nine, until … your stomach starts to churn. You may even feel dizzy. Your feelings of accomplishment have turned to agony as you deal with a bout of nausea.

We cannot be truly healthy, have vitality and experience joy without being comfortable and at home in our bodies. As long as we are physical entities we might as well move all the way into our homes. The following fun exercises can help you get in touch with the earth and energize your body as well.

I first heard about yoni eggs in Thailand, several years ago. I was immediately intrigued by this small, oval, polished stone and wanted to learn more about it and test it. I was excited to discover a “women’s secret” that would allow me to free my female energy, reveal my inner beauty, and restore my self-confidence.

The bleak history of whaling pushed many species to the brink of extinction, even in the remote waters of the north and south poles. Over 1.3 million whales were killed in just 70 years around Antarctica alone.

Before the pandemic, we were cooking less and less. Research suggests that a decline was underway in home cooking, cooking skills and confidence in a number of countries including the UK to the USA, Canada and Australia.

You’re reading this with a cup of coffee in your hand, aren’t you? Coffee is the most popular drink in many parts of the world. Americans drink more coffee than soda, juice and tea — combined.

Exercising more is one of the most common new year resolutions people make. But more than a quarter of people fail to keep their resolutions, and only half maintain some of them.

Understanding populism’s roots is essential for addressing its rise and threat to democracy. We believe seeing populism as the product not of economic or cultural problems...

People are in such a rush these days, living on the fast track. Talking fast, eating fast, moving fast. What a difference from sixty years ago. Did you know you'll probably do more in this year with appointments, people to meet, places to go than your grandparents did their entire lives?

After being so careful for nine months, my husband Barry mysteriously contracted the Covid-19 virus. Within days, he tested positive and within a few days after that, I tested positive as well.

When you’re asleep, you can seem completely dead to the world. But when you wake up, in an instant you can be up and at ‘em.

It’s that time of year when many of us are setting goals for the year ahead. The most common New Year’s resolution – set by 59% of us - is to exercise more.

Australians are reporting bird sightings at record rates – they’ve just changed where and how they do it.

COVID-19 is pushing us all in ways we’ve never been pushed, and making us do thing we’ve never done. It’s also stressing us in very peculiar ways. Perhaps one of the most tiring things is the all encompassing lack of certainty.

Food banks have morphed from “emergency to industry” – lauded for reducing food insecurity and helping to solve the food waste problem by diverting tonnes of produce from landfill.