One of the key practices of Kriya yoga is mantra. Mantra is a process by which we free ourselves from worry or doubts, but not from consciousness. Mantra is a means of transcending thought, and bringing consciousness to a much higher level of spiritual being. True mantra is that which frees us from constrictive limitations of mind thought.

The primary mantra of the the Kriya yogi is the 12 letter mantra. Today we spent some time learning how to balance the chakras using this technique. Rather than repeat the lesson here, I thought is would be fun to share some links to others chanting the mantra a couple of ways. You Tube is a great resource for listening to mantras being chanted by people in the countries they originated in. Last summer I posted some links to several different mantras on You Tube. These are two versions you may not have heard. They also have beautiful illustrations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOewH5sMwXk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-L1MONqWHI

Enjoy!

  S.

True story: I once knew a woman who went to a costume party. She took great care to hand sew an elaborate costume. It was absolutely gorgeous! She spent days eagerly anticipating the event. But when she arrived, the party wasn't everything she had imagined. It was too hot, for one thing. There was plenty of food, but it wasn't what she wanted. And where was the entertainment? There was none! She pulled up a chair and sat in the heat, away from everyone else and was mad as heck that it was such a lousy party. The sun beat down on her as she ate the food she didn't like all alone on the edge of the event scowling. But she didn't leave! Why did she stay? Because she thought she should win the prize for the best costume. So, she waited. Some people tried to start a conversation with her, but she was so angry that they gave up. In fact, there were a few people that started to make fun of her. It was a big party and it was a couple of hours or more until the judging of the costumes. Finally, the judges made their decision. The winner had a costume that was very similar to the woman who was angry, but it was clearly store bought and just kind of thrown together. She did not have the best costume, but she did wear a huge smile and it was clear that she was having a ball. As you can probably imagine, the woman who worked so hard to make a stunning costume was livid. She left in a huff and I never saw her again.

This isn't a story of good or bad, right or wrong. It's just a story about something that happened. The outcome was kind of predictable because stories like this happen every day. I could ask, "Why didn't the best costume win the prize?", but we already know the answer. A better question is, "Why did the woman insist on staying when she was having a miserable time?", but the answer to that, sadly, is also obvious. The best question is, "If she was determined to stay until the end, why didn't she try to enjoy herself?" The answer to that might be that it never crossed her mind that it was within her power to change her own experience. 

Here is a fact of life that I learned only too recently: If you don't rule your mind, your mind will rule you. We must take some time each day to examine our own thoughts. Indeed, examining the contents of the mind to understand the lens through which we see the world. 

Although, I never saw that woman again, I did receive a message concerning her this week. The message was sent to me via text from a number I did not recognize. When I opened the message it was an invitation to a memorial service for her. The message was sent from someone in her church community. Her life's story has ended. I hope there were other parties and that she enjoyed them very much. 

May each and everyone of us remember that all matter in the Universe is temporary. The times we judge as "good" and the moments we judge as "bad" are impermanent. These bodies we live in and become attached to are subject to the very same laws of transience. Whether we find ourselves dissatisfied by work, relationships or other events, we really only have 3 choices: 1) Remove ourselves from the situation, 2) remain unhappy about the situation, 3) change the way we view the situation.

Deepest Shanti and Prem,
  S.

"It is in moments of illness that we are compelled to recognize that we live not alone but chained to a creature of a different kingdom, whole worlds apart, who has no knowledge of us and by whom it is impossible to make ourselves understood: our body." ~ Marcel Proust

"Sometimes it takes a wake-up call, doesn't it, to alert us to the fact that we're hurrying through our lives instead of actually living them; that we're living the fast life instead of the good life. And I think, for many people, that wake-up call takes the form of an illness." ~ Carl Honore

"The number one root of all illness, as we know, is stress."
~ Marianne Williamson

"A life-threatening illness or two certainly gives you an awareness of your own mortality. It heightens your sense of gratitude for things that previously, if you've not taken them for granted, you perhaps never appreciated how precious they were. That's almost a platitude, but one has to state the obvious." ~ Norman Foster

"They're trying to tell us that we're not right, so we have to buy their products. The number one cause of mental illness is not knowing who you are and you can't know who you are if you don't spend time honoring yourself, and living in the present." 
~ Naomi Judd

A long time ago, when I was in my middle thirties, a friend decided that a group of us should expose ourselves to a variety religious/spiritual traditions. On one particular Sunday, we piled into his car after (Unitarian Universalist) church services and drove to a Hindu Temple out in Pearland, TX. It was here that I received, quite possibly, the most important lesson of this lifetime. A Hindu nun explained to me that we do not have to ask for blessings, we receive them. They are already here waiting to be taken. That one concept changed my entire life. We don't have to ask. I thought to myself, We take the blessings.

There's a translation of a verse in the Bible which reads, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." Wise words. In addition, I would like to suggest that you, "Do unto yourself as you would have others do unto you." What does that mean? Very simply, it is not possible to show compassion to others if we are filled with self loathing. It is not possible to trust someone to love us completely, if we do not find ourselves lovable.

