FREEDOM with BONDAGE

<b>FREEDOM with BONDAGE</b>
Get your FREEDOM with BONDAGE to help you make your right choices to do the righteous things.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

You Just Don't Die!

YOU JUST DON’T DIE!” 

This 154-page book is about how to live your life as if everything is a miracle if you just don’t die as you continue with you life journey with the many changes and challenges confronting you, including your loss of vision.

Human existence is meaningless without life purpose and human happiness. The pursuit of longevity has been going on since time immemorial. Consciousness holds the key to the success of this pursuit. Consciousness of living is wisdom of the mind to understand the self, others, as well as how and why certain things happen. Wisdom in living enables one to complete the rest of one's life journey and reaching the destination.

To live to 100 and beyond—if you just don’t die—you must ask questions about life; after all, living is about asking questions and seeking answers to the questions asked, and thereby instrumental in providing wisdom or a blueprint to continue the rest of your life journey.

The first question you should consciously ask yourself is: "How long do I wish to live?" Of course, that is only a hypothetical question because you really don’t have much of a choice—unless you would like to purposely end your life prematurely. Naturally, the answer to that question may also change over different phases in your life, depending on the quality of your life in that particular phase.

The second question you should consciously ask yourself is: "Why do I want to live long, or why not?" This question will be naturally followed by the third question: “How do I live long, or what can make me desire to live longer?”

The final question—if you just don’t die—is: "How should I live the rest of my life to overcome my daily problems and life challenges?"

The objective of this 154-page book is neither to convince you to crave longevity, nor to show you how to live to one hundred and beyond. It simply presents you with the consciousness of living the rest of your years—if you just don’t die!

Click here to get your digital copy.

Stephen Lau
Copyright © Stephen lau

Stress and Your Ego

Stress-free living is anti-aging. Learn to live your life as if everything is a miracle. A stress-free life gives balance and harmony, one of the essentials of Chinese medicine.

Stress is one of the many underlying causes of human diseases, and a major stumbling block in natural health and self-healing. Unfortunately, stress is common in modern living: it may come from careers, relationships, finance, and simply everyday living. To get rid of stress, you need more than just relaxation techniques to help you:  you need to get rid of your ego. Without your ego, you have no stress. It's just simple!

Get Tao wisdom -- the ancient wisdom from China to learn how to cope with life's challenges and difficulties in order to live your life as if everything is a miracle.


Monday, December 18, 2017

Cancer Scare

Attachment is a sign of fear -- fear of losing something we hold onto, such as life. Therefore, to be diagnosed with cancer is a traumatic experience for anyone who is attached to life. A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer. A biopsy was scheduled and performed. It turned out that it was negative: it was just a viral infection that could be treated with antibiotics. What a relief! Imagine the days of anguish and trauma prior to the biopsy, and the anxiety while waiting for the result of the biopsy.
Unfortunately, many have undergone such similar excruciating experience when they were wrongly diagnosed, and, worse, when they were positively confirmed that they had cancer. But that is life: bad things do happen to good people, and misfortunes, such as diseases and tragedies, are sometimes unavoidable.
What can we do if we find ourselves in such an unfortunate situation, such as a positive cancer diagnosis? First and foremost, we must accept the reality. This might be an opportunity for letting go -- letting go of attachments in life, including the attachment to any pre-conditioned thinking that a cancer diagnosis is a death sentence, or that most cancers are incurable. Letting go, ironically enough, is a release from the bondage of anxiety and fear of the unknown. Letting go, surprisingly, provides peace and clarity of mind.
Given that cancer is a complex and multi-faceted disease involving many different body systems, organs, and tissues, we must be knowledgeable, and do not simply rely on the opinion of just one doctor. We must seek second or even third opinion, and keep an open mind for other alternative treatment options. In addition, there are many options for cancer treatments.
The next thing to do is to have a calm and open mind. We must not feel distressed, and we must be prepared to change our mindset—just as George Bernard Shaw once said: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” We must have the right mindset to combat the cancer.
It is important to remember that in life something good may come out of something bad, and when God closes a door He may also open a window. Without a close member of my family being misdiagnosed with cancer, I would not written a book entitled: Congratulation! You've Got Cancer.
My book is about what to do when one is diagnosed with cancer.  I am neither a doctor nor an oncologist. In my book, I simply show the power of the mind not only in coping with the traumatic experience of cancer but also in overcoming the disease itself. In addition, I present detailed information on what an individual must do on the cancer journey of cure and recovery. A cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. Rather, it is an opportunity for growth and development. We must increase mind power to conquer the cancer.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Wisdom in Living



This is a completely updated website on how to live your life as if everything is a miracle.

