Choosing a New Mantra

When I leave a little room for my habitual thinking to take over fear and worry are the dominant thoughts.  Just as there are default settings in a computer there is also one with in each of us.  Mine happens create a heavy load on my shoulders.  That's no fun! There is no joy in this setting.  What to do?  I've tried the method of observing my thoughts but I found no relief in such a practice. Fear and worry are a sticky substance.  Thankfully we all posses will power which can remove the most stickiest of substances. Developing my will power has been a monumental task.  Such little self confidence I've had! As I come to terms with this, new insights have emerged.  I am beginning to see that positive thinking is a key element for my spiritual awakening.  When I draw my attention to my body and observe my surroundings I am able feel my way towards gratitude.  When I am walking in nature I often practice gratitude for its beauty.  When I am at work I express my gratitude for the great team work and acknowledge the invisible cord which connects us all. When I am trying to overcome a bad habbit I am grateful for the possibility of change. Let me share some first hand experience.
Yesterday I was taking a walk through the neighborhood.  The tall trees, chirping birds, and radiant colors kept me engaged in the moment.  This walk can be a such a centering experience, but there are times when my mind is in default mode.  "Oh no, I am not sure what to say to him about my concerns...How am I going to make enough money....it's going to be difficult to expand my yoga attendance," I say to myself.  This dialogue goes around and around in my head and I've accepted this fear based thinking for so many years. Wait a sec!  Do I have to think this way? Can I make the choice to think otherwise? As this question came to mind it became very clear that I can change my default setting by actively engaging in my thinking process.   

I began a new mantra.  "I choose confidence, I choose confidence, I choose confidence." I began to visualize success in all the things I cared about.  My spirit for life began to blossom. In the midst of this experience my lower tendencies crept in saying, " It is going to be very difficult to achieve your goals."  I responded back with my mantra.  With a firm understanding I counteracted the negative thoughts with an inner force which drove them away. I want to emphasise 'firm understanding' because there has been times in the past when I consciously practiced positive thinking but it was a time of planting seeds. At that time I was reminded by others to remain positive but this time the reminder came from within. How different it feels! How much more invigorating when philosophy meets experience. 

                                         Om Shanti Shanti Shanti        Om Peace Peace Peace

 

Achieving Stability in Yoga

There you are.  You have established yourself in the yoga posture. The stretch is deep and the alignment is precise. You have come a long way in your physical ability of mastering the pose.  As your teacher pushes you further in the forward bend you pull and struggle to reach some desired position.  For a moment there is a mental orgasm, a feeling you have achieved something special.  Like all good things they pass, having you yearning for more.  Your desires start to haunt you by demanding that same feeling from last week.  After years of practice you go on playing to the tune of your desires. You begin to feel helpless and unsuccessful in accomplishing a feeling of union.  Depression kicks in and you are about ready to quite the yogic path.  You decide today is your last class.

With all hope for achievement given up you naturally drop your desires. The teacher tells you to stay present with the sensations of the body and the breath.  As you do so the body feels heavy and firm against the mat. As the breath moves in and out you feel an energy field within and without your body.  You feel the entire body is made of energy; it expands with the in breath and contracts with the out breath.  From Shavasana (corpse pose) you gracefully move into your asanas (posture). As you come into the forward bend your head rest against your knees as it has many times before. The teacher begins to push your back as he has many times before.  A voice inside says "surrender." Agreeing, you keep you body relaxed and begin to go deeper than ever before. Still it doesn't matter to you.  You've put you attention on the breath. The sensations of your body come into your field of awareness but you don't give importance.  Your not sure where the body starts and ends.  It is a feeling of energy and space.  This expereince deepens with each passing posture. When you come out of final relaxation thoughts have no grip on you. They still arise but pass like a distant cloud in the sky.  As you walk to your car nothing feels more important. As you move you right hand to open the door nothing feels more important. As you hold the steering wheel and push down on the accelerator nothing feels more important. This experience of doing one thing at a time brings joy to yourheart. The load of desire has lifted. 

As the time passes and your attachment to the world thickens but you are not worried. You understand that the experiences are separate from the experiencer, that a desireless life filled with positive healthy actions is a life of abundance and satisfaction.

 

                                      Om Shanti Shanti Shanti              Om Peace Peace Peace