One of the most persistent obstacles we encounter to happiness, peace, and well-being is our tendency to argue about how things are. Acceptance brings freedom and unleashes our power.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Life happens. There are times when we wish that things were different. We wish we had a different relationship with someone. We wish that someone that we loved had not died. We wish that an illness (either ours or someone else's) was not affecting us. We wish we were not growing older. The list can go on and on. When we dwell in that mindset of wishing that something was different than it is, we suffer. We are unhappy. But we can change our mindset and reconnect with our happiness and inner peace. We can accept what is, discern if there is something we can do to change it, and do that. And if not, we can let go of the wishing, accept and focus on what is good in our life. Then we can move on to discover what we can do to positively contribute to the world. In the ancient yogic spiritual scripture of the Yoga Sutras of Patajali we read that "Contentment provides supreme peace and happiness. Y.S. II:42."
We are so much more powerful when we take control of our lives and accept what is instead of letting "wishing it were different" control our lives. The life of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who recently died, reminds us of how we can live in joy, even in spite of many hardships. He suffered great difficulties as a black man living in a country with extreme racial prejudice, but instead of being angry and bitter he showed us the power of what joy can be. He took this power and made a difference in the lives of many. Accept life on its own terms, be content and live in joy.
Discard thoughts, behaviors, relationships, and actions which are inconsistent with your highest ideals. Whatever concept of the ideal life you have, actualize it now. You do not have to wait to make useful changes.
~Roy Eugene Davis
What are your highest ideals? Does your ideal concept of life involve you being a kinder person to all those around you? Can you envisage being more in the flow of abundance and giving generously to others? Are you ready to accept situations as they truly are move ahead efficiently without wasting time complaining? Will wiser use of your personal time and energy allow you to accomplish more of your highest goals? Personally I have decided to focus more on the right use of my time and energy. How will you take advantage of this new year to move ahead? The possibilities are infinite and the time to begin is now.
To the Guru of the passing year
I bow, and say Namaste!
I behold the divine in you
I pause, and say thank you
for every teaching
though I am a poor student
don't finish my assignments
want credit for it all
yearn for recess
fall asleep during class
need a bell to wake up
yet love learning as light
loves the empty room
at the end of the day
thank you
for the teachings that woke me
and for those I slept through
I walk out with a nod of your blessing
as the door of this year closes behind me.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian from her book of poetry The Moon Reminded Me
(A note from the author: Guru is a Sanskrit word meaning teacher, the light that removes the darkness of ignorance. The term can apply to one's teacher; to God, the Teacher of all teachers; or to Life itself with its inherent tendency to support spiritual awakening and the fulfillment of its purposes.)
You are Love itself. Live that way.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
At this time of the year we are surrounded by messages of love. We get holiday cards and hear from family and friends that we may not have heard from for a long time. We see movies, such as It's a Wonderful Life that remind us of love. We buy and receive gifts, that are given with love. Strangers say hello and wish us happy holidays. It can also be a difficult, stressful time for some of us. Our meditation practice helps us to slow down and notice the good around us.
We are moving from the shortest day of the year into longer days, more light. In many ways and many traditions, even for those without a religion, the coming of the light is celebrated at this time of year. Even if this is a difficult time of the year, if we remember that the light is hope, the light is peace, the light is love we can live from that place, we can bring joy to ourselves, our families and to the world.
Time spent in meditation is the occasion to trust that we can let go of grasping or working on anything and simply be present. Trust that any authentically divine inspiration that arises will remain after you meditate.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian from her booklet, The Path of Wonder: A Meditator's Guide to Advent
Often insights will come to us while we are seated in the midst of the meditation practice. As we have talked about many times in this newsletter, as our thinking minds quiet, our deeper inner wisdom is experienced. But what do we do when that happens? When we are first beginning to meditate, we may feel that we need to stop our meditation time so that we can find a piece of paper to write that thought down. It could be important! What if we don't remember when we are done? What the teachings of Yoga tell us is that the deep inner wisdom we are experiencing is always with us, we just don't always notice it during our busy, thinking and distracted day. But it is there and if it is a divine idea, it won't go away. Acknowledge the thought and then continue with your meditation practice. You can even inwardly ask that it come back to you later. These teachings tell us to trust that if it is a divine idea it will return when we are not sitting in meditation. Then, at that time, we can contemplate it and ask our Self (that divine inner knowing) how to move forward. This time of year, in many traditions, we are celebrating the coming of the light, the light that illuminates our consciousness—our illumined consciousness perceives the wisdom within.
