Meditations in My New Corset

I turned on my laptop and the wireless wasn't working. I thought, "Oh God, the wireless antenna is broken again. It will cost hundreds to fix. I can't do any of my computer work for many days. OMG."

Then I was like, waaait a second. Something unexpected just happened that I perceived as unpleasant. My gut instinct was to nearly pray, "Oh Powers That Be, don't let this thing be broken". Well I actually consciously don't pray for this type of things because that feels a bit…petty.

I restarted the computer and the wireless was fixed. "Thank God!" was my thought. I've been thinking about this for some time now actually. How silly of me to think of unpleasant obstacles or difficult situations as something I need to pray to be free of, or something to let get me down. How can I know that a 'stupid' thing that happens isn't a blessing??

Whether it's my karma burning, a nudge to some new direction, or whatever - I should be as grateful for a 'negative' thing as I am for a 'positive'. As a spiritual creature, I think of God often and do thank Him a lot when amazing things happen. But recently I've started to thank Him and feel gratitude while I'm brushing my teeth, or walking up stairs, or when nothing is really happening. Those moments are just as amazing because He is just as present.

Am I making any sense? Do you like my corset? :)

The Meaning of Yoga and the Eight Steps of Astanga

Yoga literally means 'to link'. In the ancient Indian teachings there are many different ways to link oneself with the Supreme. For example, karma-yoga means that you offer the results of your work and activities to God. Bhakti-yoga means connecting with the Supreme every moment through loving devotional service. In jnana-yoga you cultivate philosophical knowledge for spiritual elevation.

The word 'yoke' - the wooden thing that links up two oxen - comes from the Sanskrit word yoga.

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Asta - 'eight', anga - 'steps'

I started thinking of all this because the other day I was reading Patanjali's Yoga-Sutras. Yoga-sutras are the basis of astanga-yoga, or mystic 'eight-fold' yoga. The practice of astanga-yoga begins with various lifestyle regulations and duties (yama and niyama) such as vegetarianism, honesty, celibacy, abstinence from intoxication, and so on. These are followed by postures (asana - 'yoga' as we know it in the modern world). Then follows the controlling of the body's energies through breathing exercises. When you are able to merge the incoming breath with the outgoing breath - meaning when you stop breathing (!!) - then you gradually move through total sense control to concentration and finally, meditation. The last, eighth step is the state of self-realization, samadhi.

The eight steps once again:

1. Yama - prohibitions

2. Niyama - duties

3. Asana - postures

4. Pranayama - breath control

5. Pratyahara - withdrawal of the senses

6. Dharana - concentration

7. Dhyana - meditation

8. Samadhi - trance

In astanga-yoga the breathing exercises must come before meditation because breath is intimately connected with the mind. The airs that move in the body move the mind and thoughts within it. So following the astanga process, as long as you have not merged the airs and stopped breathing, you cannot fully focus your mind.

Step 5 means the yogi learns to draw all his perceptive senses from the outer world, detach from it and focus on his inner life only. Kind of like a turtle who can pull all its limbs under the shell.

The Goal of Yoga

The goal of the eightfold mystic yoga is not good health or a flat belly but detachment from the material world. Yoga is meant to detach us from the matter and connect us with the spirit, the Supreme. Doesn't "real yoga" sound intense?! Actually attaining samadhi through astanga-yoga is intense to the point that it's practically impossible in today's world. Previously meditation would rely on the purity of the prana (ether, air, lifeforce) for yogis to sync their consciousness with the Earth frequency. The yogis would drink water and eat nothing but the pure, clean air. Even if today's aspiring yogi or yogini had the willpower, dedication, physical qualities, excellent karma, long life and everything else astanga requires, the ether is so full of disturbing elements that the type of meditation required to progress in astanga couldn't physically happen. When I say physically, I refer to the subtle physical matter such as radio waves, cell phone and wi-fi signals, radars from satellites, airports and motion detectors, etc. This clutter is everywhere and affects the mind too much for astanga's "mechanical" approach.

As you can see, astanga-yoga is a mechanical path to self-realization. It's a strict, exact science and requires perfection at each level to move forward. Astanga-yoga was meant for those who had the nature of a yogi, for those to whom all this came quite naturally and who had such qualities that they wouldn't have wanted any other approach to spiritual life and linking with the Supreme.

