Earth School

I’m currently reading Gary Zukov’s “The Seat of the Soul.” I’ve had several Ah-ha moments while reading. This one struck a cord today. “From the perception of the multisensory human (one who lives consciously), the physical world is a learning environment that is created jointly by the souls that share it, and everything that occurs within it serves their learning.”

In recent years I’ve been very aware that our learning in not confined to the classrooms of elementary, high school, and college. We continue to learn our entire lives. However, the content of that learning changes over time. There’s book learning and then there’s soul learning – our spiritual progress.

How we go about our spiritual progress is different for everyone, but spiritual progress is really about overcoming temptations and addictions of the senses in order to live from the heart. Can we use our willpower to overcome material desire and not be attached to persons, places, and things? Can we let go of anger and hate and be more loving? Can we change from being dishonest, mean or destructive and learn to be good, honest and giving? Can we stop eating unhealthy foods and develop healthy eating habits? Can we let go of judging others and ourselves and be more accepting? Can we let go of laziness and be more active for our good and the good of others? Can we remember the importance of connecting with our Higher Self and develop a habit of regular meditation?

We were all born on this Earth for a purpose. Our life purpose might seem to be related to a particular career but digging deeper, our souls want to grow. Our soul has a purpose on this Earth. So how are we cultivating that growth? Are we paying attention and doing our best to overcome temptations and addictions of our senses? Are we living consciously from the heart?

Namaste

Contentment

By contentment, supreme joy is gained. Those are the words that describe Samtosha, one of the Niyamas in the Yoga Sutras. I like contentment. It means to be happy with things as they are and not look to persons, places or things outside of use to be happy. Who wouldn’t want supreme joy? And yet, the ego has a way of sneaking into our minds.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a wonderful relationship with that special someone? I would be so happy if only… My friends are going on vacation to the desert. They invited me to come along, but I have this other commitment. Maybe I should change my plans. If I don’t go now, when will I get another chance like this? We would have so much fun… I’ve always wanted a brand new Jaguar and I can’t believe my eyes. I just inherited $50,000. I’m behind in my rent and have tons of bills. This inheritance can get me out of debt and back on my feet. Screw it. Jaguar here I come…

I’m not suggesting that we can’t enjoy the finer things in life. But contentment tells us to go within. Find what makes us happy on the inside. And, be okay if we find that special someone, have the opportunity for a desert vacation, or buy a new car. But also, find that happiness inside even if we just broke up with that special someone, have to cancel that long awaited vacation, or have to ride a used bicycle for transportation. What happens on the outside doesn’t affect our happiness.

So how can we find that even keel of contentment? Ester Hicks has a couple of beautiful quote that might point the way.

“Let your alignment (with Well-Being) be first and foremost, and let everything else be secondary. And not only will you have an eternally joyous journey, but everything you have ever imagined will flow effortlessly into your experience. There is nothing you cannot be or do or have—but your dominant intent is to be joyful. The doing and the having will come into alignment once you get that one down.”

“While it does, and should, feel good to be appreciated by another person, if you are dependent upon their appreciation to feel good, you will not be able to consistently feel good, because no other person has the ability, or a responsibility, to hold you as their singular, positive object of attention. Your Inner Being, however, the Source within you, always holds you, with no exceptions, as a constant object of appreciation. So if you will tune your thoughts and actions to that consistent Vibration of Well-Being flowing forth from your Inner Being—you will thrive under any and all conditions.”

So go within. Think positively about your circumstances, whatever they are. Be grateful and appreciative for what you have and for what you don’t have.

Namaste

We are not the Doer

Yesterday, I mentioned that one of the levels of consciousness is the realization that we are not the doer. If we are not the ones doing all the things on our schedule, than who is? Who Am I?

At the end of my yoga classes I go into stillness and I ask everyone to take a moment to acknowledge their bodies, especially their organs. Offering an attitude of gratitude and appreciation for the miracle that is our body. This morning in meditation I was focused on the breath and then my mind quieted. In that moment, I noticed that air continued to flow in and out of my nostrils. There was no effort on my part; my body was breathing itself. Then I felt energy within me. That energy was breathing me. That energy was prana or Divine Mother. I like to think of Divine Mother nurturing all of creation.

We humans don’t pay much attention to the miracle of the body until it gets sick or diseased. Then we go to the doctor and try to fix it. But it occurred to me that maybe our illness and disease arise from our lack of attention to our body in the first place. If we don’t eat healthy foods, our bodies don’t get the proper nutrition and eventually they start talking back to us in the form of illness and disease. If we aren’t careful about what we are taking in through our eyes or our ears, our emotions aren’t getting the proper nurturing and eventually we become angry, fearful, judgmental, and doubtful. Eventually our bodies talk back to us by developing mental illnesses. So it seems as though we are the creators of our own situations. That makes us pretty powerful beings.

And if that is so, we can reverse our situations through our free will. I can already hear the naysayers. I’ve tried to diet for years and the weight just keeps coming back. I know I’m right and the other person is wrong, I am just standing up for my convictions. To those people I say go within. Be still. Feel the creative power within.

