Imagine you are on the coast, looking out to sea. In front of you lies 100 metres of barren sand that looks like a beach at low tide with gentle waves beyond. And yet there are no tides.

This is what we found when we visited the small harbour of Liman, on the Caspian Sea coast of Azerbaijan. The Caspian is actually a lake, the largest in the world, and it is experiencing a devastating decline in its water level that is about to accelerate. By the end of the century the Caspian Sea will be nine metres to 18 metres lower. That’s a depth considerably taller than most houses.

It means the lake will lose at least 25% of its former size, uncovering 93,000 sq km of dry land. If that new land were a country, it would be the size of Portugal.

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https://innerself.com/content/social/environment/climate/impacts/24599-the-caspian-sea-is-set-to-fall-by-9-metres-or-more-this-century.html

Read by Marie T Russell. Publisher InnerSelf

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Frank Wesselingh, Senior Researcher, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Utrecht University and Matteo Lattuada, PhD Candidate, Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, University of Giessen

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

https://theconversation.com/the-caspian-sea-is-set-to-fall-by-9-metres-or-more-this-century-an-ecocide-is-imminent-152229

Written by Tambri Housen, et al

As the coronavirus pandemic stretches on, a small proportion of Australians infected have now died, while most have either recovered, or are likely to recover over the next few weeks.

One thing many of us want to know is for how long people who have SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are able to pass it on to someone else.

Let’s look at what the science tells us so far.

The “incubation period” is the time between being exposed to the virus and the onset of symptoms.

For COVID-19, the incubation period ranges from 1 to 14 days. But most people who develop COVID-19 symptoms do so 4 to 6 days after exposure.

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https://innerself.com/content/living/health/22949-how-long-are-you-infectious-when-you-have-coronavirus.html

Read by Marie T Russell. Publisher InnerSelf

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Tambri Housen, Epidemiologist | Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University; Amy Elizabeth Parry, Epidemiologist | PhD Candidate, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, and Meru Sheel, Epidemiologist | Senior Research Fellow, Australian National University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The reason I share "what works for me" is that it may work for you as well. If not exactly the way I do it, since we are all unique, some variance of the attitude or method may very well be something that will work for you.

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.

One thing that resonated a lot for me was the use of the question: What Do I Most Want? This can be applied to so many things. I have found this tool to be extremely helpful, not just in keeping goals, but also in staying calm or returning from a place of confusion and stress. Now, I reworded it to feel more like me, as "most want" seemed too formal... I use the question: What do I want more? Whichever format feels right for you is the one that is best for you. You could use: What do I really want?

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Read by Marie T Russell. Publisher InnerSelf

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Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.

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 smoke screen of Covid-19, both tool and camouflage, has beguiled many but not all.

The new religion of Covid which tolerates no debate, no question, no doubt, has spread its reign of terror across the globe whilst those who struggle to preserve the most basic human rights and retain some semblance of a life worth living – an independent livelihood, the right to make personal health choices free of state and societal coercion, a nurturing social network of real-life human connection – they are vilified and silenced. Independent, nuanced thought is now a crime in a world where propaganda rules and facts are sacrificed on the altar of mob-rule and the tyranny of fear.

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Sarah Varcas is an intuitive astrologer with a passion for applying planetary messages to the ups and downs of everyday life. In doing so she aims to support people in their personal and spiritual development, making available celestial wisdom which may otherwise be inaccessible for those without astrological expertise. Sarah has studied astrology for over thirty years alongside an eclectic spiritual path spanning Buddhism, contemplative Christianity and many other diverse teachings and practices. She also offers an online (via email) Self-Study Astrology Course. You can find out more about Sarah and her work at www.astro-awakenings.co.uk.

Written by Turīya

Contemplate the 5 poisons and their antidotes on a regular basis. When one of the poisons arises in your mind, apply the antidote and witness the shift in your mindstate.

(Excerpted from transcript of a class taught at Dharma Center)

Anytime we find ourselves suffering, in a state of misery, not experiencing our innate Unreasonable Joy, if we look at the mindstate we are in, it can be traced back to one of five poisons. It can be tricky because sometimes one state will masquerade as another state.

