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New Year's Inspiration from Sri Swami Satchidananda
The real way to celebrate the happy New Year is not to run after happiness outside of you. Try to find that hiding happiness within you. How can you find happiness if you don’t have peace? Can you buy peace somewhere? Can you find it in the alcohol bottle—spirt-ual peace? Or can you find the peace in a little piece of something you can buy? No. You cannot buy it. You don’t have to. You have it with you always. If you don’t have peace and happiness in you, you won’t find it anywhere outside. If you make your life a dedicated one, you will have unending peace. To quote the Bhagavad Gita: Tyagat shantir anantaram. Only with tyaga—only by leading a dedicated life—do you have unending peace. Essentially we are all happy, we are all joyful, we are all peaceful. Nobody and nothing can make you happy. Whether new year or old year or good year or bad year, don’t blame the years for that. It is up to you to enjoy your own happiness. So may this new year make you realize your own happiness and to celebrate not only the new year, but every new minute.
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Quoting Thayumanavar, one of South India’s spiritual giants and a Tamil philosopher, Swami Satchidananda translates famous lines from the teaching: You can achieve anything in the world, but what is the most difficult thing to achieve? To make the mind quiet. In this New Year's talk from 2000, at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, Swami Satchidananda goes on to encourage listeners to: “Seek the kingdom first” and to “become like little children.”
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The Practice of Shikantaza from a Yoga Perspective
It's always inspiring to reflect on common boundaries between various spiritual traditions, especially because Swami Satchidananda encouraged his students to appreciate that, "Truth is one, paths are many." Recently, Padma Renke Wick, a longtime student of Swami Satchidananda and a Zen Buddhist practitioner, shared an article with us entitled, "The Practice of Shikantaza," by Sojun Mel Weitsman. Padma explained: "I thought you might appreciate this article about shikantaza. This is one of the primary sitting zazen ("just sitting") practices. The practice reminds me so much of Gurudev, his teachings, and how he was in the world. He always emphasized not being selfish. As an early (and young) student of Gurudev, at the time I was not able to understand it at the level described in this article. Gurudev also talked about taking meditation into the rest of your life, as Weitzman describes. I actually think that the Yoga Nidra we practice at the end of the Integral Yoga Hatha class is a great introduction to shikantaza, though Yoga Nidra is done lying down. And as Integral Yoga teaches, a practice of yama and niyama, hatha, and pranayama is an excellent preparation for shikantaza.
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In this episode of "The Yoga Hour," Yogacharya Ellen O'Brian and her spiritual teacher, Roy Eugene Davis (a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda) discuss how to become spiritually enlightened in this lifetime. They share six practical things—essentials for Self-realization—we can all do that support our intention to awaken fully. Yogacharya hosts "The Yoga Hour," which is a weekly series on Unity Online Radio.
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“Go with the flow!” We hear this phrase often as advice when we are struggling under pressure or we are experiencing something uncomfortable. Its intention is to shift us out of trying to control the outcome so that we accept what is happening and relax into the moment. While these are healthy considerations, the question might be, how does one actually go with the flow? How do we let go of control when sometimes control is actually required? How do we accept what is happening when something unjustifiable is happening? .... Many times when an experience is requiring us to go, we seem stuck or frozen, especially when there are indicators that the approach we are currently taking is not supportive to our physical, mental, or emotional well-being. We are unable to shift out of a habitual or predictable pattern. For example, you have plans with a friend but they cancel at the last minute due to an unforeseen circumstance. Instead of feeling let down but understanding the situation (going with the flow), we might feel dejected or let the feeling of disappointment make us feel depressed. Changing any long-held reaction or pattern is challenging, but if we can stay conscious of our response, we have an opportunity to apply wisdom (prajna). MORE
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Rev. Jaganath, Integral Yoga Minister and Raja Yoga master teacher, has spent a lifetime delving into the deepest layers of meaning in Patanjali’s words within the Yoga Sutras. Our series continues with the 14th and 15th sutras of Chapter 1 in which Patanjali further expands on the nature of Yoga practice and one of its most important fruits: self-mastery (vasikara).
