to be simple

Rinse and Repeat

Have You Checked to See If You're Truly Free?

A cliche? Perhaps. But still, many of us won't fully embrace our true selves and live a life of joy and freedom.

We're crippled by the fear of being seen as dumb, weird, or stupid, which we're afraid will lead to being ridiculed, humiliated, unaccepted, unloved and ostracized, which would be hell for most of us.

Just for being who we want to be, and doing what we want to do.

So instead, we do what we think we're supposed to do. And we're unhappy.

We could change overnight, but it can be difficult to overcome years of conditioning.

Yoga and meditation helps immensely, and fairly quickly. Counseling and workshops help also.

Being in an inquiry about it is a great open-ended way to approach it. It means that "even if there are no easy or immediate answers, I will continue to inquire and focus on it until I'm healed."

As long as we acknowledge it's there in the first place.

It helps to have a little support.

To sum it up, we pleased X people by doing X things, then later realized we liked Y things. We knew X people didn't like Y things, so we buried it and kept doing X things unhappily, not realizing the Y people were waiting for us to be Y with them.

Then we couldn't bear it anymore and starting doing Y things. X people got confused and went away, but we found Y people and that was good. You can't get mad at X people for not liking Y because they're X people. To them we changed. To us we took off a costume we didn't know we were wearing. Now we feel freer.

The end? No. The beginning. 

Words of Love

Can I Take It Home in a Jar?

Ego Fights Change, Then Self Reaps Reward

self vs. Self

This sounds strange to a part of me. "Not leave footprints?! Not make my mark? But... people need to know what I can do!" we might say pridefully.

For me, there is a lingering echo of ego that gets validation out of being known as "a something," a label that used to make me feel very ego-proud (artist, writer, produced playwright, whatever)...

...as opposed to a spiritual being having a human experience.

I would have defended it before. I would have taken umbrage if I thought someone was trying to "take it away from me" (the label) because I had convinced myself it WAS me.

"Let it go."

We hear those words often, but rarely do we let everything go.

What do we have to unburden ourselves with that would make life easier and our spiritual journey more joyful? It might be good - and educational - to take an inventory of the things we believe ourselves to be... and see if we can let them go.

And if we can't let them go today, maybe tomorrow. Or next week or next month.

(Note: I would keep labels like "mother" and "father" because we embrace them with love and joy - unless we indeed do take too much pride in the labels, then maybe we need to look at our relationship to them.)

Then enjoy your freedom!

Edit: I saw this and had to add it.

It makes sense that our ego is trying to get validation and fit in and be accepted and respected... by other people's ideas of who we should be.

Instead, we can let go and let God.

Edit #2: Okay, ONE MORE addition to this topic:

Ego, ego, ego.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.

A River of Coolness, a River of Peace

The baiji told this story:

Once there was a man who was peacefully going about his simple life. One day several men approached him and began mocking him. Their leader took particular joy in making fun of this simple man.

How did the man react to the taunts? He listened to them, and he kept listening. Most people would be deeply wounded by these words that were meant to cause great pain. Some might be moved to commit violence, but this man appeared unaffected.

After a time, the simple man spoke. "I'm sorry, but I have somewhere I have to go right now. If you like, I can return afterward and you can continue saying these things to me."

The leader looked at him harshly, then left in disgust.

The man watched him for a moment, then turned to go on his errand.

One of the others ran up and stopped him, saying, "Why did you not react to his nasty words? He was trying to hurt you, but you seemed to not even care!"

The man looked at him plainly. "You could say his words were like fire, right? And when fire meets water, what happens? It's extinguished."

"What do you mean?"

"There is a river in my heart. A river of coolness. A river of peace."

And at that moment, the men were instantly transformed. Not because the man tried to force them to change, but because of who he was, because of who he was being.

Now, they had the knowledge.

Without the knowledge, Baiji said, we react without thinking, too quickly to respond from our heart.

This knowledge must be taken to heart, so we can come from there in all our interactions. This will help provide the life of peace and bliss we are looking for.

20 Minutes of Yoga Can Make You Smarter

I have to say, I feel smarter after doing yoga for 20 minutes this morning. Science even backs it up.

By smarter, I mean aware (not groggy), relaxed (not anxious on a Monday morning), and... happy (not the opposite of happy).

This article explains it: "The ability to maintain focus and retain and use new information improved immediately after practising Hatha yoga just for 20 minutes. Participants performed significantly better immediately after the yoga practice than after moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise for the same amount of time," said researchers at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

The other good news? Yogis healthy relationship with their ego won't let this information go to their head.