The journey of life is long and unpredictable. We all need wisdom to guide us along the way so that we will not get lost; even if we do, we may still find out way back to where it will eventually lead us to our final destination.

This new website may provide you with wisdom as your compass and roadmap on your life journey.

Wisdom in living comprises seeking God's wisdom through understanding human wisdom in order to live a meaningful and purposeful life, even in the golden years. The ancient wisdom of Tao holds the key to applying these principles of life and living in this modern world.

Stephen Lau

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Save the Face (3)

When it comes to saving the face, just remember the following:

Your face is not you.

Your youthful look is only a part of you, and it is bound to change, no matter what. Learn how to delay, but also to accept, that inevitable change on your look.

Nobody’s face is perfect—let alone yours.

Do what you can, but do it!

Your over-concern for face image will level off at around fifties and sixties, when you would be more concerned with your health than with your youthfulness. This is the reality of life!


Today, the mass media have bombarded us with tons of information about health and wellness, so much so that it may become even stressful and worrisome to some.

One of the objectives of this book is to present relevant information in a readable and easy-to-follow format. You need not read the entire book, though it is recommended that you do. This book is organized in such a way that you can scan the detailed content page with appropriate headings to find the information you need to deal with your own specific problems.

This book is comprehensive in that it covers virtually all aspects of a healthy mind and body—the requisites for becoming younger and healthier for longer. They may be different for men and women in their different stages of their lives.

Life is a myriad of complex problems, which are often inter-related. This book provides you with different choices of solutions. Instead of getting old gracefully, why not mature youthfully?

The ominous reminders of old age and mortality are your more frequent visits to doctors, the wrinkles on your face, and the change of shape and structure of your physique, among others. Overcoming these ravages of aging is what this book is all about.

Stephen Lau

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Saving the Face (2)

 Fat injections

Fat injections are living grafts in which part of the fat from your own body, usually from the buttocks, stays and lives in a new environment.

Fat injections have the following advantages, compared to other non-surgical procedures:

More cost effective, compared to other non-surgical procedures.

The intervals between injections can be up to several months.They are

Fat injections may be the best option for deep smile folds, much more effective than collagen injections.

Restylane

Restylane is a clear gel injected into your skin to soften your facial contours, and to remove lines and wrinkles on your face. It is derived from a product as bio-compatible and bio-degradable as the natural hyaluronic acid, which is naturally found in your body. Hyaluronic acid, present mainly in your skin, is a substance that gives your body its structure and volume by attracting and holding on to the water in your skin. As such, it is most ideal for line and wrinkle filler.

Restylane has the following advantages over other similar products to remove wrinkles:

Restylane does not paralyze your facial muscles. It can be injected almost anywhere on your face.

Restylane eliminates any rejection risk by your body because it is naturally found in your own body.

Restylane lasts longer (up to a year) than collagen injections. It is, therefore, more cost effective in the long haul, although it costs 40 to 50 percent more than a collagen injection does.

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, every year thousands of individuals opt for cosmetic procedures to save their faces, and of these individual in quest for a youthful look about 88 percent are women and 12 percent are men. However, cosmetic procedures only temporarily fix the problems of skin aging. Having a youthful look is more than just skin deep, and it never comes easy.

Stephen Lau     
Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Monday, November 6, 2017

Saving the Face (1)

SAVING THE FACE

Unfortunately, the skin aging process cannot be reversed.

You can only fix your face through non-surgical procedures, such as Botox and Restylane, and other invasive surgical procedures, such as a face-lift.

Botox

Botox has been hailed as “the new fountain of youth” or the magic potion to aging.

Can Botox really save your face?

