REFLECTIONS:
Our Yogic Meditation
4/14/13
Thank you so much for an evening of community, pure spirit, & genuine sharing that comes from the heart! The world needs more of this and I feel so blessed to have gathered around such amazing people who like myself, are drawn to yoga...to meditation, to deepen connection to self, to a higher source, and to each other. In yoga this type of community is called one's "sangha," a community of like minded people with whom authentic support and encouragement is given such that we each can feel inspired, motivated, and able to pursue that deeper connection which ultimately brings the greatest peace & joy.
Reflections on our growing sangha:
-Time for meditation may seem impossible in the busy day to day, so remember that even taking one yogic breath in a stressful situation, when you feel fatigued or not centered or present, before you do any action which requires focus, or just moving from moment to moment is a beautiful way to implement meditation. Keep in mind that training your mind to be in the moment with breath are the tracks you lay toward deeper meditative experiences. These simple tracks help you find your way back to that peaceful, still feeling and the more tracks you lay, the more established the route. Finding your way back to that place of no thought, of pure presence and ease does become easier the more we use the tools...1 minute, 5 minutes, 20???
-Yes, for all of us initially there can be fear in silencing the chatter in our mind especially when we are not use to being with ourselves in that quiet space. I mean, in the west, modern culture, has been based on constant distraction and perpetual "doing" of something to compete, get ahead, succeed... So, it is only natural that doing the total opposite, withdrawing our senses from outside distractions, sitting with ourselves and doing nothing, being content with who we are, where we are, and what we have will feel uncomfortable and even scary. For what will one experience otherwise, what will it feel like, what will it be like to have no thoughts, no sense of having to do or think anything?
It was beautiful that what came up was TRUST and ACCEPTANCE and to this I pose the question, "In whom or what do you trust, in whom or what do you feel acceptance?". It is always of utmost importance to bring this to mind in any instance of fear, anxiety, panic... So if this comes up for you, before you sit in meditation, first connect with that source of trust and acceptance that resonates with you and know that of all things, yogic meditation ultimately serves as the "yolk," the bridge that allows you to cross over the illusion that you are separate from that source, the bridge that serves to truly awaken your highest self or "atman" that knows and feels the union of all things for all time, the bridge that opens you to the opportunity to merge into that union, that oneness from which this myriad of life comes.
However, take it in stride, in small steps:
1) Learn first to purify and make comfortable, the body with all its' discomforts, tension, pains. Heal the body through proper nourishment and care through diet and a balanced lifestyle. This is why we do yoga postures or "asanas."
2) Practice and reflect on the yogic code of ethics, the "Yamas and Niyamas." I truly believe that at the core of modern man's problem is the loss of a code of ethics that serves the greater good and guides our actions and interactions with each other. Also, that personal responsibility to live and act according to ethics, values, and morals has increasingly gone to the wayside. Partly due to the fact that we have gradually lost those social groups or gatherings wherein we are held accountable for what we say we believe and value, as well as wherein we are supported and encouraged to cultivate them in our personal lives. This is in more detail, what "sangha," what community is about.
The "Yamas and Niyamas" continue to change me, my interactions with others and my feelings about the world we live
in. I am truly at a loss for words to describe the vibrational change I have on every level of my being as I gain more and more fortitude and consistency in adhering to them. I can only list them again here and encourage you to practice them. We will start to meaningfully address one or two of them each meditation group. Keep in mind that they purify the next level, the conscious mind, the content and quality of our "thinking," of our moment to moment thoughts of ourselves, others, and the world. Take a second to write down the first 10 thoughts in your mind and then go through the list below. What thoughts do not adhere and what thoughts do? As you practice the yamas and niyamas, the content and quality of your conscious thoughts will improve, your mental energy will be freed up, and you will be able to use your thoughts more wisely for the upliftment of yourself and others. In this way we truly evolve, in this way we truly help ourselves and others, in this way we will make the world a better place, and in this way one's meditation will naturally improve as all the wasteful, toxic thoughts will no longer have such control over you, you will gain better use of your mind!
