A 1982 Interview With George Harrison Of The Beatles

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare, Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare, Hare

A 1982 Interview with George Harrison

In the summer of 1969, before the dissolution of the most popular music group of all time, George Harrison produced a hit single, “ The Hare Krishna Mantra”, performed by George and the members of the London Radha-Krsna Temple.  Soon after rising to the Top 10 or Top 20 best-selling record charts throughout England, Europe, and parts of Asia, the Hare Krsna chant became a household word-especially in England, where the BBC had featured the Hare Krsna Chanters, as they were then called, four times on the country’s most popular television programme, Top of the Pops.

George Harrison was the impetus for the Beatles’ spiritual quest of the sixties, and up until his death in 2001, the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare, Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare, Hare” continued to play a key role in his life.

In this conversation with his long-time personal friend Contemporary Vedic Library Series editor Mukunda Goswami (MG), taped at George’s home in England on September 4, 1982, George reveals some of the memorable experiences he had chanting Hare Krsna and describes in detail his deep realisations about the chanting.

He explains what factors led him to produce “The Hare Krishna Mantra” record, “My Sweet Lord”, and the LPs All Things Must Pass and Living in the Material World – all of which were influenced to a great extent by the Hare Krsna chanting and philosophy. 

He speaks open and lovingly of his association with His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder – acarya of the Hare Krsna movement. 

George also speaks frankly about his personal philosophy regarding the Hare Krsna movement, music, yoga, reincarnation, karma, the soul, God and Christianity.  The conversation concludes with his fond remembrances of a visit to the birthplace of Lord Krsna in Vrndavana, India, home of the Hare Krsna mantra, and with George discussing some of his celebrity friends’ involvement with the mantra now heard and chanted around the world.

Below are excerpts of the interview by Mukunda Goswami (MG) and George Harrison (GH):

MG	Oftentimes you speak of yourself as a plainclothes devotee, a closet yogi or “closet Krsna” and millions of people all over the world have been introduced to the chanting by your songs.  But what about you?  How did you first come in contact with Krsna?
GH	Through my visits to India.  So by the time the Hare Krsna movement first came to England in 1969, John and I had already gotten a hold of Prabhupada’s first album, Krsna Consciousness.  We had played it a lot and liked it.  That was the first time I had ever heard the chanting of the maha-mantra.
MG	In your recent published autobiography, I, Me, Mine, you said your song “Awaiting on You All” is about Japa yoga, or chanting mantras on beads.  You explained that a mantra is “mystical energy encased in a sound structure”, and that “each mantra contains within its vibrations a certain power”.  But of all mantras, you stated that “the maha-mantra” (The Hare Krisna Mantra) has been prescribed as the easiest and surest way for attaining God realisation in this present age.  As a practitioner of Japa Yoga, what realisations have you experienced from chanting?
GH	Prabhupada told me once that we should just keep chanting all the time – or as much as possible.  Once you do that, you realise the benefit.  The response that comes from chanting is in the form of bliss, or spiritual happiness, which is a much higher taste that any happiness found here in the material world.  That is why I say that the more you do it, the more you do not want to stop, because it feels so nice and peaceful.
MG	What is about the mantra that brings about this feeling of peace and happiness?
GH	The word Hare is the word that calls upon the energy that is around the Lord.  If you say the mantra enough, you build up identification with God.  God is all happiness, all bliss, and by chanting His names we connect with him.  So it is really a process of actually having a realisation of God, which all becomes clear with the expanded state of consciousness that develops when you chant.
MG	Can you think of any incident where you felt God’s presence very strongly through chanting?
GH	Once I was on an airplane that was in an electric storm.  It was hit by lightening three times, and a Boeing 707 went over the top of us, missing us by inches.  I thought the back end of the plane had blown off.  I was on my way from Los Angeles to New York to organise the Bangladesh concert.  As soon as the plane began bouncing around I started chanting “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare, Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare, Hare”.  The whole thing went on for about an hour and a half or two hours, the plane dropping hundreds of feet and bouncing all over in the storm, all the lights out and all these explosions, and everybody terrified.  I ended up with my feet pressed against the seat in front, my seat belt as tight as it could be, gripping on the thing, and yelling Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare, Hare at the top of my voice.  I know for me, the difference between making it and not making it was actually chanting the mantra.  Peter Sellers also swore that chanting Krsna saved him from a plane crash.

