According to the teachings of yoga, our environment should be peaceful and uplifting. This is considered the best way to allow innate peace to surface and our creative, nurturing capacities to be unveiled.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian - from her book The Jewel of Abundance p.184
I find that it can be so easy for my little desk area, in the corner of our den, to become cluttered with books and papers. I may be using something and think that I might need it the next day, so I leave it sitting next to my computer. The next day comes and I find something else that I need. All of a sudden things accumulate and then it feels overwhelming as to where to start to clean it up. Over time I have come to realize that I don't work or think well when that clutter is around me so I have developed a habit to keep my desk area tidy and dispose of what I don't need in a timely way. We have all experienced how our environment is influential. We know how we feel when we go for a walk in nature, for example, and how it renews our energy. Yogacharya encourages us to consider "What brings joy to your heart and peace to your mind? Cultivate and enhance those aspects...Let your choices reflect your intention to succeed—to live, love, and thrive in the highest way."
The antidote for regret is to move our awareness into the present moment. Consider what you can do now that makes a difference.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
It is so common to look back on our lives and have regrets for what we did or didn't do. We can waste a lot of time in that regret or we can look at those things we regret and see them as life lessons. We can look at those events that we regret and consider how we can move forward in our life and do it differently if a similar situation comes up. We also forgive ourselves, like a parent would forgive their child for making a mistake. See yourself as the shining light that you are. Let go of the past and live now. Living in the highest and best way means to let go of those regrets and know that as we move forward in the journey of life, we do our best for ourselves and for others. As Yogacharya says, consider what you can do now to make a difference.
Be aware that each word you speak is a seed planted in the field of life. Each word spoken puts energy into motion. Let us pay attention to what we say and why we say it. As a spiritual practice, seek to discover the intention and motive behind your words. What is it that is speaking? Is love speaking?
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
As we move into the new year it is common to make a New Year's resolution. The problem with this is that these resolutions are often broken fairly soon. A resolution is defined as solving a problem or resolving an issue. Why not set an intention? There is a difference. An intention is an aim or a goal. It is something that we can work toward. Yogacharya O'Brian has likened setting an intention to using a bow and arrow. We pull back the bow string with the intention that the arrow will hit the mark. We can take this sacred time of the year to look at our lives and determine how we want to live and set an intention to live with higher purpose.
Being conscious of our speech, the seeds we plant with what we say and the intention behind what we say, is a positive way to begin the year. Set an intention to stay conscious of the words you use, how you use them and the intention behind them. Sometimes that may even mean staying silent or pausing before you speak. Our regular meditation practice supports us in that conscious awareness.
We can mobilize the power of our determination by setting an intention, making a declaration, and offering it as a sacred vow.... A vow becomes sacred when it draws upon our deepest desire, is connected with our life purpose, and serves the greater good.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian from her book The Jewel of Abundance
We can take our new year's resolutions to a higher level by using the technique of affirmation. Create a positive verbal affirmation such as "I easily have all the resources I need to carry out my useful
intentions." Keep your affirmation in the present tense. Repeat this verbally and in silence until it resonates by itself. Repeat your affirmation regularly. Then rest in the conviction that helpful intentions are gracefully supported by a friendly universe. Which transformative affirmation do you embrace for the coming year?
The peace we pray for in our world, the love we hope for, the healing we yearn for, and the joy we welcome are natural expressions of spiritual awakening. What the world needs is this awakening. Let us pray for it today and believe in our hearts that it is possible now.
~ Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian (from her book The Path of Wonder: A Meditator's Guide to Advent)
Yogacharya continues by saying "Embrace the idea that spiritual enlightenment is your inevitable destiny. Know that you are already enlightened at the core of your being, a pure expression of the one divine life of God. Identify Self- and God-realization as your life's purpose and goal. Consider any changes that you want to make to arrange conditions in your life to support that goal. Decide which change should be the first step. Make a plan and begin it today. Walk faithfully toward your goal."
As we celebrate the coming of the light this week may we remember that we are that divine light expressing through these precious bodies that we have been given. May we know the joy and peace in that realization and live from that divine knowing. This is our life purpose. What is your plan for your first step toward this realization?
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 as it is for the Jewish tradition of Hanukkah which celebrates the coming of the light. Diwali, the festival of lights was recently celebrated in the Hindu tradition. Many traditions celebrate this sacred time of 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 you light it. We remember that this sacred time is a portal, a portal to the light of love, the light of peace.
If we imagine that all the elements of the Christmas story signify some part of us, a stable as the setting for the birth is significant...There is a lot in common with the human body (and the stable). Many religions point to the body as the dwelling place of God.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian (Path of Wonder: A Meditator's Guide to Advent pg.34)
I continue to draw from Yogacharya O'Brian's book, Path of Wonder and the symbols of Advent for a deeper spiritual understanding of how this story of the waiting can prepare us for spiritual awakening. This week I am inspired by Yogacharya's contemplation of the connection of the stable, in the story, with our physical bodies. She asks why "many of us ignore, abuse, or indulge the body, not respecting that it is the dwelling place of God." An important part of our spiritual practice is respecting and caring for the body and the mind. It is through the body and mind that we think, speak and act with spiritual intention. I know that for me, during this holiday season, it is very easy to forget how this body supports my spiritual awakening. There are so many temptations to eat more and especially more sweets than I know are good for me. I may feel too busy to do the exercise that keeps my body strong and healthy. I can push my limits by not always listening to what my body needs by not getting enough rest.