As yogis we strive to be unattached to the outcomes of everyday life. Yet there are paradoxes in life. How can we accomplish something and be unattached at the same time? The key may be found in the result. Have a goal in mind, but allow that goal to unfold on it’s own. Some say allow Spirit to guide the way. Maybe just maybe Spirit has a better outcome in mind for you. And maybe that illness or disease is there to teach us something. Go within.

So I’d like to end today with a mantra. Your will Spirit, not mine. Be still. We are not the doer in the play we call life. Allow Spirit to guide our way.

Namaste

Spiritual Growth is Like a Rose

It’s amazing what nature can teach us. I was gazing at a long stemmed Red Rose today and began thinking of my Spiritual Growth. When I began my journey, I was nothing more than a tight ball, unable or unwilling to open to the fullness of life. A yoga practice gave me the opportunity to grow.

I began my yoga practice with asana classes. The classes allowed me to stretch my body in ways I hadn’t before. I was fortunate to have yoga teachers who themselves led spiritual lives. Their yoga classes embodied the first four steps of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: Yamas, Niyamas, asana and pranayama. A short discourse on non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, abstinence, non-greed, purity, contentment, not causing pain, spiritual study and surrender opened each class. It amazed me that no matter what class I attended, it seemed that the teacher was speaking directly to me. Yes, I needed to practice truthfulness, open my heart to loving what is and let go of expectations. How did he know?

As the months and years rolled by, that tight rose bud began to open, petal by petal. As the vibrant red of the rose became visible, my true self began to emerge. I began to attend yoga workshops and retreats, sipping the nectar of awareness. Mantra and chanting took the place of rock, jazz and pop music. Years later, I attended my first yoga teacher training. I began to smell the scent of the rose. Asana and meditation became a daily practice. I began reading the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Bhagavad Gita. The words of these Holy Scriptures were difficult to understand, but with each reading, the truth began to reveal itself. I continued attending retreats and additional yoga teacher training.

Throughout this time I’d feel as if I was accomplishing a deeper awareness of my true self. At other times, events swirling around me plunged me to despair. I continued to let go of things that no longer served my true self. As time went on, I noticed that outside influences didn’t have as much of an affect on me. I changed yoga teachers, practiced different meditation and pranayama. Now the outside petals of the rose are turning back. The inner petals are awakening to the sun.

As I gaze at those inner petals, I realize that I remain a child in my spiritual growth. Yes, in some ways I may have traveled far, but there is so much more to experience, so much more to surrender, so much more to be grateful for, so much more to love.

I invite everyone reading these words to take a moment and reflect on your own spiritual journey.

Namaste

Meditation Is …

Meditation is the continuous flow of awareness without distraction

A stream flowing into a river without obstruction

Water flowing from a faucet that never stops

 

Meditation is a wave-less lake in the early morning

A constant hum of OM

Unending stillness in the desert

 

Meditation is a focused attention on an object

A fixed mind

A steady communication with the Divine

 

Meditation is the conscious loss of time and space

A forgotten body

Transcending the senses

 

Meditation is beautiful light

Astral sounds

Inner Peace

 

Namaste

Meditation or Concentration?

When we sit down to meditate, are we really meditating or simply practicing concentration? Do we start by repeating a mantra and notice our mind wandering to what we will make for dinner? Do we bring it back to the mantra and a few seconds later start thinking about how our leg is going numb in our meditation posture? Do we get impatient with ourselves, stand up and tell ourselves we will never learn to meditate? Have we ever thought that learning to meditate is harder than training to be an Olympic athlete? Don’t despair. All it takes is patience and practice – lots of practice.

Dharana is the Sanskrit term for concentrating on a place, object or idea. Sometimes it’s easier to concentrate on an object in front of you instead of an abstract thought, so let’s start there. Tradak is Sanskrit for gazing at an object.

When I was learning to meditate, I began by gazing at the flame of a candle. I watched the flame flicker from side to side with the air currents, noticed the blue and orange colors dance around the wick, and watched the wax melt into a liquid pool. All the while I sat in a comfortable position with a slow even breath. Each day I would practice gazing into the flame until I was able to close my eyes and picture the flame in front me. If I would lose my concentration, I would open my eyes and once again gaze into the flame.

Patanjali says “Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness.” So if we find our minds wandering all the time, give the practice of Tradak a try. It doesn’t have to be a candle flame we can gaze on any object. Practice Dharana until the mind gets trained to sit there quietly. And when it does, then we are meditating.

Namaste

Deep Peace

Peace, we’ve all experienced it at some time in our lives.  The early morning quiet peace as you wake up to the birds singing outside your window. The peace of a sunrise as it peaks over the mountains.  The peace of an evening sunset as it sets into the ocean.  The peace of reading a good book in the middle of the afternoon. Peace comes in all shapes and sizes.  But what is Deep Peace?

