Giving up to the rhyme that births its own meaning and dictates itself.
I wish I could take credit but its something greater steering the ship bringing me to new heights if I let it.
Getting easier to be a bystander because life is just grander when viewed from afar.
My microscope betrayed me, couldn’t understand the close up picture the way I needed to.
Lightning bugs don’t belong in a jar.
Had to set it all free and know that the plan that named me king,
and supreme ruler of everything was not a mistake.
Think bigger, know it all, rule it with freedom have the wisdom to let nature take.
When the big picture comes into focus and your eyes are finally allowed to see, sit back with your crown on your head survey this lovely land and ask yourself what kind of king will I be?
To you a birthday
to me another chance
to show you a good time
another dance
another day
I can call you mine
When I hear others wish you well
and your eyes light up
and your spirits lift
I feel a sweetness clear as a bell
my cup fills up
as though I have received a gift
Thank this lovely world
for loving her as much as I do
happy to get this all so pleasantly twisted
I fell like its my day just as much as my special girl’s
with every heart beat, forever anew
historians will tell the tale, with confidence,
that a perfect love existed.
Do not build a fortress around what you love…
Instead build your fortress out of love–
Steadfast, impenetrable.
But, most importantly, with a large door so you can let everyone in.
Currently, relaxation is not our intrinsic state. Perhaps it was at birth; however, it is obscured by all of our obligations and expectations–my twelve year-old is already being told his math scores, now, may affect his collegiate endeavors… Talk about a catalyst for tension!
However, I subscribe to the idea that our stress response depends on our perspective. I believe, as do many other renowned professionals that we can shift our relationship with stress through regular practice. The reality is that “relaxation is a skill unto itself” (Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati). What does that mean? Relaxation is a skill. Let me elaborate.
It starts with the body; the problem is we aren’t really in our bodies. We can’t relax while we are disconnected. Do you feel your fingers pressing on your tablet, do you feel your foot on the gas pedal? We are outside in the world of the senses, stimulation, and flux. Our stress reaction partially comes from being “outside” of our true center which is not subject to change, corruption, and decay.
In this tradition, the physical body is not viewed as something other than the self– it is viewed as a layer that has its origins in the eternal. Therefore, the physical body needn’t be deprived by extreme measures–nor inundated with sensuality. The physical body must become a participant on the inward journey.
Pratyahara, sense withdrawal, is the process of disengaging ourselves from our sensory experience. We move from being outside in our experience to being in our own body. Hence the need to dim he lights and seek a quiet place to relax or meditate. Using music or “white noise” is still stimulation– this is using an extrinsic source to “feel” relaxed. Ultimately, relaxation must come from within.
Postural practice (yoga poses), asana, can assist with getting “in” the body. However, many practitioners feel that this is the apical experience of yoga– it’s only a preliminary one. After asana practice, the body is prepared for profound relaxation– this relaxation is essential to deep, sustained meditation.
Complete Relaxation is a beautiful way to work on entering into this state. It is an approach of moving through the body and not ignoring it. It is a beautiful finale to a postural practice. It can be practiced alone or in preparation to a seated practice. For a beginner, it is a way to increase your time in stillness– while satisfying the need to have a little stimulation.
This seems like a paradox; relaxing to meditate. It isn’t so antithetical– imagine trying to sit and meditate if you’re agitated and distracted. Once you are able to establish a relaxed state, a regular meditation practice reduces this inclination toward a negative stress response.
agitation
grimaces
brow furrows, anguishes, regrets
tedious stresses
apple cart tippers
abrupt lane changers
micro managers
screamers
beaters, leavers, haters
thieves, litterers
do-nothings
and hoard-it-alls
I will most surely meet you today
and when I do
I will embrace you
with patience, kind words, and
the unconditional love that I have failed to give you thus far
and when I have perfected my practice
there will only be
tingles
smiles
sweet nostalgia
exciting changes
baskets of fruit
wide open roads
partnerships
singers, lovers, givers,
and need nothings
because we have it all….