Source:	Excerpts from the book “Chant and be Happy The Power of Meditation.  Based on the teachings of his Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
YouTube	<iframe width="640" height="390" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/D6miNc2Mse0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

What is Your Biggest Mistake? | Man on the Street

What Is Your Biggest Mistake?

“Mistakes may seem like obstacles to success, but they can propel us towards our ultimate goal if we choose to learn from them”                                                                              Carmen Burby

One of the participants in the video states that her biggest mistake is the fear of making mistakes!  Her observation fully resonates with me.  I have a perfectionist tendency and I thrive on excellence.  However, the perfectionist attitude I have is just a mask to cover my fear of making mistakes.  I believe, it stops me from getting out of my comfort zone when I spend a great deal of time perfecting something which is considered to be of a good standard - hence, constraining myself within my own perceived limits and not expanding to discover the unknown because of this irrational fear.

What Have You Learned From Your Mistakes?

I am fully aware of my perfectionist tendencies.  Previously this attitude was deeply embedded in me and literally ran on autopilot.  Now, I believe that mistakes are the only way to grow.  However, it took me a great deal of time to attain this level of awareness.  And it emerged slowly during a truly dark period in my life.  I fully embraced the realisation of “Awareness” from the start but its practical application is another matter.  I am still striving to fully apply it in my daily life – but I know I have the tool of “Awareness” which I now try to utilise in everything I do.   For example, today I was attempting some new yoga exercises, which I could not do very well at the beginning, but then I remembered and applied “Awareness” into my practice!  I stopped, stood tall, readjusted my posture and took deep breaths and concentrated on the task at hand and with the aid of “Awareness” my practice seemed to flow more easily and naturally.

Summary

In summary, what I learned from my biggest mistake was to cultivate awareness by harnessing the principles of "Mindfulness" and to let go of my perfectionist tendencies and move on.  Sometimes it is acceptable and constructive to make mistakes.  In taking action we may make mistakes but very often these mistakes can be corrected.

What Is Your Biggest Mistake?

What Have You Learned From Your Mistakes?

Source:	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOUUO5bgxKs.  Video by Katie Wise and Nicole Villela
Post:	Tune into the wisdom within published on 21.05.2014.  Accessible on http://www.energysprings.blogspot.com
Commentary:	By Carmen Burby

Breathing: The Little Known Secret to Peace of Mind

“A few weeks ago shooting, cars exploding, screaming, death, that was your world. Now back home, no one knows what it is like over there so no one knows how to help you get back your normalcy. They label you a victim of the war. I am not a victim… but how do I get back my normalcy? For most of us it is booze and Ambien. It works for a brief period then it takes over your life. Until this study, I could not find [the] right help for me, BREATHING like a champ!” Those were the words of a 25 year old marine, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who partook in the research study I ran with Dr. Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Whereas therapeutic and drug treatments had not helped many of the participants who volunteered for my study, a breathing practice – the intervention we used – did. One of the veterans in our study has since gone on to become an instructor so he can share the practices he learned with other veterans. “Thank you for giving me my life back,” he told us.

The Breath Is a Powerful Tool to Calm the Mind

We have an intuitive understanding that the breath can regulate our mind and emotions. Most of us have either told others or been told ourselves to “take a deep breath” when things got challenging. Most clinical psychologists use some kind of breathing practice with patients. However, because breathing happens automatically, many of us don’t give the breath as much attention as it deserves nor have we learned to harness its full potential to calm our minds.