The pros of Botox are as follows:

Botox is a purified protein injected into your skin to make your muscles contract, and hence smoothing out your crows’-feet lines around your eyes.

Botox is minimally invasive, much better than invasive plastic surgery.

Botox is an instant fix: you can see the results almost immediately.

Botox gives a more natural look, except for the lines around the mouth. This is the reason why Botox is generally not applied on the smile folds because it weakens the muscle around the mouth, making your smile look “unnatural.”

Botox is a fairly safe and an ideal procedure because the botulimum (a toxic chemical) in Botox is extremely low, and there is little or no buildup of the toxin in your body (often eliminated within 24 to 48 hours—or at least according to Botox) to pose any major health risk.

Botox is relatively inexpensive, compared to other invasive procedures, such as a face-lift.

The cons of Botox are as follows:

Botox paralyzes your facial muscles, and therefore cannot fix your smile folds, making your smile seem “unnatural.”

Botox is still costly long term: the procedure has to be repeated every three to four months.

Botox is a drug with botulimum (a toxic chemical), and you may still have some concern about injecting it into your body.

Collagen injections

Besides Botox, there are other non-surgical procedures for consideration to save your face.

Collagen is a protein substance in the dermis layer of your skin, which is responsible for your skin’s elasticity. Collagen injections use bovine collagen, which is pure collagen obtainable from isolated cows, and which is clinically tested prior to injection.

Collagen injections have the following advantages:

Collagen injections make the lines on the face become less obvious and much smoother, but they do not make the lines disappear completely as Botox does.

Collagen injections are used mainly between the eyebrows and on smile folds, where Botox does not work effectively.



The disadvantages of collagen injections are as follows:

Collagen injections are not for everyone, especially if you are allergic to cows.

Collagen injections only soften your lines: they do not remove them completely.

More next time!

Stephen Lau     
Copyright© by Stephen Lau


Thursday, October 12, 2017

Another FREE Book to Improve Vision

EYE EXERCISES FOR BETTER VISION
By Stephen Lau

This is a book on using eye exercises to overcome bad vision habits that lead to poor vision. The author explains that the eye is an organ of the body, which is controlled by the mind, vision health is holistic health of the body and the mind. 

Good vision is determined by the flexibility of eye muscles. If you exercise your body, there is no rhyme or reason why you should not exercise your eyes for better vision.

The author himself has poor vision due to his myasthenia gravis, which is an autoimmune disease affecting his eye muscles. He is sharing his own experience to use eye exercises for better vision.

Get this book for FREE. Click here to go to the page for your FREE download.

Stephen Lau

Monday, October 2, 2017

Get Your FREE Book on Weight Management

Download this book ABSOLUTELY FREE to lose a few extra pounds without  diet or medicine!

All-Round Weight Loss
by Stephen Lau

Everybody wants to lose some weight; some even want to lose a lot more. But almost everybody gains back all the pounds that have been lost, and then some.

Why is that? Because weight loss is not just about eating less—after all, everybody wants to eat more, not less. Weight loss is about everything, just as Oprah Winfrey once said: “My greatest failure was in believing that the weight issue was just about weight.” Oprah was right. Weight loss is all-round; that is, it involves the body, the mind, and the spirit. To illustrate, weight loss is also about the thinking mind; it is the thoughts that make you fat, more than anything else. According to Esther and Jerry Hicks' bestseller "Money and the Law of Attraction," people not only want the food but also believe that the food will make them fat, and thus have created that which they do not want; unfortunately, their thoughts attract what they do not want, so their bodies respond to the thinking mind, and gain instead of losing weight.

Therefore, going on a fad diet, abstaining from certain types of food, reducing calorie consumption-all these only contribute to the weight-loss hype that sustains the billion-dollar weight-loss industry. The consumers forever lose in the battle of the bulge.

ALL-ROUND WEIGHT LOSS is holistic weight management in that it covers every aspect of weight loss, beginning with the mind, the body, and then the spirit, to make weight loss natural and permanent. Only holistic weight management guarantees lasting weight loss. Do not waste money on diets, and weight-loss products and programs that do not work. Follow the author's simple but comprehensive holistic approach to wellness and weight management. Remember, if you are healthy in body, mind, and soul, you will not have any weight problem.