Deep Peace comes from within.  It’s when our mind is still.  It’s when our heart is open.  It’s when our muscles are relaxed.  It’s that inner calm that comes when we are not bothered by the happenings in the world.  That’s not to say we don’t act and live life to the fullest.  It simply means our actions come from a place of calm, without judgment, without worry, without fear.

So as we go about our day, let’s all do our best to still our mind, open our heart and experience that Deep Peace within. When we are at peace, the world around us is at peace.

Namaste

I Show Up. I Love. I Conquer.

I Show Up. I Love. I Conquer.  This is one of Tom Kelly’s favorite sayings in his yoga class.  It is such a powerful statement and encompasses so much meaning, but I’ll take a stab at what this means for me.

I Show Up.  Yes, we show up to a yoga class and that’s a big step all by itself, but it’s only an hour or hour and a half of the day.  For me, I Show Up means I show up to every moment of the day. I am present.  I have courage to face life, no matter what that is – sickness, health, death, work, or play.  I accept it all without judgment, worry, fear, anger, or resentment.  I Show Up.

I Love.  Yes, I love moving my body in a yoga class and sometimes the movements can be challenging, but I Love doing what I am capable of and am so grateful for my body and the ability to move.  Throughout the day, I Love means sending love to others who may be in pain, loving myself and my shortcomings, loving an illness I might be experiencing or my perfect health.  It means loving my job even when I am asked to do something I don’t like or want to do.  It means loving my surroundings and everything around me – the plants, trees, ocean, sky, family, friends, enemies – loving everything all the time.  I Love.

I Conquer.  Yes, in a yoga class, I can let go of my thoughts and concentrate on my breath. I can connect to my heart and soul and feel really good as I walk out of class.  But for me, I Conquer goes beyond the yoga mat. If I can conquer my thoughts in class, I can conquer my negative thoughts and emotions throughout the day. I can conquer doubt, worry, fear, anxiety, judgment and resentment.

Is it easy – no.  Is it possible – YES!  If I can remind myself to Show Up, Love, and Conquer.

So, are we all willing to give it a try? How will we Show Up, Love, and Conquer today?

What even more inspiration?  Follow Tom Kelly’s Blog: http://joyvibrations.wordpress.com/

Namaste

Prana and Simple Pranayama Technique

The Yoga Sutras defines Prana as “the cosmic force without which nothing moves or functions”.  And, this prana is regulated or controlled by the breath. So let’s take a closer look at the breath.  It consists of an inhale and an exhale and also a pause in between.  That pause is also referred to as retaining the breath. This prana moves up and down our spines from the base of our spines to the top of our heads.  In Yoga, we refer to 7 Chakras, points along the spine and head that are considered energy centers in our body.  These centers are located at the base of the spine, behind the navel, behind the solar plexus, behind the heart, the back of the throat, the third eye (point between the eyebrows), and the crown of the head.

There is a type of yoga known as Kundalini yoga that focuses its movements on the prana in the spine.  But if we do not follow a Kundalini yoga practice, there are several breathing techniques, called Pranayama, we can practice. With each different technique there are three components to the breath – 1) where we place our attention in the spine while breathing; 2) how long we retain the breath in or out; and 3) how we count the breath, which means how many seconds it takes to breath in, breath out, and hold the breath.

In the simplest Pranayama, as we focus our attention in the spine (perhaps focusing on each chakra for one full breath), we can inhale for a count of 5, hold the breath in at the top of the inhale for a count of 5, exhale for a count of 5.  Repeat this simple practice moving up the 7 chakras and back down. Then repeat these 14 breaths a second time.  That’s a total of 28 breaths.

Start easy.  Try this Pranayama twice a day and notice any difference to the amount of energy in the body.

Namaste

Breathe

We all breathe.  Each and every day, every hour, every second, we inhale and exhale.  We breathe so we can live.  How many of us really think about the breath and practice breathing?  The Average respiratory rate of a healthy adult at rest is approximately 12-16 breaths per minute.  How many of those breaths do you notice?

The plants and trees give off oxygen that we inhale.  In return, we exhale carbon dioxide that the plants and trees need to grow.  In that one breath, we are connected to the earth.  But there is more in that breath of air we take in from the universe, there is a life force known as prana in yoga.

Control of the breath is one of Patangali’s steps in the eight-fold path of yoga.  In Sanskrit it’s called Pranayama, the practice of controlling the prana or life force in our bodies by controlling our inhale and exhale.  By controlling I don’t mean inhaling and holding the breath in as long as we can.  Controlling the breath means being totally aware of how you are breathing.  Can we notice the breath come into our nostrils?  Is there a slight pause before the breath leaves our body?  Can we notice the breath leave our body?  Is there another pause before we take another breath?  One day, that breath will be gone and life as we know it on earth will be over.  How many more breaths do we have in this lifetime?

There are a number of breathing techniques in yoga and I’ll write about them in the days ahead.  For now, take a moment and notice the breath.  Think about how the breath brings and gives life and how that breath connects us to the earth.

Namaste.