Connected (May 2020 Newsletter)
No matter where we are physically, we cannot help but be connected. We are connected through our BREATH with everything there ever was; that is now, and ever will be.
Knots symbolizing interconnectedness at the Lad Khan Temple at Aihole in Karnataka, India. Built 5th Century.
Image credit: Sanyam Bahga and Ms Sarah Welch, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-By-SA).
Being forced into this abnormal situation of social distancing, almost the entire world is suddenly forced to confront extended isolation. What a unique event. Experience it, it is the opportunity of a lifetime. Hopefully it will not happen again, but as we go into another month of retreat there is still a chance to stop, really stop, and take stock. Those things in life that have been so important are suddenly forced to be less so. What can we take from that? Firstly that we are not going to allow ourselves to jump back into life as it was before, full of busy-ness and often mindlessness.
It should make us realize that the material things in life are not so important after all. We should have found novel ways to ground us and make us feel stable. Whether we spend more time organizing, cleaning, cooking/baking, walking/running/gardening or reading/watching TV, while everything has shifted, our breath remains true and steady. It is the very first breath that gives us life, and with the last breath one is said to expire (expiration as in breathing out). Prana in Sanskrit means life and also breath. It truly is the same thing. It is the breath that connects us to the Universal Energy that is eternal and divine; it is the same air that all sentient beings draw from and so connect to the entire physical world and to each other, and it is the breath that can and should connect each one of us to our own Being.
Try this simple quiet meditation to connect with your breath. On waking, take a few minutes to stay in bed. close your eyes and pay attention to your body, slowly scanning top to toe. Next focus on the breath and allow it to flow through slowly, starting again from head to drawing it slowly towards your feet. Visualize it as light and iridescence. There is nothing to think about, nothing to do, just be present and breathe. As you continue to breathe, feel your physical body just drop away and notice that you are the breath, shiny and energetic! Can you practice this every day? Five minutes to 15 minutes. This should be a lifetime's practice, but it's the perfect time to start now, when the silence around us supports this practice.
Namaste,
sipra
"Being, Not Doing": a reflection from Kevin Ryan
I am a human being, and most people think I do that quite well, but it’s a lie, or, at least, quite deceptive. The truth is, for all of my adult life, I have been, much more, a human doing, and the stationary and isolated orders of this COVID-19 pandemic are just about to drive me nuts! I am not a workaholic, but I don’t “do nothing” very well at all. I frequently like making lists and checking things off; I like knowing my gifts and putting them to the good use of others as well as myself. But right now, that urge to do as been pushed aside, or has been slowly sifted down to the simplicity of just being, and as much as I have advocated, preached, and promoted this very state of calm, when it is the only one that seems available to me, I find myself writhing so to get out of this cocoon.
Ten more years with the Master, we used to say in meditation circles when we laughingly caught ourselves lacking true awareness of the present moment. I must be up to a thousand years, by now! I have been given more time to observe, and more opportunities to contemplate than ever before in my life, and though I am certain that I have longed for such gifts, now that they are here, I find myself fighting them, frustrated, at the very least. And my awareness of this tension between doing and being is, in itself, a source of additional tension for me.
It seems a special “blessing” that this virus erupted in the early spring when temperatures have been slightly below normal, and rainfall amounts spill over the seasonal standard. On such days, the natural inclination is to stay inside, so no problem there. But in between the rain and the chillier temps, have been days enough where the wonder of spring has exploded in its wardrobe of color, sounds, smells, and the warm splash of sunshine – and now we have the chance to observe and enjoy it all! Sure, on these days, one is drawn to the out-of-doors, but the experience of this flourishing dance can be enjoyed in one’s backyard, and even in the safe social-distancing of a Metro Park. All this time to just be in the lovely two step dance of the oscillating spring, and I now I find myself, of all things, wanting the return of routine and schedule. What is wrong with me!?
The difference, it seems to me, is that I am not choosing this situation, but rather, it has been thrust upon me. It is a new twist to the old challenge of “embracing what is.” Normally – whatever that is or was! – our learning curve comes from learning to accept the difficult trials that inevitably come with life, and surely this stay-at-home order has that in it as well. But the trial of this order is not to do more, but to be okay with doing less, and just be; and that seems a gift that any of us would welcome, except that I don’t seem to be! When I step away from the tumult of life’s busyness and responsibilities for the satisfaction and rejuvenation of a quiet retreat, even one that comes with self-chosen and self-inflicted sacrifice, I want it done on my terms and on my decisive time. I may need a break, but by golly, I want to choose it; I want… control! And nothing about this pandemic experience says, “I got this.”
