Tag Archives: Spirituality

Apple Cart Tippers

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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….

My Mental Meditation Pillow

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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.

Sitting to Meditate

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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 well is foundational to a meditation practice.  However, this can be a major obstruction to going inside. In this system, we work with the many levels of ourselves, moving from the gross physical body to the superconscious core. Therefore, the physical body must be prepared to support this endeavor.

This is where the conventional asana class is supportive. If you follow the link above, you will see that in the Yoga Sutras, “asana” means a “comfortable seat.” If one is seeking the highest state of existence, asanas are an opportunity to prepare the body and experience meditation in action—but they aren’t the apex.

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.

Begin to meditate

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It’s wonderful and ironic how the idea of meditating has gained so much popularity.  Naturally, after modern medicine “verifies” its benefits, many of the skeptics come on board (no real digs at modern medicine– I’m an exercise physiologist).  However, according to the traditional teaching of the Yoga Sutras, meditation is not the first step on the path to Union, Enlightenment, Self-Realization, or Transcendence (whatever you may call the experience– not concept).  In fact, meditation (dhyana) is the 7th of the 8 rungs.  It is recommended to get one’s house in order prior to meditating.  That presents a stark contrast to the modern/Western idea that meditation is for stress reduction or happiness.  Meditation is work– but that doesn’t mean it is an unattainable feat.  One doesn’t simply sit and meditate.  When one has done the preparatory work, meditation more naturally unfolds.  I mentioned in previous posts introspection and sitting in silence.  It is my personal experience that when my life is in more chaos, meditation is not easily attainable.  Listen to the inner call to deal with what it happening in your “outer” life that may be distracting you from the “inner”.  In Setting it All Down, I discussed my personal drama with feeling attacked.  That is something to address and not avoid– the spiritual path is not about avoidance.  The yamas and niyamas can offer insight into areas of our life to balance which will incline us to naturally want to go inside.  If you are still working with introspection– let this direct cleaning house.  If you already meditating perhaps this will create a space to deepen your practice.

Setting it all Down

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Recently, I was Skyping with my beloved teacher and asking him to disambiguate some confusing Yoga concepts.  As usual I was over-thinking and entering into a very cerebral place about one of the many conceptual experiences the ancient Yogis describe.  Swamiji asked me, describe 4 things that I am.  I responded, “I am a woman, I am Black, I am a mother, and I have curly hair” (I’ll never forget those attributes I selected!).  He said, “you are none of those things, those are simply roles you are playing.”  We went onto to corroborate the nature of our true Self (notice the capitalization– it will be discussed in future postings). Furthermore, he expounded, “when you meditate you set those things [identities] down. Then, later on when you pick them up, they are a little lighter.” That’s it in a nutshell– meditation is practicing our true identity–which is something far greater than the illusion of words.  Today was a day when I was particularly caught up in the mundane– I felt as if the outside world was against me.  But, it can’t be… because like my roles the macrocosm has roles–and everyone in it is playing a part.  They can’t be against me because we are the same.  Meditation helps to establish awareness of that connectedness.  Now, regardless of how my perceived conundrum unfolds, I will return to the Center and know that I am unchanged–for the better.