March/April 2014 - Transformation Journal by American Meditation Institute

American Meditation Institute americanmeditation.org

MARCH – APRIL 2014

AVERILL PARK, NEW YORK

Self-Care for Healthy Living

Like Water Taking the Shape of its Container, Your Will, Deeds and Destiny are Shaped By the Company You Keep.

SATSANG 4 Ways to Keep the Company of the Wise Photo by 123RF.com

Upcoming Classes and Events Inside this Issue: New Saturday Classes! Beginner’s Meditation Comprehensive Meditation If you want to start and maintain a meditation practice, this course is perfect for you. / P. 2

FREE Guided Meditation Every Sunday morning at 9:30 you can experience a “guided meditation” with Leonard. / P. 5

This six week “self-care” program offers the complete science of Yoga, and lifelong support. / P. 3

Transformation

Practical essays by respected Yoga scientists to support and deepen your meditation. / P. 8

The Comprehensive Meditation and Chakra System courses to be offered on Saturdays. / P. 3, 5

The Chakra System Learn the meaning, psychology and functioning of the chakras to enhance your well being. / P. 5

COMPLETE AMI CLASS SCHEDULE: Pages 2-5

AMI Classes for March - April 2014

BEGINNER’S MEDITATION: The Basics for Getting Started Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder LEVEL I: Have you ever thought about trying meditation, but didn’t know how to get started? In AMI’s two-session course, you’ll receive step-by-step guidance on how to start—and stick with—a daily meditation practice. It’s easy to learn the basics: how to deal with distractions, reduce stress, enhance your body’s immune system and become more focused, creative and content. This class includes a FREE “guided meditation” CD.

What is Meditation? In meditation you are fully alert, but the mind is relaxed and allowed to let go of its tendencies to think, analyze, remember, solve problems and focus on events of the past or expectations for the future. Meditation helps the mind to slow down its rapid series of thoughts and feelings that often lead to stress and dis-ease, and to replace that mental activity with a quiet, effortless, one-pointed focus of attention and awareness. Thus, meditation is not thinking about problems or analyzing a situation. Meditation is not having an internal conversation or argument with yourself. It is an inner attention that is concentrated, yet relaxed. It does not conflict with any religious tradition.

and body are calm and relaxed, dis-ease from a previously agitated system (that may have intensified issues such as high blood pressure, headaches, back pain, insomnia, digestive problems or PMS) is lessened, and you feel better. • Meditation can improve all relationships. By offering you tools to deal with stressful thoughts, meditation helps you remain calm, compassionate and skillful with others and to be more loving toward yourself. • Meditation makes you smarter. A 2005 Harvard Medical School study showed that meditation increased thickness in the regions of the brain associated with attention, sensory awareness and emotional processing.

Why Should I Meditate?

• Meditation makes you more creative. By

According to ABC World News Tonight, meditation is used today by many Americans including the U. S. Marines and students in classrooms all over the country. In 2011, 10% of U.S. adults (over 20 million) practiced meditation and 3 million patients, on the recommendation of their physicians, established their own meditation practice.

resting the mind from its habit of thinking, planning, judging and worrying, you create more space for new ideas to arise and to be noticed. Meditation also lowers resistance you may have to new concepts and ways of thinking.

• Meditation can make you healthier. Daily meditation is an essential ingredient in your own personal “self-care health program.” Scientific studies at the Mayo Clinic show that “meditating slows breathing rate, heart rate, lowers blood pressure and aids in the treatment of anxiety, depression and a range of other ailments.” • Meditation calms the mind. The mind and body are inter-connected. When the mind is calm, the body becomes stronger, more flexible, and less inflamed. When the mind 2

Meditating in a Chair: AMI teaches you to meditate in a straight-back chair. For proper posture, the head, neck and trunk should be comfortably erect (no slouching). For best back comfort, your buttocks should be slightly higher than your knees.

SATURDAY MORNINGS, 9:30 -10:30AM, $95. (2 WKS) MAR 8 & 15; MAY 3 & 10

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Your entire $95 registration fee will be applied to your COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION tuition should you decide to register for that additional class within one year.

americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714 TMTM

COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION: The Heart and Science of Yoga Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder

LEVEL I: AMI’s acclaimed six-week course teaches you how to apply meditation principles to every situation. This complete “self-care health program” includes all the Beginner’s Meditation material plus breathing techniques, nutrition counseling, easy-gentle yoga exercises, instruction on how to make the best possible choices and lifelong support for your meditation practice. It provides you all the tools you’ll need to ease stress, reduce pain, boost your immune system, heal relationships, enhance your problem solving ability and find inner peace, happiness and security. A retrospective case study of former Heart and Science of Yoga TM students

recently found these positive, reproducible, long-term health-promoting changes: • Lowered blood pressure • Lowered heart rate • Reduced cholesterol levels • Weight loss

• Increased breathing capacity • Increased exercise capacity • Improved restorative sleep • Improved energy levels