So it’s important to practice contemplation when you find yourself suffering. When you discover you are feeling miserable, examine what state has enraptured you so you will know which mindstate is holding you in bondage.

Just as in the world of pharmacology there is a correct medicine for an illness, there is a specific antidote for a poisonous mindstate. If you were to use the wrong medicine, either it won’t work or it can have bad side effects. So it’s important to take the time to diagnose which mindstate is holding you captive, to know what is causing the suffering.

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https://innerself.com/content/personal/attitudes-transformed/24652-the-5-poisons-that-arise-in-our-mind-and-their-antidotes.html

Read by Marie T Russell. Publisher InnerSelf

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Unreasonable Joy: Awakening through Trikaya Buddhism

Unreasonable Joy: Awakening through Trikaya Buddhism, points the way towards Enlightenment and liberation from suffering. We suffer through tragedies and the daily grind of eat-work-sleep, chasing happiness but finding fleeting pleasure. Built on the foundations of ancient wisdom, a new school called Trikaya Buddhism promises freedom from the suffering of this wearisome cycle.

Turīya is a Buddhist monk, teacher, and author who, despite living with chronic pain, founded the Dharma Center of Trikaya Buddhism in San Diego in 1998 to share her path. For over 25 years, she has taught thousands of students how to meditate, trained teachers, and helped people discover the unreasonable joy of our true nature. For more info, visit dharmacenter.com/teachers/turiya/ as well as www.turiyabliss.com

Written by Joyce Vissell

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, a prayer said for another, or the smallest act of caring all of which have the potential to turn a life around." -- Leo Buscaglia

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. We never were in a gathering of people of any size. We always wore our masks, washed our hands, used hand sanitizer, and kept the required distance. And yet the virus found its way into our lives. Barry had a mild case, but I got really sick for more than four weeks. How did I survive this potentially-deadly virus?

There is much information on the internet on ways to take care of yourself medically if you test positive. These tips are extremely useful, like never lying on your back, and getting up and walking often. But in this article, I am giving ways to help your spirit, for keeping your spirit vital and alive is an important ingredient for healing.

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Read by Marie T Russell. Publisher InnerSelf

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Written by Suzanne Worthley

In Western culture, many have become removed from witnessing the actual dying experience as a normal part of life. In my hospice work, I often find myself not only energetically supporting the patient, but also providing guidance to family and loved ones who may not have a deathbed ritual or practice. In these cases, it can be difficult to know what to do when faced with the dying process and saying a final goodbye to their loved one.

There are many ways to commemorate the death of a loved one, from memorial services to wakes to funerals and more. I regularly suggest performing an end-of-life ritual. No matter the specific religion, tradition, or practice, these rituals offer us a powerful way to open our hearts, minds, and bodies to honor the process of life-force energy moving forward in its final effort of release and return to Source. The idea of ceremony and ritual can be a beautiful way to enhance the experience of saying goodbye to a loved one while they are transitioning through the final stages of dying.

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Read by Marie t. Russell. Publisher InnerSelf

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Written by Kim Chestney

New ideas come into this world somewhat like falling meteors, with a flash and an explosion.  — HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Though intuition may, at first, seem elusive, unpredictable, and mysterious, it is not, by nature, random or haphazard. Its processes follow very real principles and natural laws. Like a light­ning flash, we may not always know when intuition is going to show up, but we can predict the environments where it is more likely to “strike.”

By understanding the foundations of the intu­itive process, and how its extraordinary insight arrives, you can create your own lightning in a bottle.

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Written by Lilou Macé

I first heard about yoni eggs in Chiang Mai, Thailand, several years ago. I was there to interview Mantak Chia about longevity and Taoist practices, when I discovered that practice.

I was immediately intrigued by this small, oval, polished stone and wanted to know more. I 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. I was single, and those concepts became a recurring theme for me.

I cannot say that, at the beginning, I felt completely casual about inserting the egg into my body. It quickly made me aware of a few things, mainly my ignorance about my intimate anatomy. It became clear that I was more interested in this part of my body as an object of desire, pleasure, and lust than as something that could reveal the power of my inner femininity. I was confronted by my shame, my carelessness, and my ignorance, but thanks to this small object, I was immediately prepared to learn more about the yoni.

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