This is going to be a short blog entry, because the lesson is so entirely powerful in itself that it requires more reflection than explanation. I invite you to sit and meditate for awhile and then, when you feel you are completely centered, ask yourself this question: "How do I really feel about myself?" or "How do I treat myself?" Do you push yourself to exhaustion? Do you hurt your body to win approval from others? Would you like others to treat you with kindness? Then start there...and be kind to yourself.

Shanti,
  S.

It's interesting what the mind will attach itself to. A cat can hiss @ us and we say, "oh well, it's just a cat." A dog can bark @ us and we tend to do the same. We are not obsessing for days, months or years about the incident. Sometimes cats hiss and dogs bark. It's what they do. Cats are catting. Dogs are dogging. But, have you noticed that when people are peopling we just can't seem to let it go? 

Probably, the most difficult problems that face humanity today have their genesis in people trying to control other people. WE JUST CAN'T GET PEOPLE TO DO WHAT WE WANT! And if we did, well, the world would be a much better place, right? Right?! Hm-m-m... 

We have all fallen into the habit, at some point or another, of judging others and then fantasizing about how we are going to get them to change. We manipulate, hint and bully. Then we try to get other people involved in changing the people we want to change. But let me ask you this: Can you control the contents of your own mind? Can you see a thought form rising in your own mind? And if you see a negative, hurtful thought developing, can you change that thought into something more positive? If the answer to any of the above is no, then how on earth can you expect to change anyone else? Or, more to the point, WHY do you think that you SHOULD try to change anyone else?

Part of letting go of trying to control others begins by recognizing that we are all beings living in human bodies and that those bodies all come with different personalities. And, sometimes, personalities become offended. Usually, we are most offended when we see a personality trait in someone else that reminds us of some aspect of our own personality that we are not comfortable with. Ouch. We don't like that. We certainly don't want to be reminded of it. But, remember, it's not about them. It's about us. And here's what you can do about it: Forgive them.

There's a technique called the Forgiveness Ritual that is very useful in retraining the mind to stop trying to control others. It is quite simple. This technique is best practiced @ the end of the day after reaching a calm, meditative state.  Before going to bed, close your eyes. Visualize each person whose personality you have offended that day. Call them to mind one at a time. As you see each one say silently, "Please, forgive my personality for offending your personality." Then visualize each person whose personality has offended your own and say, "I forgive your personality for offending my personality." Mean it and then let them go out of your mind. In some cases you will see someone in your mind and say, "Please, forgive my personality for offending your personality. Also, I forgive your personality for offending my personality." Start with the small "offenses" (for example, the person with 40 items in the 10-items-or-less line @ the grocery store) and work up from there. When you've reached the very last person that you can think of that has either offended your personality or you theirs (or both) on that day, when you've asked forgiveness of their personalities and forgiven their personalities and there is absolutely no one left...go to sleep. This technique takes practice. Do it every evening and you'll begin to find that what other people are doing bothers you less. We're all people and we're just going about doing what people do. We're peopling.

Shanti and Prem,
  S.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

I have a question. I'm going to ask it and then after you read it, I want you to close your eyes and contemplate the answer before you continue. Here it is:
What have you been doing to create peace throughout your life?

Okay. Good question, right? My Guru asked that question of her disciples a few nights ago. It was meant to be answered internally. I realized how important the question was when it occurred to me that I did not have an answer. Certainly, I have been working toward a more peaceful and meaningful existence for the last decade or so. But what about before then? Did it ever cross my mind that peace is something that I/we create?

And here is a statement that I'd like you to give the same consideration to as the question in the first paragraph. Close your eyes and hold it in your mind for a few moments after you read it:
Enlightenment is something you have to do yourself.

There is a formula that those of us in this branch of the Kriya Yoga lineage are familiar with. It looks like this: IxF=D
It means Intensity times Frequency equals Duration. When someone new comes to the practice, we teach them this. You see, many people come to meditation with the idea that if they meditate a long time, they will be accomplishing something. Then, when they sit and become frustrated that they can not quiet their minds the entire time, they give up. It's too hard. There is something wrong with them, they reason, that prevents them from focusing for very long. Well, the truth of the matter is that probably no one is meditating for an entire hour or more. The mind tends to wander. What is most important when we meditate is the intensity. If for one moment you completely let go and are peaceful, you've reached your goal. Please, pay close attention here. I want you to remember this:
Single-pointedness for a nanosecond shifts everything. It changes the Karma.


This one moment will allow you to think a new thought. It will allow you to change your life. Now, what would happen if instead of sitting for an hour being uncomfortable and perhaps discouraged, you had several short, but intense meditation experiences throughout the day? What if you tried meditating for maybe 6 minutes @ a time and did that 10 times a day? Would that be the same as meditating straight through for an hour? Yes, it would. You've accomplished your goal...if meditating for an hour is your goal. Set your own limits. IxF=D.


Reflect upon your life and how you are spending your time. How can you vivify that? The practices need structure, so you must make a plan to structure your practice into your day. Kriya Yoga gives you techniques to use as tools to live the life you want. But you must incorporate those techniques into your life in order for them to be effective. Remember this and you will find that single-pointedness will bring you maximum intensity.

