How to Sit Comfortably in Meditation

One of the most important aspects of meditation is to be able to sit comfortably while maintaining a proper meditation posture.

Your back needs to be straight, and the body relaxed. You can sit in a chair, on a meditation bench, or a pillow on the floor. Here are some options.

Sitting in a chair
Sit away from the back of the chair, with feet flat on the floor. If your feet can’t touch the floor, get a shorter chair, or place a cushion under your feet to raise them. You want your thighs to be parallel to the floor.

Do not lean against the back of the chair. This will tend to contract your chest. The idea is to sit with an upright, un-supported spine, and your chest expanded. However, if you are not used to sitting this way, or if you have weak neck/back muscles or injuries, there are ways to overcome this challenge.

Get a firm pillow and put it between your lower back and the back of the chair. This will support the lumbar section of the spine, helping to maintain its natural curvature. You can also place a pillow in the seat of the chair to cushion it.

Begin with short meditations, gradually increasing their time. This will allow your back muscles to strengthen over time. Energization Excercises and yoga asanas can also help strengthen your back muscles with regular practice.

Sitting on the floor
Meditation benches are a wonderful invention for making the legs comfortable and keeping the spine upright. You can also try sitting cross-legged on a pillow. The crescent-shaped or round pillows are designed to help with this position.

Experiment!
When one position becomes tiresome, calmly switch to another. Eventually you'll find the best one for your body type. Remember, everybody’s body is different.

Wool Blanket, Fresh Air
It is recommended to insulate yourself during meditation from the subtle earth currents with a wool rug, wool blanket, or a piece of silk. Your meditation place should be a little on the cool side, with a source of fresh air if possible. A stuffy room will make you sleepy. Feel free to to wrap yourself in a wool or silk meditation shawl to stay warm, awake and aware!

Benefits of Stretching

The body is made up of muscles, bones, tissues, cells, etc. To keep the muscles and bones in good condition, one must stretch out the muscles. Stretch is an act of flexing the muscles. Stretching helps to strengthen the muscles and joints.

Stretching is easier and simple exercise. It is involved in daily activities of our work. Human’s muscle is like a rubber band. It should be in good condition to do the activities well without any pain or stiffness.

Muscles will get tighter as we get older. Range of motion of the joints will not be at the fullest. Nowadays, our daily activities are like we use only certain parts of the body, not all parts, so flexing and bending will get limited. Stretching must be as part of our daily routines.

Stretching is essential in all sports and training. One should do stretching first before starting the practice. This would ease up and smoothen up the whole body Stretching acts as a kindling method and warms up the body. This paves way for the body to get started for any further function. Stretching plays a predominant role in Yoga. In fact various asana are comprehensive of these stretches. In simple stretches relieves your stiffness and enhances fitness.

Make Yoga as Part of Life and Live Healthy

Exercise and Hypertension

The stressful and mechanical living is the reason for the occurrence of hypertension in majority of the Americans, the older age group is the most affected. About 50% of the aged Americans seem to be the victims of hypertension. Hypertension gives way easily for heart-related problems.

Hypertension acts like a silent killer because it remains dormant. It does not emanate any express symptoms, though internally in due course of time, it affects the blood vessels and the circulatory system.

The experts prescribe a balanced diet, low salty, reducing weight, regular simple exercise as the ways to resist and overcome hypertension inculcating good habits and following healthy diet reduces Hypertension.

Exercise helps in toning up of the limb muscles and the cardiac muscles. This safeguards the heart and its activities, thus exercise plays a predominant role in avoiding hypertension.

Heart and Exercise

The exercise sets up new pathway of bloodstreams to bridge the worn out and the healthier blood vessels and enhances the circulatory process. This in turn regulates the blood flow throughout the body.

The recent research findings conclude that mild regular exercise everyday is more effective in streamlining the internal blood passages and revitalizing the core of the heart rather than the strenuous heavier exercises. This may force us to jump into a conclusion that exercise is the solution for cardiac ailments Hypertension. This is untrue. Athletes have also been subjected to Hypertension

The other Influential factors of Hypertension

Genetic factors, excessive weight, malfunctioning of the kidneys, inadequate work to the physical body, overworking of the brain are the other influential factors of Hypertension. These days doctors too prescribe exercise as the remedy to be away from hypertension.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Regular exercise everyday keeps the diseases and the doctor away. If you really wish to enjoy a hypertension-free life, then try to implement the following in your daily routine.

1. Doctors review.
Take doctor's advise to determine your exercise pattern. Analyze the working pattern, your physical ability, fitness level, and then formulate a structure of exercise that would be suiting you the most. Try it out and identify the internal changes. If need go on for a doctor’s review or else fix on to it and practice.

2. Practice on a slow pace

Initially go on a slow pace of exertion. Give enough process time. Once it gets accustomed with your system, try and go to a higher exertion rate.

3. Limit and Method

Fatigue study helps in the analyzing and finding your optimum workout capacity. Set the exercise pattern for yourself. Ensure the limit and method for the same.

4. Frequency of Exercise

The more you exercise, the more it keeps all the internal systems in tact. Regular optimum level of exercise makes us healthier

5. Optimum work out level

Exercise may yield 40% to 60% result in the elderly aged group according to their fitness. Obesity is another major factor, which determines the occurrence of Hypertension. Indulging in weight reduction programmes also is a good initiation technique to avoid hypertension.

HISTORY OF YOGA

Where Did Yoga Originate?
What is Yoga?


Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The history of Yoga spans from four to eight thousand years ago to the current day. The physical, mental and spiritual health benefits of yoga are vast and there is something for everyone.