One of the reasons why breathing can change how we feel is that emotions and breathing are closely connected. A revealing research study by Pierre Phillipot showed that different emotional states are associated with distinct respiration patterns. In Phillipot’s study, participants came in and were instructed to generate emotions like sadness, fear, anger and happiness to the best of their ability. While they were experiencing the emotions, Phillipot’s team requested participants to closely observe and report on their own respiration patterns. The research team found that each emotion was associated with a distinct pattern of breath. For example, when the participants felt anxious or afraid, they breathed more quickly and shallowly and when they felt happy, they breathed slowly and fully. Even more interesting was the follow-up study in which  the researchers invited in a different group of participants into their lab and instructed them to breathe in the patterns they had observed corresponded to emotions. The researchers literally told the participants how to breathe and then asked them how they felt. Lo and behold, the participants started to feel the emotions that corresponded to the breathing patterns!

This finding is revolutionary: We can change how we feel using our breath! Given the fact that it is so difficult to change one’s emotions using thoughts alone – try “talking yourself out of” intense anger or anxiety – , learning to use the breath becomes a very powerful tool. Since it is so difficult “talk” our way out of our feelings, we can learn to “breathe” our way through them.  After participating in a 6-day workshop, veterans who said they had felt “dead” since returning from Iraq said they felt alive again. 2 years later, they are spokespeople for the program, volunteering to encourage other veterans to learn to breathe again.

More Benefits of Learning Breathing Practices

Several studies suggest that controlled yogic breathing has immediate and positive effects on psychological well-being, as well as on physiological markers of well-being, such as blood pressure and heart rate. Within minutes you will feel better and place your body in a significantly healthier state. The long-term effects of a daily breathing practice are even more pronounced. By activating the part of our nervous system associated with “resting and digesting” (the parasympathetic nervous system), breathing practices may “train” the body to be calmer. For example, preliminary studies have found that regularly practicing breathing exercises lowers one’s level of cortisol — the “stress hormone.” Having lower levels of this hormone may be indicative of an overall calmer state of being, which may translate into less reactivity in the face of inevitable life stressors and less risk of heart disease. Although substantial studies of yogic breathing and the brain have yet to emerge, preliminary brain studies of meditation and the breath suggest that they activate brain areas involved in the control of the autonomic system, such as the insula. Control of the breath appears to activate brain regions that guide the parasympathetic, or “rest and digest,” processes of the body, perhaps thereby inducing its calming effects. Deep breathing has even been found to reduce pain.

A Breathing Practice to Try at Home: Alternate Nostril Breathing

This gentle pranayama is said to cool the mind and emotions. You may notice that, at any given time, one nostril is dominant (that is, air flows more smoothly through one nostril and only partially through the other). The dominant nostril alternates throughout the day. Preliminary research suggests that breathing through the right nostril oxygenates the left side of the brain, while breathing through the left nostril oxygenates the right side of the brain. One of the reasons alternate nostril breathing may induce its calming and balancing effects on the mind is that it gently allows for airflow through both nostrils.

To practice, place the index and middle finger of the right hand on the center of the eyebrow, and place the thumb on the right nostril, and the ring finger and pinky on the left nostril. The left hand rests on the lap, palm facing up. Take a deep breath in and, closing the right nostril with your thumb, breathe out through the left nostril. Then take a deep breath in through the left nostril, close the left nostril with your ring finger and pinky at the end of the inhale, and exhale through the right nostril. Take a deep breath in through the right nostril and, closing the right nostril with the thumb, exhale on the left side, and start over. Do this with your eyes closed for about five minutes. Notice the effects on your body and mind.

Want to Learn to Breathe Again?

The veterans I worked with learned the practices taught in the Project Welcome Home Troops workshop which teaches Sudarshan Kriya Yoga. The International Association for Human Values offers this program programs for veterans www.pwht.org)”>(www.pwht.org), in schools (http://www.youthempowermentseminar.org), and in prisons (http://www.prisonsmart.org/). This practice is also taught for the general population by the Art of Living Foundation, see artofliving.org. Elementary yogic breathing practices can also be learned in general yoga classes. Kundalini yoga classes, for example, place a particular emphasis on breathing practices.

http://www.emmaseppala.com/breathing-the-little-known-secret-to-peace-of-mind/#.U5bfRnJdVIE

Yoga. A Quote By Carmen Burby

8 June 2014 by Carmen Burby

"Yoga is like an oasis in the middle of the dessert.  

