prayer and yoga

i will now briefly explain how i feel about prayer.  i believe it is just a simple misunderstanding which causes so many people not to pray.

we pray, i am sure we all do, even the so called ‘atheist’ and ‘non religious’ type.  it is natural, is it not, to pray?

God, or whatever name you wish to call him, has taken on a role altogether not his, and really has a bad reputation, it must be said.

i am going to try my best to keep this brief, while still maintaining the idea.  keep an open mind, if nothing else, don’t believe me if you choose not too, but please, for your own sake keep an open mind.  here we go.

you are 1/10th of your True Self.  1/10th.  the other 9/10th’s is either Home (heaven, call it what you will) or otherwise occupied on Earth or on another planet in the universe or another universe all together.  you are PART OF THE WHOLE.  do you see what i am trying to explain?

imagine, in the ‘heavens’ if it helps you, there is a LARGE GRAND version of YOU, like a puppet master. he is the one sending down the orders from above, he(or she) is the reason you are here, this person, which hereafter we will call the Overself is showing you your path in life.  now everyone’s path is different.  each and every single one of us is on a journey of purification.  to rid ourselves of false desire, of lust, of greed, selfishness, the list continues….in the end, this is why we are all here.  i say ‘in the end’ because some of us may be here to experience lust, greed, envy, etc etc etc…(these only exist to show us the power of love by the way) but, the point is each one of us has a certain path in order to rid ourselves of that which is holding us back from SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION.  this and only this is what we should be focusing on.

when we pray it is to this person, to the other 9/10’s of ourselves, to our Overself,  that we pray to; well, actually we pray to our subconscious who then gets in touch with the Overself – the subconscious is the gateway to all that is.  get him on your side and you will have powers unlike you ever imagined.  THIS is the closest we will ever get to God; for all of his magnificence we cannot imagine in our poor, 3 dimensional bodies.  after all, god is not Human and certainly nowhere close to this earth, NOT EVEN CLOSE.

do you wish to pray?  to see if i tell the truth or lies?  please do!

start by naming your subconscious/Overself  (refer to P.Brunton and T.L.Rampa for much, much more in depth knowledge).  any name will do, one you feel right with.  a hyphenated name works well, as it is more difficult for others to guess at.  then you are to sit (on the floor please) with your feet together, heels and toes as much as possible, with your fingers  on each hand clasped with each other, spine erect (this is all done to ensure your energy is most efficiently used) and then begin prayer by taking a deep, calming breath.  call 3X by name, the name which you have given.  and then, pray.  it is advisable to repeat each prayer 3x.  it is also advisable to tithe, to give in order that you may receive.  giving, sacrificing, is how to we help ourselves.to tithe means to give 10% of your income.  give for the sake of giving and NOT for the sake of getting.  give something which has value to you, after all, what is the point of giving if you have nothing attached to that which you give?

also, no one else is to know this name.  also, do not ever discuss such matters with people who are ignorant of such things.  this is a personal matter, at times discussion can be taken, be sure that it is with someone you trust.  also, the more you pray, the more confidence you will gain.  all prayers are answered, perhaps not in the way which the person praying wished, but always they are answered.

here are 2 prayers that i repeat daily.

1) before meals this is the prayer to be used:

Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir
Brahmagnau Brahmanaahutam
Brahmaiva Tena Ghantavyam
Brahmakarma Samadhina

repeat this 3x before each meal.  no matter how much your mouth waters.  no matter how ‘starving’ you are, repeat it.  not only for food, but for drink as well, and for snacks, for any sustenance which you decide to offer to your body (ie-the Universe/Lord/God/Almighty, whatever name you want to use).  do not worry so much about the correct pronunciation. just on the words and on what it means.  briefly, this is what it means:

The act of offering is God, the oblation is God
By God it is offered into the Fire of God
God is That which is to be attained by him
who performs action pertaining to God

2) the second is the Gayatri mantra, which is not only beautiful, but also beneficial to all peoples, especially Christians.  it is as follows:

OM Bhur Bhuva Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodayat OM

this you should repeat always.  when you are not praying for thanks for the food or drink, repeat this mantra.  silently, in a whisper, mentally, or verbally and chant it.  as a song.  search for it on the Webs, you will find many different versions.  one will undoubtedly appeal to you.  remember it and repeat it.  it will change your life, if that is what you are seeking, and, if you allow it to.

