In today’s blog I will shed a little more light on the magic of music and sound and how it contributes to our overall wellbeing.
The meditative process requires engagement and reflection, fine tuning insight which results in heightened discernment. This one essential key to aiding balance in life now occupies your thoughts. What is understanding? How to develop it? Understand what?
How are things going for you lately? Some challenges? Nice surprises?
Do you stay evenly balanced through the challenge-surprise cycle? Or does it get wild? Does practice go on and off?
Paul teaches how to go deeper within and process deeper blockages with self-compassion.
What are the benefits of pranayama? Sri O. P. Tiwari explains briefly how pranayama allows us to see reality for what it is and not as it appears.
At Samahita we stand firmly against racism and discrimination of any kind. We offer this 20 minute meditation for being in the heart and to spread healing love to a world that is suffering right now. An active heart support of solidarity, and against needless
prejudiced violence, in the US and beyond.
Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor's Samahita Live event “Leaning into the Curve; Grounded, Compassionate and Clear in the Midst of it All” Originally streamed live on April 3rd, 2020
Stuck at home without much to do? Or too much to do but it’s all stressful? Or bored? Or just not interested that much in what has to be done or what could be done? Thinking more about “what if’s”?
Overcoming Fear
Paul Dallaghan guides us through a contemplative meditation to help overcome fear
Contemplative Meditation with Paul Dallaghan
Get Centered with Contemplative Meditation with Paul Dallaghan. Listen and be guided through Gratitude, Forgiveness, Compassion and more.
Find a comfortable place to lie down for a relaxing 10 minute body scan tonight with our teacher @Sarah Pierroz and some beautiful music by the Icelandic beauty @Arnbjörg Kristín Konráðsdóttir, sharing her version of the Prayer for Wellbeing.
ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu Niraamayaah |
Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu
Maa Kashcid-Duhkha-Bhaag-Bhavet |
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||
Om, may all be happy,
May all be free from illness.
May all see what is auspicious,
May no one suffer.
Om Peace, Peace, Peace.
Is it possible to go from novice meditator to clear and awake brain states in 10 days? With a little bit of data and our guests personal account we present an individual's journey from brain fog, energy crashes and disrupted sleep to mental clarity, calmness and deeper spiritual awareness
The moments before dawn are my golden time. In that space before the sun rises, in the stillness, I can feel the earth taking a deep sigh as the day magically begins to unfold. Sitting in nature, feeling the nourishing sensation of my breath brings me immediately back to my source.
What is the purpose of biofeedback? The traditions teach us how to sit, concentrate, eat and abide in appropriate ways conducive to meditation. We learn to observe our breath and clarify the senses with the intention of delving deeper within our Self. It is here where the biofeedback begins. So what happens when modern technology is introduced?
From the Archives 2012: Sri O. P. Tiwari sharing insights and Yoga philosophy discussing Unity in Diversity and the basic purpose of Yoga.
Death, disease, old age, friends leaving, jobs lost. People change, situations change. ALL the time. Everything is temporary. Everything, including life itself. Which can be really hard to accept. Some struggle to handle even the smallest changes in life. Why is that?
Because the mind is a bit tricky and has a way of controlling us, if we let it. If allowed, the mind will happily spin out on thoughts of fear and worry about life and all that could happen. Poor me, life is so hard, what if, why me etc. etc.
Having kids doesn’t necessarily mean losing your yoga practice especially if you’re prepared to make a few adjustments to your routine (you’ll have no choice anyway). Each stage of your Childs development has its own challenges and opportunities for example newborn babies wake up at night but they also nap during the day so that gives you extra time to relax and connect with yourself. Whatever the situation it’s important to find balance of your commitments and your own personal needs.
Here are 5 tips to help you cope.
A couple of things should happen when you practice asana. You should enjoy it, as it can both challenge and reward you, and it should support you, and not wear you down. Depending where you are at in practice, it can help cultivate an overall integrated experience on the level of breath and mind.
The answer to this is something that evolves over time, with one’s development, as the experiences and insight grows and changes. In the beginning I can’t say why I practiced other than I liked it. I remember saying to myself “this is the most intelligent form of exercise I have ever done”.
Consider yoga as just a word, or term, for the process of being internally connected, a light to look at oneself, separate to outside study. One might ask, “what supports such a process?” Hence the many approaches within yoga and spiritual paths in general. My point is that yoga is a term for that, “internal focus and connection”, just as gravity is a term for a certain exerted external force.
Personally I think life is beautiful and great. An underlying understanding from many philosophies is that life is full of suffering. Which it is, especially if you really look at all we go through. However, how do you approach this? I realize the temporariness of life. I am personally going through the difficulties and challenges of life. Yet somehow, everyday, I feel great and very upbeat, from deep within.
This is the beauty of the yoga method and why it is still available today to those interested in looking within. On the surface it goes through popular shifts but at its core it answers the perennial question still haunting mankind: to know thyself. So let practice evolve and change but aim to understand the teachings. Don’t be attached to the techniques nor the teacher, but connect with the teachings.
One of the more discussed and misunderstood topics in yoga, the common belief is that it is celibacy, a complete abstinence from sexual activity. But this is only part of the picture.
“Brahma” is the Ultimate Reality, the Creator. “Char” is to move. Literally then the move to the ultimate reality or more practically put, ways or methodology to be used for self realization.
The essence of it is a lack of, or at least a reduction in, selfish behavior. The mental attitude is not one of “what am I going to get, what can I get or I really want that”, but rather no interest to acquire and keep. There is a stronger urge to give and share, use things as needed and be willing to let them go when done.
Follow and DO as you read.
Sit at the edge of your chair.
Try to straighten your spine.
Put one hand on your navel.
Put the other hand on your heart center.
Inhale through your nose.
You may say, “but I’m breathing all the time.” True. It’s such a vital function that without it you wouldn’t be reading this. The quality of breathing varies greatly, however, leaving most people seriously undernourished and overstressed.
Paul Dallaghan’s Interview for Inner Peace Conference in Amsterdam:
"I was sent away at 16 on my own to work and live on a farm in rural France. Much time was spent in nature, either working or quietly alone. Without me realizing it was a key meditative time. That was the first key transformation for me with a few later key shifts occurring so it is now lived on a daily level."
There is a big difference between something that is clean and something that is pure. If you were to hold out both hands and have a flower placed in each hand, one being plastic and totally clean, the other being real but with some dirt still on it, could you tell the difference? You can tell just by feeling. Automatically you know which is artificial and which is natural. You know instinctively because it is your essential nature.
Since the dawn of time the refined mind has understood that one’s behaviour, actions, speak loudest about the character of an individual. We are taught growing up that “talk is cheap” and “actions speak louder than words”. It is the actualization of this through our systems where satya lies for us.
Pratyahara is taught and discussed in many texts on yoga and related philosophies. A thorough presentation of the topic would require much reference, a lot more than is necessary for this article. So without getting too academic and caught up in all the texts let me attempt to offer a simple and workable understanding of it.
“I will not hurt you.” Is this a promise you are willing to keep or at least try? Could you extend it beyond your family and friends to all members of society? To all animals and insects? Not just in action but through what you say? To totally taking care of your actions so that even a seemingly non-hurtful one is done mindfully so there is no indirect hurt? To watching all thoughts that bring up negative and hurtful images and feelings within?
