United In Spirit: United In Spirit Connection Vol 3

Welcome to Volume 3 of our newsletter.

Firstly, I would just like to remind you all to complete the survey that has been emailed to all members. This will provide a guide as to further development on site and in which direction the site should progress in. I wish to thank all of you who have taken time to fill it out, I appreciate the feedback and will study it when implementing new events and activities on site.

Some of you have indicated that you would be pleased to lead a group or activities. Please feel free to email me on site to discuss your interests.

The site guidelines have been reviewed and an amendment made to facilitate greater interaction and participation with in the groups on site. Please take the time to reacquaint yourself with these.

As many of you may know already , I have been collaborating with Shade Law of Prayer Partners Unite, principally to develop unique offerings that will benefit both sites. Currently , we are investigating the prospect of establishing a radio station to provide increased interaction and accessibility for all members. Stay tuned for more news on that front.

There has also been much promotion undertaken for United In Spirit...currently we have several widgets and satellite groups on sites such as Blogger, Xanga, Myspace , Global Mind Shift, Karmacaffe and several other Ning networks. The widgets are proving very successful and average over 200 hits per day from their various locations.

If it resonates, you are welcome to use a widget from United in Spirit on your own site or blog, every little bit helps to build our community into something special.

United in Spirit Healing List

Shade Law
Vonda
Cheryll
Ria
Gina
Bella
Earth
All Earth's Animals
And all that need healing

Thank you to all that send much needed healing, it is a great gift you share. Big Hug

Useful Tips To Reduce Stress

Much of our stress is self-induced. We can reduce the amount of stress we have through some easy and useful techniques.

Breathing is a natural thing; nobody needs to learn to breathe when they are born. However, how we breathe effects our body. Deeper breathing can produce calming results. Deep breathing is also known as breathing from the diaphragm. Many Eastern practices, such as yoga and meditation, incorporate deep breathing techniques.

Here are some useful tips to help reduce your stress:

Þ Breathing Exercise

Lie on your back on a hard surface such as the floor. Place your palms up towards the ceiling. Let your body lie loosely. Calm your thoughts. Pay attention to your breathing. Now, take a long, deep breath in through your nose. The breath should last about 3 seconds. Pause slightly then exhale slowly through your mouth, counting to 4 as you exhale. Pause and take another breath. Do this until you can feel the rhythm and your breathing becomes cyclical.

Þ Visualization Exercise

Sit in a quiet area. Close your eyes and think of a beach. Visualize the beach, the way the sand looks and feels. The smell of the air. The sun is shining and there is a slight breeze blowing. The sky is clear blue. The water is lapping up onto shore, rhythmically. Now imagine you are the only one at the beach. You walk along, slowly. You take your shoes off and walk along the edge of the water, getting your feet wet. You stop to pick up shells. The water is beautiful. Spend about 5 minutes visualizing yourself walking along the beach.

Þ Self-Massage

Give yourself a pressure massage. You can massage yourself on your arms, legs or shoulders. Sit comfortably in a chair and relax your body. Using your fingertips and thumbs, apply pressure into your tight muscles. Apply the pressure to each area for about 5 seconds, then move to another area. Try to relax yourself as you perform this massage. You can do this anywhere. You can do this massage right through your clothing.

Þ Meditation

You’ve probably heard people talk about the great benefits of meditation, but what exactly is it? Meditation is an ancient discipline that enables you to clear your mind so you can concentrate on your whole self. It helps you bring your body and mind together. Although meditation is part of some religions, the act of meditation in itself is non-denominational. You need not be afraid of meditation, it is not hypnosis nor are you in any type of trance. What it does do is give you quiet time to contemplate yourself - who you are and who you can be. It brings together an awareness of breathing and mental control.