what does it mean?  per a man i trust and love it means as follows:

“‘We meditate upon the ineffable effulgence of that resplendent Sun.  May that Sun direct our understanding for the good of all living.’

repeat it.  memorize it.  english or hindi; i prefer the hindi, but to each their own.

yoga is the joining of opposites.  the joining of the positive and the negative.  of the male and the female or the light and the dark and of the good and the bad.  prayer can help us to see this and to see yoga all around us, everyday in every way.

do you want to know how to succeed in life?  how to stop worrying?

do the absolute best you can each and every single day.  do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  this, by the way, is a true buddhist.  not simply one who wears a robe and repeats a mantra without knowing why.  buddhism is a way of life.  a way of life where you do unto others as you would have done unto you.  not a religion.  buddhists, true buddhists, believe in the truth.  not in some fallacy.  the truth for me, as i often tell people, is easy.  it is not something i have to memorize.  for example, i was sent to catholic school as a child, i remember we had a test on the 10 commandments. and i remember cheating!  walking out in the hall, reading them on the wall, walking back in and writing them down.  i never did believe for one minute that GOD, the almighty, all powerful, all knowing being, would simply smite me if i didn’t do ‘as he said’,  poppycock i thought.  all mighty and all powerful and thats the best he can do?  if things don’t make sense INVESTIGATE them.  if you are seeking  answers for the right reasons, for pure, honest, just reasons, the answers will come to you.  i promise you this.  i can guarantee you this.  why?  i have lived it.  i wanted the truth.  boy howdy, have i found it.

trust no one.  believe only that which you experience.  

PRAY.  MEDITATE. AND DO YOGA.

yoga, if you ask me, is easy.  it is meditation in motion.  once you can learn to calm the mind, once you learn that all the barriers in your life are self imposed and that ‘i can’t’ is nonsense, well, then, my friends, nothing is impossible,  impossibility is impossible.

oh, and one more thing, have faith.  if in nothing else, in yourself.  afterall, we are all that ever was, ever has been and ever will be.  don’t believe me?  good.  go meditate on it and find your own answers.

return good for evil and fear no man.  and fear no mans deeds.  for in always returning good for evil we progress ever upward and never down.  

sutras of patanjali v1.0 – food and yoga?

‘Sattva, the purest of the gunas when manifested in the citta, happiness and peacefulness; rajas, by hankering, energetic endeavor, power, restlessness, and all forms of movement and creative activity; and tamas, the guna least favorable for yoga, but ignorance, delusion, disinterest, lethargy, sleep and disinclination toward constructive activity.’

these are the gunas (read: Qualities) by which all things are categorized.  food, people, pets.  we all have the three within us at all times, the object is to balance out our own specific set; each body is different and each persons goal is different.

‘another way of putting this is that sattva should control whatever degree of rajas and tamas are indispensable to health survival – sleeping for six or seven hours, for example, rather than ten, eating a modest amount of food, rather than gorging, etc…’  pg 18, Sutras of Patanjali, E.F.Bryant.

garbage in garbage out.  you are what you eat.

how many more sayings do we need to illustrate the truth behind this sutra?   change what you eat and you WILL change who you are.  you can see the very same in action.  watch those around you, watch what they eat, how they eat.  is it quickly?  do they chew slowly? or shovel food in like a machine?  do they speak with mouth full?  then, watch how they act.  the way one eats is a direct reflection of how one acts, this is from personal experience and not of the sutras.  should you eat fast, hastily you will gain nothing from your food.  you will most likely want seconds, and thirds.  you are not taking in any of the qualities of the food as you are too busy focusing your attention everywhere but where it should be.  on the food.  and not to forget to be thankful for the food!

also, if possible, always devote 100% of your focus and attention to your food.  this is important.  do not watch tv, do not read a book, do not do not do not.  DO devote yourself to the food.   do not eating standing if at all possible.  sit, offer a simple prayer of Thanks and consume.  chewing thoroughly   do NOT drink water or anything while you are consuming food.  wait until after the food is done.