Where Did Yoga Originate?


"The aim of all yoga practice is to achieve truth wherein the individual or soul identifies itself with the supreme soul or God."
Swami Vishnu Devananda




History of Yoga - A Complete Overview of the Yoga History
Here is an excellent article summing up the answer to 'where did yoga originate...
Written by: shaynebance from the ABC of Yoga web site

The saying, "What's in the past, should stay in the past" doesn't work here.

We might already have an idea of what Yoga is but to understand it better, we have to know what it has become as well as its roots and beginnings. A quick look at the history of Yoga will help us appreciate its rich tradition and who knows, it might help us incorporate Yoga into our lives.

Although Yoga is said to be as old as civilization, there is no physical evidence to support this claim. Earliest archaeological evidence of Yoga's existence could be found in stone seals which depict figures of Yoga Poses. The stone seals place Yoga's existence around 3000 B.C.

Scholars, however, have a reason to believe that Yoga existed long before that and traced its beginnings in Stone Age Shamanism. Both Shamanism and Yoga have similar characteristics particularly in their efforts to improve the human condition at that time. Also, they aim to heal community members and the practitioners act as religious mediators. Though we know Yoga as focusing more on the self, it started out as community-oriented before it turned inward.

For a better discussion of the history of Yoga, we could divide it into four periods: the Vedic Period, Pre-Classical Period, Classical Period, and Post-Classical Period.

Vedic Period

The existence of the Vedas marks this period. The Vedas is the sacred scripture of Brahmanism that is the basis of modern-day Hinduism. It is a collection of hymns which praise a divine power. The Vedas contains the oldest known Yogic teachings and as such, teachings found in the Vedas are called Vedic Yoga. This is characterized by rituals and ceremonies that strive to surpass the limitations of the mind.

During this time, the Vedic people relied on rishis or dedicated Vedic Yogis to teach them how to live in divine harmony. Rishis were also gifted with the ability to see the ultimate reality through their intensive spiritual practice. It was also during this time that Yogis living in seclusion (in forests) were recorded.



Pre-Classical Yoga

The creation of the Upanishads marks the Pre-Classical Yoga. The 200 scriptures of the Upanishads (the conclusion of the revealed literature) describe the inner vision of reality resulting from devotion to Brahman. These explain three subjects: the ultimate reality (Brahman), the transcendental self (atman), and the relationship between the two. The Upanishads further explain the teachings of the Vedas.

Yoga shares some characteristics not only with Hinduism but also with Buddhism that we can trace in its history. During the sixth century B.C., Buddha started teaching Buddhism, which stresses the importance of Meditation and the practice of physical postures. Siddharta Gautama, the first Buddhist to study Yoga, achieved enlightenment at the age of 35.

Later, around 500B.C., the Bhagavad-Gita or Lord's Song was created and this is currently the oldest known Yoga scripture. It is devoted entirely to Yoga and has confirmed that it has been an old practice for some time. However, it doesn't point to a specific time wherein Yoga could have started. The central point to the Gita is that - to be alive means to be active and in order to avoid difficulties in our lives and in others, our actions have to benign and have to exceed our egos.

Just as the Upanishads further the Vedas, the Gita builds on and incorporates the doctrines found in the Upanishads. In the Gita, three facets must be brought together in our lifestyle: Bhakti or loving devotion, Jnana which is knowledge or contemplation, and Karma which is about selfless actions. The Gita then tried to unify Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga and it is because of this that it has gained importance. The Gita was a conversation between Prince Arjuna and God-man Krishna and it basically stresses the importance of opposing evil.

Classical Period

The Classical Period is marked by another creation - the Yoga Sutra. Written by Patanjali around the second century, it was an attempt to define and standardize Classical Yoga. It is composed of 195 aphorisms or sutras (from the Sanskrit word which means thread) that expound upon the Raja Yoga and its underlying principle, Patanjali's Eightfold path of Yoga (also called Eight Limbs of Classical Yoga). These are:

1. Yama, which means social restraints or ethical values;
2. Niyama, which is personal observance of purity, tolerance, and study;
3. Asanas or physical exercises;
4. Pranayama, which means breath control or regulation;
5. Pratyahara or sense withdrawal in preparation for Meditation;
6. Dharana, which is about concentration;
7. Dhyana, which means Meditation; and
8. Samadhi, which means ecstasy.

Patanjali believed that each individual is a composite of matter (prakriti) and spirit (purusha). He further believed that the two must be separated in order to cleanse the spirit - a stark contrast to Vedic and Pre-Classical Yoga that signify the union of body and spirit.

Patanjali's concept was dominant for some centuries that some Yogis focused exclusively on Meditation and neglected their Asanas. It was only later that the belief of the body as a temple was rekindled and attention to the importance of the Asana was revived. This time, Yogis attempted to use Yoga techniques to change the body and make it immortal.

Post-Classical Yoga

At this point, we see a proliferation of literature as well as the practice of Yoga. Post-classical Yoga differs from the first three since its focus is more on the present. It no longer strives to liberate a person from reality but rather teaches one to accept it and live at the moment.