        After a long days trek in the barren wilderness 

               you can stop to quench your thirst,

                       re-energise, recharge 

                         and rejuvenate yourself"    Carmen Burby

 

    "Yoga es como un oasis en el medio del desierto.  Despues de un largo dia de camino en el inhóspito terreno haces un descanso para saciar tu sed, revitalizarte, recargarte de energia y rejuvenecerte"                                           Carmen Burby

© 2014 Carmen Burby.   htpp://www.energysprings.blogspot.com
                                                       

The Language of Yoga

Photo courtesy of PimsleurApproach.com

http://charmedyoga.com/2012/04/19/9-awesome-yoga-infographics/

http://energysprings.blogspot.com

How Yoga Changes Your Body, Starting The Day You Begin (INFOGRAPHIC)

The Eastern practice of yoga has become a modern-day symbol of peace, serenity and well-being in the West. More than 20 million Americans practice yoga, according to the 2012 Yoga in America study, with practitioners spending more than $10 billion a year on yoga-related products and classes.

The mind-body practice is frequently touted for its ability to reduce stress and boost well-being, but it also offers wide-ranging physical health benefits that rival other forms of exercise. While the scientific research on yoga’s health benefits is still young, here’s what we know so far about its potential effects on the body. View the infographic below and scroll down for more detailed information.

Infographic by Jan Diehm for The Huffington Post

http://www.vegashealthfitnesschamber.com/?p=1356

9 Simple Ways Yoga Can Improve Your Everyday Life

1 June 2014 - Image by Carmen Burby

BY STEFANI BECKERMAN
JULY 4, 2013 5:00 AM EDT

The past few weeks have brought a lot of change into my life. It’s all good, exciting movement, but it’s the result of a series of scary steps forward that leave me feeling like I’m walking the plank and not sure if I’ll sink or swim. One of the best ways I’ve learned to deal with transition is by amping up my yoga practice. For me, the subtle details I focus on in my asanas translate naturally to metaphors for lessons I’m trying to master in everyday life.

In yoga, we’re taught to ground down through the feet and work our way up in order to sync our movement and breath. In that order, here are a few things I think about during my poses and their relationship to everyday life:  

1. Anchor Down 

Ground yourself through your feet by flexing the heals, lifting the knees, and strengthening the thighs to feel balanced at your root. That stability can be applied to every uncomfortable situation, because this journey isn't about finding a permanent way to avoid life’s hurdles; it’s about figuring out how to go through them without breaking. 

2. Sink into your foundation

Once you feel steady, hold it and breathe. Think about full, rounded breaths. Try four inhales and four exhales to slow everything down. Let the awareness of your breath keep you feeling full and strong so that you're empowered to step outside your comfort zone, attempt new levels in poses, and be fearless in life.  

3. Engage the core

Tighten from the very bottom, below your navel. Lift the abdominals up, roll the pelvic in, and lengthen. Do that all at once, inhale, and exhale without losing the connection. Practicing engaging these muscles will train the body to do it naturally so eventually we can suck the navel into the lower abs at all times. It eliminates lower back pain and a builds a strong core for life which helps you pay attention and feel confident trusting your own instincts. 

4. Accept your situation

Some poses are less comfortable than others depending on which muscles you hold stress in the most. Yoga is about being able to recognize where you are and remaining flexible with yourself. Be compassionate with your body; every day is different. Try to change the inner dialogue from fear of failure and limiting beliefs to positive self-talk about being proud of who and where you are.

5. Sink a little deeper 

When you want to quit because something is too hard, keep going. That’s what makes you stronger mentally, and that’s the power that you need to succeed at everything in life. If you can push just a drop past the comfort zone, you open up space for growth and improvement. Plus, if you fall on your face the first time, it can only get easier!

6. Practice patience

Adjust your relationship with time. Instead of rushing to get out NOW, stay right where you are a bit longer. Let the energy of this moment come and go while you enjoy it.  