the above are not easy.  no.  most definitely in the fast paced lives they are very difficult.  so, do not try to do all in one day!  start with one thing.  set the bar of success LOW, then as one success turns to two and two to three it is like a wave of success and soon it will overcome you.  you will notice a difference in your life if you change the way you eat.

if you are serious about wanting to change things, and wish to start in the kitchen, you should then start with your DOSHA.  there are many tests avl. online for you to find this out.  ( Link ) what is your DOSHA?  basically it is your, YOUR OWN, specific body type.  based on who you were when you were born and who you are today.  through finding out ones DOSHA you will then be able to find out which foods are specific to you and your body (not your moms, your dads, your own.  we are all different.  why are we all eating the same things?  dare to be different and you will soon see others follow in your footsteps!)  it is not a diet.  it is the food which we would eat instinctively if we were more in tune with our bodies; it is the food required to put your body in a balanced state.  this is called Ayurveda or, The Science of Life.

when you begin to change the foods you eat you will notice a change in who you are.  this is easy to see.  start looking around you, i ask you to trust no one and to believe only that which you experience.  if you think the Sutras are a crock, test them!  change what you eat for at least a few months and watch your own attitude on life change.

the more in tune you are with your diet, the more in tune you will be with your body and consequently, the more yoga you will wish to do.  be a yogi, for it is truly what we are all destined to be.  you do not have to be a stretchy pretzel.  this is not yoga.  this is what the west has done to yoga.  the ability of one to be flexible is simple a reflection of the flexibility in ones mind; it is not your muscles/body that is stiff, no friends, it is your mind.  open it.  see what is inside.  you may, just may, be surprised.

‘One thing I HAVE learned —
and you will do well to remember it in the years ahead, is this —
THIS life is the shadow life. If we do our tasks in THIS life we
shall go to the REAL life hereafter. I know that for I have seen it.
But now let us continue with that which I am charged to tell
you. Where was I?’

wise words from a blind hermit, living in the high hilltops of the Himalaya’s, day in and day out. never leaving.  knowing only darkness….and every secret man wishes to have.  his eyes were gouged out by chinese invaders with a sharp stone, then he was attached to a vehicle and dragged….dragged until his nose had been sheared off, his face left a bloody mess, and his ‘manhood’ was no more.

this shadow life, what do you think?  i hear the questions now…a shadow life?   how can it be!?   i am here, living.  and here i see my shadow.  THAT is the real shadow, you think to yourself.  what is this blind man talking about?  and what in the world does it have to go with YOGA!?  life is yoga.  everything is yoga.

how can one explain to a blind man the color purple?  or to a deaf person the beauty of a symphony? how can someone who from birth has been restricted to a wheelchair know what it is like to run?  this is much like the world today, the blind leading the blind.  those without a clue, explaining to those who’ve much less.  remember, we are only ‘blind’ because we choose to shield ourselves from all but the appealing.

as i see it there are 2 ‘groups’ of people in the world.  there are those who 1 – are a product of the world.  they allow the world to shape them, their needs, wants, desires, yearning, burnings, feelings, emotions.  then (2) there are those who simply live in this world.  those who are themselves, always.  those who rest in the Divine, those who understand that which can only be experienced.  2 groups.  that’s it.  do you allow the world to control you?  do you allow a situation to control you, or do you take hold of the situation, do what is best, do what must be done, and then learn from the situation, whatever it may be?

a boy: who are you?

to a man:  a man.  an collier.

boy:  no.  you are not.  that is your profession.  close your eyes.  who are you?

man:  i am a collier with closed eyes!

the boys quips: NO.  you are all that is, was and ever will be.  with your eyes full shut, OPEN your mind.  in your mind there are NO limits.  there is nothing which cannot be done.  imagine it.  believe in it.  believe you are that which causes your own destiny, for this is the truth.

one way i like to think of life is as a movie.  this is just one analogy to help others see the truth, so bear with me.  in this movie you are everyone you see.  you are everything.  you are the trees.  you are the bees.  you are the bees knees!