Click here to go to the page to get your book ABSOLUTELY FREE!

Stephen Lau









Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Sharing on Facebook to Make Money

Making money online may be effectively accomplished by sharing information on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. Although starting an online business, such as affiliate or internet marketing, may involve much effort and endeavor, including searching for products to sell, setting up blogs and websites to advertise and promote them with relevant contents, these potential problems can easily be overcome by using the the cloud-based AFFILIATE CONTENT PROFIT APP.

Basically, this is how it works:

Find trending website content created by others.



Put YOUR OWN affiliate offer on other people's website content (by using the cloud-based

App)

Share the website content on Facebook, or other social media websites or witth anyone to start
making money online without selling at all!

The reality is that you can actually make money online by just posting website
content on Facebook! SHARING is the key to this online money making.

In other words, finding CONTENT is no longer a problem. You can actually make money online by just posting website content on Facebook! And the best part is that you DO NOT need to have your own blog or website; you only post website content created by others, and start making money online for yourself.

Get the FREE Software and Training to start making money on Facebook.

Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Some of the Causes of Depression

You largely constructed your depression. It wasn’t given to you. Therefore, you can deconstruct it.” Albert Ellis

Although unhappiness is the underlying cause of depression, there are many other factors that may actually cause or trigger the onset of depression, because depression does not just happen by itself. If you have the attitude of “my way, or no way” and when you do not have the things you want “your way,” you may then become more easily susceptible and vulnerable to depression.

Disappointment and frustration

Disappointment and frustration are most common experiences, and they can be due to just about anything in life. But one of the most common sources is people: from one’s spouse who does not meet one’s expectations; from one’s children, who are disobedient or rebellious to one’s values and principles; from one’s parents who do not approve of one’s behavior and temperament, or, even worse, who wish they had never given birth to one.

Disappointment and frustration are more acutely felt when an individual has a distinct and strong ego-self, who loves himself or herself more than anyone else.

Self-criticism and self-denial

Self-acceptance is an important element in the art of living well. We must all learn to accept ourselves as who we are, and not as who we wish we were. We must never cherish unrealistic expectations of ourselves, which may often lead to low self-esteem. In other words, a perfectionist, ironically enough, may become more easily susceptible to the ultimate lack of self-esteem, which is frequently expressed in depression.

If you cannot accept yourself as who you are in spite of your imperfections and shortcomings, how can you accept others as who they are? If you do not love yourself as who you are, how can you love others as who they are? The bottom line: self-acceptance holds the key to having better relationships with others, which is often the source of human happiness.

Comparison and contrast

Any comparison and contrast between self and others—or even between the current self and the self in the past—is often a stumbling block to self-contentment, the lack of which will direct one’s thoughts inward and generate depression. Indeed, if you are discontent with what you have or what you are, while matching an area of your own deficiency with that of someone else’s obvious strength, you are in fact preparing the groundwork for your own depression. It is just that simple!

Despair and despondency

Feeling trapped in a dire situation or circumstance with no foreseeable exit only distresses the mind. It could be any situation or circumstance, such as getting an unwanted pregnancy, having several children early in a marriage saddled with many financial burdens but with no vocational skills, being stuck in a bad love relationship with no way out, and many other despairing and despondent situations.

Adversity and loss

Adversity and loss are inevitable in life. Adversity may come in many different forms, such as accidents, injuries, and diseases; while loss can be physical loss, such as loss of mobility, material loss, such as loss of a home due to foreclosure, mental loss, such as loss of memory, spousal loss, such as separation or bereavement, and spiritual loss, such as loss of life purpose and meaningful existence in life.

Inactivity and lack of goals

An inactive individual is more vulnerable to depression, because that individual spends most of his or her time drifting about and doing nothing in particular. By the same token, an individual lacking life goals ceases to struggle in life—that may explain why depression is more frequent among the senior and the elderly. Man is basically a goal-seeking creature. Therefore, after reaching one goal, an individual should set another higher goal in order to avoid the feeling of being letdown after the achievement of the goal, and thus setting off a depression.

