Question

Answer
First I’ll begin with the question of “How do I attain happiness if at this moment I am unfulfilled?” You need to recognize the false premise your unfulfillment is based on. You are assuming that you can’t be happy or fulfilled unless certain external conditions are met, such as a loving relationship. Yet above you said you understood that happiness is within and living in the moment. If you are simply in the moment, then you aren’t placing any demands on how things have to be – you are simply being there with it.

When you say you can’t be happy because you don’t have a partner, you are making your internal state conditional upon external circumstances. That isn’t living in the present. By orienting your perspective and sense of wellbeing to operate from the inside-out, instead of the reverse, you find perfection and fulfillment in the ever-changing moment. In this way your silent witness is not only detached, but at the same time your sense of purpose is also fully engaged in creating the life you want according to your life purpose.

Love,
Deepak
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Join Deepak Chopra and the Chopra Center as we travel to Chicago on the pathway to happiness.

Seduction of Spirit: Pathway to Happiness
July 9–15, 2012
Eaglewood Resort & Spa, Chicago, Illinois

Are you seeking more joy and fulfillment in your life?

This July at Seduction of Spirit, the Chopra Center’s signature meditation and yoga retreat, Deepak Chopra, the Chopra Center’s master certified instructors, and special guest Mike Dooley will guide you in a week of timeless practices and wisdom for awakening to the happiness that lies
Seduction of Spirit: Pathway to Happiness features:

• –Instruction by Deepak Chopra  in an advanced meditation sutra practice taught nowhere else
• –Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga classes led by Chopra Yoga Director Danielle Mika Nagel
• –Instruction in Primordial Sound Meditation and your personal mantra
• –Interactive sessions with Mike Dooley, a renowned spiritual teacher and author of Notes from the Universe
• –Time for silent reflection and rejuvenation
• –A warm community of like-minded people

Join us for a life-changing journey to the heart of happiness! Call 888.736.6895 or click here to learn more.

7 Steps to Awaken Your Creativity

Every creative act requires a leap in awareness – a quantum jump from one pattern of thinking to an entirely new one, without progressing through incremental steps. In one moment a creative idea doesn’t exist, and in the next, it is part of our conscious world. In between, where was the idea? It came from the field of pure potentiality, which gives rise to everything in the universe. Creativity is a process of transforming the raw energy, information, and material of the universe into something that has never before existed,

Whether you are creating a new business, an original piece of music, or a relationship, creativity requires a quantum leap in awareness. The ability to make this leap isn’t reserved only for the rare genius or lucky individual. We all have unlimited creative potential because our essential nature is pure consciousness. I have found the following seven steps for awakening the creative response invaluable in my own life. Become conscious of these steps and use the creative response whenever you are facing an issue or challenge in your life.

1. Intended Outcome
Develop a clear vision of what you want. State your intended outcome in positive language rather than in terms of what you don’t want. Instead of declaring, “I want to stop feeling so tired and run down,” say, “I have a healthy body with abundant energy.” Write down your intentions and review them regularly − the ideal time is just before you meditate.

2. Information Gathering
Learn everything you can about the challenge at hand, using as many sources as possible. Read books, use the Internet, go to workshops, and speak with friends, family, and new acquaintances. As you gather information and ideas, pay attention to the sensations in your body, noticing whether they generate feelings of comfort of discomfort.

3. Information Reshuffling and Analysis
As you cull information from various sources, your mind will reshuffle the data on both conscious and subconscious levels, formatting it in whatever ways are most useful to you. Your mind will automatically look for patterns to help you gain a new understanding of the issue.

4. Incubation and Meditation
Now that you have formed your intentions and gathered and reshuffled your information, now is the time to let go and allow something entirely new to arise in your awareness. In the incubation stage, you use meditation to go beyond the rational mind and access an expanded state of consciousness.

5. Insight
You will experience insight or a creative leap when the conditions are right. Your perception and interpretations completely shift and you have a new inner vision of whatever issue you are considering.

6. Inspiration
With insight comes the spontaneous generation of inspiration. Your entire mind-body becomes energized and you experience passion, exhilaration, excitement, joy, and enthusiasm. You know in your mind that your insight is true and you feel in your body that the insight is right.

7. Take Action on Your Insight
The next step is to translate your insight into action . . . to implement and integrate the insight into your thinking and behavior. You incarnate the change in your body and you are transformed into a new person.

Remember that the source of all creativity is consciousness. The more consciousness you have, the more potential you have to create. As you meditate, awaken to the present moment, and set up the conditions for taking a creative quantum leap, you will experience greater energy, love, and joy in your life.

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Another Idea to Jump-Start Your Creativity

If you are seeking to awaken to higher levels of awareness, creativity, and intuition, join us for the Chopra Center’s Seduction of Spirit retreat.  Led by Deepak Chopra, this signature meditation and yoga retreat is a unique opportunity to step away from your daily routine and demands, giving yourself a dedicated time to connect to your deeper self and open to the gifts and true fulfillment in your life.

We are offering three Seduction of Spirit retreats in 2012. Learn more here.

We hope to see you soon!

If you’ve never gone on a retreat and wonder if it’s for you, here are just 5 of the best reasons to join us for Seduction of Spirit:

1.) Take Time for Yourself . . to Renew and Restore Balance
Seduction of Spirit is an opportunity to leave behind the demands and pressures of everyday life and experience a week of deep meditation, inner transformation, and blissful silence. Away from the daily needs of your children, partners, and co-workers, you will be free to finally let go and move beyond the mind’s noisy internal dialogue . . . drifting effortlessly into the profound peace of pure awareness.

