Bhakti

In Swamiji's morning Satsangs He is talking on Bhakti (Devotion) every day He is revealing another component. Today is was on Prema Bhakti (the highest form of love for God) it has been described as desperate longing, a person drowning and grasping for air. He says "You don't own Bhakti, Bhakti owns you." It is nothing that can be possessed it can only posses you. When we try to put words to our love and devotion we diminish it, Bhakti can only be experienced.
The best way I can describe my experience is when the Guru enters your life it's as if He moves into your house, rearranges ALL the furniture, throws out all the trash and makes Himself comfortable in the couch of your heart. He declares permanent residence and nothing can be done but pure surrender.
When everything else fails in life and we come to the conclusion that life is purposeless all we have left is our love and devotion to the Supreme we can relax in the ultimate ecstasy by letting go of what is not real and surrendering to what is Real.

When success stops impressing me
And I fall into the depression of my being
Let me feel your enveloping Presence
And heed Your call, O Arunachala! ~Paramahamsa Nithyanada

Practicing Seva Consciousness

“Life has no goal, it is a beautiful happening.”~Paramahamsa Nithyanada

According to Sikhi Wiki Encyclopedia of the Sikhs, Seva also Sewa, short for the word Karseva refers to ‘selfless service’, work or service performed without any thought or reward or personal benefit.
Seva is a Sanskrit word referring to volunteer work; selfless service or work offered to God.

Seva is a beautiful spiritual discipline that awakens us to the deeper truth of our beings.
It’s not about what we are doing; it’s about how we are doing it. What is our state of being as we are performing the service? What is our attitude? When we perform duties without any ideas of selfish rewards but as a contribution to the greater whole we automatically fall into a space on non-detachment. Krishna says in the Bhagavagita when our thoughts are only on ourselves, this creates bondage and this kind of attachment generates obstacles in our life. When there is attachment then there is suffering. Performing selfless acts is a way of achieving peace and harmony within ones life.
There are many benefits while practicing seva, the healing of others, our environment and ultimately us as we come to a deeper spiritual understanding.


When first presented with the project of seva I did not feel resistance towards the seva itself but resistance towards myself. I was able to recognize immediately that it was causing an internal tsunami. I had 2 choices; I could either resist it (which really I would be resisting myself) or dive in and work through my garbage. Seva has given me an opportunity to breakthrough all my stubborn little samskaras like procrastination, self-limitation and lack of self-confidence. As I sat down to do my task I found myself irresistible tempted by distractions. All the sudden I think I am hungry, thirsty or even the greatest escape trick I have to run to the bathroom. Everything else seemed more important than what I really needed to do. I realized I was doing the same thing I would do when I was in kid in school trying to do my homework. I would postpone, distract and delay as much as possible. As I was observing this I also noticed these self-defeating thoughts arising. Were they mine or were they voices of teachers, parents or society at large?

The real shift for me occurred when I decided to dedicate my seva to my guru Paramahasa Nithyanada then everything changed. My perception immediately changed and I felt a deep desire to make a difference plus I had the energy to fulfill it. The best thing I can suggest to someone who is struggling with this is to dedicate you seva to something higher than yourself. It does not have to be a guru, it could be a deity, someone you love, your cat even, heck it doesn’t matter! What this immediately does is remove ‘you’ from the equation. It’s as if instantly the biggest obstacle is removed and that is yourself. The strange that happens is when you dedicate your service to someone or something else ultimately you are offering yourself the best gift of transformation. Doing such devotional service can literally elevate you being to higher dimensions. Seva is one of those things where you are giving and receiving simultaneously which can bring fulfillment. When we are completely unattached to our actions our mind automatically falls into the state of Nithyananda (eternal bliss), which is the essence of yoga. Then the magic starts to flow!

It’s like yoga asanas. In the beginning there is so much pain and resistance going on but if I just stay focused and centered knowing that it is for my own good I will eventually breakthrough. When doing my seva it is the same uncomfortable feeling but when I look back at my yoga practice when I just stayed diligent and did it despite my negative chatter I eventually was able to perform a much difficult asana much to my surprise. In the same way I am breaking through all my limited beliefs about myself. There is no tomorrow, I will not feel more inspired later, I have been given this opportunity to breakthrough now so utilize this beautiful gift! Don’t miss this opportunity to merge with the Divine.

