tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509025801580686302024-02-07T21:26:26.322-08:00The Path of the Mystic Mystic ~ One who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-79964856346944321742016-04-14T03:02:00.001-07:002016-04-14T03:02:19.844-07:00Music is Medicine!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAiwJSfor7vUj2k6mcaOzdm8YsJWQzDH3yowMcOnlHzmrAb3ySsUe-V7XIkXrrJB9vJ-ruCCDRrpEmw7tKRI9jgE-RAG0ybpI0L8QNJMMs-kV5jhF505OZbQcLed3hLgs_9J6w-wwHw/s640/blogger-image-2019914435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAiwJSfor7vUj2k6mcaOzdm8YsJWQzDH3yowMcOnlHzmrAb3ySsUe-V7XIkXrrJB9vJ-ruCCDRrpEmw7tKRI9jgE-RAG0ybpI0L8QNJMMs-kV5jhF505OZbQcLed3hLgs_9J6w-wwHw/s640/blogger-image-2019914435.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I read a quote the other day from composer Gao Yuan saying that the <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">ancient Chinese believed music was so powerful it could heal and harmonise all aspects of a person, including the spirit. He went on to say that they rated it more highly than their traditional medicine. This is seen even now in the fact that the Chinese character for medicine is based on the character for music. In her books on Esoteric subjects, Alice Bailey said that the future of medicine and healing would be with the use of sound. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I've had many amazing and healing experiences with sound but one interesting situation verified by another person was when I took my healing tuning forks to show my acupuncturist. At the end of the session when I had already had my acupuncture treatment, my lovely therapist decided to try them on me. She noted that my pulses were still quite weak (the pulses are one of the ways an acupuncturist checks a person's chi and general health) - I was very run down at the time. She then started trying out the tuning forks on various trigger points and noted an immediate strengthening of my pulse. Finally she used a Solfeggio tuning fork around the body at the end and my pulse was so much stronger and more balanced. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Recent scientific studies have shown that singing in choirs increases immunity and wellbeing, which may also be due to the sense of community and our need to be part of a tribe from our ancestral memories in our DNA. I've had 'out of body' experiences just listening to certain music and certain instruments such as the gong and the ancient Peruvian whistling vessels are known to produce so many overtones/harmonics that the regular mind can find no defence and collapses allowing the experience of complete stillness and the higher mind to take over. The whole Cosmos vibrates and people in meditation and near-death experiences report hearing the music of the spheres, the celestial realm. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Our earth even has her own divine frequency, known as the Schumann resonance. When we are in nature or meditating we more naturally attune to this frequency ourselves. So everything can be seen (or heard) as divine sound & we can use sound to heal and restore us back to divine harmony. It is a shame when people believe that they are not musical. Little do they know that they vibrate and emit sound, just like the rest of the universe. When shown how to fully let go, relax and just play with sound, people who think they are not musical suddenly find themselves playing and singing from their souls. You yourself are music! </span></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-6068978729305153602016-01-03T03:39:00.001-08:002016-01-03T03:39:29.942-08:00Flowing with the Energy of Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZqfFM24pfKHfZ7iMIOXi4-DkuJry_rOPceZKCcWv-cDiFWgGZncUWB57FtLll9bswD4HcPjbhYWZwPdZrLql3reBAPUy5s_DsheQm0f6OUNK_pEUUo78or3Nrb9P3O-rqF4AGnrOKA/s640/blogger-image-1417687330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZqfFM24pfKHfZ7iMIOXi4-DkuJry_rOPceZKCcWv-cDiFWgGZncUWB57FtLll9bswD4HcPjbhYWZwPdZrLql3reBAPUy5s_DsheQm0f6OUNK_pEUUo78or3Nrb9P3O-rqF4AGnrOKA/s640/blogger-image-1417687330.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Only love is the solution! I'm discovering so much about love ~ the energy of life. Things that I've known, but not been able to put fully into practice before. On a very physical level, I've found that when I've had period cramps, my sacral chakra has closed. Each time I visualise opening the chakra up the cramps go away. Literally the pain signifies the energy is not flowing. On a mental or emotional level, when I have experienced tension (which I also feel as physical pain within me) with others recently, again it is because at least one of us has 'closed' a part of ourselves down to the other. In these instances as soon as we open ourselves up to communicating with each other and letting the flow of energy express itself in a loving way, then the pain disperses and solutions become possible. All of life is energy. Eastern principles of yoga, martial arts and traditional medicine practices such as acupuncture work with the flow of life force energy, instead of blocking it. In the West our main form of allopathic medicine and our military thought tend to work on blocking the flow of energy in different situations rather than flowing with it, which can feel violent and which does not provide sustainable longer-term solutions. More and more I am learning to use my body as a guidance system and learning to open my energy to the flow of life. We close our energy through fear (conditioned responses) but what would happen if we learned to open up our energy in all situations? True energy masters can literally turn around dangerous and seemingly life-threatening circumstances, through flowing with the energy and taking it in different directions to those expected. To master energy in this way make take much time and practice, but we can maybe all start with opening up in little subtle ways in situations in which we may have closed down or reacted negatively previously. As the saying goes, "if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you always got". This statement reflects perfectly the downside of reacting to what life brings us in old, predictable and stagnant ways. Reacting in new, more positive ways can bring us beautiful new experiences. Let's make 2016 a beautiful year by opening up our energy. There is great meaning to the statement 'go with the flow'. This does not necessarily mean taking whatever life throws at us, but instead opening up our energies to flow positively with events and find unexpected outcomes through remaining open and curious, rather than shutting down through fear. Wishing everyone a fantastic year! </span></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-65065072412181188112015-12-15T02:51:00.001-08:002015-12-15T02:56:01.733-08:00Sivananda on Experiences and Obstacles During Meditation<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqSmAx93eaDbivmSf-ysRoaMgDiWEk9i7QMpV0EGtKGuFs0kczM8kEiHDJzLtU-gWKp6tmw5qksAo1gbOSSJjY2hbqBzqcSO2Vn0Qogcibe5SNz4RxdKHdOEU-AnPmDsOMXU_Ac4U2g/s640/blogger-image--289682744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqSmAx93eaDbivmSf-ysRoaMgDiWEk9i7QMpV0EGtKGuFs0kczM8kEiHDJzLtU-gWKp6tmw5qksAo1gbOSSJjY2hbqBzqcSO2Vn0Qogcibe5SNz4RxdKHdOEU-AnPmDsOMXU_Ac4U2g/s640/blogger-image--289682744.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I want to use this post to paste the amazing and helpful information about experiences and progress in meditation that is found on The Divine Life Society/Sivananda website (www.sivanandaonline.org), partly so that I can easily come back and find this information in the future and partly because it may be of assistance to others on their spiritual paths! So all the information below is copied directly from this website - enjoy! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><h1 style="margin: 3px 0px 8px; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Experiences and Obstacles During Meditation</span><strong style="display: block;"></strong></h1><p></p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 5px;"></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">by Swami Sivananda</span><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">WHAT HAPPENS DURING MEDITATION</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In meditation, new grooves are formed in the brain and the mind moves upwards in the new spiritual grooves. When the mind becomes steady in meditation, the eyeballs also become steady. A Yogi whose mind is calm will have a steady eye. There will be no winking at all. The eyes will be lustrous, red or pure white. When you enter into very deep, silent meditation, the breath will not come out of the nostrils. There may be occasional slow movement of the lungs and the abdomen. During normal exhalation the air comes out 16 digits. When the mind gets concentrated, it will become less and less. It will come to 15 then 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 and so on. From the nature of the breathing, you can infer the degree of concentration of an aspirant. Watch the breath very carefully.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Man tries to grasp the abstract through forms. After the mind has been purified, an abstract image is formed in the purified mind by Sravana (listening to spiritual discourses and holy scriptures) and Brahma-Chintana. This abstract image melts later on into deep Nididhyasana. What is left behind is Chinmatra or Kevala Asti (pure Existence alone).</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In Nididhyasana or profound and continued meditation, thinking ceases. There is only one idea of "Aham Brahmasmi." When this idea also is given up, Nirvikalpa Samadhi or Sahaja Advaita-Nishtha ensues. Just as salt melts in water, the Sattvic mind melts in silence in Brahman-its Adhishthana (substratum).</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">EXPERIENCES IN MEDITATION</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Various persons get various spiritual experiences. There cannot be a common experience for all. It depends upon the temperament, mode of Sadhana, place of concentration and various other factors. Some hear melodious sounds in the ears. Some see lights. Some get Ananda (spiritual bliss). Some get both Prakasa and Ananda. During meditation, you may experience that you are rising from your seat. Some experience that they fly in the air.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">LIGHTS</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Divine light comes not through open doors, but only through narrow slits. The aspirant sees the Divine Ray as a sunbeam passing through a chick into a dark room. It is like a 'flash of lightning.' This sudden illumination chokes all sounds of words. The aspirant is spell-bound in ecstasy and awe. He trembles with love and awe, just as Arjuna did when he had the Virat-Visvarupa-Darsana of Lord Krishna. So bright and glorious is the Light environing the Divine that the initiate is dazzled and bewildered.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">During meditation, the colour of lights that you see varies according to the Tattva that flows through the nostrils. If there is Agni-Tattva, you will see red-coloured lights. If Akasa-Tattva flows, you will have blue-coloured lights. If Apas-Tattva (water) prevails, you will see white-coloured lights. If there is Prithvi-Tattva, you will have yellow lights. If there is Vayu-Tattva, you will see black colour. You can change the Tattva by various ways. But the best way is by thought. "As you think, so you also become." When the Agni-Tattva flows, think intently of Apas-Tattva. Apas-Tattva will begin to flow soon.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">RAPTURE</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">During meditation, you get rapture or ecstasy. It is of five kinds viz., the lesser thrill, momentary rapture, flooding rapture, transporting rapture and all-pervading rapture. The lesser thrill is only able to raise the hairs of the body (like the goose skin). The momentary rapture is like the productions of lightning, moment by moment. Like waves breaking on the seashore, the flooding rapture descends rapidly on the body and breaks. Transporting rapture is strong and lifts the body up to the extent of launching it into the air. When the all-pervading rapture arises, the whole body is completely surcharged, blown like a full-bladder.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">CROSSING THE BODY-CONSCIOUSNESS</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Aspirants are eager to get spiritual experiences soon. As soon as they get them, they are afraid. They are awfully alarmed when they go above the body-consciousness. They entertain a passing wonder whether they will come back again or not. Why should they be afraid at all? It does not matter much whether they return to body-consciousness or not. All our attempts are mainly directed towards getting over this body-consciousness. We are used to certain limitations. When these limitations suddenly drop away, we feel that there is no definite base left to stand upon. That is the reason why we are afraid when we go above the body-consciousness. That is a novel experience. Courage is needed. Bravery is an indispensable requisite. Sruti says, "Nayam-atma balahinena labhyah-This Atman can hardly be attained by weak (timid) persons." All sorts of forces have to be encountered on the way. A dacoit or an anarchist can easily realise God, because he is fearless. A push in the right direction is only necessary for him. How Jagai and Madhai, rogues of the first water, became very good saints! They pelted stones at Nityananda, the disciple of Lord Gouranga. Nityananda won them by pure divine love. Dacoit Ratnakara became Sage Valmiki.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">VISIONS OF SPIRITS</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sometimes, bad spirits will trouble you. They may have ugly, fierce faces with long teeth. Drive them with your strong will. Give the word of command: "Get out." They will go away. They are vampires. They are elementals. They will not do any harm to the Sadhakas. Your courage will be tested here. If you are timid, you cannot march further. Draw power and courage from the Atman within, the inexhaustible Source (Avyaya). You will come across very good spirits also. They will help you a lot in your onward march.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There is a kind of vision one occasionally gets during meditation. You may behold a dazzling light with abrupt motion. You may behold a head of marvellous form, of the colour of a flame, red as fire and very awful to look at. It has three wings of marvellous length and breadth, white as a dazzling cloud. At times they would beat terribly and again would be still. The head never utters a word, but remains altogether still. Now and again, there is beating with its extended wings.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">During meditation, some of the visions that you see are your own materialised thoughts, while some others are real, objective visions.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">BREAK VEIL AFTER VEIL</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you get experiences of the glimpses of Self during intense meditation, if you see a blazing light during meditation and if you get spiritual visions of angels, archangels, Rishis, Munis, Devatas and any other extraordinary spiritual experiences, do not fall back in terror. Do not mistake them for phantoms. Do not give up the Sadhana. Plod on. Persevere diligently. Break veil after veil.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If there is any error in Sadhana (meditation), at once consult the senior Sannyasins or realised souls and remove the mistake. If your general health is sound, if you are cheerful, happy and strong, physically and mentally, if the mind is peaceful and unruffled, if you get Ananda in meditation and if your will is growing strong, pure and irresistible, think that you are improving in meditation and everything is going all right.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">March on boldly. Do not look back. Cross the intense void and darkness. Pierce the layer of Moha. Melt the subtle Ahankara now. Svarupa will shine by itself. You will experience the Turiya (Arudha state).</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">OBSTACLES TO MEDITATION</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Obstacles to meditation are really from within. Environments are from within; you create your own environments. Try to be happy in whatever situation you are placed. Do not complain. Bear sufferings. You can conquer Nature. Maya is Tuchha (nothing) or Alpa (small or non-entity) for a Brahma-Jnani.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The obstacles to meditation are only from within. Sleepiness, passions, confused state of the mind, Manorajya (building castles in the air) are the chief obstacles that stand in the way of fixing the mind on God or Brahman. The five hindrances to meditation, viz., sense-desire, ill-will, sloth-torpor, flurry-worry and perplexity should be removed. For, when these are not removed, meditation cannot arise. The mind that lusts after many things through sense-desire is not concentrated on one object; or being overcome by sense-desire, it does not enter upon the progress of meditation in order to put away the sensuous element. The mind that is harassed by ill-will concerning an object does not proceed at once. The mind that is overcome by sloth and torpor is unwieldy. Obsessed by worry and flurry, it does not repose, but flirts about. Struck by perplexity, it does not go on the path that leads to the attainment of meditation and Samadhi. Obstacles to meditation are thus really from within. They are not from without. Train the mind properly.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Laya (sleep), Vikshepa (tossing of mind from one object to another), Kashaya (memory of sensual pleasures) and hidden Vasanas and Rasasvada (the happiness derived from Savikalpa Samadhi) are four stumbling blocks in meditation.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">TANDRI AND MANORAJYA</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When the mind has been withdrawn from objects through Vairagya and Uparati, do not allow it to go into sleep or Manorajya (fancies and wild imagination). When you constantly contemplate on the meaning of the Mahavakya 'Aham Brahmasmi' or 'Tat Tvam Asi' through the process of Mahavakyanusandhana, all the Vishayas (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling) will stop. But, owing to the force of Samskaras, Manorajya (building castles in the air) will continue. Mind builds castles in the air. This is termed Manoratha in Sanskrit. This is a serious obstacle to meditation. It should be stopped by Vichara. Sometimes, during the course of meditation, the mind suddenly slips into its old grooves for sleeping. People think that they are meditating, while they are actually sleeping. A mixture of drowsiness (Tandri) and Manorajya (building castles in the air, reverie) is mistaken by aspirants for deep meditation and Samadhi. The mind appears to be established in concentration and free from Vikshepa (distraction). This is a mistake. Alasya and Stabdhata (stupefaction arising from fear or wonder, mental restlessness and mental depression) are other disturbing factors in meditation.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Closely watch the mind. Make it Ekagra (one-pointed) and allow it to rest on the Svarupa Brahman). Be thoughtful, careful and vigilant. Stand up for ten minutes and dash cold water on the face and head, if drowsiness comes in. Remove the two serious obstacles of Tandri and Manorajya by Vichara, Pranayama and light, Sattvic diet. Tandri and Alasya are removed by Pranayama, Sirshasana, Sarvangasana and Mayurasana and light, Sattvic diet. Find out the disturbing causes and remove them. Avoid the company of those whom your mind dislikes. Do not argue. Do not contradict. Do not try to convince persons who are unreasonable and undeveloped. Talk little. Observe Mouna. Live alone. In this way, you can avoid all sorts of excitements. Have constant Satsanga. Study elevating books such as the Yogavasishtha, the Upanishads, etc. Have Brahma-Bhavana. Repeat OM with meaning and feeling. All depressing thoughts will melt away.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you are alert and if by protracted efforts and incessant, vigilant Svarupa-Chintana (meditation on Brahman), you get over the obstacles of sleep, Manorajya, etc., the steady Brahmakara Vritti and Brahma-Jnana will dawn in no time. Ajnana will vanish. You will be established in Sahaja Paramananda state. All Sanchita (accumulated) Karmas will be burnt up in the fire of wisdom.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">DREAMS IN MEDITATION</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Various sorts of fantastic dreams trouble some aspirants very much. Sometimes, there is a mixture of meditation and dreams. The presence of dreams denotes that you are not yet well-established in deep meditation, that you have not removed Vikshepa (tossing of the mind) and that you have not done constant, intense Sadhana. As the phenomenon of dreams is very peculiar and inexplicable, it is very difficult to control dreams unless you wipe out all the Samskaras in the Karana Sarira (causal body) and control all thoughts. As you grow in purity, Viveka and concentration, dreams will decrease.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">DEPRESSION</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Very often, depression comes in meditation in neophytes owing to previous Samskaras, influence of astral entities, evil spirits, bad company, cloudy days, bad stomach owing to indigestion and loaded bowels in constipation. It must be removed quickly by cheerful thoughts, a brisk walk, singing, laughing, prayer, Pranayama, etc.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">VIKSHEPA</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Scents, soft beds, novel-reading, dramas, theatres, cinemas, vulgar music, dancing, flowers, company of women, Rajasic diet-all these excite passions and cause disturbance of the mind. Too much salt, too much chillies, too much sweets cause intense thirst and disturb meditation. Too much talking, too much walking and too much mixing disturb the mind in meditation.