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
Monday, September 27, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
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
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
Sunday, September 12, 2010
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!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Living a Conflict Free Life
Most of the time we are living with conflict within ourselves. There is a constant war going on inside our head, we are rarely settled in peace. If it’s not one disturbing thought it’s another. It’s as it we are constantly trying to run from a villain.
If we can understand you cannot have two thoughts at a time. You can only have one thought at a time. This means that every thought is replaced by the next thought. Unless the old thought is pushed out, the second thought cannot come. Any thought that comes in and pushes the old thought out is more powerful than the old thought. This means that any thought that is coming now is rooted in the present moment. It has more power than the thought that is being renounced; whatever that thought may be about. Thoughts are constantly getting renounced by themselves. The only issue is that when you create the belief your thoughts are connected, you have the problem of linked suffering, the illusionary shaft. Your belief that you have some problem is you only problem.
Every moment you inner space is purified by the new incoming thoughts. If you allow this process to continue it will happen by itself also. There is no need for you to clean your mind. All you need to do is just get out of the system so that they system can proceed on it’s own.
When we see the past as past, the future as future, and the present as present, this is right decision making without infusing the past into the future and the future into the past.
Give life to what you want and watch your life unfold beautifully by learning how to live in an ‘unclutched’ state. Practicing meditation can infuse this state into your being and allow you to live in blissful awareness.
Conflict has no life, and life has no conflict. ~Paramahamsa Nithyananda
If we can understand you cannot have two thoughts at a time. You can only have one thought at a time. This means that every thought is replaced by the next thought. Unless the old thought is pushed out, the second thought cannot come. Any thought that comes in and pushes the old thought out is more powerful than the old thought. This means that any thought that is coming now is rooted in the present moment. It has more power than the thought that is being renounced; whatever that thought may be about. Thoughts are constantly getting renounced by themselves. The only issue is that when you create the belief your thoughts are connected, you have the problem of linked suffering, the illusionary shaft. Your belief that you have some problem is you only problem.
Every moment you inner space is purified by the new incoming thoughts. If you allow this process to continue it will happen by itself also. There is no need for you to clean your mind. All you need to do is just get out of the system so that they system can proceed on it’s own.
When we see the past as past, the future as future, and the present as present, this is right decision making without infusing the past into the future and the future into the past.
Give life to what you want and watch your life unfold beautifully by learning how to live in an ‘unclutched’ state. Practicing meditation can infuse this state into your being and allow you to live in blissful awareness.
Conflict has no life, and life has no conflict. ~Paramahamsa Nithyananda
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Darshan: A vision of Divinity
The word darshan literally means ‘sight’ or ‘vision’ ‘to see something Divine’. In truth darshan is not a physical phenomenon, as the process is not bound by space. If you happen to read the words of a Master, and it causes a ‘click’ (a powerful transformation) in your life, you have indeed had the darshan of the Master, even if you have never met him before!
When the Existential energy flowers into a form that your eyes can see and consciousness can perceive, and when it causes a transformation in you, it is called ananda darshan!
Ananda Darshan is the time when you are in the presence of the Master’s surging energy. You go near him and he touches you on your ajna chakra, thus transmitting the energy and experience of enlightenment to you. The form that you see is the enlightened Master who happens from time to time on planet earth.
A Master’s darshan is like a huge wave rising in the ocean of Existence. The wave never gets disconnected from the ocean, but at the same time expresses itself as tremendous dynamic energy! A river is also connected to the ocean, but it doesn’t have the dynamic energy of the wave. It just flows passively, that’s all. But ananda darshan is the dynamic wave that rises in the blissful ocean of Existence. It creates a churning that can completely transform you.
In some people, darshan may have obvious effects like tears, laughter, or instant spiritual clarity. In others, there is no apparent effect at that moment, but a silent process of transformation would have been initiated within. So during darshan, the only thing to remember is to remain open and flowing, and welcome one’s own unique experience as a gift from the Divine!
‘After attending energy darshan, I had a strong experience, what Paramahamsa Nithyanada calls ‘satori’…….when he touched my third eye, I closed my eyes and had a vision of the entire cosmos which was in me. This vision stayed with me for a long time.’
-Alain Garnier, accountant, France
“When you work with the truth, you do not need to believe it. The very power of the truth will shake you.” ~Paramahamsa Nithyanada
When the Existential energy flowers into a form that your eyes can see and consciousness can perceive, and when it causes a transformation in you, it is called ananda darshan!