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you feel yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Suddenly, dormant forces, faculties and talents within you become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person that you ever dreamed yourself to be” ~Patanjali

Yoga As a Way To Overcome Resistance

Even as I try and write this blog I am battling with my resistance is the same way I resist my yoga asana practice. The minute I sit down to write, something else more enticing seems to be bargaining for my attention. It’s a silly game I play with myself again and again. It’s like a challenge to see who is going to win; my ego based self or my True Self. Constantly this fight is going on within.
One day when I was trying to talk myself into doing a much difficult asana I suddenly realized how much resistance I was having to it. I didn’t want to do, it was too painful, oh some day I will practice it, I don’t have enough time, etc. as the list of excuses streamed through my head. Not only was I having physical resistance but psychological resistance as well. Then almost instantly I noticed that I do the same thing in my life when I have to do something that I really would rather not do but know it is for my highest good. The same scenario plays out all the sudden I seem to be hungry, hhmm, maybe I’ll have some tea or I have to go to the bathroom (the classic escape route). Frantically my mind is thinking of things I could be doing except for what I really need to be doing. I was creating all these distractions to avoid the pain either externally or internally. I was allowing myself to be in bondage of procrastination. Putting off what could be achieved today. The beautiful thing about doing yoga asanas is, when done with complete awareness and being fully conscious of your breath it brings you directly into the moment in that space of pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses). If I just fully allow myself to be completely present and breath through the discomfort, the pain disappears then I feel as if I created space for something new. It’s as if this physical release is causing a psychological breakthrough. So if it is true that we really do hold samskaras (engraved memories) in our muscles, then when I am doing as asana with complete full awareness and releasing the physical tension I am releasing the psychological tension as well. Moving through my asana practice unconsciously is the same as moving through my life unconsciously. This is the main reason why I do yoga is to awaken my awareness in all aspects of my being. If I can achieve this in my physical body I can certainly achieve this in my external world. So the next time I am struggling with Urdvha Dhanurhasana I have to remind myself it is part of my breakthrough.

“The intention with which we do something and the awareness while we are doing something that is responsible for making us experience the stat of nithya ananda.” ~Paramahamsa Nithyananda

The Practice of Aparigraha

I am used to kind of like living like a sadhu, or like to think I was, however, sadhu’s only possession may be a kamandalam (a water pot) and I own a little bit more stuff. I used to take pride that all I pretty much owned was a car, some clothes and a cat.Now I only own a car and some clothes as my beloved cat has passed on. I have been living out of suitcases for the past couple of years and have been enjoying it, I’m weird like that. I’m not going to lie,
I have always secretly wanted to be a sadhu, well now is my chance.
I have come to India to attend a program with my Guru Paramhamsa Nithyanada called Living Enlightenment Process. I have now officially entered “Sadhu Boot Camp”. We have been given the opportunity to live like real sadhu’s in the loving energy field of the ashram in Bidadi.



Aparigraha is the fifth yama (restraints) of Asthanga yoga’s eight limbs each one representing one aspect of Living Enlightment. Yamas and Niyamas are guidelines as to how we can live a yogic lifestyle. How we relate to people and situations outside of ourselves is yamas and how we relate to ourselves inwardly is niyama. This is the core of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The sanksrit word is translated as non-grasping, non-possesiveness. The term usually means to limit possessions to what is absolutely necessary and to maintain a non-greed mind set, non-grasping or clutching on to things. Non, non, non something I am definetly not used to. I usually satisfy all my desires without any second thoughts to whether I really need this or that. Always taking unconsciously taking without any regard to whether it is really necessary or not to have those 15 cookies. Is it really possible to be satisfied with just one? In this day in age at least in my society the mantra seems to be “If one is good then more is better”. Just look in my kitchen junk drawer there are at least 50 packets of soy sauce which I will never use! What about all my clutter and the all the extra clothes I don’t even use? When I go grocery shopping I buy way more than I can consume. Do I really need all this stuff? Where does all this hoarding come from? Greed. Which ulitimately stems from fear. Fear of not having enough, because if I don’t have enough I will die. Every fear if we really try and trace it’s root source is a fear of death. So we just keep grasping and hoarding every last thing we can. I have to admit when I do this it really doesn’t make me feel comfortable. I believe that this fear is really a fear of not trusting Existence and it’s ability to provide for me and al my needs. What is it going to take to get me to relax and trust? Activiely practicing aparigra with full awareness at every moment.
Aparigraha does not only apply physical material things it also applies to our relationships as well. This could even go as far as not monopolizing someones time or taking advantage a friends generous nature.