Þ Meditation Exercise

Choose a quiet time when you won’t be interrupted - mornings are best. Find a calm corner floor area. Sit cross-legged on the floor or on a straight-back chair. Be aware of good posture, and practice a breathing exercise to relax. Place your hands comfortably on your lap. Now you must clear all thoughts from your mind. Just “be”. This will be hard at first but will become easier with time. Start with 5 minutes at first. As outside thoughts enter your head push them out again. Clear your mind. Focus on your breathing. Feel your blood flow through your body. After 5 minutes, slowly return to the present. As you practice this technique, you will become proficient at it. If you need some help, there are guided meditations available in various formats to help you attain a meditative state.

Þ Professional Massage

Massage therapy can be very beneficial for stress relief. There are many forms of massage such as Shiatsu, Swedish, Sports, and deep-tissue. Whichever form you choose the therapist will use gliding and kneading techniques and movements to relax your muscles and improve circulation. Some massage therapists use oils, which are also beneficial for the aromatherapy they provide. Massage therapists can be found at most spas. Some companies even include massage therapy in their health plans. It is important to choose a licensed massage therapist.

Þ Go To The Park

Find a local park and go there to exercise. Walk or jog through the park or do stretching exercises. Then sit on a park bench and relax. Clear your mind and take in nature and the sights around you. Try to listen for birds. Just 15 or 20 minutes in the park will transform your spirit and refresh you. Your stress will be melted away.

Þ Try Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art. It is a soft-style martial art that uses relaxation of the muscles. Not only does it help keep us fit, Tai Chi also teaches awareness of your balance. The benefits on stress are well known. There are Tai Chi groups or classes in almost every city or you can do Tai Chi on your own. There are some very good instructional DVDs that you can follow along with.

THE ENERGY BODY
Your actual physical body is only a small part of your true self. What you see is not all you get. The human body is not just the blood and bones we perceive on the physical plane. We are made of energy that permeates every layer of our being, it is us. What we know as the physical body is just energy that is vibrating more slowly than the energy that is beyond our standard perception.
You will hear about The Aura or energy body, the Chakra system , Meridians, Marma, Nadi and Other energy structure systems.
There is no one correct and absolute map of the energy body. Every one of the descriptions and explanations is correct as applied to that particular awareness of the energy body .
There are millions upon millions of possible ways to see perceive and understand the components of the energy body.
Different cultures focus on different things and manifest awareness of the energy body in different ways. As an individual or a culture move from novice to adept the perceptions and concepts deepen and expand.
Descriptions of the nature of scientific facts, or of historical events are different when offered to young children than they are when offered to adult specialists.
In this day of mass communication and global interaction we may become confused because we become aware of different levels of information and different cultural expressions all at once and often separated from the original context .
These things need not be seen as conflicts or contradictions but simply as the same thing or parts seen from different viewpoints and with different tools. Whether you are aware of Chakra or Elembe or Ao, Or meridians and Nadi and Marma. Whether you recognize a system of 5, 7, 12. 186 , 860000 chakra, centers, features, etc. of the energy body, you are right and you are also expressing incomplete information.
In a way , all such concepts are just metaphors and sketches intended to assist us in developing our understanding and realizations about life , reality and our place and functioning within all that is, has been, or will be /could become .
Any description or system of explanation of the energy centers by any name is no more an actual expression of the real thing than a blue print of a house is a building or adequate to understand the concept of buildings .
_________________