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Impulses disturb meditation. All obscure subconscious impulses should be controlled by the intellect and will. Sex-impulse and ambition are two real disturbing factors in meditation. They carry on guerilla warfare. They attack the Sadhakas again and again. They appear to be thinned out for some time. They get revived often. They should be extirpated by great efforts, Vichara, Viveka (power of discrimination between Atman and Anatman, Self and non-Self) and Sivoham-Bhavana.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It is the sound that sets the mind in motion. It is the sound that makes the mind to think. Sound disturbs the mind a great deal in meditation. A sound with meaning disturbs more than a sound without meaning. A continuous sound as the silent murmur of a river is not so disturbing as an abrupt, sudden, sharp, broken sound. The mind does not feel a sound when it is used to it. You feel only when the clock stops.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">TUSHNIMBHUTA AVASTHA</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tushnimbhuta Avastha is a quiet state of the mind wherein there is neither attraction nor repulsion for objects for a short time. It occurs in the Jagrat state. It is a neutral state of the mind. It is an obstacle to meditation. It should be avoided. It is mistaken by ignorant Sadhakas for Samadhi.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">KASHAYA</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Kashaya means colouring. Raga, Dvesha and Moha are the Kashaya or colouring of the mind. Kashaya is the subtle influence in the mind produced by enjoyment and left there to fructify in time to come and distract the mind from Samadhi. This is a serious obstacle to meditation. It does not allow the Sadhaka to enter into Samadhi-Nishtha. It induces the subtle memory of pleasures enjoyed. It is hidden Vasana. From the Samskara, Vasana originates. Samskara is the cause and Vasana is the effect. It is a kind of Mala (impurity of mind). Constant Vichara coupled with Brahma-Bhavana is the only potent remedy to eradicate this dire malady Kashaya.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">SATTVIC VRITTIS</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">During meditation, when your mind is more Sattvic, you will be inspired. The mind will be composing fine poems and solving some problems of life. Stamp out these Sattvic Vrittis also. This is all dissipation of mental energy. Soar higher and higher to Atman only.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">SAVIKALPA SAMADHI</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Even the happiness of Savikalpa Samadhi is an obstacle, because it prevents you from entering into the Nirvikalpa state. It produces false Tushti (contentment) and you stop your further Sadhana.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The mind should be freed from all these obstacles. Then only will you enter into pure Advaita Nirvikalpa state. Vichara and Brahma-Bhavana are the only helps to attain this highest state.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">MEDITATION AND WORK</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He who meditates is not able to work. He who works is not able to meditate. This is not balance. This is not equanimity. The two principles, meditation and action, must be well-balanced. You must be able, if you are ready to follow the divine injunction, to take up whatever work you are given-even a stupendous work-and leave it the next day, with the same quietness with which you took it up and without feeling that the responsibility is yours. You must be able to work hard in the world with tremendous force and, when the work is over, you must be able to shut yourself up in a cave as an absolute recluse for a long time with great peace of mind. That is balance, that is real strength. Then only you have gone beyond the qualities (Gunatita). "He, O Pandava, who hateth not radiance (Sattva) nor outgoing energy (work), nor even sloth and slumber (Moha) when present, nor longeth after them when absent-he is said to have crossed over the qualities" (Gita, XIV-22).</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When you advance in the spiritual practice, it will be very difficult for you to do meditation and office work at the same time, because the mind will undergo double strain. Those who practise meditation will find that they are more sensitive than the people who do not meditate and, because of that, the strain on the physical body is enormous. The mind works in different grooves and channels with different Samskaras during meditation. It finds it very difficult to adjust to different kinds of uncongenial activities. As soon as it comes down from the meditation, it gropes in darkness. It gets bewildered and puzzled. The Prana (energy) which moves inward in different grooves and channels and which is subtle during the meditation has to move in new, different channels during worldly activities. It becomes very gross during work. It has to work in different grooves and channels. When you again sit for meditation in the evening, you will have to struggle hard to wipe out the newly acquired Samskaras you have gathered during the course of the day and get calm and one-pointedness of mind. This struggle sometimes brings in headache.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It behoves, therefore, that advanced Grihastha Yogic students (householders) will have to stop all the worldly activities when they advance in meditation, if they desire to progress further. They themselves will be forced to give up all work, if they are really sincere. Work is a hindrance in meditation for advanced students. That is the reason why Lord Krishna says in the Gita, "For a sage who is seeking Yoga, action is called the means; for the same sage who is enthroned in Yoga (state of Yogarudha), serenity (Sama) is called the means." Then, work and meditation become incompatible like acid and alkali or fire and water or light and darkness.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">REASONS FOR FAILURES IN MEDITATION</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Some practise meditation for a period of 15 years and yet they have not made any real progress at all. Why? This is due to lack of earnestness, Vairagya, keen longing for liberation and intense, constant Sadhana. There is always a complaint amongst the aspirants, "I am meditating for the last 12 years. I have not made any improvement. I have no realisation." Why is it so? What is the reason? They have not plunged themselves in deep meditation into the innermost recesses of their hearts. They have not properly assimilated and saturated the mind with the thoughts of God. They have not done regular, systematic Sadhana. They have not disciplined the Indriyas perfectly. They have not collected all the outgoing rays of the mind. They have not made the self-determination, "I will realise this very second." They have not given the full 100% of the mind or 16 annas of the mind-their full mind-to God. They have not kept an increasing flow of Divine Consciousness like the flow of oil (Tailadharavat).</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You will have to note very carefully whether you remain stationary in the spiritual path even after many years of spiritual practice or whether you are progressing. Sometimes, you may go downwards also, if you are not very vigilant and careful, if your Vairagya wanes and if you are slack in meditation. Reaction may set in.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Just as the man who foolishly run after two rabbits will not catch hold of any one of them, so also a meditator who runs after two conflicting thoughts will not get success in any one of the two thoughts. If he has divine thoughts for ten minutes and then worldly conflicting thoughts for the next ten minutes, he will not succeed in anything, in getting at the Divine Consciousness. You must run after one rabbit only with vigour, strength and one-pointedness. You are sure to catch it. You must have only divine thoughts at all times. Then you are sure to realise God soon.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You must not be too hasty in longing for the fruits at once, when you take to meditation. Haste makes waste. A young lady perambulated an Asvattha tree (Filicus religiosa) 108 times for getting an offspring and immediately touched her abdomen to see whether there was a child or not. It is simply foolishness. She will have to wait for some months. Even so, if those who read works dealing with Atma-Jnana and who do take delight therein will not be hasty in longing for the fruits at once, but will meditate regularly and gradually upon them, then the mind will, by degrees, be ripened and, in the end, the endless Atman will be reached; and they will get Atmasakshatkara (Self-realisation).</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You will have to exert in the beginning to get an equilibrium of mind. Later on, you will have a habitual balanced state of mind. So is the case with meditation. After some years of practice, meditation becomes habitual.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">CONDITIONS FOR SELF-REALISATION</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Just as you saturate water with salt or sugar, you will have to saturate the mind with thoughts of God and Brahman, with divine glory, Divine Presence with sublime soul-awakening spiritual thoughts. Then only you will always be established in the Divine Consciousness. Before saturating the mind with thoughts of Brahman, you will have to assimilate the divine ideas first. Assimilation first and then saturation. Then comes realisation, at once, without a moment's delay. Remember the triplet always: "Assimilation-Saturation-Realisation."</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Free yourself from the base thoughts of the mind, the various useless Sankalpas (imaginations). Just as you render the turbid water pure by the addition of clearing nut (strychnos potatorum), so also you will have to make the turbid mind, filled with Vasanas and false Sankalpas, pure by Brahma-Chintana (thinking and reflecting on the Absolute). If the mind constantly dwells on sensual objects, the conception of the reality of the universe will surely increase. If the mind ceaselessly thinks of Atman (Absolute), the world appears like a dream. Mark the word "ceaseless." This is important. Then only there will be true illumination. Then only there will be dawn of spiritual knowledge. The Jnana-Surya (the Sun of Knowledge) will rise in the firmament of Chidakasa (knowledge-space).</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You will find very often these terms in the Gita: "Ananyachetah" "Matchittah" "Nityayuktah" "Manmanah" "Ekagramanah" "Sarvabhavah." These terms connote that you will have to give your full mind, entire 100% mind to God. Then only you will have Self-realisation. Even if one ray of mind runs outside, it is impossible to attain God-consciousness.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It is the actions of the mind that are truly termed Karmas. True liberation results from the disenthralment of the mind. Those who have freed themselves from the fluctuation of their minds come into possession of the supreme Nishtha (meditation). Should the mind be purged of all its impurities, then it will become very calm and all the worldly delusion, with its births and deaths, will be soon destroyed.</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mind exists on account of "I." "I" exists on account of mind. "I" is only an idea in the mind. "Mind" and "I" are identical. If "I" vanishes, mind will also vanish; and if mind vanishes, "I" will vanish. Destroy the mind through Tattva-Jnana. Destroy the "I" through "Aham Brahmasmi Bhavana," through constant and intense Nididhyasana. When mind vanishes or thoughts cease, Nama-Rupa will cease to exist and the Goal is reached. </span></p><div><h1 style="margin: 3px 0px 8px; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></h1><h1 style="margin: 3px 0px 8px; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lights in Meditation</span><strong style="display: block;"></strong></h1><p style="text-align: start;"></p><div style="text-align: start; float: left; margin-right: 5px;"></div><div></div><div><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Various kinds of lights manifest during meditation owing to concentration. In the beginning, a bright white light, the size of a pin's point will appear in the forehead in the Trikuti, the space between the two eyebrows, which corresponds tentatively to the Ajna-Chakra of the astral body. You will notice, when the eyes are closed, different coloured lights, white, yellow, red, smoky, blue, green, mixed lights, flashes like lightning, like fire, burning char-coal, fire-flies, moon, sun, stars. These lights appear in the mental space, Chidakasa. These are all Tanmatric lights. Each Tanmatra has its own specific colour. Prithvi (earth) Tanmatra has a yellow-coloured light; Apas (water) Tanmatra has a white-coloured light; Agni (fire) Tanmatra has a red-coloured light; Vayu (wind) Tanmatra has a smoky light; Akasa (sky) Tanmatra has a blue light. Yellow and white lights are very commonly seen. Red and blue lights are rarely noticeable. Frequently there is a combination of white and yellow lights. In the beginning, small balls of white light float about before the mind's eye. When you first observe this, be assured that the mind is becoming more steady and that you are progressing in concentration. After some months, the size of the light will increase and you will see a full blaze of white light, bigger than the sun. In the beginning, these lights are not steady. They come and disappear immediately. They flash out from above the forehead and from the sides. They cause peculiar sensations of extreme joy and happiness and there is an intense desire for a vision of these lights. When you have steady and systematic practice of two or three hours in the morning, and two to three hours at night, these lights appear more frequently and remain steadily for a long time. The vision of the lights is a great encouragement in Sadhana. It impels you to stick steadily to meditation. It gives you strong faith also in superphysical matters. The appearance of the light denotes that you are transcending the physical consciousness. You are in a semi-conscious state when the light appears. You are between two planes. You must not shake the body when these lights manifest. You must be perfectly steady in the Asana. You must breathe very, very slowly. </span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">TRIANGLE (LIGHT) IN THE FACE</b></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One whose food is moderate, whose anger has been controlled, who has given up all love for society, who has subdued his passions, who has overcome all pairs (heat and cold, etc.), who has given up his egoism, who does not bless anyone nor take anything from others-such a man during meditation obtains it (the triangle) in the face.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">LIGHT FROM SUSHUMNA</b></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Vishoka Va Jyotismati." (Chap. I, Sutra 36. Patanjali- Yoga-Sutras). "You can attain Samadhi by meditation on the Effulgent One Who is beyond all sorrow."</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sometimes, during meditation you will see a brilliant dazzling light. You will find it difficult to gaze on this light. You will be compelled to withdraw your mental vision from this light. This dazzling light is the light emanating from the Sushumna in the heart.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">FORMS IN THE LIGHTS</b></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You will see two kinds of forms (1) lustrous forms of Devatas, (2) physical forms. You will see your Ishta Devata or tutelary deity (guiding Devata) in handsome dress and with various, valuable ornaments, flowers, garlands, with four hands and weapons. Siddhas, Rishis, etc., appear to encourage you. You will find a huge collection of Devatas and celestial ladies with various musical instruments in their hands. You will see beautiful flower-gardens, fine palatial buildings, rivers, mountains, golden temples, sceneries so lovely and picturesque as cannot be adequately described.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">DAZZLING LIGHTS</b></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sometimes, during meditation, you will get very powerful, dazzling lights, bigger than the sun. They are white. In the beginning, they come and fade away quickly. Later on, they are steady, they become fixed for 10 or 15 minutes or half an hour according to the strength and degree of concentration. For those who concentrate on the Trikuti, the space between the two eyebrows, the light appears in the forehead in the Trikuti, while for others who concentrate on the top of the head, Sahasrara Chakra, the light manifests on the top of the head. The light is so powerful and dazzling sometimes, that you have to withdraw yourself from looking at it and break the meditation. Some people are afraid and do not know what to do and how to proceed further. They come to me for instructions. I tell them that this is a new sensation which they have not hitherto experienced. By constant practice, the mind engaged in concentration will be used to it, and the fear will vanish. I ask them to go on with the practice. Some people concentrate on the heart, some on Trikuti, and some on the top of the head. It is a question of personal taste. It is easy to control mind by concentrating on the Trikuti. If you are used to fix on the Trikuti, stick to it always. Do not make frequent changes. Steadiness is very necessary. The beings and objects with whom you are in touch during the early period of meditation belong to the astral world. They are similar to human beings minus a physical overcoat. They have desires, cravings, love, hatred, etc., just as human beings have. They have fine bodies. They can move about freely. They have powers of materialisation, dematerialisation, multiplying, clairvoyant vision of an inferior order. The lustrous forms are higher Devatas of mental or higher planes who come down to give you Darshan, and encourage you. Various Saktis manifest in lustrous forms. Adore them. Worship them. Do mental Puja as soon as they give you Darshan. Angels are beings of mental or higher planes. They also appear before your mind's eye.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sometimes, you will feel an invisible help, possibly from your Ishta Devata when you are actually pushed from the physical body into the new plane. That invisible power assists in your separating from the body and going above body-consciousness. You will have to mark carefully all these operations.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Do not waste your time in looking at these visions. This is only a curiosity. These are all encouragements to convince you of the existence of superphysical, metaphysical realities and the solid existence of Brahman. Drive these pictures. Fix yourself on the goal-Lakshya. Advance. Proceed seriously and energetically.</span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As soon as you retire for sleep, these lights manifest themselves without any exertion on your part. Just when you are going to transcend the physical consciousness, just when you are drowsy, these lights appear without your effort. Also in the morning, before you get up, in the transitional stage, half-asleep, half-awake, you will get again these lights by themselves without attempt.</span></p><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sometimes, during meditation, you will see an infinite blue sky, ethereal space. You will see yourself in the blue space as a black dot. Your form will appear in the centre of the light sometimes. Sometimes, you will notice highly vibratory, rotating particles in the light. You will see physical forms, human forms, children, women, adult males, Rishis with beards, Siddhas and lustrous Tejomaya forms. Visions are either subjective or objective, your own mental reactions or of realities on finer planes of matter. Universe consists of planes of matter of various grades of density. Rhythmical vibrations of Tanmatras in various degrees, give rise to the formation of various planes. Each plane has its things and beings. Visions may be of these things or beings. They may be purely imaginary. They may be crystalisation of your own intense thinking. You must discriminate in Yogic practices. Reason and common-sense must be used throughout.</span></div></div><div style="color: rgb(43, 43, 43); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(43, 43, 43); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></div><p style="color: rgb(43, 43, 43); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;"></p><div class="more" align="right" style="color: rgb(43, 43, 43); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></div></div></div><div style="color: rgb(43, 43, 43); font-size: 14px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"></div><p style="color: rgb(43, 43, 43); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="more" align="right" style="color: rgb(43, 43, 43); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></div></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-73162180656303323572015-11-30T10:59:00.001-08:002015-11-30T13:38:04.346-08:00The Deeper Story of Ageing - Can We Regenerate Our Bodies?<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTvslnEL4fCYhBdgI1OBMVmuT5DWqpsyipjMfx21QB9mO57LcLG_EZ99M8SMh014x32qx3nVbkl2HTUfxxJIzvBBT907rf2YUdoUfaRG8tlBY7La5h71JYLCH2t0f8MSy3S8k22hYbg/s640/blogger-image--425643465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTvslnEL4fCYhBdgI1OBMVmuT5DWqpsyipjMfx21QB9mO57LcLG_EZ99M8SMh014x32qx3nVbkl2HTUfxxJIzvBBT907rf2YUdoUfaRG8tlBY7La5h71JYLCH2t0f8MSy3S8k22hYbg/s640/blogger-image--425643465.