We can ask ourselves: how can I treat my body as the temple of the Divine that it is? Another question Yogacharya suggests we ask ourselves is: what simple step can I take today toward caring for my body? You can read more on this topic in Yogacharya's book Path of Wonder: A Meditators Guide to Advent; Week Two-Tuesday.
To hope is to expect, to anticipate, or look forward to. Cultivate a hopeful attitude by assuming there is Power for good in this universe, and you are choosing to cooperate with it.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian (Path of Wonder: A Meditator's Guide to Advent)
In this time of the Christian tradition of Advent, the four weeks before Christmas, instead of just focusing on shopping and getting, we can create a more spiritual journey through this time. This is a time of year when several different spiritual traditions celebrate the coming of the light of love and peace. In her book, Path of Wonder, Yogacharya O'Brian offers us daily teachings and practices that can transform this time of the year for all of us, no matter what religious tradition or no tradition that we espouse. In the first week she shares about hope. This is a difficult time in the world and many of us are worried about the future. Our hearts ache for those who are suffering all over the world. Our hearts ache because of the social divisions that seem to be getting wider and wider in our own country. It can be a difficult time for those who are alone or have family issues.
Yogacharya says, "Cultivate a hopeful attitude." Rather than being pulled down into the depths of despair, if we assume there is a Power for good, we can remain hopeful and serve life from that place; bringing the light within into the world. She encourages us to "Feel or imagine that life supports you...Notice what it is like to consciously choose to be hopeful."
The belief “I need this or that to bring me happiness or security” affirms lack. Realize your wholeness now. Then watch what is added unto you from your abundance consciousness. Watch.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Our daily meditation practice makes us aware of the contents of our mind and gives us the power to change what goes on there. When we catch ourselves complaining, we can recall the principle that 'like attracts like.' Thoughts of lack attract that experience in the real world. A strong gratitude practice can liberate us from the feeling of lack and attract abundance in an entirely graceful way. Try it every day for a week and you may be surprised.
Affirm abundance.
Work with love, steadiness, and full attention on your priority for today. Remember that divine order permeates all that is. Cooperate with it.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
When I read this quote I thought about my priorities. As I made my list, I began to realize that my priority in life is what infuses everything that I do. My priority is to think, speak and act from a place of Self-knowing, from remembering who and what I am as a Divine being. It is not always easy to remember but my daily sadhana, my spiritual practice of meditation and prayer, continues to strengthen this knowing. This is the Divine light that infuses every thing and every moment of our life. There are times when I forget and react from a place of anger, frustration or fear. Because of my regular practice I am developing a better "muscle memory" for reacting from a place of peace and love and faith. When I don't know what to do or I am ready to to jump on the fear or anger train, I am able to pause and decide what I need to do in that moment so that I can be more responsive rather than reactive. Like having a regular exercise program to strengthen our physical bodies, our daily meditation practice acts to strenghten our inner knowing allowing us to live our lives, each day, in the highest way.
One of the most persistent obstacles we encounter to our own happiness, peace, and well-being is our tendency to argue with the way things are. Acceptance brings freedom and unleashes our power.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Our daily meditation practice makes us keen observers of our own minds. When we notice the emergence of anger, resentment or fear, we can exercise the power of letting these thoughts fall away and cultivate positive replacements. This is particularly useful with the counter-productive habit of resenting things as they are. We can waste a lot of energy in resentment, or merely let this negative emotion fall away and then take productive steps to deal with the situation as best we can. Meditation opens the path to this freedom.
Meditation on a regular schedule provides frequent opportunities for physiological and psychological rest, while freeing attention to explore more refined states of consciousness and to effortlessly experience spontaneous unfoldment of innate, spiritual qualities.
~Roy Eugene Davis, An Easy Guide to Meditation, CSA Press
Here Mr. Davis is guiding us to understand that meditation is for more than just stress relief—"physiological and psychological rest"—but its regular practice facilitates our experience of higher states of consciousness, beyond our regular waking state. It is here that we can touch into the place of peace and inner wisdom that is who and what we are at the core of our being. Some of the other spiritual qualities he refers to are compassion and love. These are the innate spiritual qualities of all beings, no matter what we may see on the outside. When the myriad thoughts in the mind quiet down in meditation we experience these qualities, carry that knowing into our day and are able to see them in others. From that place of inner knowing of what we are, we "live and move and have our being". This is living in the highest way.
There is always a way out of your trouble; and if you take the time to think clearly, to think how to get rid of the cause of your anxiety instead of just worrying about it, you become a master.