The Twelve Rays

First Ray of Will and Power
The first ray is an energy of will, power, and drive. It is connected with
vitality, initiative, thrust. It breaks down the old and makes way for the
new. It is a very dynamic energy. The color of this ray is red. Those upon
this ray have a strong personal power that can be used for good or evil. The
first ray people will always come to the front of any line they are working
on. The first ray people who are not tempered by the love/wisdom energy of the
second ray can be extremely cruel and hard. The first ray is helpful when one
is traumatized by emotions, one can use the energy to pull oneself out of it.
Most people need small amount of the first ray invocation than that of other
rays. The color red will intensify whatever condition already exists. The
first ray will cause an almost instant effect. One usually needs only a
little bit.
Virtues of first ray people. Strength, courage, steadfastness,
truthfulness, fearlessness, and the capacity to grasp great questions in a large-minded
way.
The vices of first ray people. Pride, ambition, willfulness, hardness,
arrogance, desire to control others, and anger.
Virtues to be acquired: tenderness, humility, sympathy, tolerance and
patience.
The Second Ray of Love/Wisdom
This ray embodies the Divine quality of love and desire for pure knowledge
and absolute truth. The color it embodies is a deep intense blue. People on this
ray are very loving, allowing, friendly, and responsible. The second ray soul
is usually a teacher or possibly an architect because of this rays strong
conceptual ability. This type of person has the ability to impress the true
view of things on other people and cause them to see things as he/she does.
This person has great tact and foresight. This ray type is highly intuitive.
They are not rash or impulsive. If anything, they might be slow to act.
Virtues: Calmness, faithfulness, intuition, patience, endurance, love of
truth, and a serene temper.
Weaknesses. Coldness, Over-Absorption in Studies, Indifference to Others,
Sentimentality, Sensuality, Impracticability, Contempt of Mental Limitation in
Others, Unwise Self-Sacrifice, Accentuation of Life and Neglect of Form.
Virtues to be Acquired. Love, Compassion, Unselfishness, Energy.
Sources of Suffering. Heartbreak, Loneliness, Isolation, Exclusion, Coldness,
Neglect and Broken Faith and Trust, Misjudgment, Disloyalty.
Quest and Driving Impulse. To Save, Illumine, Teach, Share, Heal, Serve.
The Third Ray of Active Intelligence
This ray is of the abstract thinker. The philosopher and metaphysician. Its
color is either yellow or green. The people on this ray are highly
imaginative and excellent at higher mathematics. They are idealistic dreamers and
theorists. They are able to see every side of a question in a very clear manner.
One of their main characteristics is there perseverance. They won't let go
until a project is finished, even if it should take a whole lifetime. Third
ray types are usually perfectionists. They tend to be independent. They
are very focused, concrete, logical, clear-minded, and organized.
The color of this ray is Emerald Green.
Root Fear: Misuse of Power. Sources of Suffering. Indignity, Proven
Incompetent, Darkness. Quest and Driving Impulse. Creative Activity, To Understand.
Occupations. Philosopher, Scholar, Diplomat, Strategist, Astrologer, Chess
Player, Economist, Banker, JudgeMethod of Achievement. Sequential Thinking or
Systems thinking, Right Understanding, Expediency.Teaching Method. Explain
Principle, Adaptation, Communication.
Highest Attainments. Truth, Genius as a Result of Overflow of Contemplation,
Omnipresence, Comprehension of Truth.Vices: Intellectual pride, coldness,
isolation, inaccuracy in details, absent-mindedness, obstinacy, selfishness, and
too much criticism of others. Virtues to be acquired: sympathy, tolerance,
devotion, accuracy, energy, and common sense.
Qualities: Patience, Caution, Clear Intellect, Sincerity of Purpose, Capacity
for Philosophical Studies, Absence of Worry, Wide Views on Abstract
Questions, Creative Ideation, Dignity, Adaptability, Tact, Impartiality,
Discrimination, Comprehension, Understanding, Penetrative and Interpretative Mental Power.
The Fourth Ray of Harmony through Conflict
This ray has been called "the ray of struggle". As with all rays it has an
lower and higher aspect. When this ray is governed by the lower self, then
conflict and havoc will ensue. When governed by the higher self, harmony
occurs. The fourth ray is connected with the emotional body and the solar plexus
chakra, (third one). It is also very connected to physical existence. The
fourth ray has a very reflective quality which, in a sense, forces one to look at
what one hasn't finished or completed yet. In this sense it acts like a
mirror. This ray is also very connected to the arts. The danger of this ray is
the possibility of getting to entangled in the emotional body, which most
people have a tendency to do. The fourth ray person needs the balance of the
first ray, the third ray, and the fifth ray, for balance. The fourth ray person
often lives on an emotional roller coaster until evenness of mind and equality
can be achieved.
Virtues: strong affections, sympathy, physical courage, and quickness of
intellect and perception.
Vices: self-centeredness, worrying, inaccuracy, lack of moral courage,
indolence, and extravagance.
Virtues to acquire: serenity, confidence, self-control, purity, accuracy,
and mental and moral balance
The Fifth Ray of the Concrete Mind
This is the ray of science and research. The person of this ray has a keen
intellect and likes great accuracy of detail. This ray is connected to the
Mental body. Many people, at this time of our history, are stuck in the
mental body and have not allowed themselves to open up to there intuition and soul
body. That is the danger of this ray. The color of this ray is orange,
(like the fruit). The fifth ray person is extremely truthful and full of
knowledge and facts. The danger here is of becoming pedantic and too focused on the