2.) Meditate with Deepak
Seduction of Spirit is one of the Chopra Center’s most popular events, where Deepak will guide you in advanced meditation practices and teach you ancient meditation sutras that will take you to deeper levels of your spiritual self. The meditation retreat is a rare opportunity to experience Deepak’s wisdom, teaching, and insight; deepen your meditation practice; and open yourself to higher states of consciousness.

3) Awaken Your Spirit
The most powerful tool we have for connecting to our unbounded nature and the field of all possibilities is meditation. A meditation retreat allows you to transcend the mind’s internal chatter and reconnect with your spirit and the truth within you. The Seduction of Spirit retreat is an opportunity for an extended and intensive meditative experience that will take you to deeper levels of stillness spiritual awakening. Once you have glimpsed your soul, everything else that happens in life seems to shine with the brilliance of bliss.

4) Ignite your Creativity
In a busy mind filled with repetitious thoughts, conditioned beliefs, and emotional turbulence, there is little space for creativity to enter. Meditation takes you beyond the rational mind to the source of all creativity: the domain of pure consciousness. As you expand your consciousness, you tap into your hidden potential. Your expanded awareness ripples out into your daily life, and as you go about your daily activities, you will begin to notice new insights, ideas, and inspiration flowing into your mind.

5) Nurture Your Body
Seduction of Spirit nurtures your body as well as your spirit. Each day you’ll cultivate a deep state of body-centered restful awareness with morning and evening sessions in the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga. During the retreat you’ll dine on delicious ayurvedic meals created from fresh, healthy foods that will nourish and energize you during your stay. You may be inspired to make improvements to your diet and daily routine when you return home! You’ll also celebrate with dancing and laughter and special performances by guest performers, including Beth Nielsen Chapman.You’ll also enjoy time for optional nature walks and self-reflection.

Learn more about Seduction of Spirit and our special price for Georgia residents here or call 888.736.6895 to speak to a program consultant.

The Answer is Inside!

This month we invite you to connect to the rich inner wisdom of your body, mind, and spirit . . .

Begin by taking the Dosha Quiz to identify your mind-body type; join davidji for a guided meditation; practice a powerful technique to let go of food cravings; awaken your intuition through chakra-opening yoga; and watch our new video about our upcoming Journey into Healing workshop, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, and David Simon weave their messages together. In his letter, Deepak discusses how discovering and embracing your shadow can help you reclaim your hidden power, while David Simon writes about the journey to the heart and shares a special guided meditation on love.

We wish you a wonderful month filled with peace, self-acceptance, joy, and love.

In gratitude,
The Chopra Center Staff

Taking just ten minutes out of your day will help to:

• Manage stress
• Reduce anxiety
• Improve your relationships
• Create inner peace
• Awaken your intuition
• Lower your blood pressure
• Become less judgmental
• Connect to spirit
• Enhance your sleep patterns

Our Lead Educator, davidji, has recorded a number of guided meditations to help you quiet your mind and focus on your intentions.

Start listening to all of our meditations here.

Want more information about our signiture meditation retreat, Seduction of Spirit? Click here.

For more information, please visit http://www.chopra.com/agni/may10/contest.

Spring is a season of rebirth and fresh beginnings, and you may feel a new spark of energy, unexpected inspiration, and renewal at the cellular level. Now is the time to leverage this sense of lightness . . . to clear out the old and plant the seeds of intention for your greatest dreams and desires.

This April 14 at 2 p.m., David Simon and davidji will host this free, hour-long live teleseminar, where they will share timeless principles and practical tools to help you live your own dream life.

Space is limited for this FREE teleseminar! Sign up Now!

What our guests said about Seduction of Spirit:

“Seduction of Spirit was absolutely amazing, healing, and informative. I wouldn’t change a thing!” ~ Narsis T. Ridgefield, CT

“I feel peaceful and in harmony. I look forward to the spiritual journey and continued healing.” ~ Lima H., Vista, CA

“Thank you for all the love and dedication! Namaste!” ~ Nidia R., Dania, FL

“This was a cohesively organized event with a nurturing staff. I feel so much gratitude for all of your contributions to me and the consciousness of the world.” ~ Mark M., Coral Springs, FL

“In the end I got much more from the workshop than I expected and walked away thinking that it is a very good value for money as the standard of food and lectures were so high and original. I salute you Chopra team!” ~ Zeb J., England, UK

“I felt this retreat was an amazing experience – the teachers, staff, vendors – all did an excellent job. Davidji is a great addition to the teaching staff. Amanda and the Chopra staff do a great job.”~ Nancy T., Elkhorn, WI

“I want to thank everyone here for a wonderful experience – so grateful and filled with light and love. The food was amazing! People were wonderful. Thank you.” ~ Louise H., Los Angeles, CA

“I loved this course, well beyond my expectations and this is the second time I have taken it. I heard new things and was able to recharge and put myself on the meditation path again! I feel so grateful for my life again. There are no words to express the love and gratitude.” ~ Luis C., Coral Cables, FL

A total of 250 sweet souls scuba diving together in stillness and silence oh . . . and Deepak Chopra – our dive master and David Simon – the sufi master. All this  on the white-sand shores of Marco Island, Florida!

Guests will start to arrive on Sunday to the beautiful Marriot Hotel and begin sunrise meditations, sessions with Deepak and David Simon, dining on delicious ayurvedic meals, and being surrounded by hundreds of like minded mediators!

We’re so excited to bring the Chopra Center to Florida!