light surrounds
shines through
glows behind
heads crowned
It’ll guide you
to a safe place
an infinite space
deep inside you
shown true
in forever light
ignited by
an embrace of
the great heights
we aspire to
Happy Anninversary From the Gross to the Subtle
Happy Anniversary From The Gross to the Subtle. We just renewed our contract with WordPress for another year. I have added guided practices, you can register for Ma Tri’s workshop directly under the events tab, and I recorded two classic Yoga meditations which will be available by next week–thanks to my friend Kirk Glass. I am leading 4 sittings a week; plus co-leading the 9 am “unplugged” service at Unity North.
I want to radically transform this into a community blog. I love sharing Yoga Meditation philosophy; but, there are so many of you with tremendous expertise. Message me if you interested in guest blogging, providing guided meditations, advertising workshops, or sharing inspirational philosophy.
Lastly, check out United Intentions. I have just joined this social media platform, it is completely centered on transforming your life by changing your mind–not centered on just “hanging out” on-line. I am going to create a meditation group which I will link to this blog, too.
I promise to finish “How do You Qualify Yoga” series in the next few weeks.
Thank you to our over 1000 followers. We love you!
All Yogic approaches require a commitment to radical self-transformation.
Part 5 of “How do you Qualify Yoga”
While I understand why Georg expounds, Yoga requires a committment to radical self-transformation, I also feel as though it can be stated differently: Yoga requires committment to self-recovery. There is an alchemy to it; but, there is not really anything to transform, you are already who you are seeking. However, our lives, karma, addictions, experiences–whatever you want to call them have veiled the Truth that we are seeking.
About a year ago, I cannot believe this endeavor began a year ago, I wrote a post “Setting it All Down“, in which I shared how my beloved teacher reminded me that the gift of Yoga meditation is setting aside all of the false identities to, hopefully (and with consistency and committment), gain realization of who we truly are.
Sometimes these false identities are so heavy; especially, when life isn’t doing what YOU want, when people aren’t showing up how YOU want, when you realize that in our current incarnation we don’t control– we are part of the karmic wheel– the goal of Yoga being to un-yoke ourselves from this, potentially, never-ending journey.
Yoga is about using every moment in your life to become fully present to what is really going on. To see the only locus of control is your inner environment. It’s not about getting limber on the outside. It’s about limbering up inside.
And, as I mentioned in the posting, “The Practice is Perfect“, you have to do this every day, every minute, every second. And when you slip, you say “Ah, I have something to learn here”.
This has been a time of slipping for me; my life isn’t showing up how I want it to. But, it’s showing up how I, obviously, need it to. Divine consciousness makes no mistakes. So here I go again, maybe one step closer to who I truly am.
A Special Visit
Ooh Formless Divine Mother…. hear my longing, hear my prayers for strength to keep going to use every moment for increasing awareness and to allow the surrendering into formless Love. None of the sensory impressions are me, none of the thoughts are me… ooh take me in Your formless arms, take it all, as I have nothing to loose as none is my. Most deepest gratitude for the sages and the selfless offerings to show us the path… humbly I walk in these golden footprints together with my fellow sadhakas friends, which company I value tremendously. Standing ever stronger for what I know to be true: Aham Brahmasmi ♥ And so are all of you! We are all sparks in the divine ocean of bliss, splashing around but One is true essence. See the Absolute smiling, giving and sharing through the human beings… What a joy to be aware in Vaishvanara! ♥ Have a wonderful day ahead full of play, love and giving ♥
Swami Ma Tripurashakti BharatiWorkshop Registration
This Cartoon Is Going to Become Iconic | Mother Jones
Astigmatism
Inexplicably,
eyes are a prize in this game –
swiftly removed, then thrown away.
The provided instructions recommend goggles,
but no one can see the words of wisdom
in a practically biblical masterpiece of legalese
that shields the empire from litigation,
but does nothing for those who can see.
They only catch a glimpse before their optics
are collected by those with no foresight,
hungry for a fresh perspective.
They keep looking, frantically searching
for vision in the dead eyes of you and me.
We accept our fate – sight unseen.
The ocular butchers fulfill contracts
written by those happy with Braille,
unaware there are even words to read.
The big picture, stolen from small men
until we persevere in a future unforeseen.
The sacred orb somehow survives,
a crystal ball reflecting long-forgotten hues
in a new world where the one-eyed is king!
gofundme.com/xms7a5w
Big Love
I arrived on a
paper boat in flames
seaworthy but a moment
until I’m under water again
I’m prepared to swim,
make my way to dry land
no matter the predicament
It’s what I do, I always win
It was I who scattered sand
raised the great mountains
provided this rich earth
as a womb for our flora’s birth
life’s my beach, a witness
to the sunrise with this flow
and ebb I’ve cleverly disguised
as the reliable tide
It’s just a mask for my haven,
something you can actually see
so you can make your way when
your thin vessel is on fire and
inevitably succumbs to the sea
I live for the day you realize
the unshakable bedrock beneath,
build your home upon me
All Yoga Paths Subscribe to Dharma
Part 4 of “How Do You Qualify Yoga”
Please let me forewarn you, this may be a polarizing post. Humans, on many levels, enjoy their misidentification with nonself (to borrow a Buddhist term). We cling desperately to all that we are not–all that we are attached to. The ego is a collection of false identities, which the teachings of Yoga systematically deconstruct. The ego gets particularly obnoxious when we perceive we are being told that we are doing something “incorrectly” (or at least differently from how it was intended).
Dharma is a Sanskrit term which is utilized in many traditions; however, it has no true English translation. Dharma can mean, law, right-way, and order; Feurestein ascribes it to morality. Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Hinduism are all called “dharmic traditions (or religions)”. Truthfully, there really is no “religion” called Hinduism. Hinduism is a term that originated from the British trying to describe the various traditions of the people Sindhu River. Hinduism is a collection of philosophies, among them: Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and Shaivism–all of whom, like the branches of Yoga, describe the Ultimate Reality in different ways. Sanatana Dharma means the “Eternal Way” (or law, morality, etc.). It is the wellspring out of which the dharmic traditions sprung.
Yoga and Sanatana Dharma cannot be separated. Their lines are intrinsically blurred. While it’s possible to practice Yoga and still adhere to other religious tenets–Christianity is very much a Bhakti Yoga practice–the origins are one and the same. Conversely, it is possible to be a Hindu and not practice Yoga; however, they originate from the same source.
All types of Yoga (not mere asana practice), have a dharmic component. In some paths the tenets are spelled out in recommended actions and restraints. In other paths, there is a call towards looking inward towards ones own moral compass. Regardless, there are no Yogic recommendations towards: competitiveness, hyper-sexuality, greed, or lying. However, that is often the case in the contemporary Yoga scenario. Studios are selling expensive clothing, hyper-mobility is lauded, scant dress is praised, and teacher’s don’t have a personal sadhana. It’s not a judgement, you aren’t bad if you’re doing these things.
Yoga is not about a punitive deity waiting to judge–it’s about becoming so clear and so aligned that you wouldn’t want to do these things. Patanjali calls this the “great vow”. It is not about becoming pious either; but, there is nothing wrong about being aware of what Yoga is and is not.
Brilliant
A wind’s blowing
sunlight’s shining
on a river flowing
Silver’s lining
flowers growing.
Chakras aligning
in spirits glowing
Facets combining
in a tender loving
of the all knowing
Cocoon
Look around you
for an abundance
of sigh and terrific proof.
Embrace a refreshing
effervescence in this
moment, arriving whole
and altogether new.
Come alive in pure
love’s transformation
invigorated by a
chosen and heroic truth
From the Gross to the Subtle 