Lot’s of interesting things are coming up with this aprigraha process. I find that I really appreciated things more in my life that I used to take for granted. Especially food! At any time of the day could I eat anything that I wanted in any amount. Everything was within my reach, just a car drive away. I could satisfy every craving I ever had no problem.
It is taking extra awareness to control my food cravings. It would be all so easy to say ‘Oh, well, I need protein, I need sugar, I need caffeine, I need this, I need that”. What this whole process is teaching me that I really need less than I think I do. I can get by and manage with a lot less. It is true what Swamiji said when you do this exercise it really frees you up. Frees up your inner space.
In this process here at the ashram most of the time we don’t have hot water and sometime we don’t even have any water! There was one time when there was just ¼ of a bucket of water that someone left (clean of course) and I managed to take a bath. I was amazed at how little I need to get the job done. When we do have hot water it is such a joy, such a treat! I am so happy! I really can appreciate the warm water so much it’s as if every part of my body is celebrating. All these things that I so easily take for granted back home.
My greatest understanding in this exercise is there is more than enough in this abundant Universe and all I need to do is relax and trust that Existence is taking care.

When you understand the purposelessness of life, you understand the meaning of living. ~Paramahamsa Nithyananda

Burn Samskaras Burn, Never to Return!

Today we started the "Nithyanadam Progam" which main focus to work with the chenna'time'. Swamiji is going to work with us in burning our samskaras from the roots never to return permanently, also, not to not take another birth! This sounds like the best deal I have ever come across! Something I have been waiting for lifetimes!!!!!! There is no better time than now!

Your mind is not necessary to run your life!

When we can trust that there is an intelligence much larger than ourselves that is qualified to run our life, then at that moment we can truly experience immediate liberation. Our mind is just like an uncontrollable, unruly child running amok. It needs a serious "time out". This is what I like to call meditation, a  mini vacation from all the mindless chatter. Meditation can provide all sorts of positive solutions for life's common problems from stress, anger, worries, fears and deeply buried emotions. I had been suffering from all these things for many years with an insatiable quest for some sort of relief with no such luck. Then the breeze blew in and his name is Paramahamsa Nithyanada. I was fortunate enough to attend one of his programs called Kalpataru in Los Angeles. This is where I learned the dynamic meditation called Nithya Dhyaan. Nithya Dhyaan is a 35 minute dynamic meditation consisting of 5 parts , 7 minutes each. I like to refer to this meditation as giving your mind and body a "tune up" just like you would your car. It is designed to silence the mental chatter, release engraved memories and energize you body and mind. After doing this meditation I immediately noticed a drop in my anxiety and a sense of overall calmness. This was all I needed stay actively involved in doing because I was effectively receiving results. Do yourself a favor for a better quality of life start meditating!

2012

Paramahamsa Nithyananda (http://www.dhyanapeetam.org/) just gave a talk about 2012.  Pretty amazing. He says the earth's gravity is decreasing, resulting in humans weighing less, and having fewer thougths (which is the aim of meditation). He says that by 2012 this effect will be so dramatic, it will create Enlightenment in people who are balanced, and living more peaceful lives. In contrast, it will cause massive depression in people living thought heavy lives, resulting in mass suicides and wars.  So, it will be doomsday for some, nirvana for others, it is our choice which way we want it to go.  Amazing

Under the Indian Sky

Greetings from three amazing women sitting by a campfire under the starlit sky at Paramahamsa Nithyananda's ashram in south India. We started the day at 5 am with yoga, then a sattvic breakfast, meditation at the temple with Nithyananda, followed by his morning message. Photos of the day available at:
http://dhyanapeetam.org/web/photo-gallery-of-recent-events-pictures/2010/08/31/
Such a rush being here, so grateful I'm not stuck in rush hour.