Embodiment
There are several factors that influence how we move forward through the stages of development. – Preparation of the vehicle so it’s able to sustain new depth – Purification and refinement to allow higher clarity …
Category: Practice
What is Destruction?
We tend to see change as a loss, partly because the ego likes to feel in control. It’s also disturbing tamas, our inertia. And yet, the cycle of growth requires change: balance, disintegration, growth, integration, …
The Dasha Mahavidya
I touched on the Mahavidya in The Mahavidya Interview but needed more research to do a proper job. As I mentioned there, the Dasha Mahavidya (10 great knowledge) are from Tantra and are embodied by …
The Layers of Samadhi
I’ve written several articles before about the layers of samadhi or transcendence described in the Yoga Sutra. These are the settling into the waves, then surface of the ocean of being. When we wake up …
Rest is the Basis of Activity
The title was an old saying of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s, adapted from the Shankaracharya tradition. Everything we experience in the world and within ourselves arises out of silent being, alert presence. Silence is the foundation …
Quiet Clarity
For much of our lives, we’ve been having experiences and confirming stories that explain those experiences. While this is a normal part of living life, we need a different approach to awaken. Awakening is a …
Karma Time
Recent events with getting the book out have brought some very old resistance to the fore. I recognized the old lifetime in play. And that lead to a useful insight about karmic stores. I’m a little surprised …
The Four Dispositions
Swami Brahmananda Saraswati was a man who spent much of his life in seclusion. He left home at age 9 to find a guru and spent much of his life in remote forests of India. …
Selfish Mindfulness
An interesting article in The Washington Post on how Mindfulness is being “diluted and distorted by the prevailing narcissism of our time.” Mindfulness would be good for you. If it weren’t so selfish. Similar things …
The Fruits of Action
One idea Westerners have picked up from Indian philosophy is karma. However, we usually think of consequences when someone mentions the word. As in “It’s good karma.” However, karma means action. The consequences come because …
Emotional Healing
We digest everything we consume: food, drink, sensations, and experiences. Some of our thoughts and emotions are a symptom of this background processing, although more is done at night in dreams. However, it’s batch processing …
Two Kinds of Resistance
As Yoga describes, there are two basic kinds of resistance to what is. The first is Grasping. This is trying to hold on to what passes through our lives. We try to hold on to …