Ananda Darshan is the time when you are in the presence of the Master’s surging energy. You go near him and he touches you on your ajna chakra, thus transmitting the energy and experience of enlightenment to you. The form that you see is the enlightened Master who happens from time to time on planet earth.
A Master’s darshan is like a huge wave rising in the ocean of Existence. The wave never gets disconnected from the ocean, but at the same time expresses itself as tremendous dynamic energy! A river is also connected to the ocean, but it doesn’t have the dynamic energy of the wave. It just flows passively, that’s all. But ananda darshan is the dynamic wave that rises in the blissful ocean of Existence. It creates a churning that can completely transform you.
In some people, darshan may have obvious effects like tears, laughter, or instant spiritual clarity. In others, there is no apparent effect at that moment, but a silent process of transformation would have been initiated within. So during darshan, the only thing to remember is to remain open and flowing, and welcome one’s own unique experience as a gift from the Divine!
‘After attending energy darshan, I had a strong experience, what Paramahamsa Nithyanada calls ‘satori’…….when he touched my third eye, I closed my eyes and had a vision of the entire cosmos which was in me. This vision stayed with me for a long time.’
-Alain Garnier, accountant, France
“When you work with the truth, you do not need to believe it. The very power of the truth will shake you.” ~Paramahamsa Nithyanada
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Success and Abundance
Is it possible to create prosperity by being happy?
Yes! Of course it is!
Our thoughts and energy have the capacity to create and attract situations and people of the same nature into our lives. Our thoughts and energy directly affect our body, our cell structure, our decisions, all incidents in the outer world and even the accidents that happen in our lives!
Most of the time, our actions are prompted either by the desire to gain something, or the fear of loosing something. When we function out of these emotions, we create a negative mental setup and limit our energy flow.
If we can change our mental setup to our original state of bliss or ananda, we will be flooded with energy and clarity. We will experience a deep connection with Existential energy who is the source of abundance and success.
In the west we have focused our efforts on the outer world science, innovation, discovery and creation of products and services to improve the quality of life and comforts. These products and services have greatly improved the quality of life of humans all over the world.
Just as there is a science of the outer world, there is vast a science of the inner world. These inner world scientists are called rishis and they worked on various tools and techniques to handle the different emotions we experience and our mind.
These tools and techniques are called meditation. Meditation has been proven to lower your thoughts per second. When we have less thoughts we have less stress and increase our productivity. Our decisions become free or doubt and conflict. We have more energy to create the life we want. When your mental setup is driven by inspiration and joy, you will automatically attract outer-world fortune.
“Less thoughts more action.” ~Paramahamsa Nithyanada
Yes! Of course it is!
Our thoughts and energy have the capacity to create and attract situations and people of the same nature into our lives. Our thoughts and energy directly affect our body, our cell structure, our decisions, all incidents in the outer world and even the accidents that happen in our lives!
Most of the time, our actions are prompted either by the desire to gain something, or the fear of loosing something. When we function out of these emotions, we create a negative mental setup and limit our energy flow.
If we can change our mental setup to our original state of bliss or ananda, we will be flooded with energy and clarity. We will experience a deep connection with Existential energy who is the source of abundance and success.
In the west we have focused our efforts on the outer world science, innovation, discovery and creation of products and services to improve the quality of life and comforts. These products and services have greatly improved the quality of life of humans all over the world.
Just as there is a science of the outer world, there is vast a science of the inner world. These inner world scientists are called rishis and they worked on various tools and techniques to handle the different emotions we experience and our mind.
These tools and techniques are called meditation. Meditation has been proven to lower your thoughts per second. When we have less thoughts we have less stress and increase our productivity. Our decisions become free or doubt and conflict. We have more energy to create the life we want. When your mental setup is driven by inspiration and joy, you will automatically attract outer-world fortune.
“Less thoughts more action.” ~Paramahamsa Nithyanada
How many sun salutations does it take to make the sun rise?
Apparently this morning, over 108! Swamiji is trying to shift our prana energy, without much success. So he announced we were all to do 108 sun salutations! Back home in Canada I thought 6 was a big deal. Believe it or not, we all focused on our breathing, stopped judging everything, and it went really smoothly! Wonders never cease here. So let's see if our prana is firing this afternoon. More later.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
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!
Friday, September 3, 2010
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.
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.
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