Balance renders life fruitful. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
We often hear about having balance in our life, but what does that really mean and how do we achieve balance? At this time of year, we can get easily out of balance with the busyness of shopping and social gatherings. We may get out of balance with what and how much we are eating. The teachings of Kriya Yoga are all about balance. At the basic level we can look at what we eat. Do we eat food that bring us health and well being or do we eat food that might taste good in the moment but bring us discomfort in the long run? Are we getting enough sleep so that during our waking hours we are able to respond to stressful situations with discernment rather than react and maybe say or do something that is not useful? During our busy day do we take breaks for rest and sweetness? Do we take some time in the silence of meditation each day? Do we take time for light exercise each day? Can we turn away from what we find stressful (like the news) and turn towards things, situations and people that are uplifting and bring us joy. Turn away from what you know doesn't support your highest good and towards what lifts you up. As Roy Eugene Davis, the esteemed teacher of Kriya Yoga said “Do what you know you should do.” When we do that, our lives are more grace-filled - our lives are fruitful. That is balance.
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. . . Live each moment completely and the future will take care of itself. Fully enjoy the wonder and beauty of each moment. ~Paramahansa Yogananda
It is helpful to examine how much of our time we spend living entirely in the present. How liberating it would be to never worry about the future or regret the past. Even in the midst of activity, it is amazing how much of the time we can all spend thinking about something else. Do you think you can be present when looking at a phone, a tablet or a TV screen? What steps could you take to live more completely in the present and how could your meditation practice help with this?
Take the small step that is right in front of you now. Don't worry about making a giant step or a big change. If you serve with awareness, devotion, and surrender, God will meet you more than halfway and reveal what is next. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Often when we are making a decision or a change in our lives it can feel overwhelming. We worry that we might make the wrong decision or move in the wrong direction. The outcome may not end up being what we thought it would be or what we think that it should be. We may hesitate and because of fear of the unknown we may become stuck in our old, uncomfortable ways which we know are not working for us, but we don't know how to move forward. When I was young and learning how to downhill ski I could get paralyzed at the top of the hill, because the bottom seemed so far away and impossible to get to. But I made a decision to not look at the bottom and just take the first step. I would look just beyond the end of my skis and I made it down, and it was fun! If we decide to just take one step at a time and trust that we will be divinely guided, we will get to where we are supposed to be. Even if we make a misstep, we will easily guided to correct our course. All it takes is surrender, devotion and trust and the whole world will open up to us.
We arrange conditions in our mind conductive to success by changing any thought patterns that are not consistent with thriving. When we notice negativity pervading our thoughts, we can pause, consider what the opposite would be, and then introduce that opposite as a new, more useful thought into the mental field. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
This method of opposites is one of the most powerful tools articulated in the classic Yoga text, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The verse states that "when the mind is disturbed by negative thoughts, one should dwell on their opposites." Our daily meditation practice brings awareness of the quality of thoughts in the mind and gives us the opportunity to change them. If we can move from the heat of anger for example and cultivate loving kindness, we can avoid the unhealthy effects of anger. This practice not only helps all those around us but also opens the path to our own mental, emotional and spiritual freedom.
A grateful heart is a magnet that draws us to what is harmonious and good.... When our hearts are grateful, when we approach others and life itself with gratitude for all that is given, we generally reap more of the same. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian from her book The Jewel of Abundance.
At this time of the year the Thanksgiving holiday is wonderful reminder to take some time to reflect on what we are thankful for. We can look at our life, at the ups and downs, the good and the bad and find that there is something to be thankful for even in the bad. I realize that I would not be the person I am today without those difficult times. I can look at the mistakes I have made in my life and see how I have learned and gained strength from them. Then of course there are all of the wonderful gifts that I have been given—the gift of the people in my life, the gift of the beautiful area I live in, the gift of the birds singing in the garden, the gift the air I breathe. Life is always so much more joyful when we approach our lives each day with gratitude.