A few months ago I was being coached by a wonderful teacher, Radhika Shah-Grouven, about how to keep doing “this” when I am so busy. I know we all feel very busy– and, with regards to scheduling, I am: the family, full-time job, additional clients, commuting, this blog… this list could be endless. However, I find that I am only as overwhelmed as I believe that I am– of course, this falls within certain physical parameters: I must get sleep (although I get 5.5-6 hours), I must eat well, I must drink water, I must exercise, and I must meditate. Meditation doesn’t cause me to suddenly have a “stress”-free life. However, it does cause me to be very aware of my reaction to stress. It has afforded me enough self-awareness to realize how much I can take on or how much I must put down. I definitely experience times of ambivalence and apathy– times where I would rather sit on the couch and veg-out. However, I would rather allocate predetermined amounts of “free-time” to meditation. My lineage recommends four times a day– that may seem daunting to a newcomer. I would recommend a newcomer dedicates time for one to two sittings. As I have stated previously, five to seven minutes; but, commit and do it. In the same way you wouldn’t consider leaving the house without brushing your teeth, commit to going inside. My teacher, Swami J, says to make it an appointment, like lunch with a friend. Furthermore, if you are late, you postpone and make it up, as soon as possible– like your lunch date. Life happens, I understand; but, as Radhika taught me, you have a “mental mat”– it goes with you every where. She explained that there were times when she just touched the mat while riding the train! The more you return to center, the more it stays with you. Many times my meditation pillow is in the cockpit of my car and my meditation room is a parking lot.
Writing a blog is as much a spiritual endeavor as any other practice. I now realize so much goes into making this page useful. I will be adding a gentle asana section soon, the poses I highlight will specifically assist with developing a seated posture. Until then, I’ve linked Ma Tripurashakti Bharati’s beautiful asana chart and a little YouTube Video of asana for posture below.
Sitting tall and well is much more than aesthetics. It is essential to proper physiological functioning. Furthermore, it is an anchor to hold you in the present moment. One should release any idea or preconceived notion of the ascetic, sitting cross-leg and semi-nude on a mountain top without any creature comforts. If you’ve been a desk jockey, you need a chair. Using a chair is not admitting defeat; it’s acknowledging the physical limitation and working to transcend it.
Try to find a quiet place free from outside distractions. I suggest you do some gentle stretches; then, as I posted before, observe the unfolding of the mind. Those who want to go further should begin to work with their breath. Just start to bring awareness to the breath–sit in absolute silence and observe the natural rhythm. Try to sit without moving to adjust and observe for a predetermined time. Initially, it’s best not to try to do this for too long; you don’t want to strain and develop an aversion. In the early stages of sitting, I recommend three to seven minutes at the most. Think of simply sitting well as meditation in action.
I recently read a blog post, “I am (Not) Mike Brown“– which deeply touched me. Although my aim is not to politicize my blog, the title of the post evokes powerful concepts that are addressed in the Yoga tradition. There is an idea in conventional circles (I say conventional and not the West– some of the most amazing teachers live in the West), that Yoga is associated with an “anything goes” sort of attitude. While I cannot speak for other schools of thought and movements, I can say Yoga, at its center, has an ethical core. In my last post, “Begin to Meditate“, I present the concept of the Yamas and Niyamas from the Yoga Sutras. The first principle of which is Ahimsa, non-violence–to your Self and others. Some people have called the Yamas and Niyamas, the “10 Commandments of Yoga”– which I refute as having a punitive, patronizing tone. Yoga is about Self-direction, the sages do not tell us to fear the wrath of an anthropomorphized deity. However, they explain that we are all one. If we go inside, regularly, and establish a relationship with our transcendent existential core we will, inherently, not wish to harm one another. The brilliant late, Georg Feuerstein, a German-Canadian Yogi and Scholar, wrote extensively about morality as it relates to the Yoga tradition as well as an eloquent ethical guidelines for Yoga teachers. His writings affirm our natural ability to emanate goodness and to seek harmony when we frequently return to our center.
From the Gross to the Subtle 