Yoga was introduced in the West during the early 19th century. It was first studied as part of Eastern Philosophy and began as a movement for health and vegetarianism around the 1930's. By the 1960's, there was an influx of Indian teachers who expounded on Yoga. One of them was Maharishi Mahesh, the Yogi who popularized Transcendental Meditation. Another one is a prominent Yoga Guru Swami Sivananda. Sivananda was a doctor in Malaysia and he later opened schools in America and Europe. The most prominent of his works is his modified Five Principles of Yoga which are:

1. Savasana or proper relaxation;
2. Asanas or proper exercise;
3. Pranayama or proper breathing;
4. Proper diet; and
5. Dhyana or positive thinking and Meditation

Sivananda wrote more than 200 books on Yoga and Philosophy and had many disciples who furthered Yoga. Some of them were Swami Satchitananda who introduced chanting and Yoga to Woodstock; Swami Sivananada Radha who explored the connection between psychology and Yoga, and Yogi Bhajan who started teaching Kundalini Yoga in the 70's.

Up to this day, Yoga continues to proliferate and spread its teachings, crossing the boundaries of culture and language.

The Importance of Meditation

Most people when they pray talk to God rather than with Him. They don’t take the time to listen, in deep inner silence, for His answer. Prayer, however, to be most deeply meaningful, needs to be a two-way communication, a giving and receiving — like conversation. And while it would be absurd to think in terms of “fascinating” God with our part of the conversation, there are proven ways of making our prayers more effective. Listening is one of them.

How many people ever think of prayer in this way? Usually, they think of it as begging for special favors, as though prayer were a petition submitted before the aweful majesty of an imperial throne. Many, no doubt, question whether the Lord will even single them out for special attention from among the multitudes appealing to Him daily. Perhaps they fear they might be judged presumptuous if they tried to interest Him beyond the actual subject of their petition. Whatever the case, most people talk a lot, like inadequate conversationalists, but seldom think of listening in return.

The difference between the one-way street of normal prayer and actually conversing with God is simply the degree of involvement — on both sides. Of course, there can be no question of trying to “fascinate” Him with our conversation. The Lord has all creation to engage His attention, besides the perfection of love and bliss in which He eternally dwells. One petty life in the great scheme of things cannot particularize His interest to the point of making Him fascinated with it! When we approach Him, however, with deep love, dedication, and trust, we appeal to that cosmic, but at the same time deeply personal, love which He feels for every one of his human children.

Prayer must come from the heart. That is what I mean by conversation. As there is a world of difference between talking at someone and talking with him, so there is a universe of difference between petitioning God and including Him in the needs we feel.

We need to involve Him in our lives, in our love for Him. How can we hope to do that, if we merely pray to him? That’s like talking at somebody.

Leaving aside the question of fascination, conversationally, how are we most likely to involve anyone in anything that interests us? It isn’t much different from listening for answers to a question. We involve them best when we include their reality in our own. To awaken concern in them for our needs, we must show an interest in their needs. To get them to participate in our lives, we must participate in their lives. To get them to show love for us, we must love them, first.

All this involvement on our part is, in its own way, a kind of listening. We need, in the same way, to listen to God. The kind of prayer that most often wins a response is one in which the person praying converses with God: calls to Him, while at the same time listening for His silent response in the soul.

And that is, essentially, what is meant by the practice of meditation. Meditation is the act of listening for, and hopefully, in time, listening to, God’s whispered response in the soul.

Why not try that, next time you pray to God? Instead of merely offering up a petition for His consideration, try involving Him in your needs.

Meditation is more than a practice conducted at specific times of the day. It is a habit of mind, a way of life. Try sharing your thoughts and feelings with God all day long. Listen for His guidance, His approval — yes, even His silent laughter within! When you share your life with Him, your meditations also will be much deeper.

When people exclude the practice of meditation from daily prayer, it usually means they aren’t really convinced there is anyone “up there,” listening to them. All too easily, their prayers become a process of simply talking to themselves.

Well, one may ask, does God really listen anyway? You'll never know, if you don’t give Him a chance to reply! Just as in any conversation, the degree of listening, and the response it awakens, is in direct proportion to the degree of one’s own involvement in what he is saying. Why else is it that the prayers of saints have been, often, so much more effective than those of worldly people? God is no respecter of persons. His response is according to the depth of sincerity in the person praying.

In conversation, people tend to think of listening as something one does after he has said his piece. Personally, however, I’ve found that there is much better communication if one “listens” — that is to say, is sensitive to the other person’s reactions — even during the act of speaking to him. When lecturing, also, even though I don’t expect people to start up a conversation with me from the audience, I’ve found it helps, while lecturing, to “tune into” their needs, to respond to their unspoken reactions, to feel as though I were speaking to each one of them individually.

On the subject of lecturing, I’ve found it helps also to “listen” even before I begin speaking. By that I mean that I meditate and try to tune into what the people in this particular audience need to hear from me.

In the same way, Paramhansa Yogananda (author of Autobiography of a Yogi), who brought teachings and techniques from India to the West, used to say that prayer is most effective when it is offered after some contact with God has been achieved in deep meditation.

Western society generally identifies meditation with the thinking process. We are told to meditate “on” a particular subject. Vaguely, we suppose this means to think in circles around it, hoping for a deeper understanding of it. Only comparatively recently has the teaching come to the West that silence itself is the wellspring from which true understanding arises. In other words, true, and especially spiritual, understanding is not the product of thinking one’s way to it, but of direct inner perception. As Yogananda wrote in his autobiography, “A truth cannot be created, but only perceived.”

Meditation, in this deeper sense, begins with the practice of stilling one’s thoughts and emotions.

Yogananda told the story of a man who was told, as a means of developing spiritual power, to be very careful not to think of monkeys. Of course, the next time he sat to meditate, the first thing he thought about was monkeys! The more he tried not to think of them, the more he probed his memory for every variety of monkey he’d ever read or heard about. Monkeys gradually became an obsession. At last, he returned to his teacher and cried, “Take back this teaching of yours! All it has done is give me monkey-consciousness, not God-consciousness!”