The bottom line: never stay in a mental vacuum; always keep yourself mentally and physically busy and engaged, with something to look forward to. Remember, happy people always have strong goals, which have little to do with money, according to Earl Nightingale, an American author and motivational speaker.

Regret and self-pity

A depressed individual often looks back at the past with anger and bitterness, accompanied by regret and self-pity. “What if” and “I wish it were” are always on the mind of that depressed individual, wishing things were different. Regret and self-pity always go hand-in- hand with that depressed individual.

Biological malfunction and chemical imbalance

Of course, with the advancement of modern medicine, medical authorities have now attributed many cases of depression to biological malfunction, such as an abnormal thyroid, or imbalance of certain brain chemicals. However, it should be pointed out that it is difficult to determine whether it is the thinking mind or the chemical imbalance that actually causes the biological malfunctioning. The explanation is that an individual’s own negative or self-destructive thinking patterns may also ultimately lead to the chemical and hormonal imbalance in that individual.

Therefore, we should always look at the whole picture, and not just a part of it; after all, depression is a complex and complicated disease of the mind, and we are also living in a world of depression.


My Way! No Way! TAO Is The Way!

TAO Wisdom To Live And Survive In A World Of Depression



TAO wisdom may enlighten you so that you can ultimately free yourself from depression, or at least look at your own depression very differently.


TAO is looking at life not as a series of both happy and unhappy episodes, but simply as a journey of self-discovery and self-awakening to the real meaning of life existence. You are defined not by your words and thoughts, but by the ways you act and react, as well as the impact you may have on others around you. You exist not because you are simply here; you are here in this world to love and to learn how to live, as well as to help one another do the same."


To get your Amazon digital copy, click here; to get your paperback copy, click here.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau


Friday, June 16, 2017

Don't Look Like Santa Claus

Why shouldn't you look like Santa Claus?

Santa Claus is a mythical figure loved by children because he always brings presents during Christmas. Santa is imaginary and therefore he will be around next Christmas. However, if you wish to be around when he comes back next Christmas, then don’t look like Santa Claus. Your body shape is a good indicator of your current health conditions.

If your body shape is like that of an apple, that is, with extra weight in the midsection, you may have a propensity for diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke further down the road. The reason is that in a beer belly, your abdominal fat is more easily converted into cholesterol, and hence ultimately affecting your heart health. On the other hand, if your body shape is like that of a pear, that is, with extra weight around the hips instead of in the midsection, you may be less at risk for heart disease.

If you don’t want to look like Santa Clause, be mindful of your body shape. Exercise your body and manage your body weight.

Yoga is the best exercise not only to normalize your muscle tone, as well as to balance the activity of opposing muscle groups, but also to enhance your physical and mental awareness. They all play a pivotal part in weight loss. Remember, effective weight management is more than about eating fewer calories through dieting; the mind and the spirit also contribute to your body metabolism.

Because of its holistic approach to wellness, Yoga exercise also requires the application of its basic principle of nutrition, which is the consumption of small quantities of high-quality life-giving foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts, with meat in strict moderation.

Brilliant Yoga: A 200+page e-book with videos on body-mind-spirit transformation! There is all-in-one support you need in every chapter with comprehensive and easy-to-follow steps to guide you on how to make yourself look, feel, and live your life to the fullest. This is the perfect yoga program with everything you need to know about healing yoga. It is for everyone-from the beginner to the advanced learner-who believes that yoga is a science of health. Brilliant Yoga comes with additional bonus books on back pain, pilates, stretching, and weight loss.

Your Golden Years and Santa Claus shows you all the dos and don’t of Santa Claus to help you live your very best in your golden years.This 252-page book is about the wisdom in living in the golden years. This is a comprehensive book on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of successful aging. The book covers frailties and challenges encountered by many seniors in their golden years, such as vision loss, falling, memory impediment, breathing problems, health and money issues, among others. It shows you the wisdom to overcome or cope with them. In addition, it opens the doorway to making new waves to live a meaningful and purposeful life in your golden years. The wisdom is in using Santa Claus as your role model to believe in yourself, to think and act like Santa Claus. 

Remember, looking like Santa may also make you become depressed, TAO wisdom is the only Way to avoid depression in our golden years. 