7. Be the witness 

Notice all of your sensations. What comes up in your mind? What feels good and why? What hurts? Where do you start to get frustrated with yourself? Where do you start to compare yourself to others in the class? How does it all tie together? Call out the ego in a sympathetic way. That means simple awareness without judgment. Notice the facts and let go.

8. Lightness

Yoga is a moving meditation. You want the negative stuff to surface so that it can be released. Get out of your own way and just flow. Once you find out what that means for you, by feeling your way through it, you won’t be so held back by anything or anyone. All you have to do is show up and the your personal flow will sort of carry you through the rest.  

9. Let go 

This is the hard one, and it’s a combination of everything that came before it. It’s having a deep enough relationship with yourself to know that feeling good about yourself — your efforts, your place, your path — is the only approval you need. It’s being able to move forward without attachments of expectation, preconceived ideas and daydreams. It’s being grateful for this moment and taking everything possible out of it so it doesn’t pass you by too quickly.

As you take these thoughts with you in your daily life, you'll deepen your physical yoga practice, and vice versa.

 http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10129/9-simple-ways-yoga-can-improve-your-everyday-life.html

http://www.energysprings.blogspot.com

The Purpose of Yoga: Taking Control of Your Life

May 17th, 2007  By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Some interns enter into Yoga instructor training as a mile stone in their training.  The reason for intensive Yoga teacher training might be as simple as self-mastery. Yoga teaches us how to make life changes from within. Within all Yoga styles are the tools of self-realization and transformation. Once a Yoga practitioner has managed to empower him or herself, a positive direction will become the easiest path to follow.

Everyone is subject to outside pressures, even adults. There is always somebody who is willing to give you advice you did not ask for. When we are children, we think that outside pressure will stop, when we are “grown up;” we will be independent and in control of our lives.

As young adults, we soon find out that we have limited control of our lives, when there is always someone to answer to, in the form of a parent, college professor, supervisor, customer, drill sergeant, or someone else. In fact, we have limited control over life because we do not control nature.

How can Yoga instructor training empower you to take control of your life? 

How can you stop others from attempting to control your life? 

Let’s look at how Yoga training can help you to create your own manifestations and change your destiny for the best.

Do you ever have a co-worker who enjoys making others feel inferior? Consider this: We have to give permission to those who insult us, in order for them to make us feel less worthy. Without our permission, they hold no power over us.

If you believe that your existence is a problem, mistake, or error, then you really do have troubles. Self-doubt leads to self-defeat. Yet, all is not lost – because, in this case, the trouble can be found and purged from within you.

The solution to this problem is also within you. Once you understand that you have to respect your own self-image at all times, you will manifest positive energy from within. You must forgive yourself for past mistakes, make positive changes, and never speak poorly of yourself. You will receive nothing by thinking less of yourself, and you will leave the door open for those who feel gratification in your unhappiness.

About people who want to control you: Remember the saying, “Just say, No.”  Many people feel that life is not so simple, but “No” can be a powerful word, which prevents complications and trouble. You do not have to feel obligated to every request – just because somebody asks you.

This is not a free pass to refuse people in need, but you should use your best judgment about how you will spend your time and energy. Yogic philosophy teaches us to live in the moment, while performing acts of mindfulness, loving kindness, and forgiveness.

It is easy enough to waste time and energy, without experiencing peer pressure along the way. The correct path is universal, and your heart is your best guide.

© Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/2007/05/17/the_purpose_of_yoga_taking_control_of_yo/

Published by: http://energysprings.blogspot.com

Harvard Yoga Scientists Find Proof of Meditation Benefit

By Makiko Kitamura  Nov 22, 2013 

Scientists are getting close to proving what yogis have held to be true for centuries -- yoga and meditation can ward off stress and disease.

Photographer: Luis Acosta/AFP via Getty Images

People take part in a meditation day for peace in Colombia at Bolivar Square in Bogota,... Read More

John Denninger, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, is leading a five-year study on how the ancient practices affect genes and brain activity in the chronically stressed. His latest work follows a study he and others published earlier this year showing how so-called mind-body techniques can switch on and off some genes linked to stress and immune function.