At this, the teacher laughed genially and explained, “I only wanted to help you realize how difficult it is to develop spiritual powers, without first learning to control your own mind.” He then went on to explain to his student the positive aspects of meditation.

So then, the first lesson is: Don’t live in “monkey consciousness”! Instead of trying not to let thoughts and emotions enter your mind, dwell on positive opposite practices that will exert a calming influence on your mind.

The breath is one such influence, when it is used rightly. Not only does the breath reflect one’s mental states: It also greatly affects them.

Take the breath as a reflection of thought and feeling. When a person is agitated, his breathing automatically speeds up. When he falls asleep, his breathing rhythm changes: two counts of exhalation, to one of inhalation. When he is deeply concentrated, he tends to hold his breath. When he is calm, his breathing becomes calm also.

The reverse also is true. By breathing agitatedly, one tends to create an agitated mental or emotional state. A photographer, when taking a photo demanding sensitivity and concentration, learns to hold his breath before clicking the camera shutter.

By calm, deep breathing, similarly, the mind and emotions grow calm also, releasing us from any turmoil that may have been seething within us. This is why the advice is so often given to people who are angry or upset, “First, take a deep breath, and count to ten.”

A good practice when sitting to meditate is to do a few deep breathing exercise. The yoga teachings offer a number of such exercises, some of which I explain in my yoga correspondence course, The Ananda Course in Self-Realization. Less sophisticated than many of these, but quite effective, is this:
Sit upright, and breathe deeply through the nostrils counting 6 – 12. Hold the breath 6 – 12. Then exhale, again to a count of 6 – 12. In this particular exercise, don’t hold the breath out, but begin again immediately with another inhalation. Repeat this exercise six to twelve times.

Your posture during meditation is important. We’ve all seen photographs in advertisements of people “meditating” according to the Western notion of relaxation: a person reclining comfortably on a “Lazy Boy” chair, his feet up, his head tilted back on the headrest, his entire posture suggestive of a mood of abandonment. The yogis of India would smile at this passive attempt at relaxation. The fact is, while relaxation is essential to deep meditation, passivity is one of the pitfalls to true relaxation.

There are two directions the mind can take once it relaxes its grip on conscious thought processes. One is to sink toward subconsciousness. This is the direction taken when one’s relaxation is passive. The other direction is to rise toward superconsciousness. Deep meditation is possible only in the intensely positive state of superconsciousness, or soul-awareness.

To attain this state of consciousness, it is important to sit upright with a straight spine. Traditionally, one does so sitting on the floor with the legs crossed, preferably in one of the yoga positions such as the half or full lotus pose, or Siddhasana (the “perfect pose”), but Yogananda said that it is quite all right to sit on a straight-backed chair, with the feet flat on the floor.

Sit away from the back of the chair. Place your hands palms upward at the junction of the thighs and abdomen. Hold the shoulders back to help keep the spine straight. Hold the chin parallel to the ground.

Before the deep breathing exercise, relax the body. First, inhale; tense the whole body till it vibrates; then throw the breath out, and with it all tension. Repeat this process two or three times.

After the deep breathing, concentrate on relaxing more and more deeply — not physically only, but mentally and emotionally. Feel space in the body.

Look upward, concentrating your attention at the central point between the two eyebrows, the seat of spiritual vision. Offer up all thoughts and feelings in deep concentration at this point. Call mentally to God, “Reveal Thyself! Reveal Thyself!”

Gradually, you will feel His peace stealing over you, like a weightless waterfall.

Ten Helpful Ways to Increase Your Concentration

1. First understand clearly what concentration is: “Concentration is taking your mind off many things and putting it on one thing at a time.”

2. Decide carefully what you want to concentrate on, for in many subtle and not-so-subtle ways, you become that which you focus on — that is, you take on the attributes of your chosen subject of concentration. Have you ever noticed how couples who have been married for many years start to look like each other, or how people often come to resemble their pets, their cars, their hobbies, or their work projects?

3. Generally speaking, everyone has had experiences in total concentration. Go to a good adventure film at a movie theater. In the middle of it, stop watching the movie (this might be hard, but do it anyway) and look around at the people in the theater. What are they doing? They are absolutely still, eyes barely blinking, and their breath is slower. It would take a really major distraction to break their attention stream. These physiological signs may give you a hint about ways to increase your own concentration abilities.

4. Some of the enemies of concentration skills are constant sensory input, multi-tasking, trying to do many things all a the same time, loud noises, and flashing light patterns. The human nervous system is a marvelous thing, but it is not built to function in the face of these things on a full-time basis. Attention deficit patterns come, at least to some extent, from the activities or situations which make concentration difficult to impossible. Then a habit of non-attention or inability to concentrate deeply is established and difficult to overcome.

5. Make it a point to put your full concentration on whatever you are doing. Don’t let anything distract you. It really helps to be in a quiet place, but you can learn to block out noise if necessary.

6. Understand the essential connection between concentration and energy. Deep concentration is a matter of increasing or directing your life-force or conscious, cosmic energy. The more of this kind of energy you have, the better. Scattered energy doesn’t help. It must be calm, focused energy. Learn to be calmly concentrated and be concentratedly calm.

7. Learn and practice some physical and mental energization techniques. This is an important first step toward the ability to concentrate deeply.

8. Take breaks. Go outside and breathe deeply or take a brisk walk. Make yourself do this often and you’ll be able to return to your task recharged and ready to focus more creatively.