Forget the past, for it is gone from your domain! Forget the future, for it is beyond your reach! Control the present! Live supremely well now!
~Paramahansa Yogananda
A steady meditation practice brings unexpected benefits. As we become extremely aware of the thoughts that arise and fall away in our mind, we learn to direct energy away from those that are not useful. As we continue to use this ability to control our thoughts, we can let go of frustration, anger or worry. Some time ago I realized I was wasting energy getting frustrated with the utility company and some work that needed to be done to get better support for the power pole in front of our house. I realized that I needed to let go of my frustration and try to resolve this issue in a more positive way. Then recently I saw a lineman up the pole and cheerfully asked what he was doing. He replied that he works for a local internet provider, they are strengthening all the poles for the new service they are bringing in. With a more positive attitude we can begin to live in the freedom of an expansive present and the universe mirrors our happiness.
Advent coincides with Winter Solstice and myths from many times and cultures, which provide and entry into sacred time. Sacred time is a portal. It can take us into the profound, spiritual significance of the time of year, the time in our world, in our lives and our consciousness.
~ Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian (from her book The Path of Wonder: A Meditator's Guide to Advent)
We are reminded, by the Christian practice of Advent that this is a sacred time of the year. That it is a sacred time is easily forgotten, in our culture, with all the material focus on the holidays. We can slow down, though, and take the time to watch and listen. Advent means the arrival or coming. We prepare for the arrival of the light by watching for it, seeing it all around us in the people we meet and the goodness that is around us even when times seem dark. We can listen to the still, small voice within each of us that guides us, offers us peace and reminds us that the light is within ourselves. We are reminded each and every year, at this time, that as soon as the shortest darkest day happens, it is followed by the days slowly growing longer and brighter. This is the reminder that as we watch and wait, the light always comes. It never fails us. We can create a ritual each day that reminds of the coming of the light by just lighting a candle before meditation. Do it consciously and offer a short prayer as we light it. We can remember that this sacred time is a portal, a portal to the light of love, the light of peace.
Anticipate obstacles as opportunities. Remind yourself at the onset of a new endeavor or setting a goal that obstacles are in integral part of growth. Decide to see them as one of the ways that life shows us capacities we didn't know we had or reveals potentials in a situation we couldn't see before.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian (from her book The Jewel of Abundance)
Consider the obstacles that you face in your life today. For those relationships that seem to present obstacles, can you re-interpret them as opportunities for you to grow? This Thanksgiving, I found that an apology opened the way for a better level of sharing with someone I have trouble communicating with. As a younger man, I began a couple of unfortunate careers that only seemed to present dead ends, but eventually I took one skill set I had acquired and turned it into success in an entirely different field. How could you re-interpret apparent obstacles as opportunities for growth or guidance toward new paths?
The quickest way to get out of struggling or unhappiness and enter into the flow of immediate blessings is to begin to praise. Affirm, I am so grateful. Fill the mind with the light of appreciation and the darkness of negativity will flee.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian (from her book, Living for the Sake of the Soul)
I am grateful that we have a national holiday each year to bring attention to that which we are thankful for. Yogacharya O'Brian points out to us that in a spiritual and emotional sense, expressing our gratitude, at any time, fills our hearts and minds with positive energy that can dispel the darkness of negative energy. Sometimes it may seem difficult to see what is positive in our lives, but recognizing even the small positive things can bring us joy and contentment. It may take some effort, but the more we look for the positive, the more and more we will see it and experience it.
Right use of vital force, at the core of the practice, is concerned with appropriate channeling of the energy of our life toward our life purpose. It is concerned with not allowing our vital energy to be depleted or dispersed, but to remain pure (i.e. singular) to one's spiritual focus.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian (Living the Eternal Way, p.119)
At a basic level, the yogic practice of right use of vital force (right use of our energy) boils down to good time management. What is the best use of my energy to enhance living my best life. Attention to this practice helps me keep on track in all aspects of my life. On another level, it helps me observe emotions. As I watch my mental state and notice if I am afraid or angry I find it helpful to use mantra to clear my mind. But for me the greatest benefit of this practice is simply paying attention to what is really important. I have to be able to give a clear answer to the question of what is my life's purpose, to awaken to the knowing of the spiritual being that I am, and then act on that basis. Isn't everything else simply a waste of time?