Solve all your problems through meditation. ~Lahiri Mahasaya
Meditation is the single most important practice we can employ to transform our awareness and equip ourselves to handle life's challenges. A steady devoted meditation practice transforms us, allowing us to have a more postive outlook on life. Our emotions are calmer. It improves our physical and mental health. We are less reactive when difficulties occur. We will think more clearly. And meditation improves our relationship with all those around us. So when faced with a significant problem, begin with meditation. Let the mind become calm. You will find it easier to do the right thing, one step at a time. Decisions will come from a more peaceful place. Then finally, release expectations about outcomes, knowing that all will be in Divine order.
In the stillness of the quiet , if we listen, we can hear the whisper of the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair. ~Howard Thurman
In this time of local and global upheaval, it is very easy to get caught up in fear—fear of the unknown, especially right now with this current election there is a lot of anxiety. When we find ourselves feeling anxious, worried or afraid, just pause for a moment, breathe and wait for your calm nature to return. From that place you can then decide if you need to take action and what action that might be, or just rest in the peace of your being. Our world needs more of us to be able to stay calm and think and act rationally. We can be that presence of peace in our homes, with our friends and co-workers and in our communities as a whole. Take the peace that you experience in meditation out into your day. Our world needs your calm presence. Be that.
Just as anxiety about results (of our meditation practice) should be avoided when meditating, so there should be no anxiety about results after meditation. ~Roy Eugene Davis (from his book A Master Guide to Meditation & Spiritual Growth)
When we begin a meditation practice, we may expect our meditations to go a certain way. We may be expecting certain results during our meditation sitting time and then become disappointed or think that we can't meditate when we don't think that we experience those outcomes. We can't know all that is happening during our meditation time because our conscious perceptions are narrow compared to the vastness of our minds and consciousness. If we enter our practice with open-minded, open-hearted intention our time of practice will be fruitful, whether or not we think it is. Let go of any anxiety about your practice. Set an intention that your time of practice brings all good things to you, the beings around you and to the world. Then just relax into the practice and trust. Enjoy your practice. Enjoy your life.
Practice flexing your “inspiration muscles” by acting on insights you recognize are in harmony with the highest good. Don’t miss the opportunity for a blessing. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Many of us have experienced having insights or inspiration. They often come to mind when we are focusing on one thing and not distracted. That is why we often have those experiences when we are meditating or often they come in the shower or while we are driving. During those times we can't even write our inspiration down! I have come to trust that if this inspiration is worthwhile, it will come to me again when I can spend more time with it. I also know that I can take my time with these insights. I can take my time to contemplate them and consider them. Divine inspiration doesn't need to be rushed. I have also learned, over time, that if this insight requires action and is for the highest good, I will be supported in all ways. I have learned to trust that, even when the action may initially seem difficult. The inspiration or insight that comes this way is coming from our inner wisdom—our intuition. That is the inner Divine wisdom that we all have. The next time you have an insight or inspiration, take time to pay attention to it and spend some time with it. Don't just write it off. If it is for your or other's highest good, grace will support you in moving forward with whatever action you need to take. Your action will be a blessing.
Success is hastened or delayed by one’s habits. It is not your passing inspirations or brilliant ideas so much as your everyday mental habits that control your life. ~Paramahansa Yogananda
A consistent daily meditation practice gives us the mental self awareness to judge our thoughts and speech as they arise and to make necessary adjustments. When we let less useful thoughts and speech fall away we avoid negative consequences and attract only the support that positive speech and actions naturally acquire. What we experience as success comes from the harmony of our actions with a supportive universe. Success begins with meditation. Meditation helps us to judge our thoughts and actions and to evaluate our habits. What habits would you like to acquire? Which would you like to drop?
