| I didn’t set out on an overtly spiritual path through life. It was more like I bumbled my way upon it by chance (after hitting a place of despair and asking for help.) My first few months of ‘opening’ were characterised by confusion. One day I finally summoned the courage to enter a new-age book shop. “So many new things to learn!” I thought… “where do I start?!” Actually, there was so much spiritual ‘stuff’ it was overwhelming. Alongside a wall of crystals with a seemingly endless list of miraculous sounding ‘benefits’ were all sorts of doo-dads that promised to invoke mystical enlightened states. Somehow, (and I think rather unfairly,) books on ‘Yoga’ were lumped in with the tie-died shirts and patchwork pants. For the record, I love both – but as I now know, they ain’t in the same category and Yoga has waaay more to offer than the latest spiritual ‘fad’! Back then, I didn’t know better. These days, I do my best to help people see that Yoga is a vast tree, and is sacred. I try to help people see that it doesn’t have much to do with the new-age spirituality that is now common in the west. As I waded through the ‘the spiritual scene,’ spotting the BS was hard. Good intentions were a great start but didn’t seem to be enough. There were plenty of people who would happily take my cash for the said magical doo-dads, (knowing full well that they wouldn’t work.) In this new-age scene, not only is there nonsense peddled, genuine practices like Yoga have been distorted and made into something they never were. Our particularly western fascination with body is a result of the underlying philosophy of materialism. We believe we are things. So we want more things… Naturally, when Yoga made it’s debut outside of India, we latched onto the physical aspects of a vast set of much more subtle Yogic practices. And it is those subtle practices like meditation (dhyana) that are the parts of Yoga that actually deliver the promised fruit (the gifts of equanimity and peace.) Asana means seat /posture and this is the bit we got hooked on, which is why Yoga is that seen by many as a workout. This is okay. We all need to be healthy. And you need a comfortable ‘seat’ ie body to meditate in. Yoga can deliver these. But if enlightenment was waiting on the other side of stretching alone; there would be equanimity on the footy field… and the netball court… which there clearly isn’t. Having the good fortune to study under some of the world’s greatest masters, I got an exposure and instruction in a more traditional path. From them, I learned that Yoga is a mode of worship (that is, a practice that is used to look up to something beyond us.) And in doing so, I realised that the beyond ‘thing’ is located… within. Don’t worry if this breaks your mind, it is meant to. The Soul, Yogically speaking, Atman, is pure awareness. It needs no understanding; it is beyond that. It simply… is! Wholehearted engagement with more traditional practices of Yoga will reveal truths about one’s fundamental nature. It is a lofty aim. And in my experience, it delivers. For a ‘theist’ (one who believes in God,) yoga will reveal the reflection of the divine within. For an atheist (one who doesn’t have a belief in God,) yoga will also reveal the reflection of the divine within. How so? Wisdom doesn’t discriminate. Let’s take the impulse to breathe. From where does this ‘will’ come? Does a baby think to itself “breathe?!” Do you need to think to yourself ‘breathe?’ It happens. Naturally. No-where in modern science have we proved that the mixture of chemical and electricity (cells and the nervous system) produces the conscious phenomenon of ‘being aware’ of the breath. If you are curious, look up the ‘hard problem of consciousness’ which has philosophers and neuroscientists stumped… but be aware, you may just go down a mind bending rabbit hole! Upon closer examination of the breath, through a Yoga practice, things get a little spooky. From where has the breath come, and to where will it go? Simply reflecting upon the cause, origin and nature of the breath, the unruly beast of the mind is gently subdued. Try it out and don’t be perturbed if unrelated thoughts arise, this is totally normal! So you sit and watch the breath, and you cultivate it. You direct it, you let it direct you. Suddenly, you become the breath. Division ceases. There is no breather of the the breath. You and it have Merged. These experiences shape you; for if there is a momentary clinging in the mind, you will resist merging with the breath. Thus, Yoga, shows you where you are stuck. This is why it is a spiritual practice (not a physical one!)‘Spirit’ comes from the latin word ‘spiritus,’ which means, quite unsurprisingly… breath. If you are breathing, which I hope you are doing right now… the ‘animating spirit’ is alive within you. Here, at Kailash Ashram, we call it the Soul. When you cease to breathe, even if you are an atheist, we bury or cremate you. We mourn your ‘loss.’ War taught me first hand that “there are no atheists in the fox holes.” Yoga has taught me that we are all spiritual (ie breathing) creatures; no matter what you might say about yourself. Recognising simple truths of body and mind will reveal the Soul. This is Yoga. Not huffing and puffing and ‘working out.’ As the mind begins to still in the final Yogic practice (meditation), peace begins to blossom without effort (samadhi.) One benefit is the emergence of a little buffer in the seemingly constant stream of emotion and thought. A tiny bit of ‘breathing space’ can help you check in with your higher truth, before saying / doing something that you know deep down is dumb. That buffer can feel insignificant, but it isn’t.Don’t dismiss it because it is small. Though barely perceptible, it is priceless. Just like the safety switch on your house electrical circuit. Small, but so damn important. The switch detects a current leak and instantly turns of the flow of power, thus saving your life (or home.) So too, a momentary inner-buffer, a slice of higher awareness on your stream of thoughts can help you shut down a potentially disastrous response to a difficult situation. And there will be plenty of those hard moments in our collective life on planet Earth My little buffer has stopped me from saying things I know to be untrue, has helped me to ask for forgiveness when I have made mistakes, has guided me to let others see my pain.. and in general, it has resulted me in being a more ‘real’ human being. Making my life (and the world around me) a better place. If you are an existing meditator, you may have sometimes witnessed tiny gaps between your thoughts. They feel nice, right? Guess what, this is a sign you are on the right path! Those gaps are the same buffer we are talking about! My advice if you are new to meditation; keep going, it will come. It has worked for others, it will work for you too. Don’t worry if you don’t attain a thoughtless state in your meditation (that may take some time;) if you start seeing your ‘inner-buffer’ come alive during the day, the practice is working. And it typically comes much more quickly than you may think. This buffer is one of the greatest gifts that my Yoga practice has brought me. It has literally saved my life (which is why I am so passionate about sharing, and why I started an Ashram) and I hope that by pointing it out, you can be thankful for yours and are more motivated to sit for meditation. This week I pray that you notice your inner-buffer growing; and that it helps you tap into your own clarity, wisdom, and insight so that you can act from a peaceful place within; the world can always use more love! – – – – If you are interested to learn how the practices of Yoga will help you to create and maintain your ‘inner-buffer’, I’d love to share them with you on our upcoming Soul Retreat. On the retreat we will share with you ancient wisdom made relevant for modern times in a safe, supportive and beautiful container, no matter what experience level you have. Upcoming Soul Retreats: 22nd to 26th November28th December to 1st January 2024 November is almost full and December is filling quickly, please get in quick if you’d like to secure your place as both retreats will sell out. Jai Atmeshwar Victory to the Divine Soul |
The Momentary Pause
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