Perhaps what I could use is a little more yoga! I appreciate, and often marvel, at those who attend my yoga classes on a regular basis (well, when we were in “regular time”) because they never know what they will get on any given day. As I seek to offer variety in my classes, those who attend can never be sure “what today will bring,” and yet, people come, and they seem to embrace whatever it is they get. And I need more of that spirit! Siddhartha, the Buddha, taught that we humans are drawn into suffering of our own making whenever we try to (excessively) control life, the circumstances and the outcomes. I want time for meditation, reflection, prayer, and the exercise of yoga, and I will frequently complain about the lack of it when “other needs” crowd out these desires; but what I am also painfully realizing during this pandemic is that I want all of those things on my terms, and subsequently, I am “suffering.” What I have “asked” of my yoga students for years – to work with and be okay with whatever it is I throw at you today – is exactly what I am being given in a daily dose. Maybe you wanted some hip work, but today my class focused on shoulders; maybe you wanted a strong, steady flow class, but today we started and ended on our backs with the slow unfolding of held poses. And maybe what you wanted isn't what you needed, because what we need is often not what we want. Yes, this shutdown is “a rare gift” for people like me. I don’t want or need it, but as it squeezes out what I want, I am realizing more and more what it is that I might need. Here’s to another day that feels like “ten years with the Master.”
In the end, Life should not even be about needs and wants, for each of those will come in their own good time, and when they do, we ought to be ready to wrap our safe-distance arms around them.
Join Kevin for Re-Treat Yoga every Friday from 12 to 1 PM. During this stay at home period, he is also offering Rise & Shine Yoga on Tuesdays, 8 to 9 AM.
Manifesting Your Perfect Life
In Central Oregon (Pony Butte), arid country with 40 million years of geological history – a manifestation of perfection. Picture from sipra’s recent trip.
Manifesting one’s life, or realizing what one imagines to be the perfect life, is known as Sankalpa, from ‘Kalpa', meaning vow or intention, and ‘san’, the connection with Godness/the Divine, or Universal Energy. In the yoga tradition, which refers to the Indian way of life, Sankalpa is simply connecting to the highest truth. It is unique for each one of us, and is as unique as each one of us (dharma).
Manifesting is not morphing into something that we are not; it is simply realizing who we innately are. It is not the ego-driven will that suddenly decides to get what it wants or thinks it needs. Dharma is what is uniquely you. You need to change nothing, you need to make no sudden decisions to make life suddenly perfect.
How do we manifest our best life?
• Be simple, like a child. Expect and know your Divine Self will guide you.
• Self study (swadhyaya). Meditate deeply, and constantly. Hear (passive act - accepting) rather than Listen (rational thinking mind) the messages from the Source.
• Faith works for the simple minded. Have faith. It is the Divine Will and not my will. The following are all connecting us to that Divine Source of Energy:
Iccha – the desire, the drive, the energy. Write them out. Revise them regularly.
Karma – the daily actions need to realize the dharma. If you are loving it and serving others, you are on the right track.
Jnana – Wisdom to stay on the right path. This takes time, discipline and perseverance.
Have no doubts! Each doubt lessens the energy of the unidirectional flow towards realization and Self-Realization.
May you be fulfilled.
Namaste,
sipra
Meditate More, Stress Less (August 2019 Newsletter)
Hello, don’t save this newsletter to read later. Spend a moment reading it NOW. Keep you eyes on the words and your mind on the contentsMeditation! It was my topic for the July newsletter article, and the bottom line was that your best meditation practice is as simple as staying constantly focused on the present moment. This month we look at it in practical terms.
We are sensory beings and our thoughts can easily be deflected to whatever triggers the senses at any point in time. But if you have experienced the deep silence and openness of meditation you may be searching for a way to replicate that moment over and over again. You can spend a lot of time and money going to the latest classes and groups that “teach” you meditation. There is nothing to be learned about the meditation practice itself. Many techniques can direct us in the process, helping to quickly reduce chatter in the mind known as ‘chitta vritti’ in yoga (see Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.2). Meditation is simply awareness with nobody and nothing present, especially not the practitioner with their thoughts, sensations, or feelings.
In Chapter 3 (Vibhuti Pada or Progression) of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, four qualities are required from the aspirant in order to succeed in their practice. These are dedication, zeal, constant and uninterrupted awareness, and perseverance.
