Musing of the Month

You are the architect of your life and the creator of your destiny. In yoga, there is no word for victim; if you are not a victim, you must take responsibility for what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen. No one is to blame for your misery; your mind makes you miserable. The solution is to; shift your mind, and when you shift your mind, the situation also changes. Fact: When the subject changes, the object also changes! So how do you change your awareness? By practice, practice, and more practice.

Question of the Month

⁇ What is Bhakti Yoga?

→ Bhakti yoga is not emotionalism or a spiritual rave but a systematic way to know the Self. The scriptures say that bhakti yoga contains nine folds or parts; sadly, the West has made bhakti exclusively about kirtan but not even authentic kirtan instead, the West has turned kirtans into emotional dance parties something akin to a rave. As Swami Rama says, "When emotion is led by devotion, it is called ecstasy." If devotion does not drive our emotions, then the ego drives our emotions, and then we are serving the ego, not the higher Self. 

Navavidha Bhakti (the nine-folds or types of bhakti)

1. Sravana is listening to the divine stories of God; this is keeping satsanga with a learned teacher. Unfortunately, we live in the Kali Yuga, where preachers, not teachers, surround us. Still, we have youtube, where we can listen to lectures by Swami Rama, Swami Satchidananda, Yogananda, Swami Vivekananda, and Swami Kriyananda. Listening to these stories can inspire you to speak truthfully about yourselves and listen to others without judgment. 

2. Kirtan is gathering to sing prayers, mantras, and bhajans of God's glories, allowing the devotee to lose themselves in divine emotion. When assembled to sing or chant the name of God, it quiets the mind and leads one to silence and stillness, where we find that perpetual bliss. 

3. Smarana is the constant remembrance of God throughout the day. The mind does not think of anything but God's glories. Unfortunately, the days of living in cave monasteries are gone, so we as householders must put effort into remembering God in all activities; while shopping, driving, cleaning, and cooking, we should learn to think of God incessantly. 

4. Padasevana is serving the lotus feet of the Divine Mother; since we don't have the lotus feet, we serve God by serving all of creation. Seeing all creation as God and serving all of creation is serving God, even those you do not like. 

5. Archana is the worship of God, external or internal worship. We belong to a tradition that focuses on internal worship or bhava. 

6. Vandana is prayer, self-restraint, purity, viveka, and vairagya to remove worldliness. 

7. Dasya Bhakti is to love God through the servant idea, considering yourself a slave to God. Does this sound like Hanuman?

8. Sakhya Bhakti develops a friendship with God and sees all as friends because God is in all. This bhakti may remind you of Arjuna.

9. Atma-Nivedana, complete surrender to God, you may not understand God's plan, but you have cultivated full faith and trust in God's plan. 

Svadhyaya Corner

Contemplate one question per week and find time to answer it after allowing it to incubate for a week. 

1.  What is something that you want in your life? How will obtaining this impact your mind/life?

2. Examine your life; what desires have you fulfilled, and what was the impact on your mind? How long was your mind satiated by fulfilling a desire before it turned to something else to satisfy its unending search for happiness?

3. What are three goals you are working towards? After identifying the goals, examine them and uncover the desires lurking behind them. For example, if you dream of a partner and a house, ask yourself why you want a partner and a home. If you examine this goal, is it because you are afraid of being alone, want someone to love you, or do you not have enough money? Whatever you discover helps you in knowing yourself better. 

4. What should I be devoting my energy and resources to?

Asana Corner

If you feel so inclined, give yourself a month to explore supta badha konasana and witness how it can help to ease any anxiety, stress, or tension. You should journal about it and see what changes in one month. Set a time to practice it for 5 minutes daily and notice how you feel before and after spending 5 minutes in the asana and how it changes over the next 30 days.

 Below you will find one way to move into the pose, but we learn so much more by exploring the bodies we travel in, so have fun.

Supta Baddha Konasana

1. Start in dandasana

2. Place a bolster lengthwise along the spine and press it into the small of the back.

3. Bend the knees and draw the heels to the groins. Press the souls of the feet together, allowing the knees to descend to the floor. If the hips are inflexible, use bolsters/blankets/blocks underneath the knees for support.

4. Begin to lower the back to the bolster (feel free to place blocks under the bolster for more height to support the lower back)

5. Place the arms approximately 45 degrees from the body with the palms facing up. 

6. To release, bend the knees, take hold of the thighs with the hands, and pull the chin to the chest. Come onto the elbows and forearms, and use the hands to press the rest of the way up to a seated position. 

Benefits

1. improves circulation

2. stretches inner thighs, groins, and knees

3. helps with menses discomfort and menopause

4. helps with depression and anxiety

5. If groin or knee injuries, please use props to give the body more support

Reflections with Linda

Shakti & Bhakti shared a kirtan practice at Hope Springs Institute’s mid-summer community retreat in mid-July. For many attendees, this was the first time they had experienced a kirtan. However, this didn’t inhibit them from participating and singing from the heart. All felt powerful energy, and it was encouraging to know that this was shared with those in attendance and the surrounding community.

We were reminded that if you change how you feel in the heart, you change your mind and how you perceive yourself and others; this resonated with me.

Especially during this Kali Yuga, one of the best ways to clear our hearts and remove the darkness in our minds is by singing the name of God. For me, this kirtan provided an even deeper meaning of the symbolism these beautiful mantras represent! I wasn’t just “singing” the words but truly believing the power lies within me. It has motivated me to strive to be like Sita, Rama, Krishna, Durga. May I show more compassion to all beings as well as to myself!  

I am so grateful for being introduced to kirtan and being able to share this practice with others!

JAI SRI RAM💜

Animal Sanctuary Donation

TYS is firmly committed to service of all kinds and service to all beings; for August, we are collecting donations of items and money to purchase articles for a local animal sanctuary.

We hope you will join us in showing some love to our 4-legged brothers and sisters. We will collect during August and deliver the goods on September 2, 2023, at 10:00 AM. Please DM TYS to hold your space if you want to attend, as limited spots are available.

See the link below to purchase an item and drop it off at TYS or donate via Venmo or our website https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=EGDHZ9FDMKA4W with the item you wish to purchase for donation.

Link to the website to read more.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

Upcoming Events

August 19: Satsang with Swamiji

August 19: Swami Satchidananda Mahasamadhi

August 20: Silent Sunday / Vegan Potluck / Karma & Reincarnation Study

Stay tuned for a very special Navaratri practice!

Come practice with us!

Mondays: Asana Class with Linda 6 pm -7:30 pm

Tuesdays: Seva Yoga 6 pm - 8 pm

Wednesdays: Asana Class & Kirtan with Ranjani & Riley 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Thursdays: Asana Class with Kali 6 pm -7:30 pm followed by the Mahamrtunjaya Prayer Circle (Names are offered to the power of the Mahamrtunjaya Mantra not to change one's karma but to cultivate the strength to handle it gracefully)

*If you want to add a name message Kali or write it on the paper by Ganesha.

Saturdays: Kirtan Band Practice 10:00 am - 11:30 am

Sundays: Sunday Celebration w/ Ranjani & Riley at Devi Ashram 11:00 am - 1:00 pm OR Silent Sunday

We had a busy July…

We would love to see you here!