Musing of the Month

Truth is that Divine Force that dwells in every individual’s heart. It is the all-pervading, eternal Reality, uniting all individuals and, finally, linking all of existence in one divine awareness. That Divine Force is called God.

Belief in the existence of God indicates that one is searching for the Truth. The Truth remains unchanged in the past, present, and future. The Truth is unborn and immortal. To know Truth, one must purify one’s thoughts, speech, and actions. Purification is of utmost importance because only through a purified mind can an aspirant think clearly and contemplate.

Once we are determined to search for the Truth through purified thoughts, speech, and actions, we will find the way and reach the goal. Truth becomes our guide, and without making a mistake, we will find ourselves on the right path.

One who believes in God and surrenders to God attains freedom here and now. He knows that he belongs to God and that God belongs to him. His awareness shifts from the world to God, and he lives a life free from insecurity and fear. He has an unshakable faith in divine protection.

The scriptures constantly remind us that as the ocean accepts a river and makes it its own, God accepts seekers. It does not matter which path they follow or from which background they come. The only requirement is the desire to know the Truth. Once that desire is awakened, all means and resources come together. Water finds its own level. Likewise, a true lover of God finds God.

The highest philosophy is to know that the Truth and God are the same, and the highest Practice is to search for Truth through one’s thoughts, speech, and actions.

There is something beyond religion. Though essential in the preliminary stage, it does not allow one to be one with the whole. It is like a moth that eats Kashmir wool, trying to prove to other moths that Kashmir exists. Everywhere in the realm of religion, I encountered locked doors. If ever one door should chance to open, I was ultimately disappointed by what lay behind it.

God’s existence does not depend on our proofs. There is something wrong with the philosophers and the theologians, for they have the curious notion that God is a kind of hypothesis that can be analyzed and discussed.

I have seen people struggling with death because they do not admit its existence. God, to me, is a real annihilating fire and indescribable grace. I accept both.

It is easy to believe in God, and to believe in God is better than not believing; however, that is only halfway. It is something great when you come to know that: “God is in me. The Lord dwells in me. I am a finite vessel, and Infinity dwells within this finite vessel.”

The human being is great, not because he can speak and narrate things but because he can feel. He is excellent because wherever he goes, the Lord travels with him.

No one has seen God. The highest of all, love without object, is God. How to know him? How to enjoy?

Seeing God in everyone and working for others is one way of enjoyment, but that is not so easy. You will have to practice. Remember the Lord all the time, and sooner or later, you will be transformed.

The day you know the Lord is within you, you will be free from fears. Then where are you? Where do you exist? If you have that consciousness that you exist separately from the Lord of the Universe, then it means you deny the existence of the Lord of the Universe.

God is all—a personal God, a universal God, and that which is beyond. Start from a personal God, go to the God within, the universal God, and finally beyond.

To love beloved God in any object is knowledge, yet understanding God in the heart is real Truth. It is a vain attempt to search for God. Who can there be more wonderful than myself—that is the Self of all.

Those who crave to see God are foolish. When I see him smiling through the face of man and child, and highest of all in myself, I am born a million times and die a million times, too.

No God is greater than thyself.

H.H. Sri Swami Rama

The Essence of Spiritual Life

Question of the Month

⁇ How can I become more generous?

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1. Examine how gracious you are and how much gratitude you show daily.

2. Pick one charity/cause and designate an amount of money and give it first to them before spending any money from your check on personal pleasures like eating out, getting your hair done, getting a coffee, shopping, et cetera. 

3. Examine a person or persons in your life that you admire; look at what they are passionate about and what motivates them. Spend time working with them and notice how you feel giving instead of taking.

4. Spend time with a selfless person and ask them questions about their generosity and see if it inspires you to be more generous. 

5. Can you live a more minimalist life? Try eating out less, buying less, eating less, collecting less, sleeping less, and working less, but you practice more and see how that impacts your generosity. 

Remember, when you see God within, you see God outside, and the only thing left to do is to be generous. 

Svadhyaya Corner

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

1. How generous are you? 

2. What are you generous with (time, money, objects, compliments, food)? Why are you generous with some things and not others?

3. What are you not generous with (time, money, objects, compliments, food?

4. Where does your generosity come from? Is it selfless or from a place of lack?

Asana Corner

If you feel inclined, give yourself a month to explore virabhadrasana 1. Observe how the body changes as you settle into the pose over the following 30 days: notice how your strength changes, breathing changes, and mind changes. Give yourself 5- 10 minutes or more a day for 30 days, moving into and out of the pose in different ways. Journal daily, deciphering if it was hard or easy for you. As always, journaling will allow you to notice how you felt before and after the Practice and, more importantly, how doing it for 30 days affects your overall well-being.

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.

1. Start in tadasana, with the exhalation step the left foot back approximately 3-4 feet.

2. The right toes point towards the short edge of the mat (the right foot is parallel to the long line of the mat); turn the left foot forward approximately 30 degrees. The heel of the right foot is in the same line as the left arch.

3. Turn the torso, allowing the hip pointers and chest to face the same direction as the right foot.

4. Activate the inner left thigh by lifting it, then press down through the outside of the left thigh into the outside of the left foot.

5. Begin to lunge with the right leg, taking the right thigh parallel to the floor and the right shin perpendicular to the floor while pressing through the four corners of the right foot.

6. Bring the left hip pointer forward, helping to keep the hips facing the short line of the mat.

7. Lift the arms alongside the ears; palms can touch lightly or remain shoulders distance apart.

8. Allow the shoulders to draw towards the buttocks, creating space for the neck.

9. Either look up to the palms or gaze forward.

Benefits:

1. The chest expands fully, allowing the lungs to work more efficiently

2. Relieves stiffness in the back and shoulders

3. reduces fat around the hips

Contraindications:

1. persons with a neck injury should not look up

2. can be highly challenging and strenuous; therefore, beginners should approach the asana with care.

Reflections with Kali

Navaratri is always a time of tapas. Every year has a different feel to it but the demon-slaying energy is palpable. This year was no different. I enjoyed practicing asana together as a group every night and the guided meditations that followed. One of the practices I undertook this year was not eating out for the duration of the ten days. With a busy schedule it can be easy to pick something up throughout the week but it felt good to cook at home and I found it to be a fun challenge to use up items I had in the fridge. This also encouraged me to be more present while I prepared and ate the food which is always a good practice. 

I especially intended to use the time to reconnect to myself, my practice and the tradition. I started to re-read Living with the Himalayan Masters and analyzing the demons that need to be slayed within myself in order to forge a deeper connection with my practice and the tradition. It always seems to be a struggle for me to be brutally honest and radically accepting, but I continue to practice it and am always grateful for this time of year when I can connect to the collective energy in the world for this purpose. 

I am looking forward to another holiday season with my community and our Mahasamadhi celebration!

Upcoming Events

November 10-13: Mahasamadhi Celebration

November 19: Vegan Thanksgiving

November 23: Thanksgiving Breakfast and Tofu Trot

Come practice with us!

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

Tuesdays: Asana with Kali + Chant Hanuman Chalisa 6 pm - 7:30 pm

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

Thursdays: Closed

Fridays: Closed

Saturdays: Asana with Ranjani 9 am - 10 am

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) 10 am - 10:30 am

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

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

Sundays: Asana with Ranjani 9 am - 10am / Kirtan 10am - 11am

We had a busy October…

We would love to see you here!