trivial details. The fifth ray approach to the spiritual path is through
scientific research pushed to ultimate conclusions. Another one of the
qualities in the pattern of the fifth ray that many people are not aware of is
unconditional love.
Virtues: Making completely accurate statements, justice, common sense,
uprightness, independence, and keen intellect.
Vices: Harsh criticism, narrowness, arrogance, unforgiving temper, lack of
sympathy and reverence, and prejudice.
Virtues to acquire: Reverence, devotion, sympathy, love, and
wide-mindedness.
The Sixth Ray of Devotion
This ray is the ray of devotion and idealism. The person on this ray is
full of religious fervor. Everything is seen as perfect or intolerable. It is
an emotionally based ray that is also very connected with the subconscious
mind. Its color is Indigo, (like lapis lazuli),. It has the ability to help
individuals go beyond a mere Earth-orientated focus. The lower, personality
based type of person becomes the worst kind of bigot and fanatic. All
religious wars and crusades have originated from the miss-use of this ray. The
person on this ray is often very gentle but can move into intense anger and
wrathfulness quite easily. The sixth ray person is often a poet or writer of
religious books in either poetry to prose. The method of healing for this type of
person would be through faith and prayer.
Virtues: devotion, single-mindedness, love tenderness, loyalty, and
reverence.
Vices selfishness, jealous love, over-independence on others, self-
deception, superstition, prejudice, over-rapid conclusions, and fiery anger.
Virtues to acquire: Strength, self-sacrifice, purity, truth, tolerance,
serenity, balance, and common sense.
The Seventh Ray of Ceremonial Order and Magic
The seventh ray is connected to the violet transmuting flame. This is the
ray of the high priestess or priest, the community organizer, or the court
chamberlain. The motto of this type of person is "get all things done decently
and in order". The seventh ray helps to integrate heaven and earth and
ground spirituality into the physical material world. The unevolved seventh ray
person is superstitious and will be too influenced omens, dreams, and
spiritualistic phenomena. The seventh ray type of person approaches the
spiritual path through the observance of rules of practice and ritual and can easily
invoke the help of elemental forces.
Virtues: strength, perseverance, courage, courtesy, extreme care of
details, and self-reliance.
Vices: Formalism, bigotry, pride, narrowness, superficial judgments, and
overindulgence.
Virtues to acquire: Realization of unity, wide-mindedness, tolerance,
humility, gentleness, and love.
The previous seven rays described here are the primary forces working
throughout you. We will now begin understanding the higher rays.
The Higher Rays
These higher rays are combinations of the seven rays with a touch of Source
light, or White light, which gives them a luminous quality. All these rays
come through our Planetary Logos, Sanat Kumara. There are actually rays
beyond these twelve that exist in the universe; however, these are all that are
planned for Earth at this time. Helios, our Solar Logos, directs them to Sanat
Kumara who makes them available to us.
The Eighth Ray
This ray is a cleansing ray. It helps clean out those characteristics and
qualities within self that one no longer needs and wants to get rid of. This
ray has a green/violet luminosity. It is composed of the 4th, 5th, and 7th
ray, with a touch of white Light, all mixed together. It is important for your
four body system be clean and pure. The 8th ray is good for cleansing the
subconscious mind. It helps to raise one to a higher vibrational level and
frequency.
The Ninth Ray
The main quality of this ray is joy. It is also the ray that attracts one's
full potential. It also contains the cleansing process that the 8th ray
started so effectively. It is composed of the 1st, and 2nd rays, with white
light. The color is greenish-blue luminosity. The body of light is a beautiful,
magnetic, transparent, white luminous, electrical, life-force-filled,
rainbow like robe or body of energy that, ideally, one dons to begin each day.
Over time it becomes integrated as a regular part of ones being. It is the
ninth ray that is used to attract the light body. It is the tenth one that
allows it to be anchored into one's being. Fully integrating and anchoring the
body of Light is integral to the ascension process.
The Tenth Ray
This ray allows all the changes a person has been seeking to make to be
locked in. Divinity is truly recognized when one meditates on this ray. It has
a pearlescent colored luminosity. It helps to facilitate the soul merge
experience. The tenth ray is a combination of the first three rays, and white
Light. The 10th ray allows the oneness of self to be experienced and allows
the integration ying and yang aspects within
self. The opportunity the of 10th ray is to fully realize the body of Light
while still living in the physical body.
The Eleventh Ray
This ray contains the process and is a bridge to the New Age. Its color is
orange-pink. It helps one to get in touch with the Divine love/wisdom. It is
a combination of the 1st, 2nd, and 5th rays, with white Source Light. this
ray cleans up anything that the 8th ray missed. This ray is used to get to
the next level, to enter the new age.
The Twelfth Ray
The twelfth ray is the golden ray of the New Age. This is the ray of
anchoring the Christ Consciousness on Earth. It is the summit of all the higher
rays. The twelfth ray is a combination of all the rays, with white Source
Light and Christ consciousness. The 12th ray facilitate inner realizations. If
there is confusion about a situation one can call this ray into the
consciousness and into the entire situation and it will facilitate understanding of
it. It is the highest type of energy made available to the earth except for
the energy of the Mahatma, the Avatar of Synthesis, which is an even higher
frequency. It is good to call on both on a regular basis.
_______________

