Do you have a Philosophy or Direct Experience?

Direct experience is the only “Real” experience.

Peppering the Day with Mindfulness

Posted March 12, 2015

I try to avoid reminiscing–not reflecting–on the past. Reminiscing means that I there is a longing, a desire for what cannot be, a nostalgia (the root word of which is pain). During reflection, I deliberately consider a past experience, asses if I chose the best course of action, and affirm to continue or discontinue what I was doing.

It is not a lack of sentimentality, rather, I believe (and have been taught), to fully experience one’s life, you have to be awake in the moment–right now.

The highest consciousness is expressing as all of us–right now. During the state of samadhi we are able to realize this consciousness manifesting as us. However, it is not something we can do yesterday, it is a level we awaken to in the present.

My teacher eloquently expressed, you are already in samadhi right now; however, that samadhi is on this human incarnation.

The yoga sutras prescribe five efforts and commitments aspirants should cultivate to assist them in remaining fully, nondually, in the present moment: shraddha (faith), virya (positive energy), smriti (mindfulness or remembering), samadhi (seeking sustained meditation), and prajna (pursuing the highest wisdom).

Smriti is not an obsessive needling, it is a gentle determination to perform one’s actions in a way that holds to attention on the highest goal–assuming that is your goal. Smriti does not pertain to only renunciate, a layperson can practice smriti through their everyday actions. One classic way is offering all actions to where they came from–the highest source.

The Unity Offering Prayer encompasses this concept (there are many variations available):

“Divine Love as me,
blesses and multiplies.
All that I have, all that I give,
all that I receive”.

When we are in our everyday life, there is a perceived duality. Our locus of operation and the Other. Simply, consistently, “seeing” our actions as service to the Highest is a way to remind us of Our True Nature. If we really believe that there is only One, all actions come from the One. Therefore, offer cleaning the car, mowing the lawn, preparing a meal as seva–selfless service.

P.S. As usual, click the links–the one on the five efforts has an exquisite meditation practice on it!

Lemons into…

Posted March 9, 2015

Filed under Musings

Having a 4-year-old daughter is a blessing; it’s also a science experiment. Saturday morning began with a sore throat, it progressed to a fever, then I was in urgent care being diagnosed with strep throat. After a shot of antibiotics that looked like they should have been used in equine medicine, I was in bed for the weekend.

Since I consider myself to be spiritual, as all the self-righteous do, I googled “Best Spiritual Movies”. Naturally, I couldn’t just lay in bed and peruse sacred texts. It was an opportunity to watch some old favorites…

I started out nobly enough with Cloud Atlas, into Fight Club (which is profound and eye candy), then (under the guise of watching a movie with my aforementioned 4-year-old) there was Stardust, and (when they had all gone to dinner at my mother’s house) I snuck and watched Bridget Jones’s Diary.

I tend to overwork myself. I tend to believe that if I push harder I’m doing better. Even with my spiritual practices–although I always tell my students, “you cannot fail or do this incorrectly”. I am not excusing laziness; discipline is essential for deepening our practice. But, the universe in his infinite wisdom sometimes makes you just chill out. I definitely felt immense gratitude for my clean and soft bed. Sometimes 24 hours in jammies is extremely cathartic.

Unplugged Snippet

Just a snippet of the guided meditation at “9 am Unplugged” every Sunday at Unity North Atlanta.

We share acoustic music, interactive dialogue, guided meditation, and Love!

We are still producing some more guided practices that will be uploaded to the blog soon!

I am NOT a Yoga Teacher…

Posted February 5, 2015

Filed under Himalayan Tradition, Insights

I am not a Yoga Teacher… It sounds so ominous, as if I am rejecting my “career” path of the past 20 years! But, it’s quite the opposite; I am affirming my sadhana (spiritual path)–and that’s what matters.

All speech has an intention underneath it– allowing the propagation of a misnomer, for the sake of simplification, is egregious to a seeker.

I am not a Yoga Teacher–really there is no such thing. Among many definitions: Yoga is the transcendental state of consciousness; Yoga is the union of the microcosm and the macrocosm– how can one embodied being teach that???

Yes, there are Realized Masters who benevolently impart their wisdom. They have Realized their True Nature and they are guides– but, the aspirant must still walk the path.

In fact, the Yoga Sutras explain that there are three ways to obtain knowledge. Intuition, Experience, and a Qualified Teacher. But, the highest knowledge, truth, is the convergence of all three.

The aforementioned Masters are desireless– but, they share these teachings with the understanding that we are all one and it is the right and privilege of all to Self-Realize.

There is no “Teacher’s Training” that can offer this– because it requires direct experience. That is the part that seems to be ignored by the conventional.

At this junction I am a Sadhaka, not a Yogi (they have attained Yoga), I hope to Realize this state. But, until then I am a coach, a guide, and an aspirant.

The Way Aum

Posted February 3, 2015

Filed under Poetry

Step carefully
in the way
we’ve been so
graciously shown
Feel your feet
mindfully on
each of these
well placed stones
This simple path
laid out masterfully
Will certainly
lead you home

Temple of Efflorescence

Posted January 17, 2015

Filed under Poetry

I was
but tiny fury, each moment before.
Aimless energy
moving small, making little sound.
Still, strong enough to shake me awake!
Chain reaction
mingled with law of attraction
drawing on tempered intention
positively building the perfect munition.
Now, a nuclear
BOOM!
Breaking, shaking the ground.
Energy profound
from the well of stillness,
it blooms from a lovely calm.
Be humbled, bear witness,
bow to the sweet devastation
alive in the detonation of
our beloved bomb.

Go Big

Posted December 17, 2014

Filed under Poetry

Everything rhymes
rhyme everything
The physics are just waiting
For you to get with it,
Use this cosmic math
make something out of nothing
give form to this and all time
Don’t you see?
It’s all music!
Every sound ever heard
You can pick and peruse it.
This gift is yours
Even if you refuse it
Whatever song you want sung
Whatever needs to be done
Just do it
Swirl it up in gorgeous tornado
while you can still choose it
let them marvel at your influence.
Scatter the pieces of everything everywhere,
Show us that you really blew it
Make them wonder how they got through it
Then bring it all back to everything
A perfect rhyme so settling,
We just fade into it

Anchor

Posted December 6, 2014

Filed under Poetry

even though it seems that my heart forgets the song I must remember that it is always humming with the love in the air and on the lips of those with whom I speak and in the eyes of those that pass. Even though it seems that my ears can not hear it, the song is always playing, it is the tree that mistakenly believes it is alone, not making a sound as it falls. We hear you sweet tree, your crash landing reverberates so bitter-sweetly creating many beautiful, multifaceted stories witnessed and experienced by all. The journey to rock bottom is not necessary to the song but helps those of us lost to find it. The only definite in the music is the destination, a pure singular tone that washes away all of the tiny details of up down tree and rock. A tone that returns us to each other and boils it all down to perfection. close your eyes and allow yourself to embrace the anchor of you to all, the song to which we may not always remember but can never really forget Ommmmmmm………