9. Meditation is the most powerful of all concentration enhancement techniques. Learn a few simple meditation techniques and practice them at least five minutes daily.

10. A first step in the concentration aspect of meditation is to focus on watching your breath — not controlling it in any way, but just observing it. This helps to train yourself in taking your mind off of many things, and putting it on one thing at a time — in this case the breath. As you observe your breath, it will calm down, your brain will calm down also (this is a scientifically well-documented, mind-breath connective function), and you automatically move into a dynamic, peaceful (but not sleepy) state of being. Your mind becomes recharged and creatively receptive.

Take a few minutes and learn a simple meditation technique. You’ll be amazed at how this effects your concentration during your regular daily life.

Out-of-the-body Experience

The concept of astral projection has been around for a long time, but until today, it has been hidden from most of humanity. Now, with the aid of astral projection, new levels of knowledge and power enable us to discover the answer to Man's eternal question about life in the physical body. Death takes on a new meaning as we begin to realize that it is only a transition to another dimension, or place of existence. By learning to astral project, we can learn many things about ourselves, and unlearn many things that were previously thought to be true. This leads us to the realization that our physical bodies are only a part of our entire selves, and there is more to our existence than meets the eye!

In our limited awareness, the reality we live and breathe on earth, with its beautiful landscapes, mountains, rivers, streams, animals and insects, can be compared with the petals on a flower. What we see is not the whole flower, but only a part. This is because man has lost touch with the use of his own mind. He concludes, erroneously, that the physical world is the only reality there is. He believes that his life as an individual has only to do with the flesh body of himself, and concludes that the physical world is solid and real because his senses tell him it "feels" solid and real. The mind has abilities that go beyond the five senses of the physical world. The petal of the flower that we now experience is the material world or physical plane of existence. It has a specific vibration, just as all creatures on this level vibrate at the same rate. Because of this, regardless of where we go on this level, all things take on the appearance of being solid, material objects. Just as the colors of the rainbow show the effects of the different vibrations of light, and the melodies on the piano show the effect of the different notes, so, too, does the entire universe contain various octaves, or rates of vibration. These universal harmonics comprise the different levels of existence.

So the earth plane we live on is only one of many dimensions. There are other spheres that we describe as being above or below us. Actually, they are not really above or below us, but rather at all times around us, permeating all things. Astral projection allows us to discover that the people and objects existing on these other realms can be just as solid and real as any object on the earth terrain. And if we happened to be in another level, looking back "down" into this region, we would view an earth that was not solid. Right now, at every instant, we are living, coexisting with, and walking through people and objects of another dimension! When a person astral projects, he or she can see these other frontiers.

Our Astral Bodies

When we were born into this physical world, we were provided with a physical body to carry out our duties. Astral projection allows us to project "out of the body" and into the next plane of existence, which is the astral plane. When we do this, we are in another body, which is called the "astral body." We already possess this astral body, just as all other people, animals, creatures and everything on earth possess an astral body.

The astral body has some amazing properties. Unlike the physical body, which is held down by gravity, the astral body can overcome this limitation by the effort of thought alone. While out of the body, we can not only walk around as if in the physical, but also soar above the trees, or go out into space. Another property of the astral body is that it cannot be injured. One of the greatest fears while on earth is pain or injury. While out of the body, this normal human reaction can be unlearned, because there is absolutely nothing that will cause damage to the astral body! In the next dimension, fire, knives, guns, falling from great heights, electrical shocks, disease, wild animals or being run over by a steam roller can do no harm. Many people receive lessons about this in their dreams. Watch for them, because you'll discover that you always survive - don't you?

In this next level of existence, which all of us can visit, there are many familiar things, such as cars, trains, planes, and highways. Everything that is on this earth right now comes from the astral plane. Many people get this backwards. They think the astral dimension was molded from earth. The truth is, the earth was fashioned from the ideas and discoveries which originated on the astral.

When we are out of the body, communication is accomplished by thought. Another word for this is telepathy. In other words, it is not necessary to move our lips in order to be heard, although we can do this if we wish. Sometimes, when we hear what we think is just a thought, this could actually be someone communicating to us from the astral.

This next plane of existence has been sought after, researched, and argued about by philosophers and religious people from time immemorial. Until now, it has remained elusive and has evaded discovery to all but the most diligent. The individual who looks within instead of without, who looks to correct his own imperfections, and who treats others as he wishes to be treated will have the door of discovery swing wide open for him.

When we begin to explore this, we must first overcome the obstacle of fear, which will present itself in many forms. The fear of death, pain, injury, the unknown, evil, devils, hell and Satan may loom up before us. We must conquer our own fears head on, and they will rapidly disappear.

We are mental creators, and out of the ether of the next dimension, we can create that which we wish around us. If we are convinced a devil is out there to trick or deceive us, and if we have already pictured in our minds what this devil looks like and what he plans on doing, we should really not be surprised when our worst fears are confirmed. The devils we create become real and solid in the next dimension because we created them.

We are mental creators, and out of the ether of the next dimension, we can create that which we wish around us.
In the astral plane, we can meet those we love, or that which we fear. If we have no fear, we won't meet fear. It's as simple as that. So we can save ourselves trouble by putting nonsense like that out of our mind. Remember there is nothing that can harm us while we are out of our bodies. This teaching of fear has held people in mental bondage long enough! Its exposure is sure to cause a fury in those who have become trapped in the habit of their own thinking. We must release ourselves from the death grip of fear and set ourselves free.

In the astral plane, we can also visit our loved ones who have passed on before us. We can then ask them face-to-face how they like their new surroundings. We can see schools and universities, and may even find ourselves in a classroom, listening to a lecture.