To experience the real solution to a problem, enter the temple of spiritual Truth beyond words and thoughts. Sit in the silence, receptive to your soul’s inspiration. It will come.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
At the core of our being is a quiet peaceful center. At that center lies the truth and knowing of all. We often call that intuition. We have all experienced it, whether we have followed that intuition or not. We know what the way forward is. The answer to a problem is there for us when we are quiet and listen. Sitting in meditation, allowing all of our busy thoughts to settle, paves the way for our inner knowing to reveal itself. We may not get that answer right away, but just expect it. It will come. We will know the answer is right because we feel at peace when it is revealed. It just feels right. There is a saying "I had a gut feeling." That's our inner wisdom, our intuition. It is a divine knowing. With practice we learn to trust it. As Roy Eugene Davis said, "Do what you know you should do."
Change yourself and you have done your part in changing the world. Every individual must change his own life if he wants to live in a peaceful world.
~Paramahansa Yogananda
Sometimes when I look out on the world and find it full of hate and conflict, I am encouraged by the knowledge that this perspective is significantly due to my own mental state, which I can change. After meditation, things always seem more encouraging. A steady daily meditation practice really helps. Just as importantly, when I make that extra effort to push through laziness and do the right thing most of the time, life just gets more pleasant and supportive. It is amazing to think that we can contribute to changing the world, just by changing our own thoughts. The interesting questions are these: when things don't turn out the way we want, who is responsible and what can we learn?
Real peace cannot be created; it has no cause. It is a spiritual quality innate to the soul. It is revealed when our lives are in balance, and we act with integrity.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Living our lives in balance, living our lives with integrity—what does that really mean? If you have been reading our messages for a while you may remember that we have talked about balance in the past. Balance means taking time to take care of our bodies by eating a healthy balanced diet—a mostly plant based with fresh, organic if possible, fruit and veggies, getting enough exercise or movement in your day and taking time to rest. Balance means taking care of our minds. Once again that means a healthy diet, but also social interaction with people who are uplifting for us, taking in media, television, books, periodicals and social media that is entertaining, positive and uplifting. Balance also means taking time to sit in conscious silence each day—having a daily, intentional meditation practice. Once we have a healthy, balanced body and mind, integrity naturally flows from that. We don't make commitments that we are not able to keep and we keep the commitments we do make. When we live our lives with integrity we live in the world with compassion and we serve others in the best way that is appropriate for us, not emptying our own "well" in order to give to others. When we live in integrity, we recognize the Truth of our being. When we live in balance with integrity-we experience the innate peace that is our Truth and we can share that with others.
Once we begin to renounce what was never ours to begin with, and anchor our awareness in that which we truly are, life takes on a new glow of ease and delight. Where there was formerly struggle, we find a quality of effortlessness.To sustain this way of grace-filled living, an essential discipline must accompany it: discerning between lasting benefit and passing pleasure, while consistently choosing that which server our highest goal.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
The principle of non-attachment teaches that the outcome of our actions is not up to us, although it is important to do our best. Paradoxically this frees us from worry and opens up the possibility of learning when things to not turn out as we think they should. Silicon Valley has worded this as "fail fast, fail often." The key to avoidance of suffering lies in the discipline of maintaining perspective when the outcome of our action isn't what we thought it would be. We may find that what actually happens affects us in a much better way. This is a lesson I find myself learning and then relearning. My life becomes so much easier after each relearning and as I age, the choice of lasting benefits requires less effort. Our meditation practice is key to calming the mind which sets us up to see the world in a greater, more open perspective.
It helps me to spend a moment at the conclusion of my meditation practice reflecting on all that is given and provided. I also find it helpful to pause several times during the day and intentionally give with the awareness that I am giving to the Source. If I am feeding the fish, watering the plants , or cooking for my family, I see it as an offering to the divine.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian from her book The Jewel of Abundance: Finding Prosperity Through the Ancient Wisdom of Yoga.
The practice of gratitude has become one of the most important aspects of my life over the past several years. I found that that when I overcame the mental habit of complaining and worrying about not having enough and replaced that with gratitude, everything became easier. Doors opened and the resources I needed naturally appeared at the right time. It became more natural to be generous and seeing all I do as a gift. How can you enhance your practice of gratitude and wouldn't this make it easier to enter the supportive flow of giving from a natural space of abundance?