Stephen Lau
Copyright © Stephen Lau

Monday, June 12, 2017

The Pivotal Role of Saliva

According to Chinese medicine, saliva—a clear, watery fluid made by the body's salivary glands located inside each cheek at the bottom of the mouth and ears, as well as near the front teeth by the jawbone—has a an intricate relationship with the mind. As spiritual fluid, saliva nourishes not just the body in terms of providing digestive power, but also the mind, giving it the qi necessary for the growth and rejuvenation of brain cells. Thus, the mind becomes empowered with enhanced mental energy. Even conventional Western medicine begins to understand the subtle relationship between saliva and memory, and research is being conducted to establish the connection between saliva and the mind.

Therefore, human saliva plays a pivotal role in mind power, especially from the Taoist perspective. Taoism is not a religion but a philosophy of life and living based on the profound wisdom of Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher (some 2,600 years ago), who authored the famous ancient classic Tao Te Ching, which has become one of the most translated books in world literature.

According to Tao wisdom, saliva is the “spiritual fluid in the body.” From the Chinese medicine perspective, qi is the internal life energy, which is present in the human body. Qi goes to every organ through hundreds of energy channels known as meridians. If qi is blocked or becomes stagnated, internal imbalance or disharmony may result, which is the underlying cause of all human diseases and disorders. Those who practice Qi Gong exercise may experience the welling up of saliva during their practice sessions—this is a testament to the surge of qi, causing saliva to well up in the mouth.

Given the immense benefits of saliva to the body and the mind, we should make saliva readily available by drinking more water (more than 8 glasses a day), by getting more natural sleep (without the use of medications), and, most importantly, by thoroughly chewing our food (as many as 30 times) before swallowing. Sucking on sugarless candies or using sugarless chewing gums to exercise the mouth and the teeth is also highly recommended. In other words, keeping the mouth active by hitting the teeth and massaging the gums with the tongue is a simple but effective way to increase the amount and volume of saliva to benefit not only the body but also the mind.

According to Chinese medicine, saliva—a clear, watery fluid made by the body's salivary glands located inside each cheek at the bottom of the mouth and ears, as well as near the front teeth by the jawbone—has a an intricate relationship with the mind. As spiritual fluid, saliva nourishes not just the body in terms of providing digestive power, but also the mind, giving it the qi necessary for the growth and rejuvenation of brain cells. Thus, the mind becomes empowered with enhanced mental energy. Even conventional Western medicine begins to understand the subtle relationship between saliva and memory, and research is being conducted to establish the connection between saliva and the mind.

Energy Healing for EveryoneIt is a complete, holistic health system for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of energetic imbalances that will lead to illness in the body if left untreated. Learn how qi can work for you instead of against you.

Tao Te Ching (道德經) is an ancient Chinese classic on human wisdom. This unique piece of literature by Lao Tzu, is one of the most translated books in human history and world literature. The book, written more than 2, 600 years ago, by Lao Tzu, a Chinese sage, is a beautiful collection of Chinese wisdom poetry, in which the author expresses his wisdom in living life in all of its beauty and joy, as well as in all of its pain and sorrow. The language is simple and poetic, but controversial and paradoxical. Above all, the wisdom is intriguing.

There are 81 short chapters, expressed in only 5,000 words. It must be pointed out that there was no punctuation in the original text. A plausible explanation was that Lao Tzu was very much reluctant to express his wisdom in words. As a matter of fact, at that time he was at the point of leaving China for Tibet when he was stopped at the city gate and told by the guard that he had to put down his wisdom in words before he could leave. Reluctantly, he put down his wisdom concisely and precisely in 5,000 words with no punctuation mark.

Letting go of the ego-self is the central theme of Tao, a philosophical belief based on Lao Tzu's immortal ancient classic Tao Te Ching (The Book of the Way). Lao Tzu, the ancient sage from China, advocated following the natural order of things, because all things came from nothing and will become nothing in the end, and this "nothingness" is God. Even though Lao Tzu lived several hundreds of years before Jesus Christ, his philosophy helps humans to connect to their Creator through faith, instead of relying on human effort.

Click here to get the digital copy; and here to get the paperback edition.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau