Yoga for the New World

Constant Craving

2012-01-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

Everyone has their hook. Their drug of choice. Their got-to-have-it craving. For some it is a fairly benign scoop of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, for others it is a drug like cocaine or heroine that wrecks their nervous system and brain, leaving a hollow shell of a body and soul . . . and while this may not be your m.o., are any of us really immune to craving?

After all, craving is just another form of attachment. For some people it is sex, for others drugs. For some it is the accumulation of wealth and power. Even positive things like working out or shopping for clothing, talking too much, or having to be around others can be turned into cravings or habits that we have a hard time living without. Each of these is really a deep need for something else entirely, though few are aware of the base desire. At the core of ourselves we are longing for a much higher bliss than can be gotten from food, sex, drugs, money, or an endorphine rush at the gym.

Deep down we really want true Bliss, or Nirvana. This state of mind blows away the happiness we receive from sensual pleasures, like taste, touch, smell, and sight. It makes even the physical orgasm a pale shade of grey compared to true Nirvana called Samadhi, in Sanskrit.

There are ways to cultivate this state of mind, but most of us get so caught up in sensual pleasures - sometimes called the sins of the flesh - that we forget spiritual food will uplift us higher than any recreational drug or explicit affair. We are drawn to these things like a fish begging for water, not realizing that the fountain of bliss exists inside us, and therefore all around us.

Renunciation is not getting rid of the things of this world, but accepting that they pass away.
Aitken Roshi

This fountain of bliss is accessed through meditation and yoga. It cannot be realized in a mind that is constantly grasping for outer sensations. It is a paradox I have only recently begun to understand in my own practice, and have struggled immensely to put it into practice, and though I have experienced fleeting moments of this sensation, I have not yet been able to rest in Nirvana so that my egoic grasping can completely cease. It is a work in progress. Some days it feels like a battle, but I know the ego would have me think this is the case when that in itself is just another illusion. I also know that as long as I struggle with my own delusions and continue to grasp, I can't expect the world to change. Wars happen for the same reason. They are just grasping on a much larger scale.

I desire only to know the truth, and to live as well as I can, and to the utmost of my power, I exhort all other men (and women) to do the same. I exhort you also to take part in the great combat, which is the combat of life, and greater than every other earthly conflict. - Socrates

There is a state of mind where things are constant, still and ever-present. Or, if you prefer to think of it in another way, completely empty. When Bruce Lee said, "empty your mind be formless," he didn't intend for us to lose our intelligence or our wisdom. Notice it is called mindFULLness training when we learn how to meditate. In order to be truly wise we have to empty the contents of our racing heads in order to see things as they truly are. Only great masters have been able to do this in the past, but I feel certain that we are all able to learn these techniques. Richard Maurice Buck. M.D. talks at length about the capacity of human consciousness to evolve in the book Cosmic Consciousness. The same way we learned to use tools and make music, smell roses and cook food, we can learn to elevate our conscious minds to a state of freedom - to true bliss that has no basis in false desires of the ego, not sex, drugs, or even rock 'n roll.

The mind must learn that beyond the moving mind there is the background of awareness which does not change. - Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

As we learn to turn our attention within and pay attention to this rich landscape, we ironically find a quietness that naturally lessons our craving. Sure, we might still need a coffee fix in the morning or seek the love of friends and family - all human desires which we universally share, but we start to begin to be able to CHOOSE our experiences instead of being ruled by them. Addictions of any kind are just an absence of choice. They don't come from wisdom, they come from egoic clinging and reaching that is so unconscious the person doing it doesn't even realize what they are grasping for any more. To eliminate constant craving we have to give up sense-based cravings and look to the still, quiet calm of infinity lurking beneath our densest, dullest longings. It is only here that we will find true bliss.

Spread The Word

Internal Happiness for the New Year

2012-01-17T13:52:00.000-08:00

Guest Blogger: Allison Brooks
How yoga will help with those pesky resolutions . . .

So here we are again, on the cusp of a new year and the talks of resolutions fill the air. Many talk about losing weight, exercising daily, or getting a better job, but when you really think about it, how many of these goals are actually achieved? Though these self-interventions have good intentions, they all rely on superficial changes. To achieve success, a person must start with the mind and then work out from there. This is why yoga is the best way to start off the New Year and continue changes throughout.

The best part about yoga, is that there so many forms of it and some are not even focused on the physically intense poses. Some fun alternatives to get the ball rolling on your venture are: AntiGavity Yoga, AcroYoga, or Bikram Yoga. All of these forms offer something different and are a new spin on traditional forms of yoga.

Antigravity, AcroYoga, and Bikram yoga are good forms to practice if you want to get tone and gain muscle mass, while easing the mind. AntiGravity Yoga combines traditional poses with Pilates, dance, and aerial arts to create a new and intense yoga. AcrYoga is similar in the aspects that it combines traditional poses with other modes, except instead of hanging from silky hammock, two people (the base and the flyer) work together to complete the postures. This is a fun yoga to do with a friend, significant other, or your children. Bikram yoga, or “hot yoga”, is synthesized from hatha yoga and is practiced in a room that is heated to 105F (40.6 C). This is great way to release toxins, sweat, and lose weight.

Even though there are hundreds of forms of yoga, any one is a great way to settle the mind and revive the mind+body connection. Balanced energy is key to providing stress-relief and deep, sincere happiness. Since happiness opens the door to so many more opportunities, it is a vital element to help stick with your New Year’s goals. When you are happy, you are more opt to try new things and do your best, and your health is also better. This is one reason why the use of yoga is also beneficial in nursing homes and hospitals. Patients suffering from depression or an aggressive cancer like non-hodgkin’s lymphoma or mesothelioma swear by the effects of yoga and practice it as a complementary therapy to standard treatment.
So get out, get happy, and get into a local studio!

TED Talks on Being Vulnerable

2012-01-15T18:43:00.000-08:00

An amazing woman, Brene Brown, talks about the power of being vulnerable, CLICK HERE!

The Marriage of Science and Spirit - The Beginning of Infinity

2012-01-15T18:35:00.001-08:00

Oxford University physicist, David Deutsch, talks about the role of human imagination. . .WOW!

http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=2701

Staying Real in the Matrix

2012-01-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

You live in a non-reality. Did you know this?

Understanding Karma and Becoming Free From Fear With Yoga

2012-01-12T13:33:00.000-08:00

I am not the only one who has been delivered shocking and upsetting news. Sometimes our karma seems to come back to bite us so strongly that we can't imagine what previous thoughts and deeds led to the culmination of this moment. It can't possibly be my responsibility to deal with this kind of pain, this kind of emotional torture, this deep and dark moment that seems it will never pass. The problem with emotions of this density, this heaviness, is that they are literally very hard to carry. When we try to, we become tired, sick and sometimes even develop life threatening diseases.

Yoga gives us clues about how to drive out fear and guilt, anger and sadness. (Know, though, that all emotions come from either love or the absence of it.) Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can. Martin Luther King told us that "hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." Mother Teresa said that, "words which do not give the light of Christ (ascended consiousness), increase the darkness." Helen Keller lived in a world of literal darkness, but even she knew that, "faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light."

It often seems that someone else or something else has created our current emotional state. Karmic impressions can be very strong. A vasana is a recurring impression in the mind, or karmic seed. It can be very hard to burn these seeds out of our experience so that we can see the world in its true, perfect state. In order to understand how karma works, many ancient sages used the metaphor of archery to help people understand how thoughts become experience, and why, even when we feel as though we've done everything right, we still experience pain and suffering.

Indra Devi, the famous female disciple of Sri Krishnamacharya tells us that "Yoga is a way to freedom. By its constant practice, we can free ourselves from fear, anguish and loneliness."

When an archer takes an arrow from his quiver, and sets it against the bow to release it, he cannot take it back. Once his fingers release the bow string, the arrow goes hurtling through space for an intended destination. This is similar to how karma works. There are actually three kinds of karma, or thought impressions to digest, Sanchita, Kriyamana, and Prarabhda, but we will start with this simple archer's analogy. Put simply, there are three types of arrows (or karma) - those in the hand, those in the quiver and those we've already let loose, which are flying through the air.

Our thoughts lead to decisions which lead to actions which lead to results. The results we are experiencing right now may be long-held, deep impressions from arrows we sent out long ago - and we are still dealing with the recycling emotions that transpire from sending those arrows out from a quivering bow. Carl Jung said that, "When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate."

Karma translates literally from Sanskrit to mean 'actions'. The life we experience today is the result of our actions from the past. It can be very difficult to face up to that fact. We often like to pretend we never shot the arrow in the first place, but we can't take it back. What keeps us from re-experiencing the same situations repeatedly is choosing to send out different arrows (thoughts which become decisions which become actions which become results). It may take some time to experience the results of arrows sent from a bow long ago, but those results will, indeed occur. It is only through yoga and meditation that we can somewhat mitigate the results of past decisions and if nothing more, soften the emotional blow when those actions come home to roost in our present experience.

The Bhagavad Gita is actually narrated by a Sanjaya, a practitioner who was given the power to see things from a very wide perspective by Sage Vyasa. He could see things in the far future, so that he could measure his thoughts, words and deeds carefully, in order not to cause future harm to himself and others. He was much like an archer with x-ray vision. Only the arrows that resulted in peace, love, joy and happiness where let from his bow.

No matter what type of fear or anguish we are experiencing in our current situation, we can let go of those emotions and choose to learn different ones. Our current thoughts, after all, are shaping our future experiences, even if they are in response to past karma. It can be a herculean effort to change these thoughts sometimes, but the responsibility lies within us completely.

In closing, I offer this verse (72-73) from the ancient yogic text, The Bhagavad Gita,

If one-pointedness of mind is not gained, we shall not understand or profit by even the word of God. There are many in this world who ask but will not hear! There are others who sit in front of the master, but only physically — their mind is elsewhere. There are still others who, while listening, mentally carry on an argument, accepting some ideas and rejecting others. This multi-activity only tires them, preventing them from grasping the real meaning of the lesson imparted.

If you are, even now, suffering from the results of past karma, and they are very difficult to overcome, you have an enormous opportunity to burn some very deep karmic patterns. Some samskaras can be overturned and laid dormant forever if you just choose your current thoughts wisely. Use the tools of asana, pranayama, meditation and silent communion with your God (whichever your religion) to help minimize your current karma and change your future karma. If you stay stuck in the negative emotions which accompany the experience of past arrows, then you will forever aim at the same, unpleasant experience. You owe it to yourself, and your spiritual development to choose more wisely.

The New Democratization of Web Content, Why Yogis Need a Tip Jar

2011-12-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

If you picture an acetic with a long beard, roaming through the streets of Goa, Dharamsala, or the borders of Tibet, you often assume he has chosen to live free of material entrapment and to some degree you would be right. The truth is, he uses a begging bowl to eat, bathe and sleep. Though his spiritual aim may be high, his material needs are just as mundane as yours and mine. While I agree the world is replete with over-consumption and endless greed, we have an opportunity to take the billions we feed into corporate coffers every year and begin to disperse it more democratically. This is not my first blog about yoga and meditation, and while it is an act of love, keeping it going for more than three years now has, thus far, been an entirely charitable endeavor.

Many bloggers feel as I do when they sigh a huge AMEN! to Peter Sunde's lastest endeavor - a virtual tip jar that allows you to make the tiniest payment to blogs you like and receive benefit from. Its called Flattr, and though it will likely take time to take off, I think it is a brilliant way to put an affordable, charitable democratization of the net into the world's hands. You can visit Flattr yourself and see what its all about, but it is a very noble way to give some credit to those who take the time and effort to share what they know with the world - whether it is talking about yoga and meditation, in my case, or teaching people how to grow celery. I'd pay a big tip to someone who could teach me how to save on my grocery bill or how to soder solar panels correctly. Information is power, and it shouldn't be mass-marketed to people by corporations who hold the gold like an irate ruler of a serdom.

For more information on who really controls what you read, check out this blog. Its eye-opening. In the meantime, if you have ever felt inspired by my site, please feel free to flattr me.

Namaste,

Christina

Great Book on Yoga Anatomy

2011-12-29T18:58:00.000-08:00

Many of my students ask me what books I recommend on yoga anatomy and while there are many, Leslie Kaminoff is succinct enough not to be boring and detailed enough to really educate you. I highly recommend this book.

Yoga Anatomy

Kabbalic, Christian, Tibetan Buddhist and Muslim Yoga

2011-12-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

The Young Poet Rumi

Wisdom will follow all those who seek it with an open heart and unattached mind. - Christina Sarich

Yoga has no religion, but Universal spiritual foundations. The aim of yoga, no matter one's religion is to seek a better version of yourself, or more specifically, to relearn the perfect you. Even if you approach yoga from a more scientific point of you, there is Universal truth in the messages from even this secular viewpoint. Dr. John Hagelin, Quantum Physicist said, "Quantum cosmology confirms it. The Universe essentially emerges from thought and all of this matter around us is just precipitated thought. Ultimately we are the source of the Universe.” No matter where you look, the lessons of yoga are repeated like a set of Russian dolls, nesting into one another, a smaller and smaller confirmation of the larger supposition - we are all one.

Fred Alan Wolf, a theoretical physicist concurs, ". . .you can’t have a Universe without mind entering into it, and that the mind is actually shaping the very thing that is being perceived.” The various religious traditions have common advice for us based upon this undeniable fact:

Romans 12:2 from the Christian Bible "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" Also sometimes translated as "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."
"Give up all forms of parrotry. Start practicing to be truly true and justly just. Do not make a show of your faith and beliefs. You have not to give up your religion, but to give up clinging to the husk of mere ritual and ceremony. To get to the fundamental core of Truth of all religions, reach beyond religion." Meher Baba, Kabbalist teacher
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” The Buddha
"A man's behavior is the index of his mind." - Muslim quote translated from the Koran

The tools with which you change the content of your mind are numerous. You can spend time in nature, you can practice yoga asana, pranayama, meditation, and calm, relaxed breathing. You can practice karma yoga - giving to others with no expectation of reward. You can look long and hard at your current thought patterns in order to change them. You can keep a journal, or an emotional check-in sheet where you write down unpleasant emotions each time they happen and what caused them to be triggered. You can spend time with other people who are uplifted and happy. You can hold a baby or pet a dog. Changing your mind is a universal principle, an act of will that will create your world.

An Islamic Sufi and poet, Rumi, said, "Christian, Jew, Muslim, Shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being in the mystery, unique and not to be judged."

Instead of trying to convert your friends to your religion, let them be that tree, or that rock. Let them rest in the mystery of the Universe, and instead, practice letting go of your egoic convictions. Sit in mindful realization that your brothers and sisters of this world usually seek the same things you do. They want to be loved, fed and wanted. They want to succeed in their own unique ways. They want to feel important and unique. Yoga teaches us not to covet what we don't have. Patanjali called it Aparigraha. Instead of focusing on what you don't have, change your mind. Your mind is creating your reality right now. If it is filled with love, that is what you will experience. If it is filled with gratitude, you will create situations and circumstances for which to be grateful. The opposite is also true. Yoga is the union of the divine mind - the yoking of the physical and mental with the spiritual but it is truly the dog-eared, relentless observation and control of the mind until you only think that which you desire to think, and not what the ego would have you cling to. No matter your religious point of view, the wisdom remains the same, and it is echoed in the ancient yogic texts.

Releasing Anger With Yoga

2011-12-28T02:13:00.000-08:00

Krishna makes it very clear, "From anger comes delusion, from delusion loss of memory, from loss of memory ruination of discrimination, from ruination of discrimination the man perishes." Often our anger stems not from present circumstances, but from hurts or rebuffs of the past. It can be very difficult to let a seeming slight go but it is imperative not only for our continued spiritual advancement, but for our physical and mental health.

The ultimate goal of yoga is liberation from Samsara, or the eternal cycle of birth, suffering, death and rebirth. Many ancient yogic texts talk about this cycle, no matter if you consult the Vedic sages' writings, those of the Tibetan Buddhist Monks or even Zen masters from Japan. They all agree that feeling excessive anger is one sure-fire way of staying stuck in Samsara. Anger is essentially just a thought wave, called a chitta-vritti in Sanskrit. If we continuously hold one thought wave pattern in our minds, then our consciousness follows that pattern. We then become stuck in it and all other experiences are filtered through that thought-wave pattern.

According to Patanjali, the mind can only express or reflect the consciouness of the Atman, or the eternal and unchanging face of the soul. When we feel angry, Consciousness becomes clouded or agitated like a pool of water rippled by a strong wind so that it cannot see its own reflection clearly. Instead of the crystal clear perception of the Atman, we see reality affected by ego. This leads to false identification and a feedback loop of more anger. Patanjali states it thusly in his sutras (I.9), "Verbal delusion follows from words having no corresponding basis in reality. In order to experience our ripple-less calm and peaceful self, we must control the anger thought forms that would unsettle the perfection we truly are.

So How Do I Stop Anger With Yoga?

The true methods of controlling the chitta-vritti, or thought patterns, are to stop the mind, but most people have a difficult time doing this and many spend tens and even hundreds of years perfecting their mind through meditation to realize a perfectly calm Consciousness that reflects only the Atman, however there are other things you can do aside from sitting quietly in contemplation if this is challenging for you:

Practice asana. Each yoga posture has a specific effect on the mind, body and emotions. Feelings of anger can often be assuaged with Downward Facing Dog, Pashimottanasana, Reclined Hero's Pose or more than a dozen other postures.
Breath deep, yogic breaths. Instead of chasing away your anger, or sublimating it (as psychologists would say) just observe it. See if it creates a physical feeling in the body and stay with it. Does it make your chest feel constricted, give you a headache or other bodily pains? Often, just breathing in a calm manner and observing the discomforts associated with the feeling will start to allow the anger or thought wave pattern to dissipate.
Own your anger, and then let it go. Don't blame your mental state on what others are saying, thinking or doing. This is your perception you are trying to change and no one elses. The minute you take responsibility for your own feeling and intellectual states, the closer you are to freeing your mind from the pattern that has been established.

Swami Vivekananda states that often, ". . .A word is uttered and we do not wait to consider its meaning; we jump to conclusion immediately. It is the sign of weakness of the chitta. Now you understand the theory of restraint. The weaker the man [or woman], the less she has of restraint. Examine yourself always by that test. When you are going to be angry or miserable, reason it out how it is that some news that has come to you is throwing your mind into vrittis."

It may take time to learn to control the feeling states of anger, but with practice and the utilization of yogic tools, one can find happier, more joyful states of mind.

Gregg Braden's Deep Truths

2011-10-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

“It is the hallmark of any deep truth that its negation is also a deep truth.” Physicist and friend to Einstein

If you want to get a head start on Gregg Braden's book that just came out, Deep Truth, then you'll want to listen to this radio broadcast on Youtube. It covers everything from the true age of civilization, to the reasons that Darwinian science has helped to create war. Did you know, for example, that chairman Mao and Hitler both quoted Darwin's erroneous assumption that nature selects for survival of the fittest? Learn how over 400 peer-reviewed scientific studies say differently, as well as five "deep truths" that will make or break this planet in the next five years.

Did You Know Research is Happening in 87 Countries to Prove Global Coherence is Possible?

2011-10-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Is global coherence possible and measurable? Just ask Howard Martin, one of the groundbreaking heart-centered scientists that began the HeartMath center. He is helping to do an unprecedented study on helping to resonate with the Earth's heart center. What is that? Sounds like a bunch of voo-doo new thought caca, doesn't it. Well, it turns out the planet has her own ideal resonance, and we affect it through an interfacing with her geo-magnetic fields daily. Now, we can actually measure that resonance with electronic devices, so we can see the 'heart health' of our own planet. To read more, check this out. We can actually now see if the work we do to change the consciousness of the planet is actually working.

Speaking from the Heart with Edge Science Magazine

2011-10-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

Put your heart into it. Learn it by heart. Sing with all your heart.

We are all familiar with such expressions, which suggest that the heart is more than a physical pump that sustains life. Throughout history, philosophers, poets, and prophets have regarded the human heart as the source of love, wisdom, intuition, and positive emotions...to read more.

How Can I Practice Yoga If I'm Not Doing Asana?

2011-10-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

In a recent conversation with a friend I realized that many people have an idea about yoga being a set of postures, still, instead of an integrated practice of the conditioning of the mind, body and soul. No matter how many times we are reminded, it seems we still view yoga as a bunch of pretzel poses instead of a whole tool box full of aids to increase our feelings of peace, quiet and joy. Why do we persist in thinking that we have to stand on our heads or do an intense back bend to find joy when practicing jnana yoga (the yoga of the intellect) or bhakati yoga (the yoga of mantra and song, fostering love and devotion) or kundalini yoga (the practice of bringing dormant shakti energy to rise to higher spiritual centers) can be just as effective as an hour-long, intensely physical asana practice?

The truth is that yoga is approachable no matter what is happening in our lives - everything is yoga. You can sit in your car for five minutes before going into work or visiting a friend, and just concentrate on bathing everyone inside the building with peace and light. You can read a quick verse in the Bhagavad Gita or the Yoga Sutras, or say a mantra a few times to help lift your energetic frequency. You can practice a small act of kindness like paying for someone's coffee or putting a few extra coins in someone meter that is about to expire without any intention of reward or acknowledgment as a form of karma yoga. Yoga is not just a class you go to, although I enjoy a great session with an inspired teacher just as much as the next person, but we have lost our understanding of what true practice is because we have this great need to compartmentalize every aspect of our existence.

This tendency speaks volumes to our own disassociation from the Divine in every day life. We not only don't stop and smell the roses, but we tend to only give the Divine a small, compartmentalized, stifled area to express itself in our lives, when it is begging, on hands and knees, to fill up every nook and cranny, if only we would let it. Yoga is not a sometimes-practice when we can fit it in; it is an unfolding of consciousness such that we practice it more in every single moment of our days. It permeates everything eventually until there is no separation between the mundane and the Divine. The mundane is, in fact, swallowed into the Divine indivisibly, immutably expressing itself as the wholeness we are. That is yoga.

Learning to Move Through Stuck Energy

2011-09-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Anyone who told you that a journey through yoga and meditation would be an easy one. . .lied. It isn't that these practices are not profoundly healing and absolutely life changing. They are. The changes I've experienced in my own life due to my practice of being quiet and moving mindfully, concentrating on breath, changing to a healthier, yogic diet, and trying to live by Patanjali's Yamas ans Niyamas are numerous and sometimes shocking. As the layers of ego are first gently nudged at, and then shredded to oblivion, your mind and heart will do some interesting (to put it mildly) things to keep you stuck in old patterns. These patterns may not be serving you anymore, but they are comfortable. I am reminded of my husband's favorite blanket. It rarely ends up in the wash. He even comments that it has 'super powers' the longer it goes between cleanings. I think our egos are similar. If they can hold on to the last bits of untruth that allow our current perspective to continue, then they will.

Sometimes the egoic mind goes gently, and easily, and sometimes it fights tooth and nail to the bitter end. No matter how many times you've gone through an 'energetic upgrade,' feeling those pangs of change, only to come out all rosy and shiny new on the other end, it is usually a pretty messy process. Since we all could use some help in these challenging times, learning how to move through stuck energy, I offer the following tips to help ease the more challenging moments of spiritual, physical and mental evolution:

Drink more water. Not only does this improve your pH level to a less acidic one, but it also helps to flush out toxins and fats which store the "old you." if you've heard the Gwen Stefani and Andre 3000 song, "Upgrade Computer," you may know that this applies not just to our mental attitudes, but also to our physical form.
Do yoga but slow it down when you are feeling fried. The reason there are different types of yoga is that we need varying levels of physical activity depending on what we are energetically digesting at any one moment in time. If you are already feeling depleted, then opt for a slower class, or a restorative session instead of power yoga.
Increase the green leafy vegetables. You need more nutrients when you are going through an energetic shift. Give your body what it needs.
Sleep more when you need to. Don't feel guilty about this. If you need a day to be lazy- take it.
Stay active. Walk. Breathe. Swim, Dance, and Sing. Slow down when you need to, but when energy returns, keep moving. It helps stagnant energy get unstuck.
If you are having strange dreams at night, this can be a sign of processing stuff that you could never understand on a conscious level, and probably wouldn't want to. It stays at a subconscious level for a reason. If you like to remember your dreams, then write them down upon waking - you can keep a pad and pen right next to the bed, but don't get too caught up in intellectually understanding their meaning. Processing deep stuff can be very colorful, to say the least.
Use energy work like massage, acupuncture, rain drop therapy, body work, cranial sacral therapy and rolfing as much as you can afford. Listen to your gut feeling. If a practitioner makes you feel freer when you leave, then continue with them. If you get any sort of strange feeling from their energy work with you, find someone else. They may not be able to keep their own energy separate from yours.
Overall, be kind to yourself and find time for peaceful reflection, or meditation. If you don't have a full hour, five minutes is better than not doing it at all.

Yoga in the Summer Heat!

2011-06-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

If you live in the scorching hot summers of the Southern and Western US then you have probably given up on your outdoor practice. "Its too darned hot!" to quote Ella Fitzgerald. Don't forget that you can still commune with nature and keep cool by finding a shady spot among trees in the early morning or late day, or you can practice inside looking out the windows. DOn't let the heat keep you from your practice though. It is just another external condition to challenge your consistency and dedication to your practice. As the seasons change there will always be a reason to stop. Its too hot, too cold, too something. . . but persevere! You will be happy you did in fairer weather.

Therapeutic Uses for Yoga in the Treatment of Disease

2011-04-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

Therapeutic Uses for Yoga in the Treatment of Disease

The FDA requires that I make no medical claims for Yoga Asana, but I firmly believe that yoga can be used as an adjunct therapy to allopathic medicine to give astounding results in many areas of healing. Yoga addresses the human being from several layers, and does not treat the symptoms of disease, but its root causes which usually lie in deep samskara or ‘scars’, emotional patterns that we unconsciously hold in the mind and body. There are countless recommendations from yogic sages and saints from the ancient Vedic texts as well as from Ayurveda and Tibetan Buddhist Yogis which can help correct emotional patterns that are non-beneficial to the body, but in these pages, I will attempt to address just a few hundred of the several thousand uses of yogic science to be used in healing.

Because yoga consists of more than just asana, I will name pranayama, bandha, shatkarma and sometimes kriya or saucha as necessary. If you would like to learn more about the basics of each of these yogic tools, please find them in the general yoga articles section, or click on the hyper-link to learn more. I rely primarily on the teachings of Swami Satchitananda in Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha and Richard Gerber’s wonderful book Vibrational Medicine as a means to explain the teachings I gained from my Yoga University, (Yoga Gurukul) in Nasik, India. It should also be noted that not all practices are recommended for beginning students. It is very important to have a yoga teacher who is well versed in these practices to teach you the foundational asana and pranayama before carrying on to other advanced techniques. The energy in the body is very powerful, and although we want to awaken it, we want to do so in a balanced way, so that we do not over-stress the nervous system and brain. The nature of some of these practices will naturally lead to a progressional practice, but great care should be taken not to do too much too fast. In severe cases, premature kundalini awakening can result, causing all sorts of unwanted side-effects, however, a mindful practice will progress a student step by step, which is the intent of any true yoga teacher for her students.

Alphabetical listing:

Yoga for the Abdomen – these asana and other tools listed below are recommended for toning the muscles but also to stretch and invigorate the Chakras associate with the abdomen. These usually consist of the second and third chakras, Swadhistana and Manipura respectively.

The second chakra, called Swadhistana in the yogic tradition and the Sacral Chakra in Chinese and other tradition. It governs the reproductive organs. This is also the seat of our creativity, and therefore our way to prosperity in the manifest world. It is through purifying this chakra of anger, blame and resentment that we can attain the highest sensual and creative fulfillment.

If Swadhistana is out of balance reproductive disorders ranging from impotency to menstrual issues can arise. Blood disorders are common and often, joint stiffness is a result of stagnant second chakra energy.

Recommendations:

Asana – Pawanmuktasana (Gas Release Pose), Supta Vajrasana (Reclined Hero Pose or Sleeping Thunderbolt Pose), Shashankasana (Hare Pose), Ustrasana (Camel Pose), Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), Yogamudrasana (Psychic Union Pose), Matsyasana (Fish Pose, often called the destroyer of all diseases), Halasana (Plough Pose), Druta Halasana (Dynamic Plough Pose), Tolangulasana (Balancing Scales Pose), Merudandasana (Balancing Bear Pose), Mayurasana (feathered Peacock Pose), Niralam Paschimottasana (Forward Fold Without Support Pose), Hamsasana (Easy Peacock Pose), Brahmacharyasana (Continence Pose – from Tantric Yoga)

Pranayama – Bhastrika, Kapalbhati

Bandha – Uddiyana Bandha

Shatkarma – Agnisar kriya, Nauli, Shankprakshalana, Kunjal.

Yoga for Acidity – the following practices are recommended for those whose alkaline/acidity levels have become imbalanced.

Recommendations:

Asana – Vajrasana before and after every meal for at least five to ten minutes.

Pranayama – Nadi Shodhana, Bhramari.

Shatkarma – Agnisar kriya, Kunjal.

Meditation – relax and cultivate a feeling of peace and ease of mind through yoga nidra and meditation.

Saucha – abstain from smoking and drinking alchohol.

Diet – eat fresh radish coconut milk, cucumber, and water melon. Try Slippery Elm (Ulmus Fulva) and Chamomile Tea to help soothe an inflamed stomach.

Christina Sarich http://www.yogaforthenewworld.blogspot.com

References:

Gerber, Richard, M.D. Vibrational Medicine, Third Edition. Bear & Company. Rochester, Vermont. 2001.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha. Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, India. ISBN 81-86336-14-1

http://www.yogapoint.com/info/uttan1.htm

Wisdom from some of my favorite teachers . . .

2011-04-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.

There are always two forces warring against each other within us.

There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you.

Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.

Remain calm, serene, always in command of yourself. You will then find out how easy it is to get along.

The happiness of one's own heart alone cannot satisfy the soul; one must try to include, as necessary to one's own happiness, the happiness of others.

The man form is higher than the angel form; of all forms it is the highest. Man is the highest being in creation, because he aspires to freedom.

Truth is exact correspondence with reality.

Paramahansa Yogananda

People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle.

Through my love for you, I want to express my love for the whole cosmos, the whole of humanity, and all beings. By living with you, I want to learn to love everyone and all species. If I succeed in loving you, I will be able to love everyone and all species on Earth... This is the real message of love.

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

Because you are alive, everything is possible.

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

Thich Nhat Hanh

The only reason we don't open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don't feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with. To the degree that we look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else's eye.

Life is glorious, but life is also wretched. It is both. Appreciating the gloriousness inspires us, encourages us, cheers us up, gives us a bigger perspective, energizes us. We feel connected. But if that's all that's happening, we get arrogant and start to look down on others, and there is a sense of making ourselves a big deal and being really serious about it, wanting it to be like that forever. The gloriousness becomes tinged by craving and addiction. On the other hand, wretchedness--life's painful aspect--softens us up considerably. Knowing pain is a very important ingredient of being there for another person. When you are feeling a lot of grief, you can look right into somebody's eyes because you feel you haven't got anything to lose--you're just there. The wretchedness humbles us and softens us, but if we were only wretched, we would all just go down the tubes. We'd be so depressed, discouraged, and hopeless that we wouldn't have enough energy to eat an apple. Gloriousness and wretchedness need each other. One inspires us, the other softens us. They go together.

…feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.

Pema Chodron

Ishwara Pranidhana - Complete Self Surrender

2011-04-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

Ishwara pranidhana, meaning complete self-surrender to God, is the last and one of the thorniest and most complicated of the Niyamas as outlined by Patanjali. God by any name can be a mouthful for many of us. The idea of God is associated to so much dogma, so many interesting interpretations, and tainted by thousands of years of war and greed in the name of “God,” that many of us feel alienated from the concept. From a yogic perspective, these associations are not an understanding of God, but of concept, and that concept is religion. Any concept formed of God cannot be true because God is limitless. Trying to understand this intricate yet subtle concept can be maddening. It can drive one to desperation.

Caroline Myss, the once Nun who lived in an abbey and internationally renowned speaker in the fields of human consciousness, spirituality and mysticism, health, energy medicine, and the science of medical intuition once asked, “What is a mystic? A mystic is someone who is madly in love with the experience of God, not the debate of God or the knowledge of God but the direct experience of God.” When we reach the end of our rope trying to define God intellectually, many of us either begin or end a spiritual path. We either become seekers or lose faith that there is anything to seek. Both stages can lead to this direct experience of the Infinite. Ishwara can be Allahm Yahweh, Krishna, Brahma, God, or any Divine name you like, but these are usually still concepts, and not a direct experience. Many of us have not yet had that direct experience, so we are asked to surrender. This is an alarming thought for the intellectually bent ego.

Most of us only develop a complete faith in God in desperate times, more out of a sense of self-preservation than a deep burning desire to know the Infinite. Some of us are seekers from birth or at some juncture in life when we have run out of other answers. We can reach the direct experience through many paths, through sadness and pain, through desperation and even through bliss, but most human beings seem to need the hard knock version of God’s classroom. The great Sage Patanjali says in the Yoga Sutras that one can even attain the highest form of Samadhi, the final stage before kaivalya, if one can truly and fully surrender to God. Many of us are just trying to get through the day let alone reach Samadhi. Either way, our self-surrender should be free and unconditional.

Once we surrender something seemingly magical happens. We have such stillness, and God, Brahma, whatever we call the Infinite, removes the egoic boundaries of any tradition that would cause us to feel disdain or skepticism. We would experience the heart of the sacred, the cosmic fire, the expansiveness of the truest version of our Self.

The Mind and the Octopus

2011-04-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Paramahansa Yogananda wrote a wonderful article for the Self-Realization Fellowship back when my grandmother was still alive. I’m not certain if she visited him in San Rafael, California, or just learned of his work, but she was on his mailing list at least since 1985. I found one of the Fellowship Center’s mailings with this article:

(I have abbreviated it, and then expounded upon it for clarity)

“Bad Habits are like an octopus – they have many tentacles to hold you in their grip. And once they enwrap you, those octopus-like habits feed on you; they will destroy you. But if good habits have a hold on you, they will nourish you.

Don’t at all let your mind tell you that it is so hard to be good and so easy to be bad. It is much easier to be good than to suffer the consequences of wrong actions. It is a little difficult sometimes to resist temptation, because your senses try to entrap you. (*) But once you get into the habit of being good, it is very hard to be bad; because you know you will be beaten up within and without by doing something you know is wrong. There is no fun in having bad habits; evil [ego] destroys all the fun. It satiates the mind, so that soon there is no longer any joy in over-eating, in sexual over-activity, in over-indulgence of any of the senses. If in anything you overdo, remember, you are under the influence and in the grip of bad habits. For instance, if you have ulcers of the stomach, and through habit, continue to eat meat, or hot or fried foods, which further irritate the stomach and take away the scabs formed by nature to heal the ulcers, the ulcerated condition will worsen and may develop into cancer or a hemorrhage. Rather, you should eat pureed and soft foods, and other foods that do not irritate the stomach lining. Why let habit make you eat those things which you know ill harm you?”

I adore how simple and common sense this advice is. Many people look to the more esoteric aspects of yoga to heal themselves, but sometimes, the wisdom is so obvious it is laughable. Sri Paramahansa was a pragmatic teacher. He is taking some of the oldest teachings in yoga and deciphering them so that a child could understand their wisdom. (*) When he speaks of the senses entrapping you like the arms of an octopus, he is talking about the teachings of the Mahabhrata and the eight limbs of yoga discussed therein. Utilizing Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dhyana, Dharana, Tarka, Samadhi along with Yama and Niyama, one can free themselves of the cycles of birth and rebirth, death and suffering. A direct translation from the Mahabhrata states “Indeed, O king, they have not spoken to any other kind of Yoga. It has been said that the practices of Yogis excellent as these are of two kinds. Those two kinds, according to the indications occurring in the scriptures, are practices imbued with attributes and those freed from attributes. . . the goal is to concentrate the mind in such a way as to destroy all difference between the contemplator, the object contemplated, and the act of contemplation along with subjugation of the five senses. Once we develop attributes, we are freed from them. This is liberation.”

When You Say No to Temptation, Mean It

2011-04-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

"When you say no to temptation, you must mean no. Don't give in. The spineless weakling all the time says yes. But great minds are full of nos. The weak-willed become doormats for everybody to walk all over and trample on; they deserve this treatment for giving into their weaknesses. Remember, temptation may appear to offer something very pleasurable in the beginning, but it leads to restlessness, always seeking something different, always seeking new thrills. Resisting temptations isn't the denial of all the pleasures of life; it is to have supernatural control over what you want to do. I am showing you the way to real freedom, not the false sense of freedom that in fact is compelling you to do what your habits lead you to do." ~ Paramahansa Yogananda, Self-Realization Magazine Summer 1985 Vol. 56 No. 3 ISSN 0037-1564

Temptation is a trick of the egoic mind leading us into a forever wanting mood. Our desires can be seemingly endless. It is said in the Mundaka Upanishad III 2:2 that the self is reborn because it chooses desire instead of liberation, "He who desires desirable things and broods upon them is born again because of that desire. Only when desire for the world has ceased will we not be reborn." Swami Krishnanada tells us, "Our desires have no end. You cannot count your desires. Though today, at this moment, you may feel that your desires are half a dozen, when these half-a-dozen desires are fulfilled, you will find that another half a dozen will project themselves forth, and there will never be an end of this. Infinite are the desires of man because of the infinitude that is hidden in the recesses of the being of man. Inasmuch as longings and desires and needs of the mind are infinite, a finite body cannot be a suitable instrument for the fulfilment of all these desires. An infinite series of incarnations may be necessary in order that infinite desires may be fulfilled through the instrumentality of these instruments. What are the instruments? This body. What kind of body will you assume in the next birth? It will be exactly commensurate with the thoughts and desires that you entertain at this moment." He goes on to explain, "All your desires melt here, in the light of the Self." No desire can stand before the blaze of the knowledge of the Self. As the cloud of mist cannot stand before the blaze of the sun, this muddle of the cloud of desires cannot stand before the light of the Self, which is the Atman. Therefore, "What happens to the soul after death?" is the question raised by Nachiketas. "Ordinarily, rebirth takes place," is the answer. And most people in the world are ordinary people only, because everyone has a desire of some kind or the other. Everyone is filled with egoism, a self-assertive nature; therefore, everyone will be reborn." This teaching is translated from Sanskrit - from Paryapta-kamasya kritatmanas tu ihaiva sarve praviliyanti kamah (Mundaka 3.2.2), the Mundaka Upanishad.

The teachings are numerous but the message is simple. Simplify your wants. Let go of your needs, and know that the Allness of you, the SAT CHIT ANANDA of you already has everything it could ever want or need because it is everything, everywhere present. there is nothing to want. Would you want water if you were a fish in the ocean? Would you want leaves if you were a tree? It takes time to develop a desireless state. It can be achieved through yogic tools such as dhyana (meditation) and trataka (concentration). It can be cultivated with acceptance of what you have and gratitude for the smallest, simplest things, like the wind in your hair, or the sun shining on your skin. If we just took the time to start counting our blessings, a practice called Santosha in yogic texts (The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali) then our needs and desires would be minimized. If you tried in earnest to count all the things you have, you would realize they are so myriad and varied. A sense of calm abiding could grow form this, and eventually you could stop desiring so much that you perceive is outside of yourself. Your true Self is Infinite. In this state of consciousness desire does not exist.

(c) 2011 Christina Sarich http://www.yogaforthenewworld.blogspot.com

Wisdom from Sri Chinmoy

2011-04-03T11:33:00.001-07:00

If I cannot forgive myself for all the blunders
That I have made over the years,
Then how can I proceed?
How can I ever dream perfection-dreams?
Move, I must, forward.
Fly, I must, upward.
Dive, I must, inward,
To be once more
What I truly am
And shall forever remain.

All About the Ego

2011-04-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

Your Best Friend and Your Worst Enemy
"The ego, or individuated self-sense, is both your best friend and your worst enemy. It is your best friend because, in the most positive sense, it represents your capacity to individuate—to see yourself as a unique, autonomous entity and to bear witness to your own experience with some measure of objectivity. Individuation is what makes it possible for you to be a conscious agent of evolution, a vessel for Spirit in action. The more profound our individuation, the more powerfully Spirit can shine through us. However, ego is also our worst enemy. And this is because, for too many of us, over-identification with our separate individuality obscures the deeper and higher spiritual dimensions of our being. It is very important to understand this paradoxical nature of ego if you, as an individual, want to take responsibility for creating the future, as yourself."

~ Andrew Cohen

“Give up all bad qualities in you, banish the ego and develop the spirit of surrender. You will then experience Bliss.”

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba

"If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge. Those are the three things the ego is doing all the time. It's very important to be aware of them every time they come up."

~ Deepak Chopra

"Ego feeds on attention. The perfection of our precarious Animal-human nature Feeds on God's Compassion-Sea."

~ from Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, Part 3 Sri Chinmoy

Ramana Maharshi taught seekers to silence the mind and try and discover the source of their thoughts. He taught the goal was to try and reach beyond their ego-bound state and answer the question “Who am I?” In the beginning this is a difficult task but eventually the power of the ego will be diminished by the power of the heart.

Sri Sarada Devi said that we can always tell the difference between a spiritual person and an ordinary person.

"The difference between a spiritual man and an ordinary man is very simple. Easily you can know the difference between the two. An ordinary man cries and sheds bitter tears when death approaches him; whereas a spiritual man, if he is really spiritual, he will laugh and laugh when death approaches him, for to him death is fun, nothing else" [3]

Even in the face of death, a liberated soul will not lose his inner peace, because he knows that death is merely an inevitable process of transition. For a liberated soul, death is like going from one room to another. The soul may lose a body, but it retains the quintessence of its life experiences in the soul's world. Furthermore, in many ways liberation is akin to gaining mastery over death. For real illumination to occur, a seeker must lose his sense of little "I" ness. It is only through losing the sense of ego, that a seeker can gain liberation. When Jesus Christ said:

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."" [4]

Sri Devi meant that the sense of ego must die, to enable the divine consciousness to enter.

"The bhakti path winds in a delicate way.
On this path there is no asking and no not asking.
The ego simply disappears the moment you touch
him.
The joy of looking for him is so immense that you
just dive in,
and coast around like a fish in the water.
If anyone needs a head, the lover leaps up to offer
his. "

~ Kabir , the Indian Mystic

Dreaming Like a Yogi

2011-04-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

Sri Aurobindo told us in Letters on Yoga that, “The physical world is not the only world; there are others that we become aware of through dream records, through the subtle senses, through influences and contacts, through imagination, intuition and vision. . . In sleep we leave the physical body, only a subconscient residue remaining, and enter all planes, and all sorts of worlds. In each we see scenes, meet beings, share in happenings, and come across formations, influences, suggestions which belong to these planes. Even when we are awake, part of us moves in these planes, but their activity goes on behind the veil; our waking minds are not aware of it. Dreams are often only incoherent constructions of our subconscient, but others are records (often much mixed and distorted) or transcripts of experiences in these supraphysical planes. When we do sadhana [spiritual practice], this kind of dream becomes very common; then the subconscious dreams cease to predominate.” Dreaming can only occur during our most restful sleep. There are numerous benefits from learning to dream “mindfully” or with greater awareness of the subtle differences from waking, to relaxing to sleeping to dreaming.

Recent dream research found that people, who were awakened during their peak REM cycles, could usually recall their dreams very vividly. Even people who do not recall dreaming in their regular sleep patterns found that they could remember their dreams when awakened and asked a series of questions to prompt recall of their dreams. An average person experiences four to five complete sleep cycles (outside of REM sleep) and so can have several dozen dreams a night. We do not always remember them upon waking because we may not awaken from a REM cycle directly. The REM stages become longer, the deeper we and longer we sleep. If someone is sleep deprived, they have fewer dreams.

Lucid dreams occur when the mind reaches the deepest level of REM, but surpasses it with bursts of Theta brain waves. Lucid dreams are experienced by approximately 20 percent of the population; the majority are spontaneous incidences. Fewer people practice lucid dreaming at will on a consistent basis. The percentage of lucid dreamers may be larger in various cultures and groups who practice spiritual traditions such as shamanism, Taoism, Buddhism, Jainism, Tibetan dream yoga and specific disciplines intending in developing the 'witnessing consciousness' of enlightenment. It was thought that lucid dreaming was not consciously controlled, but Stanford University Lucid Dream Researcher Stephen La Berge, Ph.D. proved under laboratory conditions that lucid dreams are not only possible, but repeatable occurrences in certain individuals.

La Berge recognized that communicating from the lucid dream state was a large obstacle. Researchers recognize lucid dreaming by certain eye lid movements that seem to accompany this state of dreaming. In one famous study done by pioneering sleep researcher at Stanford University, William C. Dement, a dreamer was awakened after making a series of about two dozen regular horizontal eye movements. Dement was the first researcher to intensively study the connection between rapid eye movement and dreaming. When the dreamer in this study was asked what he was dreaming about at that time, he replied that he had been watching a long volley in a ping-pong game! This gave LaBerge an idea. If he could become lucid in a dream, while his scientific colleagues were monitoring his brain states and rapid eye movements to ensure that he was indeed dreaming, he could then send signals to them by moving his dream eyes in a prearranged way. Since his physical eyes would track in the same way as his dream eyes, he could provide objective evidence that he knew that he was dreaming. Ultimately, LaBerge was successful in providing such empirical proof of lucid dreaming. LaBerge, Dement and other western researchers have now developed inventive methods for helping ordinary people awaken to their dreams. (For an interesting read on sleep, you can look into Dement’s book, The Promise of Sleep.)

In his book, the Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep, Tenzen Wangyal Rinpoche tells us, "If we cannot carry our practice into sleep", the Bonpo lama Tenzin Wangyal writes, "if we lose ourselves every night, what chance do we have to be aware when death comes?” Tibetan dream yoga emphasizes the mastery of lucid dreaming in the service of enlightenment. His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama said: "Tibetan Buddhism considers sleep to be a form of nourishment, like food, that restores and refreshes the body. Another type of nourishment is samadhi, or meditative concentration. If one becomes advanced enough in the practice of meditative concentration, then this itself sustains or nourishes the body.” Dreams can be used to heal the psychological samskaras we carry in our bodies and minds. From Hippocrates to Sigmund Freud to Indian Shamanic leaders, there is a consensus that dreams are very powerful when interpreted from a higher perspective. Many people tell of premonitory dreams. Abraham Lincoln, for example, knew of his assassination one week prior to its actual occurrence through a dream. Christ is said to have had many prophetic dreams foretelling his experiences. Premonitory dreams such as these are similar to telepathic dreams in that your spirit leaves your body and ventures on a voyage of discovery. Premonitory dreams are unique because they reveal the future and allow the dreamer to see truths that are not accessible in waking life. Yogis, holy men and women and shamans use dreams to navigate through spiritual realms that many of us are unfamiliar with. Some spiritual masters utilize dreams to communicate messages to their followers and students. Even psychologists believe that lucid dreaming can offer immeasurable insight for personal growth. The intellect is bypassed in dreaming, and the sub-conscious or super-conscious mind taps into knowledge that would normally be hidden from us due to the highly edited perception of the ego. We can cultivate conscious dreaming, and utilize its power to do many things. Just some things that conscious dreaming results in are: greater creativity. (Einstein used lucid dreaming all the time to figure out complex scientific problems), an ability to release unconscious patterns which no longer serve us, free the mind from limiting thoughts, release energy blocks in the chakras and physical body, clarify problems and offer unconventional solutions, unlock aspirations and potential we don’t realize we have in our waking state, expose fantasies so that we can integrate them and either make them real or surpass them, open psychic capacity, facilitate a safe experience of our shadow self or “dark side”, and even prepare us for death and the stages of afterlife.

Dreaming allows us to reach stages we normally would have to meditate several years to have conscious experience of. Chuang Tzu liked to focus on his dreams because they offered a portal between appearance and reality. This is a notion that Tibetan Buddhists call the intrinsic unreality of all things. Once we understand this intrinsic unreality we are able to achieve transcendent Wisdom. Chung Tzu was a Zen philosopher who said of dreaming, “Those who dream of the banquet may weep the next morning, and those who dream of weeping may go out to hunt after dawn. When we dream we do not know that we are dreaming. In our dreams we may even interpret our dreams. Only after we are awake do we know that we have dreamed. But there comes a great awakening, and then we know that life is a great dream. But the stupid think they are awake all the time and believe they know it distinctly. Once I, Chuang Tzu, dreamed I was a butterfly and was happy as a butterfly. I was conscious that I was quite pleased with myself, but I did not know that I was Tzu. Suddenly I awoke, and there was I, visibly Tzu. I do not know whether it was Tzu dreaming that he was a butterfly or the butterfly dreaming that he was Tzu. Between Tzu and the butterfly there must be some distinction. [But one may be the other.] This is called the transformation of things.” Either through meditation or conscious dreaming we are able to awaken from life as the sleepwalkers that we are and realize the true reality of space, time and matter, the Infinite Wisdom of all things.

Australian Aborigines have a similar view to the Tibetan Buddhists. Their culture is considered the longest continuous culture in the history of humankind. Some estimates take their people back to 65000 years ago. Dreamtime is at the core of their 65000 year history. Dreamtime incorporates all of human memory, including the story of things that have happened, how the universe came to be, how human beings were created and how the Creator intended for humans to function within the cosmos. The aboriginal concept is similar to the notion of the akashic record which is the Sanskrit word Akasha meaning sky, space or ether, and the containment of all. According to this philosophy there is a non-physical plane of existence where every thought, deed, and longing is recorded. The records are supposed to contain all knowledge, including all human experience, including he history of the creation of the Cosmos. The Akashic records are metaphorically described as a vast library or a universal computer or the 'Mind of God'. The Akashic record is constantly updated to reflect the now moment. The aborigines teach that there is a seed power or jiva or also guruwari that exists within the earth. Every meaningful activity, event, or life process that occurs at a particular place leaves behind a vibrational residue in the earth, just as plants leave an image of themselves as seeds. The aboriginal view also mirrors the Tibetan view that all of matter, all things we see have a vibrational frequency. The things we see in the physical world are just the footprints of that which we experience metaphysically or in “dreamtime.” The expression 'Dreamtime' is most often used to refer to the 'time before time', or 'the time of the creation of all things', while 'Dreaming' is often used to refer to an individual's or group's set of beliefs or spirituality. When “dreamtime” is accessed the aborigines are reaching into the same “space” that Tibetan Buddhists monks attempt to commune with in their deepest meditations or conscious dreaming. In this “space” there is no cause and effect only oneness, emptiness or infinite possibility.

Tibetan Buddhist practice has very specific guidelines for developing an awareness of “dreamtime” or the Infinite Wisdom through conscious dreaming. There are five important points in the Tibetan tradition regarding dreams: it is aught that dreams can be altered through will and attention (just like our thoughts in meditation), dreams are unstable, impermanent and unreal, much like fantasies, illusions and mirages, very similar to the Tibetan notion of ignorance in waking states. Until we reach enlightenment, or clear vision, we experience all things from an ignorant perspective, including dreaming. This does not mean that we cannot use the dreaming experience to arrive closer to this Infinite Awareness. All life is ephemeral, just like in our dreams. Conscious dreaming can lead to a realization of oneness with the Infinite. These five points are taught through the six yogas of Tibetan Buddhism. Siddhas, or holy men, taught these lessons orally tot heir disciples, and their disciples then use the techniques to further their spiritual progress. The experience of initiation from a guru can even take place in a dream. Sometimes the guru appears during a calm period of the mind and sometimes during normal states of consciousness, while you are working, laughing, joking or sitting. That occurrence, that spontaneous vision of guru, can become the guiding force for the whole of a person's life.

The six yogas are tummo or inner heat (also referred to as mystic incandescence), Gyulu or yoga of the illusory body, Osel or clear light yoga, Milam or yoga of the dream state, bardo yoga or Bardo, and Phowa or conscious transformation yoga. Negative energies which keep us from experiencing Nirvana are eliminated through practicing the six yogas. These six yogas were taught predominantly by Naropa, from the Tantric Tibetan tradition. They are also called, Naro's Six Doctrines or the Six Dharmas of Narop. The six yogas are also called (sbyor drug). They are the perfection process (rdzogs rim) or meditations of Kālacakra. Kālacakra is Sanskrit, meaning “Wheel of Time Tantra”, and refers to a chief text of a divergent, syncretistic, and astrologically oriented school of Tantric Buddhism that arose in northwestern India in the 10th century. The work represents the final phase of Tantric Buddhism in India, just prior to the Muslim invasion, but it has remained prominent in Tibet. According to the Kalacakra Tantra, the Buddha taught that, in this age of degeneration, enlightenment must be achieved through the body. It follows that the Vajrayana (Tibetan) path is very structured, and before the Six Yogas can be practised, it is necessary first to perform a set of preliminary practices (sngon 'gro), and then go on to the main yidam meditations, or generation process (bskyed rim) meditations of Kālacakra. In the Kagyu and Jonang traditions the yidam practice requires in addition to the regular generation process meditation a recitation of 10 million Kālacakra mantras. Tibetan dream yoga aims to help a practitioner to activate an expedited process of obtaining enlightenment.

The Fourteenth Dalai Lama has told us, “There is said to be a relationship between dreaming, on the one hand, and the gross and subtle levels of the body on the other. But it is also said that there is a 'special dream state.' In that state, the special dream body is created from the mind and from vital energy (prana) within the body. This special dream body is able to dissociate entirely form the gross physical body and travel elsewhere.” The Tibetan Buddhist practices begin with learning how to recognize that you are dreaming while you are dreaming. One you are able to do this, you can gradually start controlling the outcome of the dream. Eventually you will be able to dissociate your physical body from the dream body and enter altered states of awareness, including the lucid dream. Prana yoga aims at doing the exact same thing, only through direction of the breath, or life force.

According to Tarthang Tulku, the Tibetan lama who teaches yoga from the Nyingma tradition, “Dreams are a reservoir of knowledge and experience, yet they are often overlooked as a vehicle for exploring reality.” There are several types of dreams that we must become aware of before we begin our practice, so we know what to look for in our personal experience of becoming more conscious of our dream states. Some dreams are called “clear light” dreams which contain spiritual visions, blessings and energy openings. Lucid dreams are those wherein one knows they are dreaming while they are dreaming and are able to affect outcomes in their dreams as if they were in a waking state, some dreams are just a processing of the events that transpire during our waking state, such as events that occurred, people we interacted with and the thoughts of those who are both living and deceased. Some dreams have archetypes within them which are meant to evoke universal awareness associated to those specific archetypes. Joseph Campbell’s seminal work points to several archetypes which recur for the entire human population. Campbell tells us that, “Myths are public dreams, and dreams are private myths.” Campbell’s archetypes are based on Carl Jung’s work and include the models of a hero, the damsel in distress, the healer or shaman, and so forth. There are karmic dreams which aim at working out issues from previous lives. There are churnings of the subconscious which arise in dreams, to simply be acknowledged and released, just as in meditation practice. And there are dreams which are profound with extrasensory skill, often telling of future events, to warn of impending danger, or to teach an important lesson. All dreams, including nightmares, fall within these categories.

