Mahaprana Yoga Sun Salutation
October 31, 2010
Rules To Live By
June 28, 2010
- Be the happiest person in the world.
- Live without fear
- Live a simple and sober life
- Pray that attachment to transitory material things become less every day
- Let humor spice and lighten your life
- Repeat “I have the ability to accomplish any task I want with ease, and fearlessness”
- Stay in the living present – not swinging between the past and future like a pendulum
- I am not the body. I am the Light within.
- Refuse to impersonate.
- Be effortless
- Meditate
- Before going to sleep – think positive thoughts of peace, joy and fulfillment
- Embrace the struggle
Pranayama
November 24, 2009
Pranayama is the 4th limb of the Eight-Limbed / Ashtanga Yoga system of Patanjali.
“Purification is the keynote of Hatha Yoga, and the foremost practice of purification is Pranayama.”
”When the breath wanders the mind is unsteady. But when the breath is calm, the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.” -Hatha Yoga Pradipika
“When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world.” -B.K.S. Iyengar
“Inhale and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.” -Krishnamacharya
1
Yoga is Practice, Not Theory.
November 2, 2009
“Knowledge comes alive only thru practice.” –Upanishads
“Whether young, old or too old, sick or lean, one who discards laziness gets success if he practices Yoga. Success comes to him who is engaged in the practice; for by merely reading books on Yoga, one can never get success. Success cannot be attained by adopting a particular dress. It cannot be gained by telling tales. Practice alone is the means of success.” – Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika
“Anyone who practices can obtain success in yoga but not one who is lazy. Constant practice alone is the secret of success.” -Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika
“Practice is the instrument of liberation, O Goddess. Bookish scholarship is not such an instrument. Scholarship (shastra) is everywhere readily available, but practice is very difficult to accomplish.” – Vina-Shikha-Tantra
“Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory.” -Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois
“If we practice the science of yoga, which is useful to the entire human community and which yields happiness both here and hereafter – if we practice it without fail, we will then attain physical, mental, and spiritual happiness, and our minds will flood towards the Self.” -Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
“Do your practice and all is coming.” – Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois
“Before you’ve practiced, the theory is useless. After you’ve practiced, the theory is obvious.” -David Williams
“No one is wise by birth, for wisdom results from one’s own efforts.” –Krishnamacharya
“Practice is the repeated effort to follow the discipline which gives permanent control of the thought waves of the mind. Practice becomes firmly grounded when it has been cultivated for a long time, uninterruptedly, with earnest devotion.” –Yoga Sutras
“Achievement comes through effort.” –Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
“It is what you are inwardly that matters. Your inner peace and joy you have to earn. It is much more difficult than earning money. No university can teach you to be yourself. The only way to learn is by practice.” –Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
“The obstacles to wisdom are deeply affected by practice.” –Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
The World’s First Word.
September 25, 2009
Om, or Aum, is said to be the primordial sound that was present at the creation of the universe. It is the original sound that contains all other sounds, all words, all languages and all mantras.
Upon first hearing, this might seem a bit far-fetched. Yet Om is from the Sanskrit language, which is one of our oldest languages and is the antecedent to English and most European languages. More evidence can be found for this in three of the world’s major religions. It is thought that “Amen” in Christianity, “Amin” in Islam and “Shalom” in Judaism were all derived from AUM. Even “mom” or “ma,” the first utterance of many children, are strikingly similar to the word Om.
Om is considered the supreme mantra, or sacred syllable used for meditation. Om is thought to be the holiest of all words, and has been the object of profound religious meditation. The mantra “OM” is the name of God, the reflection of the absolute Reality, the vibration of the Supreme.
Om consists of three sounds, a – u – m. When taken letter by letter, A-U-M symbolizes the holy trinities or sacred triunes that are integral to Hindu Philosophy.
A few examples of sacred triunes are:
- Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
- Creation, Preservation, Destruction
- Truth, Consciousness and Bliss – or Satchitananda
- Rajas, Tamas, Sattva – the Three Gunas or qualities of matter
- Birth, life, death
The three phonemes a (a-kāra), u (u-kāra), m (ma-kāra), are themselves considered to be spiritually charged. A-kara refers to solid forms or shapes – like earth, trees, or metal. U-kara refers to formless or shapeless matter – like water, air or fire. Ma-kara means neither shape nor shapeless – such as thoughts, or the dark matter in the Universe. When we combine all three phonemes we get AUM.
The combination of these three sounds produces an all-encompassing range of speech. Remarkably, though composed of three elements, it is still pronounced as one syllable. This reflects a higher state of Reality, a state of non-differentiation, non-partiality and equanimity. In essence, Om is the signifier of the ultimate truth that all is one.
The pronunciation of this monosyllabic word is complex and has been described as: “A long or over-long nasalized close-mid back rounded vowel.” Various Sutras have emphasized that the repetition of Om should be made with an understanding of its meaning. It is so laden with spiritual energy that it should be pronounced with complete concentration. For its correct pronunciation please view the video that accompanies this post, or the last post.
So the next time you hear or speak this word, know that the power of this word goes well beyond any individual – and, in fact, serves to unite us all – while connecting us to the beginning of time.
