The Nature of Yoga

The Nature of Yoga.

 

This is the teaching of yoga.

Yoga is the cessation of the turnings of thought.

When thought ceases, the spirit stands in its true identity as observer to the world.

Otherwise, the observer identifies with the turnings of thought.

 

These are four aphorisms which define the nature of yoga as a state of mental tranquility and spiritual freedom, as well as the means to achieve this state.

 

The Turnings of Thought.

 

The turnings of thought, whether corrupted or immune to the forces of corruption, are of five kinds.

They are valid judgement, error, conceptualization, sleep and memory.

The valid means of judgment are direct perception, inference, and verbal testimony.

Error is false knowledge with no objective basis.  

Conceptualization comes from words devoid of substance.

Sleep is the turning of thought abstracted from existence.

Memory is the recollection of objects one has experienced.

(in learning about corruption, even the most subtle and benign workings of thought are obstructions to freedom of the spirit).

 

The Sanskrit term for cessation of the turnings of thought are 'citta-vrtti-nirodha'

 

The goal of yoga is to stop the thought processes so that the spirit can be free, isolated from the turmoil of thought from which it mistakenly takes its identity.

 

The Bhagavad Gita echos this idea when Krishna says of the yogi, "He should gradually become tranquil, firmly controlling his understanding; focusing his mind on the self, he should think nothing". (6.25)

 

The cessation of the turnings of thought comes through practice and dispassion. (we'll explore this more in our next series to come, breathe in this idea for now).

Life is your Teacher

"Life itself is your teacher, So follow in your own footsteps! LEAD the way into and through your life,  rather than cling to the old, past, stale habits that no longer serve you, set forth a new path with joy! Let your new steps lead you to the joy you deserve. Manifest your hearts desire and rejoice in it!" You could look at my life and say to yourself, wow! That woman has had a lot of experiences and changes! This is no doubt true on every level. I have lived a life most people do not. I modeled at stores for years as a mannequin model, for covers of Buick, in fashion shows, newspapers and more. I even entered a beauty pageant but found myself helping others try to win and be better people and was more nervous about my own journey there. I was the National and Canadian Anthem singer for Nascar racing at Michigan and Pennsylvania tracks for 10 years and when I retired, I rode in a pace car and was given a sapphire and diamond necklace and earrings to commemorate the time I spent there (since I also worked in the media center and ran a program for kids with (dis)abilities to go on the track for a ride, meet the drivers and have lunch in the garages.) I have been married twice and both experiences were completely different. I do not regret either of them, even though the first one was extremely physically abusive. I do not have kids so that in and of itself is very different than many. I have held so many different types of jobs, gone to school for many subjects and in my words,  have had life experiences that were so transforming (like almost dying twice from crohn's disease) that there is no turning back. I am moved, changed, transformed and I feel so educated from my life experiences. I may be wayyyy out of the norm from most people however, I work with a lot of children, people, and life experiences today so I am not without 'family'. My birth family live in Michigan however I find myself quite happy about living here and visiting there. Sure I miss them deeply however, metaphysics, life and science/universe have taught me about non-attachment and living the life I believe God/Spirit/Love wants me to live, which means also to continue to teach, grow and learn; then share it. So those of you who fear change, forget that word and change it to TRANSFORM! Remember these words from Eckhart Tolle; "The past cannot prevail against the power of now". Live a life that is truly YOURS and CHOOSE to share it while continuing to grow. Namaste'

Open Your Heart

Last night our beautiful earth decided to show us a wondrous display of an evening sky by being highlighted in swipes of reds, purples and blues. This is why i love to hang out in my bedroom in bed; my space is high above the other townhouses and homes and i see out into the open western sky over the treetops. We call it the setting sun but in actuality it is the earth rotating and that amazes me! I am really beginning to feel the light changing in the morning and the evening as it comes sooner and lasts longer. The sun and light DOES have an amazing energy that ignites us all! It is empowering and uplifting. I have been to some of the most amazing places to watch the sun arise and set; some even on the Pittsburgh Post's Gazettes Top 10 List. I find sitting and watching the light appear or disappear (for me) to be one of the most quieting and meditative experiences. Just for the hope and possibility of seeing another sun'rise' or sun'set' is my motivation to feel blessed in this lifetime. That sky last night continued to transform into different shapes and swipes of color as if a paintbrush came and continued to paint the canvas. It is a peaceful feeling to know as well that the sky I am seeing is most likely similar to the sky that my family and friends in other places may be seeing (if they are looking). We so easily get caught up in our lives and our world with that which is directly in front of us, most of the time a sort of 'routine' of our life and yet when we 'allow' ourselves to expand our own horizons beyond that which we see right in front of us, our hearts can be opened and unified to something greater than limitations we may have in that very moment. This is the week to open your heart more, that's what Valentine's Day means for me. I'm not into buying a card however i will make one. I will tell everyone i love them, i will make my sweetie a delicious dinner and sweet treat and i will allow Valentines' Day to be the day of expressing from my heart rather than getting all stuck in my head. It is important for us to give ourselves a gift or two as well, perhaps to watch a setting sun, to write about my gratitudes for the week in a journal, perhaps the gift of more time (hopefully on your yoga mat) and perhaps time to reflect (as i do when watching the sun 'set') reflect on what is meaningful and have more of it in my life.  We can stop spending time on useless things (surfing the net, watching tv,) and give yourself 10 minutes of ahh... Then there is the 'stuff' in your house blocking your space for.....SPACE/AIR/BREATH. That is what the vast open sky at sunset and sunrise remind me of, open space to breath and rid oneself of dustbunnies and cobwebs (in the body and mind but in the home and car too). Valentine's Day is a great time to remember 'Acceptance of oneself' which means you may have to forgive yourself of something and/or give yourself permission to be happy. We are so busy worrying about what others think of us or if our actions affected someone and yet, each of us was given this life to live and though we choose to 'share' it with others we still need to tend to our 'garden of the heart' and live the life that is within us as God/Spirit/Love intended. And only YOU know what that is for yourself because only YOU know what you are passionate about and what is meaningful to you. Hopefully you chose a partner that will walk that path with you and if not, that is ok. It is a big beautiful universe and you are meant to honor your Self. Accept 'what you have done and what you want to do'. You get this one opportunity (that i know of) to walk YOUR path, to love YOUR life and to open your heart, share your love, give yourself love by living the life you dream of and pausing to enjoy the sunrise or sunset or even to smell the roses. This is what a beautiful sky at night, with all of its colors and all of its lessons remind me of. This too is what Valentine's Day means to me, so no, you don't have to get all caught up in the Hallmark tradition. Make your own and use this time to connect to your heart center so that you too can connect to others.  

 

Lesli Kotloski