Do what you do as worship. Let your life be sanctified, all of it a holy offering. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Brother Lawrence was a monk living and working in a Carmelite monastery in France in the 17th century. He worked in the kitchens for much of his life until he was promoted to repairing the other monk's sandals. Because he lived his life as a deep, peaceful presence, he became a mentor and spiritual counselor to many of the other monks and people in the community. He passed on his wisdom in the form of letters that were later compiled, after he died, into a book calledThe Practice of the Presence of God, which is still in print. Brother Lawrence said that he saw everything, every action, every thought and every word he spoke, as worship. He said even picking up a piece of straw from the ground was a prayer. Our daily meditation practice calms our mind and brings us awareness of the peaceful presence that we are at the core of our being. We remember that our life is sanctified. As we go out into our day, with a calmer mind, we can slow down and bring that awareness to all that we do. When we slow down enough, we can remember to offer what we do as worship, an offering of peace, compassion and love—an opportunity to bless all those who we encounter.
When the mind is calm, how quickly, how smoothly, how beautifully you will perceive everything. ~Paramahansa Yogananda
When the mind is restless and subject to an uncontrolled flow of changing thoughts, our perception of the world can become colored by the emotions of past experince or fears of possible future events. Our daily meditation practice teaches us to use the tools of concentration and breath control to calm the mind and return it to its natural state of bliss. One of the greatest gifts of a regular, daily practice meditation is our ability to notice when our mind has turned murky, and then we can take steps to come back to a place of uplifting clarity. We are the captains of our own fate, and can choose to perceive our life as beautiful.
Above all, be steadfast in meditation. It is the boat that carries us across the river of delusion and keeps us from being lost in the whirlpools of anxious thought. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
We are living in a time when anxiety is rampant. The list of things we are anxious about is so very long. At this time, world-wide, there is probably not one person who has not suffered or is suffering from anxiety and worry for many and multiple reasons. I can easily be in a whirlpool of anxious thought. I do realize that allowing myself to sit in that whirlpool is not doing myself or anyone else any good. Now, more than ever, my regular, daily meditation practice is what is needed for my own health and well-being and for that of the world. Just imagine that if we are all send out waves of peaceful energy, all those waves overlap and come together in strength. This is how, as individuals, we can change the world. We have a choice. We can sit in the whirlpool of anxious thought or we can change our thoughts and as Mahatma Gandhi said "Be the change you want to see in the world." Step out of the whirlpool of anxiety and send out waves of peace. Calming our minds with meditation is the key.
Stillness of the breath is stillness of the mind. Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
A foundational practice, as we sit to meditate, is to focus on the breath. This helps us direct attention inward and provides a single point of focus. It becomes easier to overcome distractions from thoughts, sounds and sensations when we focus on the breath. As we sit the breath slows and when our attention becomes entirely focused we move from concentration to meditation. The mind grows quiet and the breath can become very still. Stillness of our mind brings peace. We find freedom from the crazyness of our thoughts and experience the illumination of our mind and being. With stillness and peace of mind, we contribute to our own well-being and the well-being of all.
What has amazed you recently....in a positive way? What about the amazing unfolding of divine potential revealing itself every day? ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian from Dharma 365! Live Your Higher Purpose
This quote comes from a chapter in Yogacharya O'Brian's Dharma 365 yearlong online course. In this chapter she is talking about how we can make positive changes in our lives. Kriya Yoga has three foundational principles. One of them is self-discipline. Yogacharya O'Brian tells us that we use self-discipline to follow our soul desire which is always guiding us towards living our highest and best life. She says that "We use self-discipline to thrive. We notice amazing. We feel it. We let it occupy our thoughts and our feelings. We notice how amazing our life is. We practice this—religiously and scientifically. The 'world is bowed down with fruit'. We discipline ourselves to make sure we enjoy it." What has positively amazed you lately?