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><br></div>Ageing is a controversial topic that we both love and hate. The concepts of mortality versus immortality have fascinated cultures for millennia, with stories of quests to find the elixir of youth and the key to eternal life in a physical body. The media paints a picture of a standard of eternal youth we should strive towards whilst spiritually oriented philosophies may tell us that we need to be at peace with our bodies however they appear. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Yes peace and acceptance are necessary and good. They are the first steps to our lives becoming more fulfilled and to moving forward in unprecedented ways we've never dreamed of, yet when it comes to ageing many of us have a hard time accepting it. Yes there are many beautiful lessons in the ageing process, such as surrender, looking for deeper meaning in life, developing soul qualities such as empathy and understanding and letting go of ego and vanity. </span><div><br></div><div>But perhaps there are other reasons why we struggle so much with the reality of ageing? Perhaps many of us, including those not drawn to spirituality in any form, know instinctively we are eternal, spiritual beings and may have unconscious memories of what our minds may be truly capable of, such as regenerating our cells at will? Perhaps we also realise at a deeper level that if we are showing signs of ageing quickly, then there are elements of our bodies that are out of balance and that if left longer term, this lack of energetic harmony within may have health implications further down the line. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We may also retain ancient memories of other existences in more pristine places where the ageing process did not happen so rapidly, if at all. I have often felt that we should be able to heal anything and regenerate our bodies at will. After all, if we are the Creator's children, we should have that same power of creation inside of us. On the other hand we may also understand that this world has been created with cycles of both creation and dissolution or destruction as part of a higher plan, providing a place to experience all aspects of physicality, growth and learning lessons for us all. </span></div><div><br></div><div>I understand that the concept of regeneration may not resonate for everyone. Some of us may want to pass through this life and move on as soon as we feel we've done what we came here to do or experience. Whilst others of us may want to pioneer consciousness in new ways on this earth and look for innovative ways to use our minds and co-create better lives. <span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The way I see it is all paths and purposes may be valid. But what I think may be the issue is that we most likely have been taught that we do not have a choice when it comes to ageing, regarding either how we view ageing or to how quickly we age, and I think that is why many of us may feel disempowered and perhaps undergo midlife crises. </span></div><div><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></span></div><div><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Once we realise we have a choice, we can feel empowered and unlock new potential within ourselves. Teal Swan has said that if we have a desire, then it is possible to fulfil that desire. And even with something which on the surface may seem trivial to some, such as looking more youthful naturally, then there is most likely a higher reason why we desire it. Perhaps it may be about learning more healthful ways to live, which can be passed on to others as well, thus helping others to feel more uplifted. </span><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">With this choice there is no right or wrong. Taking the examples of great saints and masters as inspiration, there may be some like Mother Theresa whose whole emphasis and life purpose was concerned with other things rather than preserving her physical form, whilst there may be others such as Babaji and higher masters who choose to remain ever youthful, at least within this current epoch in the many eons of the cosmos.</span></div><div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Recently I read something written by Kaitlyn Keyt, owner of VibesUp, an American company that produces high energy products to improve health and wellbeing. She said something along the lines that essentially a wrinkle or blemish is where we have lower vibration energy stored in us, which causes the cells to deteriorate more rapidly. Lower vibrations may be caused by toxicity on any level - physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. This idea immediately made sense to me and because I am an energy healing practitioner, I was fascinated to see whether I could actually heal things like my wrinkles and cellulite through clearing the lower vibration energy stored in those cells and that area of the body and lifting it back up to a higher vibration. I knew that this was unlikely to be a quick process, because from my experience doing healing work on myself and others, there are often many accumulated layers of emotional pain and entities (thought forms), that are stuck in an area of the being which is out of balance energetically - this is how I experience the healing process personally, others may experience it differently. Strangely enough, although I have done much energy healing work I have never thought to concentrate on something more 'cosmetic' such as a wrinkle, or cellulite. I usually work more deeply with the body, working on organs, glands, and sometimes things such as the nerves and lymph system. I also do a lot of work on the chakras and the energy field in general as well as higher levels of being - mental emotional and spiritual levels. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">I mentioned this idea of healing things such as wrinkles by altering the vibration of that part of the body, to a friend and he said that often it is remarked that meditation retreats are considered to create a 'spiritual facelift' because the participants have raised their vibration and often released a lot of pain and lower vibration energies. I have noticed this myself with how yoga and meditation create a more radiant youthful look to a person. Shortly after that I came across a blog post that Doreen Virtue had just written about why she's stopped dying her hair and using most make-up and cosmetics as well as giving up surgical procedures. She mentioned how most products, including the supposedly natural products in the US contain toxic and harmful ingredients. Hair colourants in particular are detrimental to health, so much so that she discovered her blood was laced with heavy metal contaminants, which can have serious health implications. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">She removed these contaminants through a process known as EDTA chelation. I do not know a great deal about that process, but I've heard that it is not without risk. There are other ways to detox from such contamination as well though. My former husband who was a pilot also had heavy metal and organophosphate poisoning through breathing in toxic air in one of the aircraft that he flew and he managed to heal himself and get rid of much of the toxicity in his cells through fasting, enemas, a raw food diet and through sweating in far infrared saunas, as well as some oxygen therapy sessions. The doctors at the time said there was no way to reduce the contaminants stored in his fat cells, but through this natural healing approach he disproved what they said. So detoxing from contamination is possible, but it can be an expensive and time and energy-consuming process. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">I'm sure most of us would agree it is far better to avoid contamination in the first place. However, this is easier said than done. Beauty products and procedures make up a massive profit-generating industry and many people spend a fortune on products. Even if we choose products labelled as 'natural', can we really be sure they are good for us or worth the expense? Additionally, we are surrounded by unnatural toxic products in our homes and places where we work and most food contains unnatural additives. Plastics and synthetic materials in buildings off-gas harmful emissions. It is said that all new born children in 'Westernised' societies are born with a whole cocktail of chemicals inside them. Stress, as well, can have major adverse affects on our health and appearance, due to stress hormones making the body more acidic and out of balance. So what do we do to clean up ourselves physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally? What if there is a more natural simple way to regain health, radiance and youthful looks? </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">I'm still experimenting on myself at the moment, but I was surprised to find that even for seemingly innocuous things such as some blocked pores on my nose, there were layer after layer of entities emerging and pain in my hands as the disturbed energy came up. Other healers and spiritual teachers have had similar experiences. Doreen Virtue has spoken before of the clearing session she needed at one point to release lots of spiritual entities. In my case, taking the blocked pores on my nose as an example, there is likely to be stored emotional pain from teenage years when I had acne and felt ashamed of my skin, but in my experience most trauma originally goes back to early childhood experiences. So getting to the bottom of a long-term energetic imbalance may take time. On the other hand if we are aware of our original emotional traumas we can start to work with the root cause(s) immediately. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">I have a theory that when we develop an original mental or emotional wound about a part of ourselves not being whole or not being 'good enough', this then attracts negative thought forms (what I see as living entities and energies), that latch on to the lower vibrational energy we have stored in a certain part of ourselves, rather like flies being attracted to an open wound, which then triggers more emotional trauma and 'negative' thoughts which then attract more of the same in a vicious circle or spiral. This matches what I find as layer after layer of old emotional pain and entities emerge. Yet interestingly, sometimes with new clients their energy feels fairly balanced and 'normal' to begin with even though they have obvious things that are not 'right' and which they want addressed. It is as if they have put an energetic veneer over the original wounds in order to cope or that their energy body is not used to deeper work and resists at first. Sometimes I notice this in people I meet in daily life as well, being quite sensitive energetically myself. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Sometimes people will outwardly appear bouncy and positive, yet I'll get a strong feeling of pain in my heart when I talk to them. It is like a feeling of denial or ambivalence. With clients whose energy at first does not show the deeper issues, I find that after one or two sessions, their energy opens up and deeper trauma starts to emerge for clearing. Often the client will experience old emotions coming up as I clear the energy and it can sometimes be a challenging but nevertheless important process for them an in order for release and real healing and to occur. I have currently been working on various different areas of my body and, as I had thought, it is not a quick process. So far I have not got to the bottom of any one issue or area that I've been working on, but I have cleared a lot and I do feel and look a lot lighter and brighter, and I shall continue to experiment with this work. Some of the layers may also be ancestral and collective inherited conditioning and patterns. There is literally a lot more to a few wrinkles than meets the eye! </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">In the books about Anastasia by Vladimir Megre, Anastasia says that true health and advancement spiritually come from connecting to the land you live on, communicating with nature and the plants that grow on your plot of land and growing your own food. One of the things she recommends is putting seeds in your mouth before planting so that the seeds gather information about your state of health from your saliva and then know which micro-nutrients and cosmic energies to take in whilst they are growing, especially with ongoing contact with their owner, in order to provide the best nutritional medicine for that individual's health needs. She says that the ancient Vedic people who instinctively practised the methods she outlines in the Ringing Cedars series had amazing physical health and beauty, were spiritually connected to the cosmos and highly accomplished in all areas of life. Furthermore, their plots of land were such high vibration, that they energetically protected the people from any negative energies or intruding thought forms. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">There is evidence in certain ethnic societies where similar, natural vegan and vegetarian ways of living are followed that matches some of the claims made by Anastasia. For example the Hunza people who live in a remote valley of Northern Pakistan are famous for their longevity, vitality, stamina and strength. Their diet is rich in vegetables and fruit, particularly apricots, which they dry and eat throughout the winter months. Also there is a famous village in Japan, Yuzurihara, known as the 'village of long life', where the villagers have smooth skin, good eyesight and good health even in very old age. They have a diet rich in vegetables and soya with some fish now and then. One researcher has linked their youthful looks to the amount of hyaluronic acid their bodies can produce due to their diets being rich in things like sweet potatoes, vegetables and soy products. Hyaluronic acid is a water-gelling molecule important for cushioning joints, nerves and filling space in between cells, including in skin tissue. It is also present in high amounts in the eyes, which would most likely explain the villagers' good eyesight. For those of us not yet living this lifestyle, it is available as a supplement including in a vegan form from health food shops and websites. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Leonid Sharashkin, who has edited some of the English translations of the books about Anastasia has put into practice much of what she has advised, along with many other Russian families who have created their own homesteads and eco-villages in Russia and Eastern Europe. He has found that his consciousness, way of life and health has improved dramatically. He notes that many of us have no connection with the place we live because our bodies are made up of food from many different places, such as a banana from the Caribbean, figs from Turkey, rice from the Far East, chocolate from South America and so on. We are not made up physically of the particles and energy of the land upon which we live. Based on this information ultimately, in order to return to a way of life that is truly sustaining and nourishing in which we may experience better health, spiritual connection and harmony, which are the prerequisites for natural radiance and youthful looks, rather than unnatural youthful looks created by surgery or substances such as toxic Botox, we need to return to a much more natural way of living. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">In the meantime for anyone wanting to rejuvenate themselves and follow a similar process to what I have been practising on myself, then if you are not already an energy healing practitioner, I recommend that you do an energy healing training program of some sort by a reputed training provider, so that you can learn to work on your own energy. There is also the necessity to work with old stored emotions, process the feelings and find new empowered ways of looking at the past and healing the inner child. I've found the work of Brandon Bays and Teal Swan very helpful for providing processes to do this. Then there is the mental good habit we can create of changing our thoughts patterns so that they become higher vibration. There are also the recommended healthy lifestyle choices, such as daily exercise, healthy natural food choices, eating in moderation, meditation and spirituality, connecting with nature in whatever way we can and doing things that uplift us and create purpose and meaning to our lives and the lives of others. With all these things in combination and with a return to a more natural way of living, we might just have the perfect recipe for slowing down the ageing process, if not reversing it, as well as for truly living and enjoying life in a way that does not deplete our energy systems. </div></div><div><br></div></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-61613242037182094242015-11-17T14:16:00.001-08:002015-11-19T07:32:12.888-08:00Authenticity, Initiation & Truth on The Spiritual Path<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcbkbvgvNvMHCM3pLXajaWxq4PborgLEXqBrW1Gy3CRf5PLQNB2UW7_v5UohfZw95LJV6aAb0ySLs5pB0BH5UCCjGle5ZALLFLdlB9QGI1QPzhrBaYK5mNR7UAqNstpPSy5lHBaC3ag/s640/blogger-image--276982485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcbkbvgvNvMHCM3pLXajaWxq4PborgLEXqBrW1Gy3CRf5PLQNB2UW7_v5UohfZw95LJV6aAb0ySLs5pB0BH5UCCjGle5ZALLFLdlB9QGI1QPzhrBaYK5mNR7UAqNstpPSy5lHBaC3ag/s640/blogger-image--276982485.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>[This is an expanded version of a previous post I wrote]</i></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Whilst spiritual experiences are important, feel wonderful and are necessary for our growth and healing, it is essential that we stay grounded and do not let our spiritual life separate us from truly relating to others at a human level; that we do not let our spiritual connection breed narcissism. Some of the things which may separate us from others are aloofness, secrecy, claiming it's necessary to have initiations via certain teachers or to belong to a specific spiritual group or mystery school. In my experience spirit provides the real initiations, if we are truly ready to embark on the journey of deep inner work that such transformation requires, necessitating healing and authenticity: an embrace of all aspects of ourselves; emotional, mental, physical and spiritual. We have to integrate all parts to feel whole, and this may involve a period of putting ourselves, metaphorically speaking, through the alchemist's fire to reach the pure gold of our true spiritual nature. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br>If we are meant to have a specific teacher or teachers on the physical level, then we will be guided to the right person at the right time. This may well involve not one fixed teacher, as spiritual initiations can come in many different forms through every day experiences as well as through activities that shift our consciousness whilst we receive energy, such as through healing sessions. Many times healers channel higher energy similar to what one might experience in a Shaktipat initiation or shamanic ceremony and those doing this sort of healing work should keep themselves clear and aligned so that the highest energy can come through.<br><br>Diana Cooper has spoken in her writings of the varied initiations that she and others have gone through. For instance, a type of higher initiation she calls 'the crucifix' meant that one lady had all parts of her life suddenly fall apart, including her husband leaving and receiving a diagnosis of terminal illness. It was a real death of her life and identity as she had known it. Similarly, Rudolf Steiner in his classic book 'How to Know Higher Worlds' talks of an initiation from the soul, in which an individual is suddenly alienated from all forms of support that have previously been available to them. The individual has to take action to get his or herself out of a difficult situation on their own. <br><br>In the novel Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, the protagonist Siddhartha after having displayed amazing spiritual abilities earlier in his life, then had to go through many earthly challenges and experiences before he could truly embody genuine compassion and humanity, which finally enabled him to find the deep inner peace of enlightenment. This provides us with a metaphor for the spiritual journey as represented by the symbolism of the the Merkaba or 'Star of David' - a merging of earthly and spiritual experiences. It seems that for many of us, this manifests in the form of; first we go up, towards the light, and then we come down, bringing the light down into daily life. The sorts of tests and forms of higher learning manifesting in our lives that facilitate this great spiritual journey are as good a reason as any why we should never judge another if they are going through difficult times. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Often the real reason behind life's events is obscure to us and sometimes even if we ask, we are not meant to know at that time. A person seen to be suffering is most likely doing very important soul work on themselves or possibly sacrificing themselves to help another, as has been described in various near-death accounts. That is not to say we do not step forward to help them, as helping might be part of our lesson, but rather that we do not judge. We can never fully know another person's path and in the Tibetan teachings there have been many times when everyday folk leading simple lives have surprised their families by becoming enlightened as they die.<br><br>In the beautiful hope-filled books 'The Ringing Cedars' series by Vladimir Megre, about the spiritual Siberian recluse, Anastasia, we see that despite her advanced abilities and otherworldly life, Anastasia constantly tries to explain the mechanisms behind everything she does and to show that these abilities are intrinsic to everyone. She tells us we just need to purify our thoughts, which I equate to aligning with our higher selves or souls, so that we can remember the knowledge of our forebears who were our wise ancient selves. Vladimir Megre states that unlike many spiritual teachers he has known, Anastasia does not veil herself in an air of mystery. She wants to prove the true capabilities of what she calls 'Man' (a human standing in their divine power), which are inherent to us all. <br><br>In the famous spiritual Classic 'Autobiography of a Yogi', Paramhansa Yogananda recounts that the first kriya yoga master to teach to the public, Lahiri Mahasaya, pleaded with his guru Babaji that the secret knowledge of kriya yoga be made available to all who came to see him and not just a select few 'evolved' souls. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Babaji saw the purity of Lahiri Mahasaya's intentions and granted this request and we are told that many were greatly helped through receiving these teachings. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Furthermore, despite his amazing spiritual prowess, Lahiri Mahasaya never liked anyone bowing down to him because he recognised the oneness of all souls. Many times if a new student offered pranams to him he would then return the gesture, demonstrating that we are all the same and that it is important to be 'down-to-earth'.</span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For spiritual teachers and any of us wanting to represent a spiritual way of life, there are the everyday practicalities to think of too! My healing teacher used to say to us, "do not put me on a pedestal because I'll fall off". I have seen this play out in real life on various occasions. One girl I know of who was working publically and quite prominently as a healer and spiritual teacher stated that she did not want children because it would interfere with her important life mission. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As often happens in life when we think we are certain about something yet have no experience of that thing, the very thing that had been denounced then occurred; this young woman then fell pregnant and had a beautiful baby. She later acknowledged how what she had said before was deluded, using her own growth and example to </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">guide others towards a more balanced view of spiritual life. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br>The great Hindu teacher Vivekananda has stated that the purest souls have no desire for self promotion or teaching and being in the limelight. They have lost the bonds of attachment and their Sattvic (pure) nature shrinks from the very thought of pushing themselves forward, as their whole self is dissolved within the Absolute. They are so at-one with God and so satiated by communion with the Divine that they have lost the sense of their own identity and no 'worldly' task or reward has any meaning or appeal to them. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So, along that note, any of us wanting to promote ourselves still have some ego to deal with - and this is good! Because without the ego we would not have motivation to take action and do the spiritual work of dharma. Souls working for the highest good are needed in all areas of life and to not follow our inner prompting and true heart-based desires in this way is likely to lead to a lack of inner fulfilment. The ego part of ourselves is only a problem when we do not have an awareness of our inner motivations. Then there is the risk that our unconscious mind may become our master. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br>It is necessary to be down-to-earth and stay humble and to be able to acknowledge and even laugh at our own weaknesses and faults - we all have shadows! Otherwise we are presenting a false 'airbrushed' image much like those of models in the media. This can be very disheartening to anyone wanting help and not seeing the full picture as they wonder what they have done wrong and why their lives are not perfect like the images they are seeing. Our acceptance and acknowledgement of all parts of ourselves helps others to also accept and love those parts of themselves they find less desirable, and therefore find their way back to wholeness. <br><br>True spiritual teachers do not resent being questioned. They know how a good question is valuable to prompt new trains of thought and provide new insights; such has been the tradition of debating and questioning in Eastern cultures for centuries, aimed at penetrating deep truth. One practice in the ancient Russian Vedic culture presented in the books about Anastasia, was that the elders would ask questions of the children to test whether their own thinking was pure enough compared to young minds considered to be closer to divine thought. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In 'Autobiography of a Yogi' we are told that Yogananda's guru Swami Sri Yukteswar would sometimes get criticised by members of the community. His response was always to listen to any criticism with respect and humility and then thoroughly examine himself to see whether there were any grains of truth in what was being said, and </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">whether he therefore needed to amend anything in his behaviour. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We all know the potential dangers when leaders 'possess' a lack of self-awareness and go unquestioned: from the many stories of cult members committing suicide to the horrors perpetrated in World War II. Although a true spiritual teacher would never contemplate directing anyone along those lines and most likely not direct anyone to do anything anyway - recognising the importance of an individual's free will - a genuine teacher knows that questioning is still necessary, regardless of their pure motives. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yogananda apparently had a fierce critic who was a journalist. One day the critic died and a disciple brought the news to Yogananda assuming he would be relieved. However, Yogananda was apparently sad, saying that his best friend the critic had died and lamenting that this man was the only one who would ever question him and point out his faults! He saw the immense value in this critic's contribution to his life in keeping him balanced in his personality. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Obviously criticism can be hurtful and waste time and energy too, but when voiced rationally with balanced and valid view points, such alternative views can aid our growth and we should not be afraid to explore the real messages behind any such challenges. Others' feedback can be important to our self-development. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In the poem 'Becoming Human', the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> C14th Sufi poet and mystic, Hafiz advises a man that his visions of God are likely true if they make him "more human" and "more kind to every creature and plant" that he knows. Whilst Hafiz's guidance implies that genuine experience of God brings depth of compassion and humanity, the bible declares "By their fruits you will know them", again, pointing to a grounded and practical application of spirituality. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">All these statements and examples by spiritual teachers who have gone before us can help us see where the truth lies in ourselves and in what we perceive in the world. In the absence of specific teachers or the wise men and women of yore, we have to rely on our inner teacher. Embodying that wise man or woman archetype for ourselves, we enquire within again and again, checking in with our internal compass so that we can navigate the illusions and the, at times, rocky terrain presented to us by life. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Having grounded examples from genuine spiritual teachers helps us remember both what's true and what's truly important in life: a surrendering to the soul and its teachings, however they may present. It is therefore good during the calm moments to practise enquiry with our souls so that we may more easily recognise our inner promptings during less peaceful times. However, the challenge may be how to discern what is our souls' guidance. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Many years back I had a vision of an other-worldly being who called himself 'Ishtar' or 'Ashtar'. I had not heard of the being called Commander Ashtar at that time, so I had no reference point as to who this being might be. Whilst the vision might have been genuine, I soon realised I was hearing what I wanted to hear, words from my own mind that satisfied the ego. Since then I have learned that my true guidance comes from my feelings and my heart and not from my head or my mind. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The only risk with listening to our feelings though, is that some feelings can be conditioned responses, such as fear preventing us from moving forward, based on what's happened to us in the past. In such cases we have to feel into the fear and ask where it comes from in order to gain more insight. I have been blessed with many other spiritual experiences, but overall the greatest blessings are the hard won lessons where life itself has taught me through challenges, as these are the things which actually enable me to live as truthfully and compassionately as possible. The ethereal experiences give me the vision, but the worldly experiences give me the practical knowledge of how to apply the higher spiritual teachings. </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As in my experience years ago, our personalities when not aligned to soul often speak in extremes: either inflated, self-aggrandising ways, or punitive, self-denigrating terms as the ego part of us struggles to keep us bound to what it knows from earlier experiences in life. Our souls, however, speak in practical, grounded terms, guiding us to practise authenticity. We can see that the ego veers to one end or the other of the spectrum, similar to the parent/child exchanges found in transactional analysis "I'm ok, you're not ok" or "I'm not ok, you're ok" whereas the soul takes the middle (adult) path of balance and inclusion of both self and others "I'm ok, you're ok". </span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our souls at the highest level know only oneness and therefore offer guidance that may ultimately restore us to that true state of unity consciousness, where each person has a place and can shine as a radiant individual star, yet at the same time plays a part harmonising in the beautiful divine orchestra of the larger cosmos; the material embodiment of the divine plan. This is the truth which we are all heading towards on our spiritual paths. Simple in and of itself, yet often we need the life lessons to know how to fully put this truth into practise in our lives and no longer continue to react from our mis-aligned personalities as we have done in the past.</span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"></div></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-70023909875103874632015-09-28T11:46:00.001-07:002015-09-30T09:05:47.650-07:00Sacred Practices: Part 3 - Kriya Yoga Breathing Techniques to balance
the body's energies and help still the mind for a deeper experience of
meditation<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEvSdintTIRtSM015noYYa1wGXJWnoHQkgDxMxuRh3fX9u2-0cBmp_dEAx8t9ELdugqsVQ35A1qelXp1EB_E8MfhaZEXT7WjLk1q-VT9hJPOVrFfgIyCIktCBrFrCbd1my-r_FekFgA/s640/blogger-image--1004581178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEvSdintTIRtSM015noYYa1wGXJWnoHQkgDxMxuRh3fX9u2-0cBmp_dEAx8t9ELdugqsVQ35A1qelXp1EB_E8MfhaZEXT7WjLk1q-VT9hJPOVrFfgIyCIktCBrFrCbd1my-r_FekFgA/s640/blogger-image--1004581178.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><span style="font-size: 19px;">Kriya Yoga is the famous mystical system of yoga described by Paramhansa Yogananda in his classic and beloved book 'Autobiography of a Yogi' and, similarly to with kundalini yoga, it is claimed that kriya yoga advances the practitioner faster on their path of spiritual evolution than is the case with other systems of yoga. If you wish to learn the exact system set out by Yogananda to his Western students in the mid C20th, then you will need to register for the lengthy course offered by the Self Realization Fellowship and kept a closely guarded secret by that organisation (although there are resources which have been made available online by past students, which can be found with a little research). </span></font></p><p><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><span style="font-size: 19px;">There are many other schools which also claim to teach kriya yoga. The techniques all differ and many are not the same as those that Paramhansa Yogananda taught when he came to the West. However, the steps and initiations that Yogananda taught had been adapted anyway for a Western audience who at the time (in the 1920s) had no concept of yoga and whose anatomies and physical condition lacked the flexibility and training of Easterners. So the initiations and techniques that Yogananda himself taught were different from what Lahiri Mahasaya, his guru's guru and the first teacher to instruct kriya yoga to the public in Northern India, had recorded originally in his diaries and personal journals. This means that basically, the whole idea of what is true kriya yoga is up for debate and no doubt will be argued differently by various individuals depending on their affiliations and personal experience. This gets me to the main point, that being that there is most likely no perfect system that suits everyone and that each person must go by their own experience as to what resonates with their soul and spiritual path. Furthermore some of the techniques cross over with other traditions of yoga, such as kundalini yoga, Tibetan traditions and Hatha yoga. It can be assumed that many of these techniques have been known about by the yogis of yore from all different traditions, no doubt obtained from universal knowledge. With this in mind, claiming ownership of a yoga technique might seem preposterous! </span></font></p><p><span style="font-size: 19px; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">If you wish to delve deeper into the full set of original teachings of Kriya Yoga as instructed by Lahiri Mahasaya then there is a great book you can get called 'Kriya Secrets Revealed' by J. C. Stevens. It contains all the initiations taught by Lahiri Mahasaya as well as appendices detailing the systems of other kriya yoga schools. </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-size: 19px;">The techniques are very physical and you cannot get ahead of yourself as you have to be able to master certain techniques physically before you can move on to the next level. Lahiri Mahasaya claimed that the first kriya initiation in itself is enough to liberate the seeker when practised regularly with devotion to the Divine</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-size: 19px; font-style: italic;">.</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 19px;">What I present below is a useful introduction to some of the kriya yoga techniques. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 19px;">These are exercises that I practise often and I find them sufficient in themselves to take me very deeply into altered states of meditation. It is a series of 'kriya yoga' breathing techniques taught to me by a lady, Aliyananda, who had studied with a guru in the Himalayas. I've adapted the fourth breath to match the original kriya yoga pranayam technique as taught by Lahiri Mahasaya and Paramhansa Yogananda as I find this breath very balancing and pacifying to the mind. This basic series of breaths takes around 20 minutes. It does not require any rigorous activity or advanced physical ability. It is therefore feasible for most people and the profound effect these simple breaths can have, calming the mind and body, makes them perfect for preceding an extended period of sitting meditation. Ideally I recommend to practise some physical yoga or other form of body/energy work or exercise before meditating or earlier in the day - our minds have a greater chance of settling when the body has been tended to and is relaxed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 19px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-weight: 700; font-style: italic;">Kriya Yoga Breathing Techniques to Prepare the Mind for Meditation </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-style: italic;">:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">With all the breathing techniques below, sit in a comfortable position that allows your spine to remain relatively straight. Close the eyes when you can and focus your inner awareness on the third eye point. We use our fingers for counting 12 breaths each time, by moving the thumb along each three sections of our four fingers. You might want to have your eyes open to practise this bit first! Pranayam means control of prana, or the life force energy, which may be achieved through breathing techniques. It has come to be known as the breathing techniques themselves but this is not what the word originally meant. So when we use pranayama we are looking to control the currents of energy within our body, balancing out the prana, incoming life-giving and cleansing energy with the current of apana, the eliminative outgoing energy. We are also balancing out the two hemispheres of the brain and the two sides of the body - very important as this has an immediate calming effect on our minds! I've written about this before, but to recap, with regular breathing the incoming life force energy gets wasted and lost by the demands for energy needed at certain places in our body, due to daily bodily functions such as digestion and elimination and the action of the heart pumping blood. These actions cause blockages, or 'knots' ('granthis') in our energy, which along with unresolved emotional/psychological factors that get stored in our chakras, have the adverse effect of the life-giving prana flowing outwards and not getting utilised for its main purpose to fill our bodies with light and connect us to spirit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 14pt;">With pranayama practice, as well as the bandhas (yogic locks) and other yogic exercises, we can start to reverse this trend and get the energy flowing through these knots and up our bodies to our crown chakras and beyond, connecting us with our soul energy and opening us to an experience of the Divine; our true Self, home and true identity - a place where we can be recharged, get fresh insight and inspiration and have our daily concerns melt away in the experience of the Amrit or the deathless state, blissful nectar of the Divine. Once we start working on our energy body in this way, we have to be aware too, that we will have to face and grow through old suppressed emotions and issues as we are literally shining the light of prana on all parts of ourselves, including the less desirable aspects of self which we might have previously kept hidden in the shadows. This can feel like a step backwards at times, but it is in fact positive growth in the direction of becoming fully integrated spirit beings. The important thing is to develop self compassion and awareness during the process and seek out therapists and supportive people when needed. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-style: italic;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-style: italic;">Basic Pranayam Breath</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">In your comfortable seated position, inhale deeply and slowly, filling the lower abdomen</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 14pt;"> as much as you can with air. Hold the in-breath and mentally say a mantra, such as 'Wahe Guru' (the mantra of ecstasy which is calling in the experience of the pure self in the here and now) or just a simple 'Om'. Then exhale slowly pulling the stomach and lower abdomen right in like a bellow. Repeat this breath a total of 12 times. Try and make the inhale and exhale of equal duration so that it becomes rhythmic and flowing. This breath helps cleanse the lower chakras. It is good in all the different breathing techniques mentioned here (except obviously for Sitali Pranayam where it is physically an impossibility!) if you can hold the tongue up and back as far possible against the roof of the mouth, in what is known as partial kechari mudra. This tongue position activates many reflex points on the roof of the mouth which help still the activity of certain parts of the brain. Many advanced yogis have learnt to stretch their tongues so that they can practise full kechari mudra, where the tongue is inserted up the nasal canal bringing on heightened states of bliss, but we are not expecting you to do that here! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 14pt;"><br></span></p><div class="page" title="Page 2"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-style: italic;">Sitali Pranayam or Snake Breath</span></p><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 14pt;">Either with a curled and protruding tongue or with puckered lips, suck the air in and out forcefully in short breaths of even duration. Imagine the air coming in and out your throat chakra and clearing it each time you breathe. Keep the eyes closed and focussed on the brow chakra. Repeat this breath 12 times. This breath is good for cleansing the heart, throat and thymus.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 14pt;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-style: italic;">Alternate Nostril Breathing (Also known as Anuloma Viloma or Nadi Shodhana)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Still in your comfortable sitting position, use either the little and ring fingers (keep the middle and index fingers curled into your palm if using this hand position) or simply use the index finger to close off the left nostril and inhale slowly and peacefully through the right nostril. Then close the right nostril with the thumb and exhale in the same way through the left nostril, keep the thumb closing the right nostril and inhale through the left nostril, Finally close the left nostril with the finger(s) you used before and exhale out through the left nostril. This cycle is considered as one breath. Repeat this cycle for a total of 12 times, using your finger counting system to keep track. You can look at your fingers if you need to! Try and keep each inhale and exhale of similar duration and flowing rhythmically. Imagine this breathing pattern clearing your head and balancing both sides of your body (each nostril relates to a side of the body and hemisphere of the brain). This breath helps clear the head chakras.