There are two kinds of work. The one is the expression of soul’s righteousness in the objective world and the other is the awareness and unfoldment of the innate divine attributes of the soul within one’s own subjective consciousness. Both of these are spiritual work.
~Lahiri Mahasaya
At the time we are writing this blog, in the Kriya Yoga tradition that we practice, we are celebrating the life of the great spiritual teacher Lahiri Mahasaya (30 September 1828 – 26 September 1895). Lahiri's legacy for all of us is that he brought these teachings to the people from all walks of life, all religious backgrounds, all social strata and to women. He taught many hundreds of people while working as a government accountant and raising five children with his wife. He encouraged his students to adhere to the tenets of their own faith traditions while adding the practices of Kriya Yoga to deepen their faith. He was considered the ideal "householder yogi." He understood what it was to work, have family obligations and to still have a deep spiritual practice.
Often we think about our work in the world and our spiritual life as two separate things, but it is really all one thing. It is our life and we can bring all of our selves to every aspect of our lives. When we are in the world with our jobs and our family, we do our best and follow the deep ethical guidelines that are taught by all of the world's major religions and what we know in our hearts to be right. Our spiritual practice supports and informs our lives, so that we can live our best life in all ways. Everything that we do and experience is our spiritual work.
Be as simple as you can be; you will be astonished to see how uncomplicated and happy your life can become.
~Paramahansa Yogananda
The pursuit of simplicity in life is in harmony with the core spiritual practices taught by Yogananda. Right use of our energy frees us from the wasteful expenditure of time and energy. When we look at how we spend time we can liberate great amounts of it for useful purposes. The practice of non-stealing, not feeling like we lack for anything, can lead us to reduce clutter from our homes and transfer things to others who can make better use of them. Devotion to harmlessness can free us from compulsive attempts to tell others what they should be doing and free energy for our own self-transformation. Harmlessness makes us better listeners and can save us from saying things we might later regret. Simplicity can lead us to inner contentment, that powerful practice that frees us from seeking happiness in the gratification of desires and puts us in touch with our own innate joy. Spend some time pursuing simplicity and see what it can do for you.
Listen to Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian’s talk-
Live Simply: The Auspicious Way
Spiritual practice is choosing peace, clarity, and compassion in thought, speech, and action. We have only to observe our thoughts and choices to determine whether we are aligning ourselves with peace, chasing after desires, or succumbing to depression or inertia. Practice making any course corrections needed to stay the course of an uplifting way of life. Like a pilot steering toward a chosen destination, constant course correction is necessary until we arrive.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Whatever our particular religion or even if we have no religion we can have a spiritual practice. As Yogacharya O'Brian says here, our spiritual practice is how we choose to live our lives. We realize what we want in our life and then live consciously so that we live in a way that attracts what we are looking for. Like is attracted to like. When we find that we veer off course, all we need to do is notice and then make the course correction. One of the many benefits of meditation is that it trains us to remain awake and aware of what is happening in our minds. That is what the pilot is constantly doing—remaining awake and aware in order to make those needed course corrections. We make no judgement of ourselves. We just notice and make the course correction. This is the way to live our best life. This is our spiritual practice.
When we notice negativity pervading our thoughts, we can pause, consider what the opposite would be, and then introduce that opposite ... We counter feelings of hatred by contemplating love or loving-kindness. If we notice frustration, we think about patience. When we are anxious or worried, we remedy that with faith or contentment... Stinging with jealousy? Try the healing balm of appreciation.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
At this time in the world and in this country, we can easily be overwhelmed with negativity pervading our thoughts. This method of opposites works really well for me when I have the mental energy to directly use it. Other times I find it useful to creep up on the opposite by drowning out negative thoughts with a mantra such as "May all beings be happy. May all beings be at peace." Then after a while I can smile my way into the opposite feeling successfully.
Be intentional but don't try too hard. Joy is always present, just as we live, and move, and breathe, and yes, meditate.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
This week we would like to share this blog post with you from Yogacharya O'Brian. The purpose of meditating is not just to meditate. In her blog Yogacharya shares why learning to enjoy our meditation practice (no matter what) is helpful. She says "when we enjoy meditating, we're likely to continue doing it long enough to derive tangible benefits from it—both the stress-reducing and health-enhancing benefits, as well as the transformation of spiritual realization." Click on the link below to learn three ways to arrange conditions so that we can enjoy our practice and receive all of the benefits.
Meditation Practice: How to Enjoy It and Why