Add to that a few other qualities described by Frances Vaughan, PH.D. (who researched the common ground between psychotherapy and spirituality). Meditation is not meditation without these: releasing negative emotions, effort and consistency, authenticity in expression resulting in self-trust (I call this transparency), insight and forgiveness of oneself, and love practiced in both giving and receiving.
To this mix of the old and the new directions, add freedom from one’s ego and the conditioning that makes up our interpretation of life experiences, and events and our oftentimes thoughtless responses. (Refer to Sutra 1.40)
At YWB we offer 10 different ways to practice meditation. These are simply methods. Try one or all, use one or switch as your needs change to allow you to grow into a deeper practice.
Learn more about the 10 methods i teach at YWB. This month let's walk the labyrinth together. It is simple, profound and magical!
Join us on Sunday, August 25th from 3 to 5pm, for ongoing sessions on Practical Meditation.
Namaste,
sipra
Free to be You and ME (July 2019 Newsletter)
Advaita (a – not, dvait – other) means ‘One Undivided’, and 'Without An-Other'. This is the essence of the Vedantic philosophy of non-duality. When we can get to the point of losing that distinction between I/Me and the Other, we are in a state of awareness without conflict or contradiction. This state happens spontaneously but it takes a lifetime to realize the simplicity of the present moment. This involves a life of moderation, meditative practices and sharing life transparently with all sentient beings. This concept of non-dual consciousness exists in most religions, including the Christian and Neo-Platonic traditions (e.g. mystical union).
You may think this is not for you, my friend the reader, at this time in your life for you have much to do and much to accomplish. It is however worth being aware of this so you can keep this on the back burner with the burner set on low all the time, so to speak!
A modern sage from India, Ramana Maharshi (1879 – 1950) is well known for his famous little booklet, ‘Nan Yar’ (written in his native language, Tamil) meaning ‘Who am I?”
"Jnana (knowledge) is given neither from outside nor from another person. It can be realized by each and every one in his own Heart. The jnana, Guru of everyone, is only the Supreme Self that is always revealing its own truth in every Heart through the being-consciousness 'I am, I am.' The granting of true knowledge by him is initiation into jnana. The grace of the Guru is only that Self-awareness that is one's own true nature. It is the inner consciousness by which he is unceasingly revealing his existence. This divine upadesa (instruction from the teacher) is always going on naturally in everyone."
Also from the same booklet, “Who am I?”
'There is no such thing as ‘the world’ independent of thought. There are no thoughts in deep sleep, and there is no world. In waking and dream there are thoughts, and there is also the world. Just as a spider emits the thread of a web from within itself and withdraws it again into itself, in the same way the mind projects the world from within itself and later reabsorbs it into itself…Consequently, when the world appears, the Self is not seen, and when the Self appears or shines, the world will not appear.'
This topic has relevance especially today as more and more philosophical and counseling wisdom appears on the Internet. Almost daily your device offers a new source of anxiety relief in the form of music, podcasts and meditation. They may be good ways to begin a practice but you cannot gain awareness through them. Awareness comes within, from the Atman, the spirit, the divine connection already within yourself.
The location as Ramana Maharshi say, is the heart. Start by quieting yourself by bringing your focus to the size of a pinhead right in your heart center. Can you stay there for 5 seconds? Maybe 20?
Join us for our practical meditation session on the third Sunday afternoon.
Namaste,
sipra
Truth, Goodness (Godness), Beauty (June 2019 Newsletter)
Image: Horsehead Nebula taken by Hubble Space Telescope.
Satyam. Shivam, Sundaram
Truth, Goodness (Godness), Beauty
Life is so simple and joyous! Lying in bed for a delicious moment before we jump out and dash into a rough, tough world, we do picture it as such. We might glimpse a moment of it now and again, but why isn’t it ideal and perfect each day and all the time?
Surely someone will come along and make a comment to me today-whether it is a statement, a direction, a request, a complaint or anything else. In whatever way it might have been meant by the speaker, a lot is frequently lost in the translation depending on where my mind takes me when I hear those words. In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, (1.4) it says Vrittaya svarupaya itaritara, meaning that most frequently we are caught up in the individual mind’s interpretations, and it takes us flitting here and there away from the truth. We may decide the statement was negative or implied as a put-down, when it was simply a statement. These are explanations made up by the mind in its current state of thinking and being. Only when the mind/mental stream becomes a solid, sure state without any doubts are we in the soul’s Self (Atma) Only in this state of mind can we see what was really meant, because we are both connecting from/to the same Source, or the Divine. (Self in the Indian philosophy is the One and Only Universal Energy that is absolute, true and infinite. Deriving our energy from this Source, we too are infinite and forever beings.)
The truth is always true and absolute. It cannot and does not change with new input or with better understanding. Truth/Soul/Godness is Universal, Eternal and Infinite. Truth is true under all circumstances, in any place, at any time, and for all beings. If it is always true for everyone and there is just ONE TRUTH, not yours or mine; there is no separate me, no subject separate from an object. It is all ONE!
How then can we connect to the truth?
Be like a child without any preconceptions.
Be aware and awake to the moment. When the mind wonders, it attaches to the senses.
Observe the moment without judgment. If you have a thought it’s probably judgmental.
Be discriminating. Ask yourself if what you are thinking is really what the speaker said.
Wait before responding.
Finally, always come back to a meditative state of mind using mantra, focus, prayer, affirmation, or other meditation.
Namaste,
sipra
Why Worry (May 2019 Newsletter)
Ruth Asawa, Untitled, c. 1967
Image credit: Xyz1018, CC BY-SA 4.0
As a new month rolls around we are expectantly looking forward to its newness. Especially now as we approach summer we have the promise of plenty - plenty of fun, plenty of fresh produce and plenty of love and friendship. May it be so for you and yours!
Yesterday I did a presentation on Meditation at VEEVA, a new Cloud Software Engineering company, recently expanded into Columbus. This brings the growing interest in meditation to the forefront of my mind.
The truth is that we live our lives on the ‘razor’s edge’. The path we walk on is sharp. It is narrow. It should be straight. A misstep on this precarious journey can topple our balance and break the equanimity.
Meditation classes offered at YWB are not popular. They are not popular since the general perception is that there is no immediate need for it. Life is too busy. Contrary to this belief, it is a skill we need to cultivate early and regularly for that proverbial rainy day.
It should be a daily practice when things are good, when times are bad. Just everyday. Without ceremony or ritual. It is simple and very hard. It is simple in that we need nothing extraneous, just trying to get our body and our spirit in the same place with focus. It is hard because our minds are untrained and out of control, never having been trained in any way. Would you let a child go untrained? Consider the consequences!
The key is daily practice and SILENCE is the medium through which meditation comes alive. (It is not the ambient and heavenly tones playing through the device.) Connect the silence outside with the silence within. Find a physical place which allows for silence. Suddenly everything dissolves into infinite space in which the ego based ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘mine’ fade away.
According to a wise Tibetan monk, (paraphrased)
If you have a problem and you can fix it, why worry?
If you have a problem and can’t fix it, why worry?
Namaste,
sipra
Spring into Non-Action (April 2019 Newsletter)
How hard and painfully we struggle through the winter months, waiting to welcome spring. How hard nature struggles to break through the earth. (Picture shows the force and determination of the young tulip leaves forcing through landscape mulch of various sorts taken just yesterday.) Giving birth is hard work; doing the work on oneself is harder yet. We tell ourselves, ‘I’ll get to it.’ At New Year’s we said the same thing; now it’s springtime and we are still getting to it! Look around you in nature, nothing waits. Yet nothing rushes. The Tao does nothing, but leaves nothing undone. Don’t try to force action. The Chinese term Wu Weiepitomizes this concept. Often our anxieties are caused by endless, meaningless action. Don't waste your life by being scattered by trying to participate in everything . Be systematic, be regular, be persistent. and have direction.
At the same time be soft and pliable like a young twig, which bends in half but doesn’t break. Change and switch your plans and directions as you need to. Nothing remains the same, and so our ‘plans’ need to develop and transform as needed. By doing this I am not letting down myself or anyone else. Things are different today and I must shift my focus just a little bit to keep my ultimate goal sharply in view. It's like focusing the lens of the telescope sharpening the focus but not losing sight of the goal.
When yoga becomes boring and nothing seems to be happening after the initial thrill of anticipation and expectation for the quick transformation of the body/mind into the lithe beautiful body that also transforms into a spiritual, distilled and calm being – that is the turning point. Bide with it. Ride the boredom or the difficulties or the aversion. Refer to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, 1.14. Stay with it. The magic is right there; the magic is right here; the magic is right now. It is not magnificent. It is! Sa Aham! I am That!
Namaste,
sipra
Whole and Healing (March 2019 Newsletter)
Springtime is almost here. There are subtle and different new sounds and smells, and the earth has a certain resilience and sponginess to it that is indicative of unseen life stir-crazy below the surface. While looking forward to the warmer days and the attraction of being outside as much as possible, it would benefit us to keep up our regular practice of yoga and meditation. It makes us more keenly aware of the moment, joyous for the gift of life.
I often suggest that you schedule your classes ahead of time for the week or even for the entire month. And then show up on those dates no matter what. There is personal discipline involved in doing this, and it creates health and wholeness. These are appointments for well-being that shouldn’t be brushed off under any pretext. Make your schedule varied and give all our instructors a try. If you haven’t met them yet, here’s a little bit about why you should.
Audrey is our latest addition to the YWB staff. Try her Zumba based dance class on Friday evenings at 5:30. This is the only class at this time that is not a yoga based class, but is offered because it is movement, dance and fun – the perfect complement to yoga.
Audrey is a long time student of YWB and has been a regular participant through more than a decade of classes, often making it to class from out of town but attending several classes each week and keeping notes about the experience following each class. She represents the best of YWB, both student and staff – humble, kind, always learning, and adding to her knowledge and skills and always ready to help out when needed.
Kevin’s class on Friday at lunchtime is aptly called ‘Re-treat Yoga’. Classes are open to all levels of experience focusing on alignment and modifications.
Kevin has been practicing yoga and teaching for about 30 years. Kevin is a person of meditation and prayer and it is yoga’s spiritual dimension he says, that ‘lures me beyond its physical shoreline, inviting me to explore new depths through its movement, and its movement toward meditation.’
At YWB we love Kevin’s kindness and gentleness - quietly and industriously working, cleaning and doing the work that perhaps not everyone would think of as needing attention. A true yogi!
Kris teaches a class on Monday evenings at 6 pm. Kris has the highest yoga certification that is nationally recognized . Kris teaches moderate level classes focusing on alignment, holding of postures, and strengthening. She suggests that 'more challenging postures and our response to them will be explored,' In the short time Kris has been at YWB, she has helped out in unexpected and varied ways to make our adjustment to our new studio smoother through organizing the space and getting her entire family to help out at all times of day and night despite their own move at home.
Michael teaches a power yoga class on Saturday, at 12:30 helping you flow through challenging poses. Michael started practicing yoga to combat his crippling backaches and has developed into a faithful practitioner frequently adding to his own training and teaching all around the country and abroad. As an instructor at YWB, he has been always been the first to jump in and help out whenever and wherever it is needed. No matter how awkward the time, place or circumstance he makes himself available and executes perfectly.
Tatiana teaches Kundalini yoga. Try it out for a totally different experience on Thursday evening at 7:30. Tatiana is busy with her post-graduate degree and work, daily traveling out of town for both. Despite her demanding schedule, YWB has benefited from her generous and willing sharing of her precious free time at several off-site classes, her ideas and her willing assistance with many aspects of the business. We love her gentleness and commitment to Kundalini and YWB.
Troy teaches a gentle class on Tuesday evening at 6 pm, offering his students a variety of information and handouts on all aspects of life and living. As a cancer survivor, Troy believes in the power of yoga and Ayurveda to heal and save life. Troy and his wife, Eszter, are also teaching a 8-week Ayurveda workshop following the yoga class on Tuesday. They continue to add to their training to hone their knowledge and skills. Despite a full-time day job and many alternative-health classes that he teaches around town and elsewhere, he has willingly volunteered many hours whenever YWB has needed help. When available, Troy is an eager participant at YWB events.
Veda teaches a slow, deep Yin Yoga class on Wednesday morning at 9:30. Veda has a long history with yoga starting in the 1980’s. The healing process following surgeries after a biking accident, where she was struck by a minivan while riding her bike, was accelerated and completed through yoga. In Veda’s words, ‘Yin yoga taught me to accept myself as I am. It taught me how to be quiet and like it. It taught me patience.’ At YWB, we so appreciate Veda’s responsiveness, joie de vivre, her humor and an active mind bursting with bright ideas.
Come often. Build our community and grow with it.
Namaste,
sipra
Class for CoMo Dance!
YWB was excited to hold a private yoga class for the Columbus Modern Dance Company Monday night! Let us know if you're interested in private classes for your group.