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-style: italic;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-style: italic;">Basic Kriya Yoga Breath</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Using an 'ujayi' sound produced through very slightly restricting the throat, a bit like heavy breathing when someone is sleeping (Yogananda used to say a 'Shaaaaw' sound – but experiment with what feels natural for you) inhale slowly and deeply whilst imagining a cool energy ascending through a central energetic column (the shushumna) in the spine, passing and clearing the way through each chakra until it reaches the third eye (brow chakra) in head. Pausing briefly, holding the in-breath and mentally chant Om at the third eye (if you want you can visualise putting an 'Om' symbol in the third eye). Then exhale deeply with a similar throaty sound (Yogananda used to say like a 'Sheee' sound) and imagine a warm energy descending back down the back of the sushumna and spinal column. Repeat this breath for a total of 12 times. The sound in the breathing helps to more effectively clear the chakras and raise the energy.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-style: italic;">Final Breath: Mul Bandh Breath</span></p></div></div></div><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 14pt;">This is one breath only. Simply fill your lower abdomen as much as you can with air</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"> </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 14pt;">as you inhale. Then hold and pull in the lower abdomen and pull up all the muscles of the lower pelvic floor and sex organs. Literally putting as much pressure as you can on the air you've inhaled. Hold this for as long as is comfortable. Imagine energy coming up the inside of the shushumna again right up to the brow chakra with your eyes closed, chin lowered slightly (in Jalandhar Bandh) and attention focused on the brow area. Then when you wish to hold it no longer gently exhale and allow yourself to go into silent meditation. It can be a good idea at this point to use a mantra mentally (not out loud) that you feel drawn to, to still the mind and focus your attention on higher thoughts. Examples of a mantra might be: 'Wahe Guru', 'Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo', 'Om Namah Shivaya', 'So Ham', 'Om Mani Padme Hum' or even something that is personal and meaningful to you such as the word 'Love' or 'Peace'. One of my teachers used to use the Lord's Prayer - because it was quite long, it occupied her mind and quietened her thoughts. It is recommended to repeat the mantra 12 times or more, but some times this might not be necessary if you have already got to a deep peaceful state.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 14pt;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 14pt;">It's a good idea to finish your meditation practice by giving thanks and sending out prayers for peace and healing for yourself, loved ones and the world. And close with some energy visualisation to protect your being, such as casting a sphere of white light around yourself. (I will write further on energy protection practices in another post very soon.)</span></p><p><br></p><div class="page" title="Page 3"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-size: 19px;">Additionally, before sleep or after the above set of breathing exercises, Yoni Mudra can be a good brief exercise to practise with the aim of merging individual consciousness with Source consciousness via the 'Star of Brahman' - the star or point of light which emerges in the third eye. To practise this, no more than three times in one go, you prepare to close off all the sensory organs in the head by doing the following: Place the thumbs of each hand over the tragus of each ear, the index finger of each hand over the outer corner of each eye socket (with eye lid closed), the middle fingers over the sides of the nostrils and the ring and little fingers over the corners of the mouth (ring finger above and little finger below) on each side. Taking one deep inhale as before with the kriya pranayama, imagining the cool energy coming up the spine, inhale to about 95% full and then press down with all the fingers except the middle fingers to close off the sense organs (eyes should be closed). Then take in a little more air via the nostrils and press down with the middle fingers to close the nostrils as well. As you hold the breath focus the inner attention at the third eye point between the brows and briefly scrunch up the temples as if furrowing the brows or frowning to send extra energy to this area. Imagine the energy of the held breath (and the sound/symbol of OM 'pinging' at the third eye point). When it is no longer comfortable to hold the breath, gently release it and imagine the warm energy descending the back of the spine as in the Kriya pranayama. With practice you should start to see lights emerging in this brow point (known as the Ajna kutastha). Ultimately a star or point of light will emerge in a blue circle, surrounded by a halo of golden light. When this happens you want to imagine the light of your consciousness piercing the star (the Star of Brahman), allowing you access to Divine states, other worlds and dimensions. The longer you can hold your breath comfortably, the more possible this becomes. Therefore practising long deep breathing and pranayama in general helps this exercise. It is advised to do this exercise once before sleep, even if just on its own, in order to have more profoundly spiritual sleep experiences</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS; font-size: 19px; font-style: italic;">. </span></p></div></div></div></div></div><div><br></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-41075769167817313682015-09-14T03:21:00.001-07:002015-09-14T03:21:20.092-07:00To The Beloved<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifb4OtMThHEz4wbBpC1dggCLCvxKY8Eyg7bSvA93wDOva8EmU3TJLF7YZniXERmOk_KhFLLWuSzb6GX1phvVQ7HvjuSIe-bjlZ7Aepo-9qj6D9c4dJJSJYP54W6-BDBpgsBslaa74QlQ/s640/blogger-image--833029166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifb4OtMThHEz4wbBpC1dggCLCvxKY8Eyg7bSvA93wDOva8EmU3TJLF7YZniXERmOk_KhFLLWuSzb6GX1phvVQ7HvjuSIe-bjlZ7Aepo-9qj6D9c4dJJSJYP54W6-BDBpgsBslaa74QlQ/s640/blogger-image--833029166.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Oh Lord, flame of my heart,</span><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Light of my soul,</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The One who sustains me,</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Who nurtures and illuminates me,</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">How can I express my love for you?</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">How can anything in this world seem real, compared to you?</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">How can anything matter when there is an ocean of bliss and truth so powerful that illusions dissolve and only love can take hold?</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Oh Lord, Guardian of my life,</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Radiant beloved, I will not cease from loving you,</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I will not let my eyes be turned from your bright light,</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Oh One and Only, from whom all come,</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I am yours, your beloved daughter and you are my home. </div></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-36533821117264030582015-07-29T14:59:00.001-07:002015-07-29T15:01:49.034-07:00Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdyYNmNf8wzyLtk5e6XjklDL3jNSBQ5wUcDrNh9XFj_1mfQ-Dr6r5kOFnI07AJJRRtid_vlCh69PeQmTWDj3hspQoqqGVnH3Ewf4wu-xa6WZExnmNs8D7VeMnyix3JVRytoQ8IA0kKQ/s640/blogger-image-1980382428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdyYNmNf8wzyLtk5e6XjklDL3jNSBQ5wUcDrNh9XFj_1mfQ-Dr6r5kOFnI07AJJRRtid_vlCh69PeQmTWDj3hspQoqqGVnH3Ewf4wu-xa6WZExnmNs8D7VeMnyix3JVRytoQ8IA0kKQ/s640/blogger-image-1980382428.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Photo: my painting 'The Bright Unconditional Love of the Sun'</div><div><br></div><div>In this blog post, I'm sharing the writing of others that I've found so inspiring about the Sanskrit philosophy of 'Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram', including a beautiful discourse by Osho, on a Quora post by Aditya Dogra. The first part of the text is by Aditya Dogra from his Quora post which leads into the Osho discussion. These are truly words to empower and rouse devotion and faith and there's no need for me to add anything to them here:</div><div><br></div><div>Hinduism has a Non-Duality School of thought which focuses more on Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman) and Tattwamasi (That Thou Art). Satyam Shivam Sundaram forms the basis of it. Remember Shivam doesnt refer to the Hindu God Shiva, it refers to the God(Goodness) within yourself. A Kashmir Saint "Lal Ded" said </div><div><br></div><div>شِو چھُے تھلہ تھلہ روزان</div><div>مو زان ہیوند تہ مسلمان</div><div>تُرک اے چھُکھ تہ پان پرٕزناو</div><div>سُے چَھے صاحبس زاُنی زان</div><div><br></div><div>Shiva is everywhere manifest</div><div>Don't speak of Hindu or Musulman</div><div>If you are wise, know yourself</div><div>That is the recognition of the true Friend (God).</div><div><br></div><div>As the Zen saying goes, “Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.” The radiance of silence is not achieved; instead, it flowers when the mind has naturally stopped, through the deconstruction of desire itself. There is nowhere to go, and nothing to do. In effortless relaxation is a goalless embracement of the moment. Life is experienced as “Sat-Chit-Anand,” or “Truth-Consciousness-Bliss.” The situation is more like “Satyam-Shivam-Sundram,” meaning “Truth-Godliness-Beauty.” The truth of existence arises, and, more than good, is an experience of “Godliness.” Experience is felt as “total godliness.” One sees that existence is enlightened, and has been all along.</div><div><br></div><div>There is a very Nice discourse by OSHO on explaining the meaning and essence of this:</div><div><br></div><div>Satyam means the truth – not what you think about it, but what it is; not your idea about it, but its reality. To know this truth you have to be utterly absent. Your very presence will distort the vision, because your presence means the presence of your mind, your prejudices, your conditionings. You are nothing else but a bundle of all that has been forced upon you by the religions, by the society, by the so-called leaders of humanity.</div><div>Your absence means absence of all prejudices, all borrowed knowledge, absence of the Christian, absence of the Hindu, absence of the Mohammedan... just a pure sky, a pure being. I am using the word absence to deny all that is not you.</div><div>But don’t misunderstand me; this absence of you is your real presence. Only the prejudices are absent, the ego is absent, your knowledgeability is absent – but your being shows in its utter purity. You disappear as a personality and there remains only a pure presence. So it is absence on one side of all that is false in you, and it is presence on the other side of all that is real in you. In this state you don’t think, you simply see.</div><div>This seeing of existence is the first experience of the mystic contained in the word satyam. Satyam means the truth – not any conception about it, but truth itself.</div><div><br></div><div>The second word, shivam, means virtue – all that is good, all that is valuable, all that is the most precious in you, the ultimate good. The man who comes to experience the truth starts living the truth immediately. There is no other alternative. His living the truth is shivam. Shivam means truth in action, truth in your life, truth in your love, truth in your friendship, truth in your eyes, and truth in your heart. Shivam is the action of truth; truth itself is the center of the cyclone. But if you experience the truth, the cyclone around you becomes shivam. It becomes pure godliness. A man of truth is the only proof that the world is divine. No argument can prove that the world is divine.</div><div><br></div><div>I am reminded of one of the greatest mystics, Ramakrishna. When asked by a logician, ”What is truth? Do you have any argument, any evidence for it?” Ramakrishna laughed hilariously. He said, ”I am the argument, and if you cannot see in my eyes the proof and the evidence, you will not find it anywhere else. I am the only proof that existence is not dead, that existence is not only matter; that existence is not only available to science, that existence is much more than matter, that you are much more than the body, that you are much more than the mind....” But this ”much more” cannot be proved by any logician, any scientist; only the mystic is the proof. He can also not prove it by words, but only by his way of life. The way of life of the mystic is the only possibility to come in contact with the divine which is all around you. You are living in the very ocean of the divine, but the mystic becomes your first window through which you can see the non-material,the spiritual, the beyond.</div><div><br></div><div>Shivam is the mystic in action – his gestures, the music in his words, the poetry of his life, the light and the depths of his eyes. Whatever he does, whether he is chopping wood or carrying water from the well, you can see that there is a subtle difference. He is total in his every act, and that totality brings the third word, sundram.</div><div><br></div><div>Sundram means beauty. So this is the mystic trinity: satyam, the truth; shivam, the good, the divine;and sundram, the beauty.</div><div>You have seen the beauty of the flowers, you have seen the beauty of the stars, you have seen the beauty of a bird on the wing, you have seen beauties upon beauties of sunsets and sunrises.</div><div>But the greatest beauty is to see the totality, the intensity of the mystic. That is the greatest flowering in existence of consciousness itself. It is available only to those who are humble enough to receive it, who are not living a closed life of fear, of paranoia, but who are living a life of love, with all the windows open, and are ready to go with life wherever it leads. These receptive souls are the only real seekers in the world. These receptive souls are blessed with their experience of sundram: the beautiful rose that is opening in the heart of the mystic. These three words are so unique, so incomparable, there is nothing parallel to them. </div><div><br></div><div>Truth is the experience, shivam is the action that comes out of the experience, and beauty is the flowering of consciousness of the man who has experienced truth.</div><div><br></div><div>Complete text can be found at : Page on oshorajneesh.com</div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-20475621514013045802015-05-28T10:12:00.001-07:002015-05-28T11:11:58.447-07:00Sacred Practices: Part 2 - The Magic of Tonglen<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOqQmbDznPqJk6yZsed3NT0LhqKgGM_MnBXnjJVYw_mTJOgoLJbns3Q_nEdyY5IQkjLj70McUhCC0B2HnUOH-FvgpPwG26xtTG5v_iIezeY_E5MSU8c9pKV9FTzzFQp0lUwAUQzFmGw/s640/blogger-image--13805169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOqQmbDznPqJk6yZsed3NT0LhqKgGM_MnBXnjJVYw_mTJOgoLJbns3Q_nEdyY5IQkjLj70McUhCC0B2HnUOH-FvgpPwG26xtTG5v_iIezeY_E5MSU8c9pKV9FTzzFQp0lUwAUQzFmGw/s640/blogger-image--13805169.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">In this second post about Sacred Practices I'm going to tell you about the very special Tibetan Buddhist practice of Tonglen, how it has enhanced my life and what it can do for you, if it is a technique that you are not already using in your life :-) </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Tonglen is described in 'The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying' as one of the most useful and powerful practices a person can do. This has become my opinion of it as well after experiencing its effects. In Tibetan the word 'Tonglen' means 'giving and receiving' and this is exactly what happens in the energy exchange that occurs in this simple practice that anyone can do. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The practice of Tonglen became widely popularised in Tibet by the great master Geshe Chekhawa. One day Geshe Chekhawa came across a written teaching which intrigued him and led him on his path to discovering Tonglen. The teaching was this:</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">"Give all profit and gain to others,</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Take all loss and defeat on yourself"</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">After reading these words, Geshe Chekhawa set out to find the master who had written those words, but was then informed that this master had passed away. Eventually though, he found the dead master's disciple, who informed him that whether he liked it or not he would have to practise this teaching if he wished to attain Buddhahood. This is a similar concept to the Indian teachings on Karma Yoga, such as taught by Vivekananda, which state that the ultimate ideal which brings about liberation for a karma yogi is the willingness to give up one's life for another. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The disciple whom Geshe Chekhawa had found, then instructed him in the art of Tonglen, a practice that is a practical application of this teaching. The story continues that the practice proved so powerful that many lepers who applied this spiritual technique to their daily life became cured and Geshe Chekhawa's own brother underwent a character transformation to that of a spiritually compassionate man through the practice of Tonglen. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">In order to practise Tonglen, it is recommended that a person develops their capacity for compassion and empathy first, for feeling what another individual must be going through, and there are exercises recommended for this purpose within The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying. Then when a person feels their heart is open enough, they can do the practice of Tonglen. It is very simple. The gist of it is to inhale and as you do so, to imagine drawing in dark smoke or energy with the breath, which can be the stagnated energy of your own mind and body, or of another person who needs help, or a specific place or area. Then as you exhale, to imagine sending out light, to the person or area, or to your own being. I like to imagine that I have an alchemical fire burning inside me and that when I breathe in the heavier and darker energy, it gets sucked into the fire and transmuted into divine sparks of light that then get sent out of me with the exhale. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The first time I ever tried this practice, I was scared of doing it, because I thought I had enough to deal with, with my own issues and especially as a sensitive person the thought of taking on even more 'stuff' from other people seemed overwhelming - I was working in student support services and having many people 'offload' their problems on to me each day.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">However, it turned out to be one of the most empowering things I've ever done. I first tried it in a group meditation experience, where I felt a little disturbed by the group energy, but then it occurred to me, that instead of being bothered by the group dynamics, I could quietly practise this breathing technique and offer it as a silent gift to the group, breathing in the burdens of others and offering them back love, compassion and light. It was amazing! It completely transformed the energy of the room and I felt to be in a deep state of samadhi which stayed with me throughout my afternoon at work and it seemed that this profound sense of peace subsequently got passed on to others who came near me. It remains one of my deepest spiritual experiences. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">More recently I have used this technique in situations where I have encountered anger, sometimes directly aimed at me, other times where it has been an undercurrent amongst people. Each time I have done this, a shift has been felt in my energy and the energy of the room as well as how I perceive things. It provides the opportunity to lose fear of others' reactions and also gift others with unconditional presence and compassion. Of course, where possible we should seek to understand and work through our own emotions and help others to do the same, but in situations when that is not possible, then this is something we can do to help. It is a great way of stepping outside of the narrow perspective of our limited personalities and to take on a higher universal view of empathy and pure love. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Tonglen is an empowering and highly transformative spiritual practice that anyone can have in their spiritual and energy work tool kits that can be of huge benefit to the world. If we can help by taking on others' anger, fear and lower vibration feelings and transform them, then we are serving to clear the collective consciousness and shifting global energy, whilst stepping into our power as higher level beings and oxygenating our lungs and cells at the same time! Whatever we can do to help ourselves and others has to be a good thing! Tonglen provides us with a simple way to transmute energy and act as spiritual alchemists within our daily lives. Remembering this practice when we are feeling challenged can help us to become a master rather than a victim of circumstances.</div></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-35641042189199020032015-05-08T04:55:00.001-07:002015-05-08T05:19:09.647-07:00Sacred Practices: Part 1 - The Miracle of Bound Lotus<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2hUnsaY27DRV7HgB7SBsc2wg0YJ_uo9TVHIk9Qlk-OJ_7EssUnATsyKgPrtDPtO4xVZnrVth_Fk_-HiiApaZ2DC4v7nLpR7y7hRa9N_19VyP7b6sE3WDUk9LzG2HKQ4yruVpCusr2Q/s640/blogger-image-2050299863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2hUnsaY27DRV7HgB7SBsc2wg0YJ_uo9TVHIk9Qlk-OJ_7EssUnATsyKgPrtDPtO4xVZnrVth_Fk_-HiiApaZ2DC4v7nLpR7y7hRa9N_19VyP7b6sE3WDUk9LzG2HKQ4yruVpCusr2Q/s640/blogger-image-2050299863.