Umm So How Do I Get to Samadhi?

The Vedas foretold human's future scope of abilities, attention span and other qualities and so recommend a slightly simpler yoga process for the current age for attaining self-realization - one based on the attraction of the heart to spirit, rather than ascetically restraining the senses from matter. Many ancient texts describe how just by sincerely chanting and hearing the transcendental sound vibration, all else will come in time, almost automatically. Hello, Om! Om is "a seed of transcendental realization" and one of the spiritual mantras you can chant.

We're staying in the country in North Carolina at the moment and fixing the van (yes once again), getting ready for summer festivals and tour. Not much internet, actually have to hurry away now - more about om tomorrow!

My Fairy Bunny Cards for Sale! or Trade!

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Last few days I've been working on a million things and I love it. I made jewelry (I'll show you later!), started a whole new, fun and colorful (at least content-wise) website for a Krishna project (I'll show you later!) and met Ninni, whom I got to know through this blog (I'll tell you more later!)... Because... Today... is all about... ☆.♫¨*☆ thE fAiRy BuNNiEs!! ☆♫¨☆*•☆
Yay!! *sprinkles fairy dust your way* *dances wildly*
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1. Hoop Love Fairy Bunny Card :: imagine dancing with wings!
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2. Fairybook Fairy Bunny Card :: always stay connected with your fairies!

3. Meditation Fairy Bunny Card :: wisdom that carries her

4. Great Spirit Fairy Bunny Card :: Cherokee blessing

5. Hoop Love Shadow Fairy Bunny Card :: don't drink & drive, just hoop & fly!

6. Yoga Fairy Bunny Card :: with a little help from my wings

7. Third Eye Fairy Bunny Card :: quote from Rumi

8. Impossible Fairy Bunny Card :: skateboardasana

9. Meditation Shadow Fairy Bunny Card :: learning, growing, omming

10. Dark Fairy Bunny Card :: say salute with Miss Mystery!

If you're not already my Facebook friend, please become so! ❤ I posted these cards a few days ago on my FB and friends can buy the cards from there. Or here from blog, whatever works. Just comment or send me email, omyourself@gmail.com -- I also put them on Etsy.

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The cards are regular postcard size (4x6 inches/10x15cm) and blank on the backside.

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EuroPeans:
1 card/2,50e
Deal: 5 cards of your choosing 10e
Deal: 10 cards of your choosing 17e
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Dollarians:
1 card/$3.50
Deal: 5 cards of your choosing $14
Deal: 10 cards of your choosing $25
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Let's talk if you want more, postage or paying info, etc. I have Paypal and other options. ✩Free shipping✩ all over the world if you get 5 cards or more. Maybe free shipping anyways. Let's talk :)
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Thank you for all the support & love!

Shiva the Auspicious One ::: om namah shivaya

Today is Shiva-ratri, a special day to remember Shiva. In the Vaishnava tradition, which is what I follow, Shiva is appreciated as one of the foremost devotees of Vishnu or Krishna.

Shiva has many names but one of them (and my favorite) is Nataraja, the cosmic dancer. Literally nataraja means 'the king of dance'. Under the supervision and maintenance of Vishnu, Brahma cyclically creates the material universe and Shiva destroys it. That is Shiva's service, kind of a thankless task I guess.

"Wearing matted locks of disheveled hair, and eager to conceal his actual nature, he staggers about like a madman. On his head he happily carries the Ganges, which has washed the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. When he dances he destroys the universe." Brihad-Bhagavatamrita 

Yes, the Ganges actually flows from the galaxy first down on Shiva's head, who is situated in the Himalayas, and only then down on earth. Because of this Shiva is the greatest yogi, in constant meditation on Krishna.