YAMAS
Ahim’sa: (no harm)
Acting and thinking in ways that inflict NO harm, hurt, pain
Aparigraha: (no unnecessary accumulation)
Living in accord w/ basic needs so that ones life may be simplified, clear, and at ease
Brahmacarya: (all as divine/one)
Perceiving all beings and things as the divine manifest in myriad forms
Satya: (kind words)
Using words and thoughts only for the benefit or well-being of others
Asteya: (no taking/stealing)
Respecting in thought and in action what is of another
NIYAMAS
Santos’a: (balance and contentment)
Maintain equanimity/balance through contentment
Shaoca: (pure mind)
Maintain purity and quality of mind
Sva’dhya’ya: (self-study)
Maintain a healthy pursuit/searching for truth/knowledge of the nature of the universe
Tapah: (service to others)
Maintain a sense of selfless service to others
Iishvara Pran’idhan’na: (ideate on the source)
Maintain reverence and remembrance of the supreme consciousness
3) Practice yogic breath or diaphramic breathing, ujjayi breath, and as we learned last night, general, alternate, nostril breathing. Remember the latter is used as a tool before meditation to help balance your nervous system especially if no yoga postures/asanas were done before. Always return to the breath and especially remember to take refuge in the brief pause between inhale and exhale as this pause contains the whole of the universe within and without, allow yourself to witness and experience the mental state at that precise moment. This brief pause is a taste of the meditative state where there is no influx or out flux of movement in the mind, it is suspension of mind.
(Warning: DO NOT hold your breath, it is a brief pause only!!!)
4) THE HEALING POWER OF SOUND!!! Keep coming to group meditation as we are growing, becoming, and opening using our voice as a tool to balance our body and mind as well. The toning of the syllables is to bring your concentration to center so that you can hold space for yourself, hold space for that inner peace, calm, ease, and joy. Remember all tools aim at firmly establishing the meditative state in your memory and that fully absorbing and registering that state imprints it into our being. The vibrations go down and resonate every bone, muscle, cell to a frequency that is deeply healing and transforming. The nervous system remembers and becomes more at ease in that more still, healing state. The nervous system begins to change and operate less on a "fight or flight" mode and more on a state that is at ease with things, allowing a more expanded consciousness to be experienced! Wow what frequencies we experienced last night! I hope the harmony was felt and that it helped to posture your mind in a place more prime for stillness.
Unique, inside, tid bits to share from the group:
-"Owning your own spiritual journey..."
-"Trust and acceptance..."
-"Fear and awe of the expansiveness of the sky as I washed dishes..."
-"The swirling form and color of the AH vibration..."
(seeing without eyes, the sight within)
-"From being worried about time, what time it was, and how much time to having no sense of time and no sense of people in the room..."
-Transcending the discomfort of the body...
-Relaxation, detachment from the physical body experienced as heaviness...
-The upward movement of energy :)
In Close:
-Thank you for your generous donations as it will help to keep our meditation group ongoing.
The next one will be open to all and because we are doing an asana/postures class before meditation, the cost will be $10.
It will be at the JasDance Studio on Cleaveland Ave.
south of 24hr gym Santa Rosa and north of Whole Foods @ Coddingtown Mall.
NEXT MEDITATION SANGHA:
Saturday, April 27th 2013
5:30pm-7pm
Cost: $10
Yoga Asanas Class (5:30pm sharp)
(bring your mat, props, water, & if you'd like, sitting cushion)
Meditation (6:15pm)
JasDance Studio
3181 Cleveland Ave. Suite "E"
Call for questions or to sign up:
Prema Devii "Trish"
(RYT 500, M.A.Education)
808-269-2638
or
email: trishteaches@gmail.com
premadeviiyoga (Facebook page)