~Paramahansa Yogananda
A steady meditation practice brings many gifts. We become accurate observers of our thought process. We can get control over the contents of our minds, and when we are able to let negative thoughts subside rather than becoming attached to them, we reach the level of mastery and find a solution to our mental suffering. What can you do to strengthen your meditation practice today?
Strong mental chains are forged from desire and habit. Each time action is taken to fulfill desire, another link is added. Use discernment and self-discipline and break the chain
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
We all have experienced habits that keep us from living in the highest way. Those habits can be deeply ingrained and are difficult to break. Desires can create habits. Sometimes the habits are useful and sometimes they aren't. For example, a desire for sweets can create a habit that leads us to unhealthy eating. Or a desire to live a life that is peaceful, joy-filled and fulfilling can come to fruition when we focus on practices that are physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually uplifting. Our regular daily meditation practice supports us in developing the discernment to know what does and doesn't support a better way of living, thinking and being and gives us the self-discipline to create good habits in order to live our best lives.
Through meditation I will stop the storm of breath, mental restlessness, and sensory disturbances raging over the lake of my mind. Through prayer and meditation I will harness my will and activity to the right goal.
~Paramahansa Yogananda
This affirmation is from the man who was a great Yoga master and reminds us that even he had to struggle to overcome the restlessness of the mind. All of the great spiritual meditation teachers tell us that it can be done. Simple concentration techniques such as focusing on the breath can take all of us to the depths of meditation if we use them consistently with intention and energy. The first level obstacles in our way are our own lack of intensity, application, and will power. How miraculous it is that we all have full control over these.
Grace is how wisdom arises, and we receive the light of inspiration. Grace supports the earth and its atmosphere—all things are possible through divine grace and power. Each breath we take, we take through divine grace.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian from her blog Divine Grace—The Truth That Sets Us Free
This topic of grace is a favorite of mine. I think it is because I can imagine grace blowing like a soft breeze all around me, giving life to me and to all. It is not something that we see and we can easily ignore it but it is always there. When we remember it, we can appreciate this divine gift and it makes our lives so much easier. We don't have to do anything to earn it or work hard to see it, we just have to open our hearts and our minds to allowing the awareness of it. Gratitude is one way to have the awareness of grace. When we grateful for whatever comes into our lives, we become aware of grace. Even when we are experience a difficult time in our lives we can experience grace. Sometimes those difficulties take us in a direction that we might not have gone in and through that we have new positive experiences. If we take the time to be grateful, even just being grateful for the food on our table and those who made it possible for the food to be there, we can experience the grace in our lives. We have so many opportunities to experience grace each day, if we stay open to it. In the same blog as the above quote came from Yogacharya O'Brian says "Life is infused with divine grace and beauty. It is always, forever, trying to show us that. When we look upon it with gratitude, we are free to see it."
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. In daily life we can encourage useful thoughts and let others fall away. We can observe the impact as thoughts move into the active stage of speech. 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] Our meditation practice provides the gift of acute awareness of the contents of the mind and the ability to control its contents. As we work on a truthfulness practice, we enable our innate power of speech to manifest positive changes not only in ourselves, but in the external universe that supports our useful endeavors.
The law of karma is perfect. Harming harms us. Acts of love return to bless us.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
Karma is a Sanskrit word that literally means the results of actions. The Bhagavad Gita reminds us that we cannot refrain from acting. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali tell us that actions have consequences: good, bad or a mixture of the two. Even our thoughts have karmic consequences. Through our thoughts, words and actions we are planting seeds. Daily meditation practice nurtures our witness consciousness which enables us to observe and modify our actions in real time. We are fully responsible for our own karma so that we can plant positive seeds for the future. Especially in these difficult times it can be very liberating to act out of love. As we move into this new year, let us make the commitment to plant positive seeds for our and the world's future.
Make new determinations as to what you are going to do and what you are going to be in this next year. Set a program for yourself; carry it through, and you will find how much happier you will be.
~Paramahansa Yogananda, 1934
Our practice of meditation and spiritual inquiry give us insights into the true nature of happiness. After a while we come to the realization that real happiness does not depend of the items deposited on our doorsteps by Amazon or on the approval of others. Happiness is an inside job dependent on our consciousness and ability to filter thoughts and emotions which emerge in our mind. So the task of preparing for a better new year comes down to understanding what positive changes we can bring about in ourselves. What determinations are you considering at this auspicious time — the beginning of a new year?
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. It may be hard to see that love. Our meditation practice helps us to slow down, notice the good around us and experience the love. It helps us to experience the love that is within us and to share that with others.
We are moving from the shortest day of the year into longer days, more light. In many ways and in many religious traditions, even for those without a religion, the coming of the light is celebrated at this time of year.
On this sacred day, in the Christian tradition, the coming of the light in the form Jesus of Nazareth is celebrated. This child represents the light of hope, the light of peace, the light of love. We are reminded that we are that same light and we can live from that place of love and light. As that light of love we can bring joy to ourselves, our families and to the world.