Shanti,
  S.

Really. It is. It may not feel like it sometimes, but, for the most part, the people that are in our lives are there because we drew them to us. We have something to learn from every one. And we'd be so much better @ it if we spent less time judging and more time paying attention. That is not to say that we should let others control us. What I am saying is that they wouldn't be there if we did not want them to be. Let's all ponder that for a moment. The point is this: Life is what you make it. Again, really. Really and truly.

It seems like such a long time since we were all able to get together as a group and share the teachings. And what a joy it was! Thanks to each and every one of you that came this evening. And a very special Thank You to our member who so graciously donated the office space where we gathered. Deepest gratitude!

Because it's been some time, I wanted to be prepared, so I did something that I haven't done in awhile. I made notes. I ask that each beginning meditator fill out some profile questions which help me understand which teachings might be of the most benefit. Some of this evening's members were seeking stress relief, relaxation, focus, soul healing, calmness. They said they wanted to "find themselves" and "understand themselves." A couple of us, myself included, have physical challenges. Can Kriya Yoga address all of these things? The answer is, yes, if we understand how the techniques work and which techniques to choose. And that is what I try to teach. It's up to the individual to utilize these teaching to do whatever it is they/we want to do in this life. Jumping around on a yoga mat doesn't do a darn thing if we don't understand the meaning of what we are doing. 

Here's an example. First, I taught shivasana and a deep relaxation technique using visualization. These are tools that every single human can benefit from. Next we studied the Drawing Breath (Ujjaya) which has many benefits. Some of which are that it relieves excessive heat from the head and improves digestion. It is helpful for people with consumption, asthma, and other pulmonary diseases. It soothes the nerves and tones the entire body. It is excellent for helping people w/ high blood pressure. Ujjaya can be done sitting, standing or reclining. It can be done anywhere. This is a method of eminence among classical techniques. After this pranayama, we practiced the pose cat/cow to increase strength and flexibility in the spine. And we learned how to open the Heart Chakra with a technique that employs tapping that region in conjunction with an affirmation which lead us into our meditation. We meditated upon the feeling of Joy. Everlasting Joy.

You know, some people are waiting to be happy. They are waiting for circumstance to present an opportunity that will allow them to be free. The truth of the matter is, we are as free as we want to be. The only person that can allow you to be happy is you. The only person that can allow me to be happy is me. No one can do that for us. It's a decision we make every day. We may ask ourselves, "What do I want in my life?" "How do I get there?" We have the tools. Let's use them. What is the difference between an unhappy set of circumstances and opportunities for learning? Attitude. Practice. Diligence.

Shanti,
  S.

Today, Winter Solstice, is the shortest day, the end of the solar year. It is a time of reflection and setting our intention. 

This evening we had our very first Winter Solstice Celebration as a group. We shared poetry, inspirational quotes, personal stories and insights over hot herb tea. In the spirit of seasonal traditions, I brought some Frankincense and Myrrh essential oils to share and also some Sandalwood for good measure. Te House of Tea was a lovely place for our gathering. 

I want to thank everyone who came for sharing the grace of your presence. Deepest blessings for the coming year.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantih,
  S.

I've been wondering lately how it is that we no longer seem to have enough time. Any of us. Ask anyone why they were unable to do the thing they most wanted or needed to do and you'll likely hear that they simply did not have enough time. We are all so busy doing things that are very important, if not enjoyable, I'm told. 

Lack of time, I hear, is the main reason many people do not maintain a regular meditation practice. No time to spare. At all. Not even 5 minutes.

Now here is the really fascinating part. You can ask anyone - absolutely anyone - what their favorite television program or movie is and they can tell you all about it. Hours and hours watching that cooking show or the quasi-news program where the commentators shout at the people being interviewed. In the same way, you can ask anyone what their favorite app is on their smartphone, laptop or tablet and they can tell you because they've used it so frequently. It takes time to text our friends about the reality show where the man dates a dozen or so women until he finds "The One." And yet we have no time to sit and be still. Not even 5 minutes.

Here's a thought: What if we all had a self-induced limit on how much time we allotted to our electronic devices? Do you think we might free up some time for ourselves? What if, for example, our computers, phones and T.V.s had a curfew? Off by 7:00p., let's say. What would happen then?

Do we not have enough time for ourselves or are we filling every spare minute by staring @ a screen that tells us what to buy, where to go and how to think?
Technology can be very useful, but I'm wondering if maybe we are becoming addicted. Is it possible that it is easier to zone out and stop thinking than it is to really get to know ourselves? To be quiet. Not visually stimulated for even 5 minutes.

5 minutes. How crazy have we become that we truly believe that we do not have 5 minutes for ourselves? 

The body needs food. The body needs sleep. The spirit, likewise, needs to be fed. The spirit needs rest. 

Make a date with yourself @ the same time everyday to feed your soul. Read something uplifting. Look @ the sky. Spend some time stretching and healing the body. Sit and meditate. You may be pleasantly surprised by how much better you feel. You deserve it. We all deserve to feel better. Calmer. Happier.

Shanti,
  S.