Soma in the Soma
With this year’s study of somatic therapy, I’ve realized I’ve been using the word “soma” in 2 different ways. Looking it up online, one finds a wild diversity of definitions for soma: the physical body, …
Category: Vedic
An Evolving Perspective: Realization vs Embodiment
Over the years, my understanding of our natural potential has evolved quite a bit. Certainly, there’s the difference between conceptual ideas and direct experience, but there are many nuances as well. I originally studied Maharishi’s …
Transcend, Then Transcend Transcending
“This is ‘nivartadvam.’ Whatever we experience, transcend it until there is nothing more to transcend. Then transcend that nothingness and be active again. Transcend dynamism, then transcend silence. Then, when silence and dynamism are co-existing, …
The Trinity in Tantra
Kavitha Chinnaiyan posted about Tripura on Facebook. She is an MD and teacher in a non-dual lineage of tantra. “The primordial principle of Śrī Vidyā is Tripura – the three-fold, which refers to the supremacy …
The Art of Action
As we progress down a spiritual path, we can run into some confusion about action. When we’re driven by the ego-self, it’s all about results. We set goals and plan for the future and to …
Reverse Polarity
There’s a curious way that polarity, the masculine & feminine, plays out in creation. This isn’t a question of gender, but dynamic. We’re all a blend of both with variations in emphasis. When you talk …
Mithya
I’ve written before about how our dominant guna (quality) determines how we see the world. When Tamas (inertia) is dominant, we experience the world as solid and real. This is how most people see the …
The 26 Qualities Discussed
Gareth really liked my The 26 Qualities of the Liberated post, so he and Eva had a 2-part discussion about them. Remember that awakening itself is instant: the Self recognizing ItSelf. However, the integration and …
Vasishtha’s Guidance
One of the most illustrious of the Vedic sages is Vasishtha. He was the guru of Rama, an avatar (embodiment) of Vishnu. The Yoga Vasishtha is the story of his teachings within the Ramayana. It …
Where Are We Speaking From?
In the ancient Vedic tradition of India, they described 4 levels of speech: Vaikhari: Spoken or voiced Madhyama: “middle one”, mental speech, the monkey mind Pashyanti: the first impulse, fine feelings, intuition, flow Para: being, …
26 Qualities of the Liberated
Dayanand posted an article on the 26 qualities of spiritual development that Krishna lists. It’s in the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, verses 1-3. I also reviewed Maharishi’s translation, the Yoga Sutra, and some related resources. …
Good, Bad, and Evil
Good, bad, and evil are discussed endlessly. And yet good and bad are largely value judgments. Very little is truly evil. I can cite the old English proverb, “one man’s meat is another man’s poison.” …