so, how do we see life as a movie?  first, we concentrate on breathing.  we concentrate all we can on breathing.  stop the thoughts of what you have to get at the store, what you want for dinner, sex, drugs, rock and roll, all of that.  we must stop it.  we become that which we think.  so, breathe and do only that, if you can.  if you cannot, you must learn yourself a mantra to help you along your process.  a mantra is a prayer.  that’s all.  repeating the mantra mentally is strongest, humming is second and verbally is 3rd strongest.   i would recommend the Gayatri mantra.  learn it.  it is beautiful.  it will help you immensely.  hum it.  repeat it when you wake.  repeat it when you are walking, sleeping, breathing, seeing.  and perhaps you will become a seer, a Rishi.  the veil of life will be lifted.  ignorance will no longer accompany you.  do away with impure thoughts.  these are a barrier.  the physical world is the shadow world , remember?  all that we see is only 25% of the story.   another most important thing; you must accept everyone for exactly who they are.  for we are all exactly where we need to be in life.  do you know how i know?  if you weren’t where you needed to be, you would be somewhere else.  someone else.  you chose this life.  i  guarantee it.   don’t like that?  tough titty.  think on it.  meditate on it.  why would you have chosen this life?  perhaps, just perhaps, you were one of the unfortunate few who committed suicide in a previous life; in which case you would have had less of a choice in your current life, but still choice.  if you accept everyone for who they are, if you love everyone as if they were YOU, simply a different you, living a different version of your life, with a different set of parents and circumstances and understand that they are simply here to learn as well….well, i get chills thinking of the possibility of such a world.  a world where everyone understands.  a place where all people want to do is to help one another.  to serve one another.  be a servant.  lower yourself.  serve.  do karma yoga (selfless service).  do bhakti yoga (devotional service).

ok, back to the movie, right?  try it for a day, for a week. see if you can calm the spinning, the turning of the mind.  those thoughts that never seem to stop.  it can be done.  watch your thoughts, this is another wonderful thing.  what do we do with something we have no control over?  ignore it.  you are not this mind, nor this body.  believe me, i have seen it myself.

trust no one.  believe only that which you experience.  

now, get out there and start living IN the movie, instead of being a product of it.

briefly, does anyone remember the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, Last Action Hero?  i won’t  do the whole synopsis, check out IMDB for that, long and short of it was the Arnold that was playing a movie character in the movie (yes, in the movie a young man is at the movie theatre watching Arnold in some flick) well, eventually Arnold makes his way out of ‘the movie’ and into ‘real life’.  how crazy i thought, he doesn’t even know he’s in a movie! this is life for us all.  a true yogi sees through the movie, see through life and reacts in kind.  one who is always stuck in the movie, one who is a product of the world instead of simply living in it, cannot see.  mainly because they don’t want to mess up their ‘fairy tale’ life.  when in reality, it is the very thing holding them back.

he would have never known unless he had the Golden Ticket, unless he was able to see through the veil of the movie screen, the veil of the world of shadows, the world of vibrations.

so, what’s your golden ticket?

let’s meditate, shall we?

“Before taking up meditation it is essential that there shall be a Discipline because if one is playing with meditation, one is playing with fire. You would not allow a child to play with a
barrel of gunpowder and a box of matches, at least you would allow him to do it only once! In the same way, you must exercise great restraint in practicing the higher stages of meta-
physics. If you get a little weed of a man who suddenly decides that he wants to gain the muscles of Mr. Atlas, he has to undergo certain exercises, the poor fellow cannot suddenly grab a barbell, etc., and put in twenty-four hours a day at exercises, he would have a breakdown. In the same way it is quite necessary that meditation be regarded as the exercises of the soul, and if you rush into the practice of meditation like an American tourist rushing through the Vatican just to say that he has been there, then you will find that your enthusiasm will wane. You must practice according to a prearranged plan with discipline
and much prior preparation because our weedy little man—if he practices too much and lifts too much and exercises too much, he will find that he is so stiff in his muscles that he can hardly move. But you, remember, with meditation, you can become stiff in the mind and that is a horrible state of affairs.” T. Lobsang Rampa Chapters of Life; pg 151

I recommend Dr. Rampa’s books to all who wish to know about the Occult.  to all who wish to meditate. to all who wish to be free from fear and to be at peace.  Occult, by the by, means hidden.  that is all.  why, you ask, is knowledge hidden?  would you teach a toddler how to start a fire?  no, i think not.  for the same reason, occult knowledge is hidden from those who are not ready.  if the above intrigues you and if you are, in fact, interested in what i have to say, purchase the books of T.L. Rampa (long since passed from this earth) even better, you can search online and all of his books and knowledge are now freely available to all of those who wish to know the truth.  as it is.