This is also where we can discover the history of the world, and the history of our lives. The "Hall of Records" contains our present lives as well as our past. In it, are recorded our accomplishments and our failures. We can meet our spiritual teachers - which the churches have termed our "guardian angels" - and we can ask them for advice and guidance on our problems.

The astral plane is a vast dimension of existence, and contains life in abundance. It does not operate by the very same laws of the earth plane, and so many things that are quite impossible on earth, are quite commonplace in the astral. Mind over matter is common. Colors are more beautiful, and we may experience endless fascination with new and exciting things that there are to see and discover.

The astral plane is a vast dimension of existence, and contains life in abundance. It does not operate by the very same laws of the earth plane, and so many things that are quite impossible on earth, are quite commonplace in the astral.
For many centuries, the teachings of certain churches have been that some things are mysteries and are not to be questioned. Eve eating from the tree of knowledge and the subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden was sighted as proof. This erroneous interpretation was made by those who were ignorant, or by those who wanted to keep the masses of people in subjugation. Man's redemption in the final analysis will come from his knowledge of himself and his love of his neighbor, not from his ignorance.

Tapping the Subconscious

The astral plane contains many things that are not on earth at this time. Some of them may appear in the future on earth, and some are from the earth's past. Many different types of animals that have become extinct on earth exist in the astral. Remember, there is no death.

Astral projection enables us to use the part of our mind that has been dormant or sleeping. We can wake up this part and put it to work. It is called the subconscious, and it can be used to give us the knowledge we need to find out more about ourselves, our purpose on earth, and our relationship with God. Most people think of their mind as only that portion they recognize as their conscious mind, or waking mind. It has been said that the mind is 10 percent conscious, and 90 percent subconscious. We can learn to expand this 10 percent.

Everyone goes to the astral plane at night while they are asleep. Think of this! Astral projection takes place without a person even being aware of it! As strange and hard to believe as this sounds, it is true. To begin exploring astral projection, pay attention to your dreams each night. Eventually, you will come to the realization that you were in the astral plane, but did not realize it.

When we take the first step, of allowing for the possibility of multiple dimensions and astral projection as realities, we can then focus on ways to understand, explore, and actually experience these things. In doing so, we can open the door to an amazing and expansive existence that was heretofore beyond our wildest imagination!

Inspiring Peace Quotes

Smile Empty Soul as you Fill Your Cup...
with Inspiring Peace Quotes

Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured. ~ B.K.S. Iyengar

~ Yoga is bodily gospel. ~ Reaven Fields

~ Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are. ~ Jason Crandell
~ Yoga is invigoration in relaxation. Freedom in routine. Confidence through self control. Energy within and energy without. ~ Ymber Delecto

~ The most important pieces of equipment you need for doing yoga are your body and your mind. ~ Rodney Yee

~ Yoga is the cessation of mind. ~ Patanjali

~ You cannot do yoga. Yoga is your natural state. What you can do are yoga exercises, which may reveal to you where you are resisting your natural state. ~ Sharon Gannon

~ Yoga is possible for anybody who really wants it. Yoga is universal.... But don't approach yoga with a business mind looking for worldly gain. ~ Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

~ Yoga is the practice of quieting the mind. ~ Patanjali

~ This yoga should be practiced with firm determination and perseverance, without any mental reservation or doubts. ~ Bhagavad Gita


The meaning of our self is not to be found in its separateness from God and others, but in the ceaseless realisation of yoga, of union; not on the side of the canvas where it is blank, but on the side where the picture is being painted. ~ Rabindranath Tagore

~ The Self in you is the same as the Self Universal. Whatever powers are manifested throughout the world, those powers exist in germ, in latency, in you.... If you realize the unity of the Self amid the diversities of the Not-Self, then Yoga Will not seem an impossible thing to you. ~ Annie Wood Besant

~ You can enter yoga, or the path of yoga, only when you are totally frustrated with your own mind as it is. If you are still hoping that you can gain something through your mind, yoga is not for you. ~ Osho

~ Yoga is really trying to liberate us from ... shame about our bodies. To love your body is a very important thing -- I think the health of your mind depends on your being able to love your body. ~ Rodney Yee

~ Because there is a larger awareness that transcends time and space, an awareness is available after death. ~ Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one's being, from bodily health to self-realization. Yoga means union - the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one's actions. ~ B.K.S. Iyengar

~ Anyone who practices can obtain success in yoga but not one who is lazy. Constant practice alone is the secret of success. ~ Svatmarama

~ Yoga has a sly, clever way of short-circuiting the mental patterns that cause anxiety. ~ Baxter Bell

~ Yoga is difficult for the one whose mind is not subdued. ~ Bhagavad Gita

~ Karma-yoga is a supreme secret indeed. ~ Bhagavad Gita

~ In Karma-yoga no effort is ever lost, and there is no harm. Even a little practice of this discipline protects one from great fear [of birth and death]. ~ Bhagavad Gita

~ Yoga heals, nourishes, and challenges us. The practice infiltrates every corner of our lives. ~ Valerie Jeremijenko

~ Yoga is a science, and not a vague dreamy drifting or imagining. It is an applied science, a systematized collection of laws applied to bring about a definite end. It takes up the laws of psychology, applicable to the unfolding of the whole consciousness of man on every plane, in every world, and applies those rationally in a particular case. This rational application of the laws of unfolding consciousness acts exactly on the same rinciples that you see applied around you every day in other departments of science. ~
Annie Wood Besant