While hundreds of studies have been conducted on the mental health benefits of yoga and meditation, they have tended to rely on blunt tools like participant questionnaires, as well as heart rate and blood pressure monitoring. Only recently have neuro-imaging and genomics technology used in Denninger’s latest studies allowed scientists to measure physiological changes in greater detail.

“There is a true biological effect,” said Denninger, director of research at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of Harvard Medical School’s teaching hospitals. “The kinds of things that happen when you meditate do have effects throughout the body, not just in the brain.”

Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg

A man practices yoga on the waterfront at Nariman Point in Mumbai.

The government-funded study may persuade more doctors to try an alternative route for tackling the source of a myriad of modern ailments. Stress-induced conditions can include everything from hypertension and infertility to depression and even the aging process. They account for 60 to 90 percent of doctor’s visits in the U.S., according to the Benson-Henry Institute. The World Health Organization estimates stress costs U.S. companies at least $300 billion a year through absenteeism, turn-over and low productivity.

Seinfeld, Murdoch

The science is advancing alongside a budding “mindfulness” movement, which includes meditation devotees such as Bill George, board member of Goldman Sachs Group and Exxon Mobil Corp., and comedian Jerry Seinfeld. News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch recently revealed on Twitterthat he is giving meditation a try.

As a psychiatrist specializing in depression, Denninger said he was attracted to mind-body medicine, pioneered in the late 1960s by Harvard professor Herbert Benson, as a possible way to prevent the onset of depression through stress reduction. While treatment with pharmaceuticals is still essential, he sees yoga and meditation as useful additions to his medical arsenal.

Exchange Program

It’s an interest that dates back to an exchange program he attended in China the summer before entering Harvard as an undergraduate student. At Hangzhou University he trained with a tai chi master every morning for three weeks.

“By the end of my time there, I had gotten through my thick teenage skull that there was something very important about the breath and about inhabiting the present moment,” he said. “I’ve carried that with me since then.”

His current study, to conclude in 2015 with about $3.3 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, tracks 210 healthy subjects with high levels of reported chronic stress for six months. They are divided in three groups.

One group with 70 participants perform a form of yoga known as Kundalini, another 70 meditate and the rest listen to stress education audiobooks, all for 20 minutes a day at home. Kundalini is a form of yoga that incorporates meditation, breathing exercises and the singing of mantras in addition to postures. Denninger said it was chosen for the study because of its strong meditation component.

Participants come into the lab for weekly instruction for two months, followed by three sessions where they answer questionnaires, give blood samples used for genomic analysis and undergo neuro-imaging tests.

‘Immortality Enzyme’

Unlike earlier studies, this one is the first to focus on participants with high levels of stress. The study published in May in the medical journal PloS One showed that one session of relaxation-response practice was enough to enhance the expression of genes involved in energy metabolism and insulin secretion and reduce expression of genes linked to inflammatory response and stress. There was an effect even among novices who had never practiced before.

Harvard isn’t the only place where scientists have started examining the biology behind yoga.

In a study published last year, scientists at the University of California at Los Angeles and Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn found that 12 minutes of daily yoga meditation for eight weeks increased telomerase activity by 43 percent, suggesting an improvement in stress-induced aging. Blackburn of the University of California, San Francisco, shared the Nobel medicine prize in 2009 with Carol Greider and Jack Szostak for research on the telomerase “immortality enzyme,” which slows the cellular aging process.
Build Resilience

Not all patients will be able to stick to a daily regimen of exercise and relaxation. Nor should they have to, according to Denninger and others. Simply knowing breath-management techniques and having a better understanding of stress can help build resilience.

“A certain amount of stress can be helpful,” said Sophia Dunn, a clinical psychotherapist who trained at King’s College London. “Yoga and meditation are tools for enabling us to swim in difficult waters.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Makiko Kitamura in London at mkitamura1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Phil Serafino at pserafino@bloomberg.net

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-22/harvard-yoga-scientists-find-proof-of-meditation-benefit.html

htpp://www.energysprings.blogspot.com

Tune Into The Wisdom Within!

21 May 2014 by Carmen Burby

Our body is intelligently equipped with everything it requires to serve us efficiently and effectively during the journey that is our physical existence. 