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">[Picture - lowering myself into Bound Lotus]</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I wanted to share some of the sacred practices that I have found to be the most profound, ones that I keep coming back to on a regular basis and that enhance and 'up' my meditation practice and spiritual connection. In the first and second posts I'll be looking at and de-mystifying the practices of Bound Lotus & Tonglen, both of which are incredibly powerful, but which may at first seem scary or 'out of reach' to those who have not tried them before. In writing this I hope to inspire people that these practices are accessible and can offer incredible rewards, particularly in the areas of increased spiritual connection, a deepening of awareness and helping to maintain that sense of inner peace that we all crave in daily life. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The Miracle of Bound Lotus </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Bound Lotus, aka Baddhapadmasana, is a yoga posture found in the Hatha, Ashtanga and Kundalini Yoga lineages. In its ultimate expression it is a form of full lotus, where the yogi folds forward and places their head on the ground, with the arms crossed behind the back and hands holding on to the big toes of the feet, forming a full body 'bind'. It is a posture of surrender to the universe, which when held, quickly raises the kundalini energy up the central spinal column, making it an ideal meditative posture. Iyengar demonstrates the posture with his characteristic flexibility in his classic book 'Light on Yoga' and states its specific purpose in raising the kundalini energy. It is also known as 'Yoga Seal Pose', or 'Yoga Mudrasana' because it forms a powerful energy feedback loop or Mudra with the whole body engaged and looking a bit like a pretzel! </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Yogi Bhajan called it 'Psychic Union' pose because of its power to take the practitioner deep into the subtle realms, bringing insight and clarity, a deep experience of Shuniya - the void or silence where healing occurs, a peaceful acceptance of our situation, answers to questions, and mystical astral experiences. In Ashtanga yoga it is usually performed for a few minutes towards the end of the daily series of flowing ashtanga postures before the practitioner goes into meditation. In kundalini yoga, however, it can be a separate practice and meditation in and of itself. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The bound lotus practice recommended in the tradition of Kundalini Yoga, as taught by Yogi Bhajan, and passed on to his student, MahanKirn Kaur Khalsa, who specialises in teaching Bound Lotus, recommends building up to a period of 31 minutes a day in the posture, after having warmed up with other yoga practice. At the end of the Bound Lotus practice, the practitioner needs to rest in Savasana for 10 minutes and during this rest time further deep healing and profound experiences can occur as the energy recalibrates within the body. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">MahanKirn Kaur was given this practice by Yogi Bhajan as a method to heal her leg which had become paralysed by a rare nerve disorder. She had seen more than 200 doctors, specialists and alternative healers shamans and none of them was able to help. In fact some of the best doctors recommended amputation as a solution. When she finally turned to her spiritual teacher, Yogi Bhajan, he told her that doing this extreme practice, despite the initial agony it would cause her, would heal her leg, and it did! </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Although Mahan Kirn's case was extreme and she took the route of going through intense pain to get the healing she needed, the good news is that we can still get the benefit of this practice without having to go through such a painful experience. So if you'd like to try it but feel it's inaccessible because you cannot do full lotus pose, or even if you struggle to sit cross legged, don't worry as you can find a modification that means you can work towards this pose and enjoy the benefits of this practice as you progress. As MahanKirn has stated it is the journey, not the destination that counts. For instance, a variation of the posture is to sit cross-legged and bend forward with the arms behind the back, hands holding on to the elbow of the other arm. Or, another variation is to sit with one leg stretched out in front and the other leg bent at the knee with the foot placed on the hip of the outstretched leg, as in Maha Mudra posture, and then bend forward supported by pillows if needed.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I committed to a 40 day Bound Lotus practice back in 2012 and for me personally, it was agony at first, especially at the base of the spine. Although I'm not the most accomplished yogi in many postures and have issues with inward turning hips, for some reason I have been able to do full lotus posture since quite early on after starting yoga around 2006. With the Bound Lotus though I found the bending forward bit very painful and I used cushions on the ground in front of me to place my head on, so that it was not too much of a stretch for my spine at the beginning. At first I could only manage a few minutes each day, and got frustrated by the pain, but gradually I became more supple to the point of holding my toes and reaching my forehead to the floor in the full posture and I was able to hold the pose for longer each day. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The pain became a mental concept for working through and accepting emotions and also learning to just 'be' and go beyond my mind's complaints. It actually became bizarrely pleasurable because I soon realised that after I had broken mentally through the pain barrier, the depth of the peace and meditation was astounding. The pain therefore became an indicator of the potential for depth of experience. The recommended chant mantra of the Ray Man Shabad, which is provided in an accompanying CD with Mahan Kirn's Bound Lotus Manual, really helped me through as well. I started to really feel the sound, the sacred Naad, resonating within me. And towards the end of the 40 days I was managing the whole 31 minutes and finding it an incredibly peaceful and rewarding practice throughout. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">It is recommended that you swap the legs around half way through your practice and I started to notice that once I swapped which leg was on top, that an incredible energy would build up in my legs. It formed an energy triangle between my base chakra and the minor energy centres in my knees. On one occasion it was pulsing so strongly that I felt as if I were literally going to 'lift off' from the ground! I began to realise how levitation might be possible with this kind of energy concentrated in a small area. I also noticed that I had the most beautiful and other-worldly experiences at the end when I was just resting in Savasana. Sometimes I would be journeying in other places and realms and other times I would just have total peace and no longer be bothered by things that had been a problem to me in my life, and also sometimes I would just drift into much needed healing sleep as well. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I stopped the practice for a while because of time issues and also wanting to build up strength through other forms of yoga, but recently I have come back to it and I'm using it in a more subtle and flexible way. I'm finding now that just being in this posture for a short period of time and then sitting up and meditating can cause profound shifts in my energy. I am a naturally sensitive person, so sometimes for me personally, I find the cliche of 'less is more' is highly appropriate. I'm learning to listen to my body, to let it guide me and respect its messages more. Some days it doesn't want to be forced into uncomfortable positions, but other days it is very willing. I am learning to listen to it more as my teacher and honour its innate wisdom. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">If you are interested to learn more about Bound Lotus as a practice then I recommend visiting MahanKirn's website where you can see a free video demonstrating Bound Lotus and the various ways you can modify and assist yourself into this posture. There is also the Bound Lotus Manual I mentioned available for purchase which includes background information, useful yoga sets for warming up before bound lotus and the accompanying CD with beautiful chant music by Snatam Kaur to elevate the experience. Visit www.mahboundlotus.com for further details. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">In my next blog post I shall be looking at the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Tonglen, and in future posts I plan to cover sacred chanting practices and Kriya Yoga, so stayed tuned for further information! </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-47093922776780992672015-02-12T16:21:00.001-08:002015-02-12T16:27:56.467-08:00Psychometry Lessons<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RWPtfmlOsqv6h6Q9JMS1F5WyE-hKdW_ZSFLrHxrnuMp-WwbMk5tVVVvj-3peuTSj795WMK3pbsccc4bU-u60KsGUy8l5buRIzRMsR5D3yPHjzMHLF9SAF9FlxzskKBjwKI8ZBQlNdg/s640/blogger-image--1453182408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RWPtfmlOsqv6h6Q9JMS1F5WyE-hKdW_ZSFLrHxrnuMp-WwbMk5tVVVvj-3peuTSj795WMK3pbsccc4bU-u60KsGUy8l5buRIzRMsR5D3yPHjzMHLF9SAF9FlxzskKBjwKI8ZBQlNdg/s640/blogger-image--1453182408.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Yesterday evening I had a fun and enlightening session of sensing the energy of various objects that were put in front of me hidden in socks. (I kept my eyes closed and did not touch the socks so I did not get any sense of the size or shape of the items.) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">What was interesting with a couple of the items was that the original intention and emotions of the person who gave them were still present in the object. Feeling the strength of these energies proved a very useful reminder to me to be so mindful and conscious of the energy we give out with even small gestures. Our thoughts are powerful and produce energies which can stay around for a very long time and possibly have a detrimental effect on other people, if not coming from an entirely healthy place within our consciousness.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">To my surprise, one item which had a lovely energy turned out to be a medal from a soldier who had died in the First World War. It had been cherished ever since by his family members and had a very strong spiritual connection. I could have quite happily meditated with it for hours, which is ironic as I would never have considered consciously choosing this sort of item as a meditation aid! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Something else I sensed felt as if it had a spirit being or some physical thing trapped within it, and it turned out to be a fossil! And yet another object that had a really peaceful energy to it turned out to be a small part (the barrel) of a wooden clarinet. I felt this energy was a result of the owner having enjoyed playing it and how the sound vibration had left it with a clear energy. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">All this shows that there are so many energies affecting us in so many ways, even with seemingly simple objects. We have the power to affect our environments positively or otherwise, with each thought and choice we make in every moment... Each time I have tried the art of Psychometry has been thought-provoking and provided me with my own evidence of the power of thought. These are truly invaluable lessons! </span></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-89898925676561572712015-01-12T15:08:00.001-08:002015-01-12T15:08:06.781-08:00Our Work in this Life<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtVEfjKiY9o5e0_nChuFGmC5ZbweeAJLVMP1y7T5iex3ynROQvewT8TaZ9MtOjelrPQlouh5iJ1v3qILNOQBesbYtM-KBdsGsJavJNWPQ13HZxWJIhEWBfVbdK81rEIBk8l-u6ECe6g/s640/blogger-image-321104532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtVEfjKiY9o5e0_nChuFGmC5ZbweeAJLVMP1y7T5iex3ynROQvewT8TaZ9MtOjelrPQlouh5iJ1v3qILNOQBesbYtM-KBdsGsJavJNWPQ13HZxWJIhEWBfVbdK81rEIBk8l-u6ECe6g/s640/blogger-image-321104532.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>In honour of Swami Vivekananda, one of the greatest monks of India. I thought about him last night and it turns out that today is his 150th birthday.<div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Profound Yogic 'food for thought',<br>the following is an excerpt from the first book of Swami Vivekananda's teachings. It is about karma yoga, service and our work in this life. It is interesting because it completely turns the tables on what may be seen as achievement and is a helpful reminder to us to focus on living from our own hearts, in non-attachment, rather than perhaps comparing ourselves with others, especially in the area of spiritual work:<br><br>"... those who want to be Karma-Yogis must throw this idea of duty overboard. There is no duty for you and me. Whatever you have to give the world, do give by all means, but not as a duty. Do not take any thought of that. Be not compelled. Why should you be compelled? Everything that you do under compulsion goes to build up attachment. Resign everything unto God. In this tremendous fiery furnace where the fire of duty scorches everybody, drink this cup of nectar and be happy. We are all simply working out His Will, and have nothing to do with rewards and punishments. If you want the reward, you must also have the punishment; the only way to get out of the punishment is to give up the reward. The only way of getting out of misery is by giving up the idea of happiness, because these two are linked to each other. On one side there is happiness, on the other there is misery. On one side there is life, on the other there is death. The only way to get beyond death is to give up the love of life. Life and death are the same thing, looked at from different points. So the idea of happiness without misery, or life without death, is very good for school-boys and children; but the thinker sees that it is all a contradiction in terms and gives up both. Seek no praise, no reward, for anything you do. No sooner do we perform a good action than we begin to desire credit for it. No sooner do we give money to some charity than we want to see our names blazoned in the papers. Misery must come as the result of such desires. The greatest men in the world have passed away unknown. The Buddhas and the Christs that we know are but second rate heroes in comparison with the greatest men of whom the world knows nothing. Hundreds of these unknown heroes have lived in every country working silently. Silently they live and silently they pass away; and in time their thoughts find expression in Buddhas and Christs, and it is these latter that become known to us. The highest men do not seek to get any name or fame from their knowledge. They leave their ideas to the world; they put forth no claims for themselves and they establish no schools or systems in their name. Their whole nature shrinks from such a thing. They are the pure Sattvikas, who can never make any stir, but only melt down in love. I have seen one such Yogi who lives in a cave in India. He is one of the most wonderful men I have ever seen. He has so completely lost the sense of his own individuality that we may say the man in him is completely gone, leaving behind only the all-comprehending sense of the divine. If an animal bites one of his arms, he is ready to give it the other also, and say that is the Lord's will. Everything that comes to him is from the Lord. He does not show himself to men, and yet he is a magazine of love and of true and sweet ideas. <br><br>"Next in order come the men with more Rajas, or activity, combative natures, who take up the ideas of the perfect ones and preach them to the world. The highest kind of men silently collect true and noble ideas, and others - the Buddhas and Christs - go from place to place preaching them and working for them. In the life of Gautama Buddha we notice him constantly saying that he is the twenty-fifth Buddha. The twenty-four before him are unknown to history, although the Buddha known to history must have built upon the foundations laid by them. The highest men are calm, silent, and unknown. They are the men who really know the power of thought; they are sure that, even if they go into a cave and close the door and simply think five true thoughts and then pass away, these five thoughts of theirs will live through eternity. Indeed such thoughts will penetrate through the mountains, cross the oceans, and travel through the world. They will enter deep into human hearts and brains and raise up men and women who will give them practical expression in the workings of human life. The Sattvika men are too near the Lord to be active and to fight, to be working, struggling, preaching and doing good, as they say, here on earth to humanity. The active workers, however good, have still a little remnant of ignorance left in them. When our nature has yet some impurities in it, then alone can we work. It is in the nature of work to be impelled ordinarily by motive and attachment. In the presence of an ever active Providence who notes even the sparrow's fall, how can man attach any importance to his own work? Will it not be a blasphemy to do so when we know that He is taking care of the minutest things in the world? We have only to stand in awe and reverence before Him saying "Thy will be done". The highest men cannot work for in them is no attachment. Those whose whole soul is gone into the Self, those whose desires are confined in the Self, who have become ever associated with the Self, for them there is no work. Such are indeed the highest of mankind; but apart from them everyone else has to work. In so working we should never think we can help on even the least thing in this universe. We cannot. We only help ourselves in this gymnasium of the world. This is the proper attitude of work. If we work in this way, if we always remember that our present opportunity to work is a privilege which has been given to us, we shall never be attached to anything. Millions like you and me think that we are great people in this world; but we all die and in five minutes the world forgets us. But the life of God is infinite. "Who can live a moment, breathe a moment if this all-powerful One does not will it?" He is the ever active providence. All power is His and within His command. Through His command the winds blow, the sun shines, the earth lives, and death stalks upon the earth. He is the all in all, He is all and in all. We can only worship Him. Give up all fruits of work; do good for its own sake; then alone will come perfect non-attachment. The bonds of the heart will thus break, and we shall reap perfect freedom. This freedom is indeed the goal of Karma-Yoga."</span></div><div><br><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-85635799063715031742015-01-06T10:34:00.001-08:002015-01-12T10:22:23.822-08:00Artistic Creativity Along Sustainable Lines: A Look at The Rock Garden-
One of India's Hidden Gems<div class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1420391712452_40228" style="box-sizing: content-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible;">