"The radiance of Buddha shines ceaselessly." - Dhammapada
"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth." - Holy Koran
"I have come into the world as Light." - Holy Bible
"The Lord is my light; whom shall I fear?" - Psalms
"God is the sun beaming light everywhere." - Tribal African
"Following the Light, the sage takes care of all." - Lao Tsu
"In the effulgent lotus of the heart dwells Braham, the Light of lights." - Mundaka Upanishad

"The light of Divine Amaterasu shines forever." - Kurozumi Munetada
"God, being Truth, is the one Light of all." - Adi Granth
"The Light of Wakan-Tanka is upon my people." - song of Kablaya
"Truth is one, paths are many." - Sri Swami Satchidananda

FROM SELF TO SELF-REALISATION

Come here every now and then. A brass pot must be polished every day: otherwise it gets stained. One should constantly live in the company of holiness."
-Sri Ramakrishna
"
The word Yoga comes from the “joining” or “union” from the Sanskrit root yuj. Which means joining” or “union”
Union with the Supreme Being, or any practice that makes for such union. Meditation that unites the individual spirit with God, the Supreme Spirit
. Yoga is restraint of the activities of the mind, and is the union of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul.

It is a unitive discipline.
In this sense it is an exercise in moral and mental cultivation that generates good health (arogya),
contributes to longevity (chirayu), and the total intrinsic discipline culminates into positive and perennial happiness and peace.
Therefore, yoga is the said to be indispensable of the ultimate accomplishment in life.
It is a science that affects not only the conscious self but the subconscious as well.
It is a practical physiological training (kriya yoga), which if practiced can exalt man to the 'supra mundane level'

Salutation to Guru, A Spiritual Master

Guru devotion is not cooking, cleaning, washing and giving money to the Gurus. Guru devotion is not just about crying, feeling sad or getting emotional when you talk about your Guru. Those are small, small parts of it, an extension of Guru devotion.

When you think about your Guru, you think about a person who is extraordinary. Therefore, you cry because you have never met such a person who has had such an impact on you. You cry because you are connected to him as a disciple, and therefore you should push yourself towards your commitments.

Real Guru devotion is about developing and keeping your spiritual qualities. You do not let go of your commitments, you develop the qualities that you see your Guru embodies, that make you cry. Guru devotion is about keeping your promises and doing your sadhanas at all cost. Guru devotion is about not harming another person, being very kind to others and becoming better and better. Real Guru devotion is about destroying the self-cherishing mind. All that is Guru devotion because that devotion leads to your inner Guru, your natural state of mind - kindness, commitment and clarity.

People think that when they submit themselves to the Guru, they become a slave. No way! If you were an indentured servant in the olden days, you may have been made into a slave. But this is not the olden days! And you have to ask yourself who you are "indenturing" yourself to. A wealthy land owner? Some noble who owns 500 acres and makes you work in the fields every day? Or are you "indenturing" yourself to a spiritual person who is training you like a spiritual athlete, to put you in the ultimate competition so you do not lose out at the time of death?

We thought that going to school every day was a prison but we gained freedom from that - we gained education so we can do what we want now. Submitting to a qualified Guru or a Guru who cares about us, who is sincere and who has love, is like everything else in life - by submitting and listening to someone who can give us knowledge and show us the methods to benefit and develop ourselves, we will advance in anything we want to do.

If we need to be told the same thing again and again, it reflects our selfishness. If the Guru gives us instructions to do something and we say no, then we have not submitted. If we show anger to our teachers, we fight back, we ignore our teachers; if we always turn around the instructions they give us, forget, and have to be reminded, won't that be the same with everything else that we do in our lives?

If these people choose to be purely selfish, and they come up against a Guru who challenges that selfishness, they either submit or they run. Some students are smart and they do a little at a time. It starts off as little but they push themselves to do it all the way eventually. There is no student who comes in and is immediately perfect in all his actions but his aspiration, and working towards it, makes a very big difference.

Do meditation daily

So many people are under the impression that daily meditation is only for those who are seeking spiritual enlightenment, it is true that through meditation comes enlightenment, but there are numerous other benefits to using this practice on a daily basis.

It is a proven fact that people who meditate regularly tend to be more focused, energized and healthy which automatically enables them to be more effective at reaching goals which they have set themselves and also more productive in the work environment. So in other words, meditation is not only a spiritual journey, but a journey which is likely to be of great benefit to you in all of the seven areas of your life including your vocation.

Obviously the better you are in your vocation, the more chance you have of being successful in life and being able to lead a life of abundance and harmony. What many of us tend to forget is that the half hour which you will take out of your day in order to meditate will reward you over and over and help you to be the best that you possibly can be.

The moment you begin to use meditation on a regular basis you will become aware of a harmony and focus which you did not have before and you will be able to discipline your subconscious mind to the level that you are able to concentrate solely on the things which are important and have the ability to block out other time wasting thoughts from your subconscious mind.

Meditation helps you to tap into the power of universal laws and principles which once you understand them, you will be able to use them in your favor to create the life of abundance and harmony which all of us are seeking, even if sometimes it is just deep down inside of us.

Being able to tap into this consciousness gives us new confidence and knowing that what we are doing is going to make a difference, not only for us, but for all of those around us and for the greater good. So taking the half an hour a day to center yourself and focus on your intent is probably the most productive half hour of your entire day as it opens up a whole new consciousness and world of opportunity and focused thought to you for the rest of the day.

