Hello All and Happy 2016!
I took a few months from writing the Seeds for Spiritual Growth blogs last fall to take a deeper step back and inward to commit more time to my daily sadhana or spiritual yoga practice. I also enrolled in a 9 month Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training program at the Baba Siri Chand Ashram in Millis , MA. which began last Oct and will continue till June 2016.
It's been 13 years since my last yoga certification training and after 12 years of teaching thousands of hours of Yoga and directing Opening Lotus Yoga, diving into this current training is heaven for me. To be immersed in these potent ancient yogic teachings as taught by Yogi Bhajan at this point in my life and to receive these trainings in such a high vibrational setting as the Baba Siri Chand Ashram is truly a gift. The training has been powerful, challenging, humbling and in a word precious. I feel I am in the perfect place to grow to my next level of spiritual embodiment and shed more powerfully and thoroughly the conditions of my mind that do not serve me and block my connection to my true Self. The more I grow into my own Truth the more I can serve my dharma, the reason why I'm here in the first place. I'm so excited to be able to bring these Kundalini teachings to the studio in the near future!'
As an individual who is quick to admit having an addictive mind, love of learning and gaining knowledge and understanding, I find myself in a unique invitation to redefine what it means to really learn from a spiritual perspective and what the difference is between the activity of the mind and intellect and the path to the soul. The key is to move into a space of NOT KNOWING by surrendering any impulse or need to know.
As smart , curious or well versed as one's intellect may be, you cannot THINK YOUR WAY TO YOUR SOUL!. What shifts in spiritual attunement is this awareness that the energy of your true or higher Self (as opposed to your low self or ego )is a direct energetic experience through the body. The body in its divine design is an instrument to project your mind and your mind in its divine design is an instrument to project the infinite Source of all that is.
The challenge is our minds are so heavily laden with thoughts, memories, feelings and emotions and data that its easy to get lost in the mind and believe our minds or egos are the sum total of who and what we are. Nothing could be further from the truth and being caught in mind is the grand mass hallucination that Albert Einstein point to in his writings. Eastern systems call this illusory experience of the world as MAYA. What we think is reality is only a projection of our thoughts. 'What we think we become' - Buddha
In this accelerated time of the digital age, our exposure to information is at warp speed. This access to information is a double edged sword. The plus is we are only a click away from information on anything we can think of. The downside is we cannot often integrate all of this information and lots of it becomes additional mental debris that can cause overload and confusion.
The new buzz in this era is digital detox. Its now understood that all that exposure to information overload is not good for our nervous systems and health. We need to unplug from screen time daily and nourish that meditative space of stillness which is the ONLY way we can access our True Self as the eternal energy of awareness itself and OPEN TO DIVINE INTUITIVE WISDOM which is the natural language of our souls.
It's quite the paradox to be living in this Aquarian age where all the former paradigms of duality and separation are crumbling at the edges and eventually will disintegrate as more of us wake up to the next level of our spiritual evolutionary journey , to be an embodied, super illuminated and conscious human being. One term for this evolutionary shift is described as moving from homospaiens to homoluminous beings.
So what does that mean for you and I on the yogic path? It means the importance of committing to your daily, spiritual yoga practice known as sadhana is critical to anchor us in the stillness of our being on a daily basis and to continue to release and cleanse the daily build up of mental debris that promises to keep accelerating. Daily meditation is becoming a powerful tool for not just destressing but being able to navigate and thrive in our modern culture. Meditation needs to be taught to everyone including children. It will be as necessary for our wellbeing and fundamental health as brushing your teeth daily!
So my invitation is always, give yourself the gift of meditation. If you do not know how to start , consider taking a course We have a 6 week Course Meditation for Beginners starting Jan. 25,. or investigate the multitude of excellent online meditation sources or books readily available to guide you. Take some yoga classes. Bar none YOGA is the most integrative practice that addresses all aspects of our health, body, mind and spirit and through the thousands of years these sacred teachings have existed and been continuously taught, Yoga is a proven methodology of cultivating vibrant health, peace and wellbeing.
Your two most powerful tools in your transformation from ego- centered to intuitive heart, higher Self- centered is your daily meditation and yoga practice and your willingness to let go of what is blocking you from living as an embodied , conscious, illuminated and loving Being~
Begin today~ Be a part of the shift that is being ushered in at this time. I am deeply honored to support you in that growth!
If you found this post useful, please share with your family ,friends and colleagues.
Beyond belief lies knowledge and understanding and beyond knowledge lies wisdom which is the innate language of your Soul. You cannot think your way to your soul.
Namaste and Blessings for a Beautiful New Year ~
Anne Townend-Duffey MA. E-RYT Director
Opening Lotus Yoga
www.openinglotusyoga.com