In the context of the holistic approach of the Sutras, vasikara should not be understood as being born from brute willpower but from love of liberation. It is freeing oneself from attachments by cultivating love of liberation until it is greater than the craving for objects of attachments. This love is nurtured through practice, discernment, and introspection. Zeal for liberation gradually eclipses attachments. This understanding of mastery is based on nurturing the innate harmony between the individual, with the forces of nature, and the ways of the world. When vasikara is attained, the gunas (constituents of nature) continue their natural functions but no longer obscure our intrinsic Self-identity. The result is freedom from misidentification with prakriti, a misperception that is based on the limited perspective of self-interest. Vasikara is a state of mind that corrects all former life imbalances. Nature, instead of being a source of misperception, is experienced as a source of joy, wisdom, and liberation. MORE
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To Know Your Self—the classic text by Swami Satchidananda—is now available in Spanish as an eBook. As Swami Satchidananda explained in this excerpt from the preface to the book: "When you know yourself—your true Self—then you know everything, and you understand everyone. It’s not easy. It takes work and perseverance. But even that effort can be joyous, and when that realization dawns, you will enjoy your own true nature, which is always peaceful and happy. May the teachings in this book show you the way to know your true Self and help you on your path. Peace of mind and happiness is our birthright. Why don’t we all rise up and enjoy that? Yoga shows everyone how to stand on their own two feet. It is for everyone. It’s not another religion, but it may help people find the key to their own religions. It’s my humble prayer that you use these simple keys to free yourself from all unhappiness."
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When we were going through separation and divorce, that sense of overwhelm can feel like drowning with nobody there to throw us a rope or life preserver. These feelings of chaos and panic are usually compounded with the fact that we are not sure what to do or when to do it. Should-do’s, checklists and well-intentioned advice from multiple sources seem to contradict one another.... No other time are these feelings of hurt, panic and confusion felt more acutely than in the initial weeks of separation. My husband had moved out right at the beginning of January 2011, after years of pretending our marriage was fine, after months of our denial, fighting and a few failed attempts to make the marriage work. Even before we decided to split we experienced a roller coaster of emotions. When the split actually occurred, a whole new set of grief and confusion took its place. Looking back, the most accurate way I can think of to describe those initial weeks of separation is in comparison to nuclear fallout. Everything in my life seemed radioactive—my emotions were at their most raw and my sense of logic, rational and organization was at its weakest. MORE
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This audio discussion, along with soothing visuals from the mountaintop, takes a look at an essential teaching from Swami Satchidananda. Shankar Parker (Integral Yoga Academy staff) and Avi Gordon (Integral Yoga Teachers Association acting director) join in conversation together about the nature of faith. Shankar begins the discussion relaying what he's learned about the difference between blind faith and a faith rooted in respect for all paths. He describes how we each may ascend the mountain from a different vantage point, yet we all meet on the same mountaintop. Enjoy the conversation— and the view!
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We love when our readers share their interests and passions with us and how Yoga figures into these! One Integral Yogi and car enthusiast, Jay Gillotti, has written a new coffee table book, Gulf 917. And, he's featured on the podcast "Cars Yeah," where in the opening of the program he shares how a quote from Swami Satchidananda inspires his life! The Porsche 917 is one of the most successful and iconic racing cars of all time, thanks in part to its starring role in the Steve McQueen film, "Le Mans." And in a bit of syncronicity, Steve McQueen himself became a big fan of Yoga and integrative medicine during his cancer treatment. His doctor, Dwight McKee, is a close colleague of Dr. Sandra Amrita McLanahan, who started the U.S.'s first integrative medicine clinic, Integral Health Services, in 1976 in Connecticut. Dr. McKee joined IHS several years later as the associate medical director. Congratulations Jay and keep the inspiration flowing as you hit the road!
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Inside Yogaville
After a busy morning this past week, Sigora Solar (the same company that installed the solar panels on Sivananda Hall) finished the installation of the new LOTUS solar system. It is not online yet, but it sure looks beautiful! (report and photo by Bill Geoghegan)
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Inspiring Meme of the Week
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