Simple Meditation Technique For Beginners

Meditation has been practiced for centuries by all different kinds of people and cultures. It can either be used as a means of relaxation or to prepare the mind for a challenge. It is also well known for its ability to promote a feeling of well being. Because of this there are people who would like to learn how to meditate. Here then is a few methods to start on your road of meditation.

The first thing you will want to do is find somewhere that is quiet so that you don't have any distractions. This is very important in order to meditate you need peace and quiet. You may find a nice place in your garden or in your house.

Set down, or adopt a comfortable posture. Make a concerted effort that you will relax. Some find it beneficial to lie down when they meditate but others find that they sleep if they try this. So be open to what will work best for you. Pay special attention to your limbs, trunk and head as you start to meditate. You will become more stress free as you do this.

Slow down your breathing as much as possible as you do this. Do not hold your breathe as you do this. Become aware of how long each breath takes by counting each one up to or seven. Become aware of how much it is relaxing and notice with each breath you relax more and more.

Once you've became relaxed enough to need to try to sharpen your focus. You may want to tune into something that you can hear, or maybe just think about the space you are in. But don't try to focus on anything that is distracting or will take your mind off of what you are doing too much. Or your meditation won't work properly.

Now that you have found the meditation practice you will most likely want to try it out to see what you have learned. Do not be discouraged if you are not successful in your first attempts. Be aware that it might take awhile to feel real relaxation. But, the more you practice the more you will find it beneficial for you. Then allow yourself to drift off and now that you know the beginners method try it for yourself.

Top Tips For Making Yoga Part of Your Daily Routine

Today more than ever, it is essential that we include daily practices that realign and balance the body. As we grow, evolve and expand with new technologies that seem to "speed" things up in the world around us, it is especially important that we take special care to take the time to keep our bodies fit and flexible. In short, there must be a balance between an exciting, active daily life and a practice that involves taking the time to "slow down" and listen to what the body needs to keep it strong and limber.

My own personal journey began over 20 years ago at the age of 21 when I had a Gran mal seizure. This was my wake up call and a true blessing in disguise. Although the doctors could find no physical reason for the cause of this seizure, I intuitively knew that it was, in part, due to the fast paced life I was living at the time. That is when I began the practice of daily Yoga!

I started out stretching on my own and then began attending yoga classes becoming familiar with different types. Although there are many diverse styles from more traditional Hatha yoga to more modern versions and everything in between, it is important that you take the time to explore what you enjoy the best. If it makes you feel great there is more of a chance that you will be back for more!

Top Tips For Making It A Routine:

Buy a yoga mat and comfortable clothing.
Attend a number of classes in your area to become familiar with the different styles.
Pick some of your favorites and make them part of your weekly practice.
Buy Yoga Dvd's or get them from your local library.
Watch them with your friends, or start a yoga group for discipline and inspiration.
Create a "yoga time" everyday, whether it is in a class or at home.
Set this certain amount of time aside in which you will ONLY "focus" on your practice.
I personally have made yoga apart of my daily routine like brushing my teeth or eating breakfast. Morning is my favorite time to relax and enjoy a quiet focused workout. It is important for you to decide what works best for you and your own personal schedule and family life. Maybe three days a week is all you can afford? Well, 3 days a week is better than no days a week. Overtime it will make you feel so revived and alive that you will WANT to do it every day.

Yoga can become a lifelong companion that helps not only to alleviate aches and pains, but also increases your ability to let go of tension before it becomes a problem. We all need to be adaptable to change in the world we live in. Yoga helps us to adapt to a fast paced life with ease and flexibility that is our true nature. Make yoga part of your daily exercise program today!

Yoga - Best For Mind, Body, Spirit Wellness

We have learned, in the past century, that our mental, physical and emotional or spiritual selves are related parts of our whole self. That if one component, the mental for example, is negatively affected, this will redound to the disadvantage of the other component selves as well.

Nobody ever welcomes the possibility of any health concerns. The quandary is so real - being or regaining health and keeping fit? Most everyone began pondering over possible, realistic and effective ways to manage it. There must be efficient and effective ways of stress management and relief.

Yoga could be the thing to meet these concerns.

The concept of Yoga is directed toward these three basic concerns of body movements to methods of breathing including meditation. Originating from the East, as among its ancient traditions, Yoga is now accepted and done in local, and global communities. Its followers started with religious organizations and now include business and professional entities and the ordinary civilian. There is now global acceptance of how stress diminishes work effectiveness and disrupts the harmony in a home and how yoga helps in stress management or relief.

Yoga looks at things as a whole. Yoga focuses on oneness - bringing together the body, mind and spirit. This theory delivers you from stress, grants you physical health, mental awareness and spiritual transformation.

Yoga teaches you how to meditate effectively, you are taught proper breathing, visualization, body stretching movements. The poses in yoga extend your spine while you're learning to regulate and slow down your breathing. Your body becomes equally rested and energized.

As you go on with yoga over time, you later get resistance to stress. The complete program of breathing methods, body stretches, fitness plans, meditation and directed visualization take out the stress you're confronting now.

Not only stress management and relief, Yoga likewise brings down blood pressure and adjusts heart rate, it diminishes anxiety levels and muscle constriction and raises energy levels and limbering of the body.

Yoga moves, in comparison to the usual exercise routines, are slow and gentle, which make Yoga applicable even to those who are physically hampered by illness.Plus, the meditation and positions of Yoga develop your spiritual awareness and mental consciousness.

Nothing good comes just falling into our laps. You must allot a regular time for you before you can acquire these gains leading towards the fitness of your entire system. Which in time will soon make you realize that getting into yoga was the best decision you ever made in your life.

Yoga for Healthy and Peaceful Life

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