meditation is what?  extended concentration and focus.  that’s it.  it’s not so mystical as you thought huh?  the problem is in order to meditate you must control what yogi’s call the chitta vrittis of the mind.  also called ‘mind chatter’.  this is that little voice in your head that never shuts up.  that never leaves you be for a the briefest of seconds.  why is it a problem to control it?  in this humble yogi’s opinion it is due to desire.  how can one have internal peace when there are so many external desires?  meditate on this.  go, sit quietly, preferably with a robe of cotton or silk.  why?  to shield yourself from outside influences.  you are a vibration and all vibrations affect you.  cotton or silk help to shield you from these vibrations.  for this same reason we must always meditate either alone or with 1 perhaps 2 people that we love. i say LOVE not lust.  learn the difference.

there are as many ways to meditate as there different types of pasta, or different types of people.  research these ways. find one which suits you best.  some may find that visualizing ‘OM’ and focusing on breath works best.  others may find that scanning the body, one limb at a time, while spending no more than 1 second on each limb, will work the best.  others may find they can sit down, breathe in the incense and simply be.   there are myriad ways.  research them.  do not count on me!  HA.  i don’t care if you meditate.  not one bit. but, boy, you should!  and don’t be afraid.  there is nothing to fear in meditation, actually, there is nothing to fear, Period.  ever. take it from a man who was scared of just about everything for about 25 years of his life.  never fear.  if you feel you are being overcome, by whatever, all one needs to do is breathe.  into the belly, and then the lungs and have the firm affirmation that you are all that is good, all that is love and hope.  and evil will be torn asunder.

what you think you become.  who you are today is the result of 10’s of years of thoughts.  and, as i believe, the more you think about this, the more you meditate on this, the more you will find the truth in it.  you may not be happy about it, no.  but do not dwell in happiness or unhappiness.  dwell in peace, in love.  the good exists to show us the power of bad, and the bad exists to show the power of good.

one last time, from start to finish: let’s meditate.

1 – best times are EARLY morning or late night (4AM-6AM, and perhaps midnight)  THIS is because there is less chatter in the air, on the ‘air waves’ so to speak.  anyone who rises before the sun knows the peace to be had

2- get a robe.  cotton or silk.  treat it like your BFF.  no, better than that, actually.  for this friend will take you places you would have never imagined.  when not in use keep is SEPARATE from other clothes. also, this is your robe.  do not allow it to be tainted with the vibrations of someone else.  UNLESS, as i stated about, you love this person.

3- light some incense.  the big sticks.  smell is the sense most closely related to memory.  find one soothing to you, there are many out there.

4- sit on a cushion  or lay down, whatever you do, you must be comfortable and you must try to keep you spine as erect as possible.

5- you may start slowly, 2 min’s of meditation.  then 5min and then 10min.

in the begining you will have difficulty.  but stay the course.  soon, you will not be able to imagine life without meditation.

6- sit.  breathe. be.

easy peasy lemon squeezy.

would you like more help?  with growth?  with meditation?  with finding the truth?

look into Agnihotra ceremony, practice it.  if you cannot, find someone who can provide you with the ash from the resulting ceremony.  (if you can not find anyone local, leave a comment and i would be more than happy to send you some, free of charge.  just pay shipping)

still more help you seek?  look into orgonite.  orgone. wilhelm reich.  make some. if you cannot, buy some.  place them throughout your house.  place them in your meditation area.  you will benefit.

ah, more help?  how about this – if you have a question, you already have the answer.  you need only concentrate and focus on the question, you need only meditate on it.

trust no one.  believe only that which you experience.  

so, what is Kharma?

