I forgot to mention two more things Dharma said this week:
-The mind becomes depressed when we neglect our spiritual practice.
-Relaxation is the best antidote to impurities. (He says this one all the time).
I managed to make it into one more noon Master Class, despite being knackered from taking six classes in three days. This time, I received some incredible adjustments from senior disciple Andrei Ram. I also felt his unseen hands helping my tired carcass get into pinca mayurasana - even though he was on the other side of the room.
At the end of class Dharma spoke of watching the mind, body and senses, and to keep going back and back to examine who is doing the watching and finally come to the Source. (This is not unlike Ramana Maharshi's "Who Am I?" inquiry).
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I've been listening to this Lakshmi mantra since I got home (and realized how much I spent - and how much income was lost - going to NYC. But it had to be done). The mantra is incredibly soothing, and goes forever.
Not income lost- think experience gained.
ReplyDeleteJust an exchange of energy. You might have given me that terminology. (which I may or may not be butchering :).
You are exactly right.
ReplyDeleteMoney (energy) spent on spiritual pursuits is never lost or wasted.
The Egyptians have a saying:
ReplyDeleteTOMBS HAVE NO POCKETS
I was thinking about him saying depression is a result of neglecting your spiritual practice, and it occurred to me, that possibly my asana practice is not at all spiritual?
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, anything that is practice of being in the moment, the now, is a spiritual practice. Right? But...
Not saying I've been depressed per se, but volatile definitely!!!
Eh it's all very interesting. I keep thinking about the thing Greg told me about the six poisons surrounding the heart too. Possibly what I've been experiencing is a necessary part of the clearing process. Clearing or healing or something.
In my experience, asana is part of the purification process. I did six-days-a-week ashtanga for ten years before taking Dharma's 200-hour teacher training (this was after taking two other trainings, in 1998 and 2004). The first day of Dharma's training I felt a tremendous sense of relief: Here were the other limbs! Here was the meaning of life/yoga! Here was all of the other information - the spiritual practice - that I was interested in but not self-directed enough to figure out on my own! I was ecstatic.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the years of steady ashtanga practice prepared the body and breath for Dharma's teachings. For me (and my temperament, and karma), it was the logical and necessary next step.
Pattabhi Jois said, "Think God. Be God." Dharma explains, in detail, how to do this. I'm one who needs explanation. Others may not.
ALSO...
Dharma always says that without Yama there is no yoga, and is always stresing Ahisma (and the rest) in word, thought and deed.
I think it's possible to have a spiritual astanga practice, but most teachers are only available for the physical part of it.
ReplyDeleteI do plenty of study on my own...
My inability to work meditation in my life MIGHT be the biggest problem in terms of me being... spiritually satisfied.
Hmmm... I think right now I may be dealing with grief and a churning heart chakra. My dealing with whatever it is, is highly imperfect!
Dharma calls Psychic Development an "active meditation" and has recommended doing it instead of "regular" meditation when one cannot sit still with a calm mind (ie the mind is jumping around too much). In my case, it works.....
ReplyDeleteI can sit for 15-20m and do the nose time thing fairly comfortably, most of the time. The problem is making myself do it!
ReplyDeleteI got the instructions and have yet to practice Dharma's techniques. I was the same way about pranayama in Goa!
What is the nose time thing????
ReplyDeleteOooh I meant to type nose "tip" thing... just the basic meditation of focusing there. It's how I learned, centuries ago, and the easiest place for me to focus.
ReplyDelete