 

the ability to maintain focus and retain and use new information - improved immediately after practising Hatha yoga just for 20 minutes.

"Participants performed significantly better immediately after the yoga practice than after moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise for the same amount of time," said researchers at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/47748063.cms?cfmid=7000000&utm_source=CTNNetwork&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ETPAN_02JULY15&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

the ability to maintain focus and retain and use new information - improved immediately after practising Hatha yoga just for 20 minutes.

"Participants performed significantly better immediately after the yoga practice than after moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise for the same amount of time," said researchers at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/47748063.cms?cfmid=7000000&utm_source=CTNNetwork&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ETPAN_02JULY15&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

the ability to maintain focus and retain and use new information - improved immediately after practising Hatha yoga just for 20 minutes.

"Participants performed significantly better immediately after the yoga practice than after moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise for the same amount of time," said researchers at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/47748063.cms?cfmid=7000000&utm_source=CTNNetwork&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ETPAN_02JULY15&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

What You Focus On Grows

I've sampled many different spiritual texts and practices. Some resonated with me more than others.

But I was essentially a jack of all trades, master of none.

You heard about the man who tried to serve two wives? Or was it two masters?

Same thing. It didn't work out well for either.

It turns that we can only get real value out of something by concentrating on it, on just that one thing. 

I'd always heard that. Always believed it. Now that I am experiencing it, I see what all the hubbub is about. 

When we focus, we go deeper. 

What we focus on expands. 

And we're rewarded for our efforts. 

I Promise to Water You Daily

I Wisely Decided Against a Clever Title

... or did I?

They Really Are Nectar Drops

Nectar: ˈnektər/ noun

1. 1.

   a sugary fluid secreted by plants, especially within flowers to encourage pollination by insects and other animals. It is collected by bees to make into honey.
2. 2.

   (in Greek and Roman mythology) the drink of the gods.

    

    

   
   

    Go here for your daily spiritual nectar drops.

    

Thoughts Are Like Passing Clouds

It's worth repeating: "The day you decide that you are more interested in being aware of your thoughts than you are in the thoughts themselves - that is the day you will find your way out."

Or find your way in-side.

It can be disorienting to realize that we don't have to "live our thoughts" as we always have, that thoughts are just things that pop up all the time without permission, usually based on impressions from the past.

Getting control of this process is freeing. Training our mind is key. Yoga and meditation make this possible.

Deepak Chopra shared that when he meditated and thoughts popped up unbidden, he would picture them as clouds floating against a blue sky, which represented his consciousness. It's a way to embrace them but not let them rule us.

"Let it go" was a popular anthem in yoga before a certain Disney movie borrowed it, so I say we borrow it back and remind ourselves that whatever disempowering thoughts we find ourselves mired in, just... let them go.

Even Carl Jung Knew Yoga's Power

I Resemble That Remark

Unconditional

Didn't See That Coming

Do I Look Okay in This?

Excerpts from Narendra Modi's Speech on Yoga

When a prime minister of an important country like India speaks about yoga, the world listens.

Perhaps as many as 2 billion people around the world took part in the first "International Day of Yoga" on June 21st. It seems to signal that yoga is becoming mainstream, and if this is true, surely more peace will spread in the world as a result.

The sooner the better, right? Yet all is perfect.

Here are some important quotes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech:

• "A yogi is a person who is in harmony – with herself, her body, with her surroundings, with nature. Yoga is the means to achieve that harmony."
• "From the Upanishads, comes the idea of Yoga to transform human consciousness through control of body and senses through constant practice. The body is the vehicle for the realization of the Supreme Being."
• "Yoga is, therefore, a vision for a harmonious future for humanity. It is a state of mind … People often think that yoga is just a set of exercises. Yoga is a philosophy of discipline and meditation that transforms the spirit and makes the individual a better person in thought, action, knowledge and devotion."

• "The benefits of yoga are manifold. When practised correctly and with discipline, Yoga leads to: 

1. Perfection of our body’s potential in strength, skill, and general well-being, peaceful and stress-free living.
2. Control and mastery of our life-energies (Prana) leading to health, long and disease-free life, capacity for full enjoyment of life.
3. Opening and refining of the heart’s emotions leading to greater compassion, mutual understanding, and sensitivity to the needs of others.
4. Full development of our mental powers, leading to heightened concentration, intelligence, creativity, intuition. 
5. Liberation of our spirit from ignorance, suffering, incapacity, leading to freedom, equality, constant joyfulness and inner strength to overcome all challenges of life. It awakens the deeper sense of unity and oneness with the whole Universe and all living beings. 
6. Together, these lead to the realization of our highest divine Perfection.