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By day he worked as a roads inspector, by night he illicitly created... a fantasy paradise garden!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the incredible story of Nek Chand and how following his inspiration led to the creation of the remarkable Rock Garden of Chandigarh in Northern India.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">India can sometimes seem like one of the most bustling places on earth – a constant assault on the senses. As a white western woman I stuck out like a sore thumb when I visited in 2001, and it frequently seemed that there was no respite from the stares and experiences of men brushing up against me and nowhere (except for the hostel room) to get any peace, as paradoxical as that may seem given India's spiritual associations. I remember going into parks to sit under the trees in the shade to recover from the 50 degrees Delhi heat and soon there would be a crowd gathered around me just staring at me and the repeated requests for my photo would commence. It was hard enough just trying not to pass out in that heat, let alone having to fend off the milling throngs at the same time!</span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would move somewhere else and then a while later another crowd would gather. Apparently this is a not uncommon experience for Westerners, or so I was told. I began to wonder whether this was how Jesus had felt! I don't want to give the wrong impression about India - we met so many kind and generous Indians along the way. One man was incredibly trusting and leant us what would have been an awful lot of money for most Indians when we ran out and could not get to a bank in time, not knowing whether he would ever see us again. The whole experience was a mixture of extremes, varying at times between being enthralling, exhausting, alarming and thought provoking, but often just very humbling for people like us who have come from a culture where we are used to fairly instant access to whatever we want and need.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we travelled via the country's excellent railway network north of Delhi en route to the hillstation of Shimla in order to escape the heat, we decided to break our journey at Chandigarh. Our guide book recommended taking a look at this place called the Rock Garden developed by an unassuming Indian man called Nek Chand, who has been hailed a creative genius. It was said that his style was reminiscent of Gaudi's work, although apparently Nek Chand had never received any formal artistic training and had never even heard of artists such as Gaudi when he started his own work.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The garden was situated just outside the Le Corbusier-designed, award-winning city of Chandigarh (of an altogether different kind of style). The place sounded intriguing so we went along, not knowing what to expect. What we discovered there was an oasis of serenity and beauty that took our breath away and felt like the complete antithesis to many of the other parts of India we had just experienced. And best of all, it was mainly created along sustainable lines, using reclaimed and recycled items collected from refuse.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we walked around the garden we came across landscape features of large swings, cascading waterfalls, pavillions, winding pathways and walled courtyards. The site featured some amazing landscape design which must have taken many man hours. As it was so intensely hot, I stood under one of the gushing waterfalls fully clothed, as many of the locals were doing. It was very refreshing and afterwards, within minutes of standing in the sun, I was fully dry again. I got a sense that most of the landscaping was designed to provide exhibition space and a grand stage for the various sculptures of people and animals who were to be encountered in prominent positions in all directions, as if on parade throughout the grounds.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sculptures included many different types of animals as well as dancers and musicians. Many of these were made out of pieces of ceramic crafted together to form a mosaic surface to the creations. However, some of the characters who really caught my eye were the people made out of sparkly and brightly coloured sari bangles, making them appear very exotic. Other materials used included reclaimed bottles, ceramic tiles and pots, electrical materials and even sinks, sourced from both industrial and home waste.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I found most inspiring and enduring about the place though, was the actual story of its conception and the lessons and hope this story may offer us. It all started out as a hobby for Nek Chand in the late 1950s who started collecting waste items and creating sculptures out of them in secret during his spare time away from work as a public roads inspector. Eventually (we are told around 18 years later) the authorities found out, at which point Chand's creations had already taken up acres of local Government land!</span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the seeming audacity of Nek Chand's creative vision and the breach of use of the Government land, the enlightened decision was reached to turn the garden into a public space and continue developing it. Nek Chand was then given a salary for doing what he loved [what a result!] as well as a team of 50 helpers! In 1976 the garden was officially inaugurated and since then it has grown from 12 acres to over 40 acres and has become something of a landmark.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This story demonstrates well that beautiful and harmonious spaces can be created by reusing and redistributing resources, which can become places of community and inspiration to benefit the whole. Beyond this, it can serve to inspire us all to persist with dreaming and following our passions. In fact I feel it is our duty to follow our passions as this is our dharma, or life purpose. It is my instinct that we each have passions that will complement and blend well into the whole, creating more beautiful, natural and cohesive communities, if we heed our intuitions.</span></div>
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<span class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1420391712452_40214" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conversely, the message I take from this story is; if we ignore our own inner callings then can we reasonably expect changes to occur in our societies as well as on a larger global scale? And! If we do not dare to create extraordinarily and outrageously beautiful homes, lives and communities, then how will any authority be convinced that such places can exist and that new ways of looking at society are necessary? Surely things will keep plodding on as they always have done, veering near to ecological disaster from time to time until people are finally ready to sit up, see the signs, hear their hearts and pay attention.</span></div>
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<span class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1420391712452_40216" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From India, a country of contrast, where not all worldly comforts are instantly obtainable, extreme resourcefulness and persistence can be seen and individuals daring to follow their dreams have made big changes. Gandhi demonstrated this and emphasised our need to "be the change we wish to see" and we can take heart that authorities and communities can be inspired by the acts of the individual, as Nek Chand's story has shown us.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beautiful images of the garden can be found on this webpage: </span><br>
<span class="" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://tricity-online.com/rock-garden-chandigarh.html#prettyPhoto</span></div>
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Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-71194745142347007152014-12-26T07:54:00.001-08:002015-01-07T06:05:03.757-08:00The Greatest Christmas Gift<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quite unexpectedly, I ended up doing some healing work on a lady on Christmas Eve. This lady was just going through emotional upheaval and wanted some energy healing. The healing energy was very powerful and strongly perceived by us both and I received beautiful guidance for this individual, but what was truly wonderful was that the lady's young son very much wanted to be involved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At first she did not want him to be there and see her crying, but I reassured her that it is healthy and good for children to see adults processing their emotions. The lady's son has previously been known to be quite disruptive in social settings, but he was so attracted to the healing energy and at one point I opened my eyes and saw him sitting cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed and peacefully meditating! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And at the end he said to me; "I was doing what you were doing" to which I responded "yes I know"! It is truly amazing how open the current generation of children are and that they want to be guided about their emotions and how to connect with their inner spiritual selves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew it was no coincidence I met this lady in these circumstances as I felt very strongly she has a higher purpose that she needs to develop and that her son too wants this guidance and also feels the connection. They have both been added to my prayers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the experience of seeing this young boy spontaneously meditating felt like the greatest blessing and gift I could have been offered this Christmas! My heart was so brimming with love and joy at the beauty of the experience and the synchronicities that the universe arranges never cease to amaze me! :-)</span></div>
Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-85641132994493149722014-12-13T15:56:00.001-08:002015-01-07T06:05:23.177-08:00Healing Lessons and the Power of Love<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been having some niggling health challenges recently which have not been responding very well to my usual approaches of juices, alternative herbal remedies, yoga, self enquiry and healing. So this morning I allowed myself to drift between altered states of consciousness for hours in bed and during this time I got the insight I needed and as a result so much then shifted for me. At one point I became more consciously aware and suddenly saw an image of one of my hands with a small black implant in it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I instantly and instinctively reacted by removing the implant in my mind and at that point my energy body breathed a huge sigh of relief and I immediately felt much better with energy flowing in a way that it had not been before. The pain I had been experiencing disappeared and I felt so deliciously peaceful and nurtured. I feel this implant had been able to take hold because of my energy field being weakened through some stressful situations that were occurring in my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some spiritual teachers talk of these implants, including Diana Cooper in some of her books, and I have dealt with these implants as well as other energetic interferences many times before. Once I felt very drawn to meditating with my beautiful labradorite stone. I got drawn into an altered state of awareness and then suddenly a 'being' (the spirit or elemental of the stone) jumped out of the stone and pulled these cords out of my head that I had not realised were there. I felt an instant lift in my energy and felt so much better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I usually try to remember to clear my energy on a daily basis from energy and entity attachments, especially if I have been around lots of other people, but often forget about implants (which according to certain teachers can be placed in our auras by malevolent astral beings). After this recent experience I am going to make a reminder to myself to scan my energy more thoroughly each day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also usually have to remove entities and cords when I do my healing work on others too. This is not work I would have chosen to do, at a human level, but it seems that spirit, or my soul has chosen for me to do this, because when I am in a healing trance-like state, entities stuck within an individual's energy field show up. This was not part of my original healing training, but is something that happens to me intuitively.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I have cleared them, the energy of the related chakra or part of the body suddenly flows much more freely and there is a dramatic increase in its frequency. Previous recipients of healing have felt and noticed the difference too, experiencing shifts in their emotions and feelings (these energetic interferences can affect our thoughts and emotions - in fact shamans see many individuals with mental health issues as having spirits attached to them), as well as things then moving forward in their lives, where they previously seemed blocked. And some people start to sense the spiritual energy for the first time, which brings such joy to me as well as to them! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once I was doing healing work on myself and sitting with a sacred symbol on my lap. At one point briefly I lost consciousness and when I came to, I saw a skinny little entity jump out of me so fast and run off as if his feet were on fire! He even had a little astral sack over his shoulder and looked quite sweet! I felt sorry for him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In her book, 'Angels & Goddesses', Doreen Virtue recounts having similar experiences with energetic and entity attachments seeing them latch on to her when she has been helping other people - the other people go away feeling better and she feels worse - and in particular recalling seeing them get pulled out of her and cleared during a very potent healing session she had. I have also seen them get sucked out of my chakras when I've been working on myself and another friend, Kelsey, who has learnt a specific healing practice to clear herself has had similar experiences with entities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I have learnt with all this is always to be very respectful in the treatment of these beings, because whatever their intentions, they too need to evolve and grow. And like everything, these beings also need love. That's not to mean that we accept them as energetic parasites, but that in dealing with them we ask that they be shown love and light and helped on their paths. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One psychic was experiencing attack from a very malevolent being and whilst she tried to fight back with her own strength, she lost her power and became more endangered and at risk of being hurt physically. It was only once she called upon the Divine and imagined divine love flowing through her that the entity could no longer tolerate being in her presence. On another similar occasion, another entity showed up threateningly, but this one allowed some of the positive love energy to light them up and they became less dark.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another spiritual teacher, Charis Melina Brown, recounted finding an energetic parasite within her aura. She sent healing energy to it, and as she did so, she saw it transform in front of her eyes into a beautiful elemental, which has now become one of her spiritual helpers. It was so stunned as it had never felt love before and revelled in the feeling of the healing energy she sent it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the answer is always love. Love, with respect for our own boundaries. The principle is similar in my experience to the Buddhist practice of Tonglen; where we breathe in darkness, transform it within us and breathe out light. I must admit the first time I ever tried tonglen I was scared. I wondered whether it was really a sensible idea to breathe in the darkness of the world. Hadn't I got enough to deal with, with my own issues... let alone taking on the whole world's?! Yet it turned out to be one of the most blissful, transformative and empowering things I've ever done - true alchemy - and I felt so much stronger spiritually afterwards. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the Anastasia books, by Vladimir Megre, Anastasia herself had times of taking in the anger of people around the world and burning it up inside her, so the tonglen-type approach to service is not limited to Buddhism. And Anastasia hints that the reason we are susceptible to psychic interference is because we live so unnaturally. We have not had a 'space of love' in nature created for us by our parents which nurtures and protects us from conception onwards. Such a space, she claims, where the plants interact with the cosmos on our behalf, if properly set up along the lines she mentions, will protect us from external thought forms and psychic attack and will heal us when we return to it after being out in the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Imagine the powerful energy of a huge old tree and what it might be like if the whole land and space we lived on was imbued with such healing energy and also provided us with our own food, uniquely designed for us from taking in the messages of our bodies through our regular interactions with the plants and the space, providing the plants with the information they needed about our health.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Such a space would provide true healing power, peace, tranquility and protection, perhaps similar to the feeling of being in high energy mountains or a forest or a remote place. It would be very different to the energy we experience living in close proximity to a whole lot of other people who all are living unnatural, stressed lives, close to busy roads and surrounded by pollution, wifi and other forms of radiation and also the thought forms of others, all of which send confusing messages to our energy bodies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What we can do for ourselves, whilst we live in a less natural way is to keep our vibration high as much as possible (whilst not ignoring our shadows which need to be recognised and accepted in order for us to feel whole), through not getting caught up in thoughts of fear and lack and so forth, and also through making sure we do enough of whatever keeps us healthy and balanced. For example, nature time, spiritual connection, healthy food, exercise, creativity and healthy relationships.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my experience, it has tended to be when I've allowed my vibration to drop that things have been better able to interfere with my energy. What I take from all this is that when aligned in the light of pure love, the darker or lower vibrating energies either flee (if they are not yet ready to experience transformation) or allow themselves to be transformed. Love, as they say, is always the key!</span></div>
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Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-7942477620362752272014-10-08T04:25:00.001-07:002014-10-08T04:38:28.960-07:00Thoughts on higher level intimacy and merging with a partner<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQn6iP_QVhAftER0MWE5Q3HK_35wTpTYo8M6HJbKEJ6bptcVVoOfQNQlynAKmrtYLL7356KzqhllaP1wiR9-aGK-V1xEXjxNPQB9kn8OMH6iNGvutbWjO141aTDjv9n9VfSroXIssYCw/s640/blogger-image--1152315463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQn6iP_QVhAftER0MWE5Q3HK_35wTpTYo8M6HJbKEJ6bptcVVoOfQNQlynAKmrtYLL7356KzqhllaP1wiR9-aGK-V1xEXjxNPQB9kn8OMH6iNGvutbWjO141aTDjv9n9VfSroXIssYCw/s640/blogger-image--1152315463.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Thoughts on higher level intimacy and merging with a partner:</div><div><br></div><div>I've been having conversations with various people about romantic and physical intimacy recently. What often happens earlier on in our lives when we may be less awake spiritually is that we choose partners based on the physical attraction first and then try to make the other parts work. </div><div><br></div><div>However, as we grow more on our emotional and spiritual paths this type of connection becomes less and less fulfilling. Strong physical attraction can often lead to sex and physical intimacy too soon and the problem with this is that the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of each being have not had a chance to fully be seen, to find out whether they are compatible and whether it feels right to merge on each level. </div><div><br></div><div>One way of looking at it that I'm finding helpful is this: at the spiritual level - do you share similar spiritual views, morals and ethics etc., at the mental, do you like the other's intellect and the way they reason and process thoughts, and at the emotional - are they open in their feelings and do you like the way they deal with and show their feelings? </div><div><br></div><div>So, if there were the possibility to have a unique experience of just fully merging with that person's spirit, say the astral body (spiritual level), would you do it and let their spiritual energies potentially influence yours? Would you feel comfortable with just merging with them at a thought level and allowing your two thought processes to become one? And at a feeling level - would you feel comfortable with just merging the emotional bodies and allowing the other's emotional energies to potentially impact your emotional energies? </div><div><br></div><div>Maybe these are good questions to ask ourselves about any partner? Do you like/love them (who you sense them to be) at all levels and would you be happy for all their energies at those different levels to mingle and merge with all the different levels of your being? </div><div><br></div><div>Another helpful way to look at it might be; 'from which chakras are my desires emanating?' Sometimes we can get caught up in the less aware drives of the lower chakras. Ideally for these to be balanced out and healthy, we want to bring in the heart chakra energy of love and the higher chakra energies of genuine authentic communication, awareness and soul connection. </div><div><br></div><div>Obviously there are much more profound approaches to union such as conscious co-creation, tantric practices and merging fully on the spiritual plane through a dedicated shared spiritual life, but these questions feel like good initial points to ponder and ask ourselves if we are considering our romantic relationships. </div><div><br></div><div>In conscious co-creation (conscious conception) the physical should be the last level to be acted upon, as higher thought should be the initial point of creation for all areas of life when we want to live as higher spiritual beings. Just as in the creation myths we are told that the process of creation was proceeded by thought, ideally everything should start out as thought energy first and then become physical and I feel this approach makes equal sense in other areas of our life. </div><div><br></div><div>Get the spiritual, mental and emotional energies in alignment and resonating and then the physical will be so much more profound and in alignment too. When we work in this way we are considering the "whole" being and acknowledging that we exist on multiple levels and we can then feel whole and integrated in our relationship dynamics as well because we are not ignoring our needs on one level or another. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div></div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-60906489614666002072014-10-07T09:17:00.001-07:002015-01-07T03:59:22.943-08:00Spiritual Aloofness!<div><br></div>
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<div>In a recent conversation with a lovely spiritually open-minded friend, the topic of what might be called 'spiritual aloofness' was brought up. In other words; those who promote themselves as spiritual teachers, healers or light workers but who present a certain image that might seem aloof, perfected, unrelate-able to others, ungrounded or not fully acknowledging their shadow sides and human foibles. This got me thinking further on this topic, especially as this sort of thing has very much bothered me in the past too. </div><div><br></div><div>