“You come to learn, and if conditions are a bit hard then it’s no good blaming poor old kharma for it, it’s what you choose yourself, it’s the conditions you set up for yourself. Too many people take a rather peculiar satisfaction in saying, ‘Oh, I couldn’t help it, my kharma was against me.’ Kharma is of vital importance to all of us, and in my books you have an opportunity of knowing what Kharma is all about. It means, in brief, that if you do something wrong you pay for it. If you do something good, something pays you.” ~T.L.Rampa

kharma, it can all be a bit confusing, huh?  everywhere you go people all seem to be talking about it.  ‘oh, he just has good kharma’ or ‘oh, i must have bad kharma’ or ‘that poor fella, kharma isn’t treating him well’. lets talk about it, and make it simple.  in this Yogi’s humble opinion, if it isn’t simple there’s something either not right about the explanation  or the one doing the explaining doesn’t fully understand the subject matter.  so, simple, let’s do it.

a bank account.  we all know what that is.  put money in and it stays there until you are ready to use it, then, when ready, you take it out and put it to good use.  well, that is if course provided you have a Positive balance in your account.  if you have a negative balance…well, not only can you not take anything out, but you will be charged by the financial institution for the negative balance. kharma works in the same way.  we all have what we can call a ‘kharma account’, ok?  if you do good, you will store goodness in this account, and in turn, you will receive goodness back. just like a bank, you put money in, you can get money out, sometimes with interest!  now, should you do wrong, do evil, you put negativity into that account and, in turn, that is what you get back.  easy peasy, right? lets do an example.

Johnny Appleseed is a good young man, he has respect for all, helps whoever he can whenever he can.  Johnny is the kind of guy who when he walks into a room, people notice.  no, not because he is ‘handsome’ or ‘sexual dynamo’ nah, it’s because his aura shines so brightly that we cannot help to notice it; on a subconscious level.  people are drawn to Johnny, they like talking to him, and he truly cares what each person has to say, and devotes as much attention and patience to them as humanly possible.  Johnny has a very large positive balance in his kharma account.  as such, he will get only good in return.  NOW, before we go further, this does not mean that nothing bad will ever happen to little Johnny.  on the contrary, Johnny may have more issues than you would know.  this, my friends, is a test.  each and every obstacle that Johnny faces is a test to see how far he has spiritually advanced along his journey.  should Johny be patient with the obstacles, should Johny handle each situation with clarity of mind Johnny will advance, and ever so quickly.  so, do not lament if bad things happen, on the contrary, be happy that you have reached such a stage where ‘the universe’ (lets just call it that for now) has seen fit to test your level of advancement.  just as if we are in school, Earth after all is a school for learning.

now, lets say we have Tommy, a young boy the complete opposite of Johnny.  he does what he wants, when he wants and without a care in the world as to how it may affect those around him.  so he reaps and so shall he sew.  perhaps Tommy steals, lies, cheats and does all manner of evil, negative things.  Tommy’s kharma balance will be negative.  and, as such, negativity will find its way to Tommy.  Tommy will be given tests, just the same as Johnny, so at any moment Tommy can choose to stop being who he was and choose to be who he wants.  all religions say, all one must do is want forgiveness, to want salvation.  the most evil of dacoits can become a saint overnight if he so chooses.  so, because bad things keep happening to Tommy he gets miserable and sick of the whole affair, so he believes this is the life he is stuck with and continues to do evil continues to reap wrong doings.  and thus it becomes a perpetual cycle, negativity begets more negativity.

enter Kharma Yoga.  what is kharma yoga?  easy, it is doing good.  all the time.  as often as you can.  it is action without care of the fruits.  that is the important part really.  if you only do good to get good, well, that’s selfish, isn’t it, and that’s not really kharma yoga.  you have to do good for all, you have to want good for all, you have to be selfless instead of selfish.  are you starting to get it?  fear not, if you aren’t.  read the above over and over.  try to understand the concept and then execute the means.  and a word of caution, the more good you do, depending on the current status of your ‘account’, you may at first experience very much bad.  never despair.  never stop from doing what is right, good and just. solider along the path of righteousness and good things will come.

trust no one.  believe only that which you experience.  

return good for evil and fear no man, and fear no man’s deeds.  for in returning good for evil and giving good at all times, we progress ever upwards and never down.  

life through yoga

we are all given hints to life on this planet.  some as early as birth.

i will tell you all one thing, if you allow it to, it will change your life.   one thing.  that is all.

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there is no such thing as coincidence.  

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it does not exist, it never did exist.  it is a way for people to justify the fact that there are powers LARGER than us; however these powers are not necessarily beyond our control.