Recall

We need to recall times in which we felt wonderfully in tune with ourselves, when we felt at ease with our environment at home, at work, or with friends and so forth.  For example, it could be a simple walk in nature on a sunny day, a sunset or sunrise, your favourite place, sharing a meal with friends, sitting in a garden bathed in warm sunshine, watching a child at play, a successful meeting with a client, a party you attended looking beautiful and radiant or just remembering the look of people on a sunny day.  Hold that memory and feel it, sense it, savour it, smell it, touch it, see it and embrace the recollection of that beautiful experience.  Would you agree with me that we feel and look more relaxed, happier and friendlier when we recall happy moments?

Spring Cleaning 

             Our Subconscious / Conscious Mind 

                       (In The Broad Sense)

•  Subconscious Mind

It would be good if from time to time we try to do some mental spring cleaning, decluterring our minds as it were, disposing of unwanted material that does not serve us anymore.  It could be said that since our early formative years we have been storing memories in a generally random and indiscriminate manner. 

We stored everything, both good and bad events.  This is the work of the Subconscious Mind, which acts like a sponge.  Cannot reason, receives impressions and simple absorbs and works as it were on autopilot.  It does not actively filter or discriminate between the negative and positive impressions it receives.  It is like a bin in which you put anything.  It is the reservoir of all that we experience in life.  It accepts whatever is thrown into it!

• Conscious Mind or The Intellect

As we develop we start to reason and challenge certain beliefs and principles that do not serve us anymore.  This is the work of our Conscious Mind, which reasons, discriminates, takes action and does not work on autopilot like a machine, but it is fallible and prone to make mistakes.  In taking action we make mistakes.  We did not perform as well as we hoped, we failed and felt disappointed but we can and will do better with perseverance, and we can correct a mistake.  However, if we do nothing at all we do not have anything to correct.  Therefore, we must draw our own personal conclusions on what changes we need to make and what needs to be done in order to effect those changes!  Thus, we need to adjust, and make the necessary corrections and in this way we start to grow.  Mistakes may seem like obstacles to success, but they can propel us towards our ultimate goal if we choose to learn from them.

• Would I be right in saying that at this stage you are thinking that I know these two concepts already, but how can I start cleansing my subconscious of the unwanted material which is no longer beneficial to me?

To answer this question, I will base my reply on Swami Visnu-devananda’s book The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga.  At page 267 he says that “instead of guiding and giving proper suggestions with the developed intellect, man interferes with the natural work of the subconscious through wrong suggestions and thus adds miseries to his life.  However, with the help of the subconscious mind, we can change vicious nature by cultivating healthy, virtuous qualities that are opposed to undesirable ones.  If we want to overcome fear, we must concentrate on the opposite quality, courage.  The positive always overcomes the negative.  Even distasteful tasks and duties can be changed by cultivating a desire and taste for them.  All actions, pleasures, and experiences leave subtle impressions on the subconscious mind”.

In this way, by depositing opposite positive impressions in our subconscious mind we are burning as it were the negative impressions, which are impeding our development and causing us misery.  So, in this way the more spring-cleaning we do the more room we make for more positive impressions. 

Conclusion

In our daily lives, when we experience some daunting and trying times, no matter how busy we might be, we can just close our eyes for a few seconds to bring inner awareness and tune into ourselves with our active conscious mind to access the positive deposits we made in our subconscious mind. 

Hold a memory and feel it, sense it, savour it, smell it, touch it, see it and embrace the reminiscence of that beautiful experience.  Would you agree with me in saying that we feel and look more relaxed, happier and friendlier when we recall happy moments?

NB:

This blog is based on the teachings of Swami Visnu-devananda as outlined in his book The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga and of Swami Jyotirmayananda, who is the Director of the Sivananda Yoga Centre in London who recently led a workshop on Yoga and Stress management.  The workshop was like a beacon, which enlightened me and inspired me to write a few lines on this subject, but in reality I am only skimming the surface of the theme.

© 2014 Carmen Burby.   htpp://www.energysprings.blogspot.com