In order to become more conscious of dreaming, it is also imperative to start your Tibetan Dream yoga practice during the daylight hours. You begin by becoming aware that all of our lives are dreamlike. The events are real, but ephemeral. They pass, they do not endure. It is important to have a quiet and contemplative environment upon waking so that you can write down your dreams as soon as you wake up. The impressions from dreams fade very quickly as the conscious mind become more dominant. This happens within seconds of rising from sleep. Julia Cameron uses this same technique in her famous books, Morning Pages, and The Artist’s Way. She suggests keeping a journal or notebook next to your bedside table and writing down your impressions of your dreams as soon as you wake up in order to take down as many details as possible. Cameron also suggests writing at least three pages of long hand in order to capture details that may come up as you begin to write. In this manner we start to send a signal to the subconscious mind that we intend to consciously attend to the content of our dreams, and in time, our dreams become more vivid, and we have better recall upon waking. Once we are consistently recognizing a large portion of our dreams after waking, we can start to attempt to realize that we are dreaming while we are dreaming and begin the practice of lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming is an attempt to begin to affect our “reality” during waking hours. As Thomas E. Lawrence, a British soldier said, “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.” In order to further enhance your morning or waking practice, you can incorporate the following exercise:

Practice the lion's breath – To practice this breath, begin by kneeling on the floor and cross the right ankle over the back left ankle. Your feet will be close to your buttocks on either side as in preparation for reclined hero’s pose. The perineal muscles should be as close to the floor as possible. Next, press your palms firmly against your knees, (palms face down) with your fingers spread as wide across the knee as possible. Take a deep breath through the nose and while doing so, open your mouth as wide as possible, making an “AH” sound with the tongue falling out of the mouth like a lion. Your eyes open wide, and the breathe passes over the back of the throat. In advanced practice, the gaze is taken to the Ajna chakra between the eyebrows, or you can focus the eyes at the tip of the nose, slightly crossing the eyes. This breath should be done several times and the legs change out to alternate the crossing of the ankles. This posture is used for awakening and purifying the body. It raises the energy, and helps the practitioner to have a mindful understanding of the states of sleeping, dreaming, and waking reality - coming into the present moment, recording dreams. Thus, you will enter the day recognizing that all things are like a dream, illusion, or fantasy.

Furthermore, just consciously pondering the Four Noble Truths during waking hours helps to begin to remove the veils we experience in our sleeping hours. They are: All life is suffering. The origin of suffering is attachment. The cessation of suffering is attainable and there is a path to the cessation of suffering. These truths are an attempt to prepare the mind to grasp that time and space and matter are all fleeting. In Tibetan dream yoga, one is taught to try to ride out the waves of emotion that occur during the dream state. The inner journey takes place as we dream just as it does when we sit on a mediation cushion. In dreams, karmic emotions and the tugging of these old emotional wounds try to make us fragmented, but as we progress into deeper brain wave states (again, just as in meditation), then the mind steadies, dreams become longer, and lucidity is enhanced. In the waking state, life is also enhanced by the ability to ride out these emotions. The work we do in our dreams to remain calm and abiding carries over into our waking state and into our daily lives. Old habits and karmic patterns that once limited our abilities begin to fall away. We uncover deep longings to achieve great things, the most important of which is spiritual enlightenment. The Greek philosopher Epicurus once said, "Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you have now was once among the things you hoped for."

You can also practice some exercises before going to bed, which will help to prepare the brain for mindful (or lucid) dreaming.

· Practice Om or (Aum) chanting. The OM Mantra is a roadmap for sadhana, spiritual practice. There are four main levels of consciousness outlined in the OM Mantra, along with three transition levels, which is a total of seven levels. Each of these is experienced on the inner journey of meditation and contemplation. The four levels of consciousness are experienced in our sleep cycles and the fifth through seventh stages are experienced with greater levels of consciousness. The ‘U’ of the Aum represents the dreaming state of consciousness. The name of this level of consciousness is also called Taijasa. Taijasa does not just mean dreaming. Rather, it is the name of that level of consciousness in which dreaming occurs (U of OM Mantra).

· You can chant this prayer before sleep, “May I awaken within this dream and grasp the fact that I am dreaming, so that all dreamlike beings may likewise awaken from the nightmare of illusory suffering and confusion”.

· Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, the 16^th Karmapa of Tibetan Buddhism, envisioned a flag called the dream flag which depicts two diagonal swathes of color with waves unfolding into the opposite side. The flag’s sky blue color represents the complete and profound Wisdom of the inner realization of the Buddha. The yellow color on the flag represents the complete Wisdom of limitless Compassion which bestows benefits on all sentient beings and phenomena. The wavy line and the joining of the yellow and blue colors signify the inseparability of these two Wisdoms. The flag was a manifestation of Rangjung Rigpe Dorje enlightened wisdom. You can place this flag in a prominent area near your bed and gaze at it upon falling asleep. Rangjung Rigpe Dorje prophesised that this flag will bring immense benefits to the Dharma as well as all sentient beings. Gazing upon is said to help burn karmic impressions in your dreams.

· Lie on one side with your legs together and knees slightly bent. Let your bent arm take the weight of your torso by resting your head on your open hand. This is the posture of the sleeping Buddha, as he has been traditionally depicted at the moment of passing into nirvana (death).

· Meditate on your throat chakra and visualize all your energy rising from your Mooladhara chakra or root chakra to this area. This chakra is considered the third eye. Concentrating upon it just before sleep is a way to “illuminate” your dreams.

Over time you will be able to pay close attention to detail in your dreams as you are dreaming. You will be able to record your dreams in great detail upon waking, often noticing answers to challenges you are having in waking life that you could not previously find answers for. You will begin to notice recurring images or archetypes in your dreams that need closer examination in your waking state. You will start to notice similarities in your habits in both your waking and sleeping and then begin to change outdated patterns of behavior and thought for more beneficial patterns. You will be able to wake yourself from an unpleasant dream or act as ‘witness’ to its circumstances instead of becoming overwhelmed with fear. Your meditation practice will develop more quickly. Your awareness during waking hours will be greatly enhanced.

Edgar Allen Poe once told us that “all we see is but a dream within a dream.” Likewise, we realize that waking reality is not really the ultimate reality. Swami Satyananda Saraswati said, “When the mind is silent and peaceful it becomes very powerful. It can become a receptor of bliss and wisdom enabling life to become a spontaneous flow and expression of joy and harmony. However…this inner silence cannot arise while there is a continual stream of disturbing thoughts and emotions. All this inner noise of thoughts and emotions has to be removed before one can truly experience the soundless sound of inner silence.” Learning to have this silence and calm in our dreams overflows into our waking life. We can become this receptor of bliss and wisdom through mindful dreaming.

Sri Yukteswar on Love

2011-03-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

"Ordinary love is selfish, darkly rooted in desires and satisfactions. Divine love is without condition, without boundary, without change. The flux of the human heart is gone forever at the transfixing touch of pure love."

(From Autobiography of a Yogi)

"The Virture of Love the Heart’s natural love is the principal requisite to attain a holy life. When this love, the heavenly gift of Nature, appears in the heart, it removes all causes of excitation from the system and cools it down to a perfectly normal state; and, invigorating the vital powers, expels all foreign matters- the germs of diseases-by natural ways (perspiration and so forth). It thereby makes man perfectly healthy in body and mind, And enables him to understand properly the guidance of Nature. "

(From The Holy Science)