Another name of Shiva is Asutosha, 'easily pacified'. This means that Shiva also gets angry easily. That's why worshiping Shiva can be tricky business. Better be careful if that's what you want to do! :) 

He is also known as Bhutanatha, 'the lord of ghosts'. This shows Shiva's super compassionate nature. In case you didn't know, ghosts are real. There are people whose activities were so ignorant and degraded that after death they do not karmically qualify for another human body, so they stick around. Not in their physical bodies obviously, but disembodied, or in their "astral" body. Shiva sees the sad situation of the ghostly individuals and allows them to worship him so they can be gradually guided toward a path of self-realization. He's kind to the ghosts and eventually places them in human wombs. (As a side note, before you make babies, make a prayer or two to have a nice soul be placed into you/your lady's womb.)

 

Shiva apparently lives in the mode of ignorance like his companions (covers his body with ashes, wears animal skins) but inside he's on the highest platform of goodness. That's why he's bewildering to the mundane and inspiring to the transcendentalist. 

Shiva is also known for ganja smoking (ganja is Sanskrit for cannabis). My spiritual master A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada once said that it's not our place to imitate Shiva though and smoke pot like him unless we can do other things Shiva does, such as drink an entire ocean of poison. (Hear the story of Shiva and poison)

 

Here's my (whiny) letter to Shiva today.

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Shiva lives on the Kailash mountain. There is a beautiful description of it in the 4th canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, beginning here. 

"There are many waterfalls, and in the mountains there are many beautiful caves in which the very beautiful wives of the mystics are found. On Kailash Hill there is always the rhytmical sound of the peacocks' sweet vibrations and the bees' humming. Cuckoos are always singing, and other birds whisper amongst themselves." Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.6.11-12

One more name of Shiva is Rudra. Rudra is a fierce and powerful aspect of Shiva. You can feel Rudra's spirit when you get angry or when it's very windy out. It's the Rudra principle acting. Stormy sea water or blazing fire are also representations of Rudra. (read more about Rudra here)

Shiva and Parvati actually got married on this day. Below Shiva instructs her. I just love that picture. Shiva's feminine energy is also known as Shakti, Durga, Kali and Devi. Shiva's followers (Shaivites) have a clay marking of three horizontal lines on their foreheads like Shiva has here.

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Alrighty I think I've told you just about everything I know about Shiva :) If you want, some time today you can chant this mantra for him: om namah shivaya, which means that you're offering him your respects.

How I Feel About Drugs and Spirituality

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Often when I talk with people about meditation the question of drugs comes up. Many describe how the psychedelics help them open their mind to new perspectives, push the boundaries of their understanding, and reach higher and higher meditative states. (Check out this website with drawings from a guy who took LSD and made portraits throughout the trip - they get interesting!) Obviously, your perception changes on drugs. And after the drug leaves your system, your perception pretty much returns to how it was before the experience.

Our senses cannot perceive spirit

The problem with drugs and spirituality is that spirit is different from matter. Although spirit has variety, it is anti-matter and not perceivable by our material senses - sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell. We do not really have an entrance into spirit with anything we experience this world through; our senses, mind, or even the intelligence. Spiritual realizations and experiences are blessings that are given to us when we demonstrate sincere desire and effort to receive them. They are not something we can gatecrash our way into by any material means. Matter simply cannot "reach" spirit.

I have heard so many stories how people feel drugs have benefited them on their journey. But also I have heard even more stories of how at some point they realized that this is not necessary - it is actually more of a distraction. Basically, if spirituality is what you really want, you don't need drugs. If what you want is fascinating experiences of the reality melting before your eyes and trips that knock your socks off and then some, drugs may do that for you.

There is an element of selfishness in drug use

I don't have a problem with people doing what they want as long as common sense is involved. But I have a problem with people saying that drugs and spirituality go together. I understand that anything can inspire someone to begin or deepen their journey and that's fine. But an element of selfishness easily sneaks into drug use even if your intention is to widen your perspectives and grow as a person. 

You are indulging in something external and material with the expectations that this will give you something great. All you need is within you already, maybe dormant, but it's still there. And by thinking that you need drugs to access the truth, you are actually covering the truth that much more.

Galileo Galilei says it well

I don't know how popular this post will make me in certain scenes :) I don't mean to get on anybody's case, I'm just sharing my thoughts on a question I hear often. What do you think?

This pic is not perfectly related but just to lighten up: I met these guys a while back and they didn't mind me taking a kind of a funny pic of them with their...party gear. I thought the quote just somehow goes well with it.