Whilst spiritual experiences are important, feel wonderful and are necessary for our growth and healing, it is essential that we stay grounded and do not let our spiritual life separate us from truly relating to others at a human level; that we do not let our spiritual connection breed narcissism. I am not one for aloofness, secrecy, for believing you have to have initiations or belong to a certain spiritual group or secret society. My experience is that spirit provides the true initiations, if we are truly ready to embark on the journey of deep inner work that such transformation requires, necessitating healing and an embrace of all aspects of ourselves; emotional, mental, physical and spiritual. We have to integrate all parts to feel whole and put ourselves through the alchemist's fire in the process. </div>
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If we are also meant to have a specific teacher or teachers on the physical level, then we will be guided to the right person at the right time and this may well involve not one fixed teacher, as spiritual initiations can come in many different forms through every day experiences as well as through activities that shift our consciousness whilst we receive energy, such as through energy healing sessions. Many times those who are called healers channel higher energy similar to what one might experience in a Shaktipat initiation (and this is a good reason why those doing this sort of healing work should keep themselves clear energetically). </div>
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Diana Cooper has spoken of the varied initiations both she and others have gone through. For instance, one type of higher initiation she calls 'the crucifix' meant that one lady had all parts of her life suddenly fall apart, including her husband leaving and receiving a diagnosis of terminal illness. It was a real death of her life and identity as she had known it. Similarly Rudolf Steiner in his classic book 'How to Know Higher Worlds' talks of an initiation where you are suddenly alienated from all forms of support that have previously been available to you and you have to take action to get yourself out of a difficult situation on your own. </div>
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These sorts of tests and forms of higher learning manifesting in our lives are another good reason why we should never judge another if they are going through difficult times. Often the real reason behind life's events is obscure to us and sometimes even if we ask, we are not meant to know at that time. So a person seen to be suffering is most likely doing very important soul work on themselves or possibly helping take on the burdens of another. We just can never fully know another person's path and in the Tibetan teachings many times everyday folk leading simple lives have surprised their family by becoming enlightened as they die.</div>
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One of the reasons I love the books so much about the incredible spiritual Russian recluse Anastasia by Vladimir Megre is because, despite her advanced abilities and otherworldly life, Anastasia constantly tries to explain the mechanisms behind everything she does and to show that these abilities are intrinsic to everyone, we just need to purify our thoughts and remember the ancient knowledge we have lost. Vladimir Megre states that unlike many spiritual teachers Anastasia does not veil herself in an air of mystery. She wants to prove the true capabilities of 'Man' which are within us all. </div>
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The first kriya yoga master to teach to the public, Lahiri Mahasaya, pleaded with his guru Babaji that the secret knowledge of kriya yoga be made available to all who came to see him and not just a select few 'evolved' souls. Babaji saw the purity of Lahiri Mahasaya's intentions and granted this request and many souls were greatly uplifted and helped through receiving the kriya yoga teachings. Furthermore, despite his amazing spiritual progress and powers, Lahiri Mahasaya never liked anyone bowing down to him because he recognised the oneness of all souls. Many times if a new student offered pranams to him he would then also get down and do the same back to the student! </div>
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With spiritual teaching there are the everyday practicalities to think of too! My healing teacher used to say to us, "do not put me on a pedestal because I'll fall off". I have seen this happen with certain people too. One amazing girl stated that she did not want children because it would interfere with her mission. She then fell pregnant and had a beautiful baby girl and then graciously acknowledged how what she had said before was complete 'bulls#*t'!</div>
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The great Hindu teacher Vivekananda has stated that the purest souls have no desire for self promotion or teaching and being in the limelight. So, along that note, any of us wanting to do this still have some ego to deal with - and this is good! Because without the ego we would not have motivation to take action and do the work of dharma. It is only a problem when we do not have an awareness of our inner motivations, and then the ego, or uncontrolled Mind, becomes our Master. </div>
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It is necessary to be down-to-earth and stay humble and to be able to acknowledge and even laugh at our own weaknesses and faults - we all have shadows! Otherwise we are presenting an airbrushed image much like those of models in the media. This can be very disheartening to those wanting help and not seeing the full picture as they wonder what they have done wrong and why their lives are not also perfect. Our acceptance of all parts of ourselves helps others to also accept and love those less desirous parts of themselves, and therefore find wholeness. </div>
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Finally, true spiritual teachers do not resent being questioned. They know how a good question is valuable to prompt new trains of thought and provide new insights. Yogananda's guru Swami Sri Yukteswar would frequently get criticised by members of the community. He would always listen to any criticism with respect and humility and then thoroughly examine himself to see whether there were any grains of truth in what was being said and therefore whether he needed to change anything in his behaviour. We all know the dangers and what can happen when 'leaders' go unquestioned from the many stories of cult members committing suicide and from the horrors perpetrated in World War II. And although a true spiritual teacher would never contemplate directing anyone along those lines and most likely not direct anyone to do anything anyway (recognising the free will of the soul), they know that questioning is still necessary, regardless of their pure motives. </div>
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Yogananda himself apparently had a fierce critic who was a journalist who would always point out his faults. One day the critic died and a disciple brought the news to Yogananda assuming he would be relieved. However, Yogananda was apparently sad, saying that his best friend the critic had died and that he was the only one who would ever question him and point out his faults! He saw the immense value in this critic's contribution to his life in keeping him balanced in his personality. Obviously criticism can be hurtful and waste time and energy too, but when voiced rationally with balanced and valid view points, such alternative views can aid our growth and we should not be afraid to explore the real messages behind any such challenges.</div>
Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50902580158068630.post-51869350783999570552012-06-04T07:39:00.000-07:002015-01-07T04:12:57.004-08:00Dealing With Candida[This information is not intended to diagnose (as many of the symptoms can be due to other conditions) or to be a substitute for medical advice, it is merely a description of my experiences and the information I have found out. If this information resonates for you, then it is recommended you research further and see a medical/health professional to get support. I assume no liability in publishing these words and in reading this I assume you take responsibility for your own health, diagnosis and treatment. That said, I do feel people need to trust their instincts and feelings more and not just hand the responsibility for their health over to others. It's up to you to find the balance that feels right for you.]<br>
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On and off for ages I have been dealing with a candida imbalance which can sometimes cause me to feel very low in energy. This is likely to be due to having taken antibiotics and the contraceptive pill in my teens and early twenties to deal with other health conditions at the time. These medications are known now to have a detrimental, far reaching effect on the balance of the body's internal micro flora, but at the time this was not explained to me.<br>
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Whilst I was working in a demanding position the past few years I did not have the time, energy or mental resources to nourish myself very well and I believe this, along with my natural 'sweet tooth' tendencies, is why the candida symptoms have flared up again within me. Now I am onto the case and am loving myself back to vitality! I want to share what I have learnt about candida, because I feel it affects so many people in one form or another and can heighten the symptoms of any other health issues being experienced (some people have refered to candida as being a silent epidemic), yet not enough people know about its prevalence, symptoms, how devastating it can be to your life and how to deal with it.<br>
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Candida albicans is a form of microscopic singled-celled yeast (linked to the fungi and mould family) that we all have living in our bodies and on our skin. In a healthy, balanced body candida presents no problems. However, when the balance of the micro-organisms gets disturbed, which is usually caused through taking things such as antibiotics, cortico-steriods and the birth control pill, and/or through eating a diet high in refined sugars and carbohydrates for a prolonged period, and/or through going through stressful times in your life, then the candida yeasts can flourish and begin to dominate the body's skin and mucous membranes, in particular the digestive system, sinuses and throat. This situation can cause one or more of the following broad spectrum of symptoms:<br>
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Tiredness and low energy, disturbed sleep patterns<br>
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Dizziness, difficulty concentrating, poor memory<br>
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Chronic Fatigue<br>
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Allergies, food intolerances and nutritional deficiencies<br>
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Cravings for sweet foods and carbs and or wine, cheese etc. (foods which feed the yeast cells)<br>
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Depression, low mood and low self-confidence (you literally have something within you controlling you!)<br>
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Headaches, congested sinuses & nasal passages<br>
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Sore throats, oral thrush and 'scummy' mouth feeling<br>
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Excessive mucous and phlegm<br>
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Vaginal thrush, menstrual and gynaecological disorders and infertility (the body flora becomes too acidic through yeast imbalance to be able to conceive)<br>
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Urinary tract problems<br>
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Recurrent digestive disorders, bloating, gas diarrhoea and/or constipation<br>
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Rectal itching<br>
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Itching all over the body<br>
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Rashes, skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis and acne<br>
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Athletes foot and other fungal infections<br>
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Aches and pains throughout the body<br>
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Difficulty gaining or loosing weight<br>
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Feeling worse in humid, damp or mouldy conditions and on windy days (when more yeast and mould spores are disbursed in the air)<br>
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It is estimated that a large proportion of the population have some form of candida imbalance, brought about by convenience diets high in simple carbohydrates and the wide use of medications. If you have experienced on an ongoing basis a combination of the above symptoms and yet medical tests cannot find anything wrong with you, then you may well be dealing with a candida imbalance in your body. The best thing you can do to help your body regain its balance is to improve your diet.<br>
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There are a number of different 'anti-candida' diets and approaches out there. You may wish to 'google' it and do your own research. All of them suggest cutting out refined sugar (and honey) and restricting carbohydrates. Also, I think pretty much all of them suggest cutting out artificial sweeteners and fermented and yeast-oriented products such as wine, vinegar (and vinegar containing products such as mayonnaise), bread, bread products and simple carbohydrates (i.e white rice and anything made with plain flour such as pasta) , hard cheese, blue-vein cheese, yeast extract and supplements derived from yeast, mushrooms and fungi, dried herbs and spices (as these are often contaminated with mould and yeasts), and dried fruit for their high sugar content (and again, these are often contaminated with mould and yeasts in the drying and packaging process). <br>
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However, some approaches are more 'drastic' than others! Some suggest cutting out all fruit, carbohydrates and things like beans, others suggest having some fruit but only berries and green apples, lemons and limes, while the book I am currently reading (an older book called 'Candida Albicans – Yeast-free recipes for renewed health and vitality' by Richard Turner (a medical pharmacist) and Elizabeth Simonsen (a nutritionist)) says you can have fruit and a small amount of complex carbohydrates and that you can eat some beans too, but avoid grapes (and possibly melon) which are very sugary. What option you take is up to you. However, the thing to bear in mind is that the more drastically you starve the candida of their sugary sustenance, the more intense the candida 'die-off ' reactions may be that you experience, and these can be hard to deal with and may include itching, sore throat, fatigue, fever, depression etc.<br>
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It is my feeling that whatever we do, we should try and treat our bodies gently and introduce balance and any changes gradually in a way that we can cope with. This is what works best for me anyway! For this reason I prefer a longer term, milder approach to changing the diet (which is sustainable and realistic) and to include as much raw food as possible (especially fresh green juices – e.g. green leaves, carrot and apple – and salads, avocados and seeds). Currently for me the anti-candida approach includes some fruit, some wholegrain carbohydrates, with a good balance of protein and vegetables and healthy fats. Although, I am prepared to be more 'drastic' if the symptoms persist or flare up again. I am also including potent anti-fungals which can help reduce the amount of candida and increase the potency of the dietary changes. The following anti-fungals are known to have an anti-fungal effect and it is recommended you don't take them all at once, but alternate their use over time, so that the candida does not become too used to them and develop a resistance:<br>
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Garlic (oil or garlic used normally in food preparation, or added to freshly pressed juices if you can stand it!) <br>
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Olive leaf extract<br>
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Carrot juice (freshly pressed, can be combined with other juice) <br>
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Grape seed extract <div><br></div><div>Oregano Oil<br>
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Pau d'arco (which is excellent and can be taken as a tea or a powder – I combine the tea with other herbal teas throughout the day), <br>
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Coconut oil (also known as coconut butter – this is excellent and can be used on the skin and taken internally. It is a good source of healthy fats and actually speeds up the metabolism, so is not likely to cause weight gain and is excellent for cooking because it does not break down at high temperatures, you can enjoy eating it by the spoonful raw as it is delicious and nutritious and lot of raw food dessert recipes use coconut oil!)<br>
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Also tea tree oil is a good anti-fungal to use on the skin, but is not recommended for internal use.<br>
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There are various anti-candida recipes you can try which suggest alternative ingredients to use. If you have a sweet tooth, then you could try making some healthy desserts with fruit to sweeten or with xylitol (a natural sweetener that does not raise yeast – can be used in baking but obviously would not work in bread). Stevia leaf is also is another natural sweetener which can be used as an alternative, in its natural powdered-leaf form, not in the processed forms found in supermarkets. The great thing about the stevia leaf is that it contains a whole array of minerals and nutrients, so it is not just empty calories - it can help to boost the body's health in general.<br>
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You could also try making sourdough or soda bread with wholegrain organic flour and then just have a little of this with your meal of salad and protein, soup, stew or whatever you choose to eat. Or, you can use quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth and maize (in various forms) as these are not derived from grains and may be gentler on the system. Like with a raw food diet, with careful planning you can have some tasty meals, but you need to know what is going to aggravate and worsen your symptoms and what is going to help you restore balance to your body. Some things which may worse the conditions in one person, may not in another. So it is best to try out different things and notice how you feel afterwards, although bear in mind, that if you are going through a die-off phase you may be feeling worse because the candida is starving and causing cravings and symptoms within you.<br>
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If this is the case, I like to take some quiet time to do deep breathing and go-within and listen to my body and my inner guidance. You can call on the Divine or the angels and ask for support, even ask them to take the cravings away and use deep, deep breathing and visualisation as an extra form of nourishment, seeing the breath light up all areas of your body. Additional things you can do to help are to rest as much as you can and do things to support the immune system. <br>
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Some things might include gentle stretches and exercise, colonics/enemas, saunas and skin brushing, support through various alternative therapies such as acupuncture/massage, healing sessions, gentle fasting (but only if this feels right for you), drinking lots of fresh water, getting out in nature and getting plenty of fresh air, taking probiotics and herbal supplements to help boost the healthy bacteria needed by your body (which get reduced when the candida yeasts take a hold) and your body's immune system, including the liver which has to cope with detoxing your system. Turner and Simonsen also mention there are some antibiotics that are known to not have toxic side effects and that specifically target yeasts and fungus and you could try these. However, I prefer to take the natural approach where-ever possible so I would be reluctant to try these personally.<br>
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Finally, take time to listen to your emotions. The ups and downs of dealing with a candida imbalance (and any time you are experiencing stress, transition or taking time to detox/fast) can cause lots of emotions to come up. Some of this may be old stored emotions that have been waiting for ages to be released. Other things you experience may be due to the candida consciousness dying off. Sometimes it is hard to know what is what, but it always feels better to let it out and express it (in a way that is non-threatening to others) and journalling, or talking out loud to another person (or to the angels if no one is there!) is a good way to help work through the mixed up-ness of it all and move through it to a more sunny present and future!<br>
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For further research I have found the following comprehensive article that may be helpful:<br>
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<a href="http://www.holistichelp.net/candida.html">http://www.holistichelp.net/candida.html</a><br>
<br></div><div>Update January 2015: I have found taking a whole mixture of probiotics as well as digestive enzymes, along with a healthy low sugar diet and plenty of vitamins and minerals to be the most effective approach to balancing out candida. Things like keffir and natural live yoghurt can be particularly helpful. I am vegan so I have a keffir made with coconut milk, which is delicious. And the great news is it is really easy to make your own. Google keffir or yoghurt making processes to find a method that suits you, if you also want to do this! </div>Alexia Magdalenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09251543092795175376noreply@blogger.com0