Speech is an intermediate step in the creative process between thought and action or material substance. Let your words be instrumental in bringing forth the highest good you desire. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Our daily meditation practice teaches us to watch and control the thoughts that occur in the mind. We can observe the impact as thoughts move into the active stage of speech. In daily life we can encourage thoughts that are based in truth and let others fall away. When our speech is firmly based in truth, it has the power of manifestation. The classic text, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, states that "One who is truthful experiences quick results of actions." [translation by Roy Eugene Davis] Mr. Davis, in his commentary on this sutra, says that "Conforming our thoughts and actions to what we know to be true keeps our attention and our actions focused on useful goals and productive endeavors that are easily actualized." When our lives are based in truth, we can live with ease and pleasure.
Acceptance is the simple way to contentment. We open the door to inner peace when we stop trying to make others, circumstances, or the world conform to our desires. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Practicing contentment is one of the ten spiritual practices of Kriya Yoga. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, an important scripture in the Yoga tradition, it says "Be content now and realize unshakeable happiness." When we have trouble accepting the current situation, whatever that may be, we become locked in anger and frustration. When we are in that place we can't observe these circumstances from a place of peace and calm. Life is so much easier when we can stand back and accept the current circumstance with an attitude of calmness. Then we can discern what is our own work to do regarding it. Sometimes we realize that the only thing we can do is to let go of our own desires for what we think the outcome should be and let Spirit take over. As the saying in 12 Step programs says "Let go and let God." Accept, be content and live a happy life.
The focus and resolve needed to dive deep in meditation is cultivated in the hundreds of ways throughout our day that we resist and transmute self-will. Every time we do what we know is right for us, we strengthen our ability to go deeper in meditation. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
When we begin a meditation practice, we become aware of the myriad disorganized thoughts that come into our mind. Over time using a technique like focusing on the breath, we learn to let the thoughts fall away and bring the mind to a single point of focus. Next we become aware of a new way of making decisions. We learn to differentiate between the selfish promptings of ego and the enlightened intuition unleashed by our meditation practice. Making the ego a useful helpmate instead of our boss deepens our meditation day by day. We have embraced the virtuous cycle where right living strengthens meditation and meditation returns the favor.
Developing one-pointed attention is valuable on the meditation cushion and off. When the mind is calm, not flitting from one thought to the next, energy is conserved. Vital force is available for the task at hand. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Conservation of energy is one of the five techniques that constitute the first of the eight 'limbs' of yoga practice. The goals of these practices are the cessation extraneous thought activity and the experience of pure transformative awareness during meditation. One pointed-attention frees us from the distractions of busy mind. I remember that many years ago when I started high school, a printed time planner seemed to help me get organized, limit wasting time and focus on the task at hand. Now in our modern world, we have instant access to electronic calendars, but the devices that enable this are laden with enticing distractions. The default mode network of our brain seems to induce a tendency to change thoughts every three or four seconds unless we make an effort to concentrate. It is like an inner TikTok lying in wait inside us. My personal preference to enhance concentration is mantra, but many find that focus on the breath works best while waiting for the gentle shift from concentration into the flow of meditation itself. Experiment and find which technique works best for you.
Ego identity is maintained through our desires in the form of likes and dislikes. Constantly seeking to get what we want and avoid what we don’t want obscures the perfection of what is. ~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
In the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, ancient Yogic scripture thought to have been written around the 2nd century BCE, we read in Chapter 1, Verse 15 that "dispassionate nonattachment enables one to consciously control urges, cravings and instinctual drives." (1) We naturally have things in our personal world that we like or dislike. These likes and dislikes come from our previous experiences and color our perceptions. Some can affect us positively and others negatively. Those likes and dislikes can cause suffering if we let them. We may crave things we like, become attached to having them and get upset when we can't have them. They may even become addictions. When we dislike something we may get angry when or upset when they occur. Fear of these things that we dislike may control our actions. These likes and dislikes may eventually define who we think we are. Our likes and dislikes can control how we live our life. When we let that happen we are forgetting that we are greater than these. When we observe our likes and dislikes objectively and unemotionally, we can then make the right choices, live in the way we desire to and enjoy life for what it is. (1) Roy Eugene Davis, The Science of Self-Realization