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the Universe is not a hodge podge of ‘stuff’ where random acts happen.  no sir, the Almighty would not allow such a thing to occur.

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our names.  this is a huge hint.

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our body type.  this is another hint.

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the location of our birth, this is not a coincidence.  you were born here, in the US for a reason.  you were born there, in India or in Africa or Tibet or China, for a reason..

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we are all given a preview of this life prior to coming here.  why does this matter you may be thinking?  why in the world do i give a $@%& if i got a sneak preview?! i’m still miserable!!!!  ahhh, then rejoice!  for this was all YOUR CHOICE.  so, perhaps think to yourself why you would have chosen such a life?  why, perhaps, are you in the situation you are in?  do not place blame, this will get you nowhere.  we are all where we are because of each and every single thought we have had up until now.  each thought we have shapes our future.  each thought we have shapes our day.  each day inevitably passes and turns to the ‘past’.  unless we can control our thoughts we will never control our own future.

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we are all too busy, right!?  worrying about bills.  about fixing the car.  about those blasted parking tickets!  about that new job that you’re training for that is just taking the LIFE right out of you, and you don’t even have time to attend to ‘life’!  newsflash, this is life.  the worrying however, does not have to be.  when, ever in your life, has worrying solved anything for anyone?  never.  worried about standing in front of a group of people to discuss something, why?  won’t help!  never worry and never stress.  if there is something concerning you address it and move forward.

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we allow too much to stand in the way of progress.  we allow ourselves to stand in the way.  we allow loved ones, family, friends.  when you have a path, and you are sure of your path, stick to it.  be firm.  resolute.  if we do not move forward.  if we fail to understand, at least on a small scale, the larger picture, we only do disservice to ourselves.  to our lives.  take a step back.  see your life as if you were inside behind the window pane looking out at life, at your life.  see yourself.  see you past.  your future.  see those obstacles in your way.  see them blown away.  until you can imagine success you will never be a success.

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in the battle of will vs. imagination, imagination will always wins.  if i tell you to bend down and pick up the rope in front of you but you happen to imagine that the rope is the most poisonous snake in the world, dripping with venom and waiting to strike…..well, i doubt you would pick up that rope. i can tell you to walk across a small plank of wood 2 feet off the floor.  no problem.  but 200 feet….well, now my imagination starts to run wild and i get afraid!  right?!  this is how it works.  there is no need to fear.  the more you fear a thing the more that thing will come in to being.  why?!  this is law.  this is the universe telling you to grow up!  to get over that fear!  that fear is just FEAR!  do away with it ! with this silly thing called body image.  the body is a vessel friends, hear me now.   close your eyes.  who are you?  are you still that silly body?  still 5 foot something, whatever color hair and eyes – no, you are NOT!

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you have heard it, plenty of times from plenty of different people.  ‘be as a child to enter the kingdom of heaven’  – there’s a few things wrong with that statement, but lets talk about whats right.  the Child part.  what are children?  pure.  they are not filled with lust, greed, hatred, anger and jealousy.. ok, what else?  children do NOT associate with the body.  they see the body merely as a vessel for that which lies within.  children ALSO have FUN!  don’t they!?  they don’t worry…if something negative happens they cry, shout, hoot and holler (or whatever it is that children do now a days…perhaps post an angry message on FB or send a text to Mommy)  – whatever it is, they deal with it, and then move on.  back to playing, back to learning.  children are always learning!  always so inquisitive.  why?  oh my dear friends, this is why we are here.  you, who you are, you are here for 1 reason.  to learn.  NOW, what you have to learn, i haven’t a clue.  each to their own, most certainly.  perhaps you have to learn how to be nice to Kittens.  Perhaps you have to learn how to live as a poor man begging on the street, or as a rich man living in a mansion.  i haven’t a clue, but you do.

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we cannot have a question before we have an answer.  so, when a question arrives, mediate on it.  and what, friends, is meditation?  simple: intense concentration and focus.  that’s it.  easy peasy.  🙂

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practice asana.  why?  because it will reveal you to yourself.  it will show you your weaknesses and strengths, then it will allow you to eradicate them, one by one, and at your own pace.  asana will teach you how to breath through the difficult times and how to revel in the wondrous ones.