Quiz: How Spiritual Are You?

1. I often feel so connected to the people around me that it is like there is no separation between us.

True��

False

2. I often do things to help protect animals and plants from extinction.

True��

False

3. I am fascinated by the many things in life that cannot be scientifically explained.

True��

False

4. Often I have unexpected flashes of insight or understanding while relaxing.

True��

False

5. I sometimes feel so connected to nature that everything seems to be part of one living organism.

True��

False

6. I seem to have a "sixth sense" that sometimes allows me to know what is going to happen.

True��

False

7. Sometimes I have felt like I was part of something with no limits or boundaries in time and space.

True��

False

8. I am often called "absent-minded" because I get so wrapped up in what I am doing that I lose track of everything else.

True��

False

9. I often feel a strong sense of unity with all the things around me.

True��

False

10. Even after thinking about something a long time, I have learned to trust my feelings more than my logical reasons.

True��

False

11. I often feel a strong spiritual or emotional connection with all the people around me.

True��

False

12. Often when I am concentrating on something, I lose awareness of the passage of time.

True��

False

13. I have made real personal sacrifices in order to make the world a better place, like trying to prevent war, poverty and injustice.

True��

False

14. I have had experiences that made my role in life so clear to me that I felt very happy and excited.

True��

False

15. I believe that I have experienced extrasensory perception.

True��

False

16. I have had moments of great joy in which I suddenly had a clear, deep feeling of oneness with all that exists.

True��

False

17. Often when I look at an ordinary thing, something wonderful happens. I get the feeling that I am seeing it fresh for the first time.

True��

False

18. I love the blooming of flowers in the spring as much as seeing an old friend again.

True��

False

19. It often seems to other people like I am in another world because I am so completely unaware of things going on around me.

True��

False

20. I believe that miracles happen.

True��

False

SCORING: Give yourself one point for each TRUE answer and 0 points for each FALSE answer. 14 and above = highly spiritual, a real mystic; 12-13 = spiritually aware, easily lost in the moment; 8-11 = spiritually average; could develop more spiritual life if desired; 6-7 = a practical empiricist lacking self-transcendence; 1-5 = highly skeptical, resistant to developing spiritual awareness.