• Increased creative capacity • Diminished migraines • Reduced stress and fear • Eliminated irritable bowel

• Enhanced happiness/optimism • Diminished or extinguished acute and chronic pain

The Heart and Science of Yoga Curriculum is Endorsed by

Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD, Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD WEEK 1: YOGA SCIENCE How to use the mind for the best choices How to create new, healthier habits Understanding pain as an agent for healing Increasing energy, will power & creativity Antidotes for worry, stress and depression WEEK 2: MEDITATION Systematic procedure for meditation How to diminish distractions Learning the one-minute meditation Building focus, fearlessness, and strength WEEK 3: BREATHING TECHNIQUES Breath as Medicine How breathing irregularities foster dis-ease Complete (three-part) yogic breath

WEEK 4: PSYCHOLOGY & AYURVEDA How the mind supports optimal health The power of the present moment Building and healing relationships Introduction to Ayurveda WEEK 5: EASY-GENTLE YOGA Yoga stretches and exercises for: muscles, joints, glands and internal organs Physiological benefits of Hatha Yoga WEEK 6: MIND-BODY CARE PLAN The healing power of prayer The practical benefit of contemplation Creating a therapeutic care plan Learning to budget your time Integrating spiritual beliefs

PHYSICIAN ACCREDITATION (15 CMEs)

Registration Includes: Lifelong support for

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of Albany Medical College and The American Meditation Institute. Albany Medical College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

your meditation practice, a Guided Meditation CD, a complementary subscription to Transformation journal and a copy of The Physiology of Gentle Yoga. Required Texts: The Heart and Science of Yoga by Leonard Perlmutter and The Art of Joyful Living by Swami Rama.

The Albany Medical College designates this Live activity for a maximum of 15 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 9:00PM, $475. (6 WKS) Physicians, Residents, Fellows, PAs, NPs: $775; RNs: $575 MAR 19 – APR 23; MAY 14 – JUN 18

NURSING ACCREDITATION (15 contact hours) This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses, Inc., an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialling Center's Commission on Accreditation.

NEW SATURDAY MORNING CLASS SAT. MORNINGS, 9:30AM - 12:00PM, $475. (6 WKS) Physicians, Residents, Fellows, PAs, NPs: $775; RNs: $575

MAR 22 – APR 26; MAY 17 – JUN 28 (excl. May 24) 3

americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714

Our Founder LEONARD PERLMUTTER is a noted educator and founder of The American Meditation Institute. He is the author of The Heart and Science of Yoga TM and the mind/body medicine journal, Transformation. Leonard has served on the faculties of the New England Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine, the Himalayan Yoga Teachers Association and the College of Saint Rose. He is a disciple of Swami Rama––who, in laboratory conditions at the Menninger Institute, demonstrated that blood pressure, heart rate and the autonomic nervous system can be voluntarily controlled. Leonard has presented courses at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Commonwealth Club, the Albany Medical College and The New York Times Yoga Forum with Dean Ornish, MD.

Professional

ENDORSEMENTS “Traditional medicine is very good at treating physical illness. However, studies show that the state of one’s health has more to do with lifestyle choices than with heredity or medical care. Patients need something beyond what we can offer them. Meditation relieves stress, allows clearer thinking and helps to control many chronic illnesses, all at very low cost and a small investment of time. We are fortunate to have the excellence of AMI in our area.” RICHARD RUBIN MD Internal Medicine, Slingerlands, NY The AMI Curriculum is also endorsed by:

Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD

INNER WORLDS - OUTER WORLDS One vibratory field connects all things An Important Video Experience It has been called Akasha, Logos, the primordial OM, the music of the spheres, the Higgs field, and a thousand other names throughout history. The ancient teachers taught Nada Brahma, the universe is vibration. The vibratory field is at the root of all spiritual experience and scientific investigation. It is the same field of energy that saints, Buddhas, yogis, mystics, priests, shamans and seers have observed by looking within themselves. In today’s society, most of humanity has forgotten this ancient wisdom. We have strayed too far into the realm of thinking; what we perceive to be the outer world of form. We have lost our connection to our inner worlds. This balance, what the Buddha called the middle way, what Aristotle called the golden mean, is the birthright of every human being. It is the common link between all religions, and the link between our inner worlds and our outer worlds. SATURDAY, 1:30 - 4:30PM, $25 MAR 22

PREMARITAL COUNSELING Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder Int’l. Association of Yoga Therapists Love is the essential first ingredient in every marriage, yet the challenges of life can divert our attention from the union we cherish. Our own hopes, attitudes, expectations and assumptions will shape the marriage, determining what joy, stability and fulfillment we create together. This counseling can help you create a loving philosophy of life that can identify the strengths and needs of both partners. AMI HOME CENTER, By appointment. $125 /hr.

DINNER-MOVIE-SATSANG Directions to A MI • 60 Garner Road I-90 Exit #8 (Rt. 43 E). Take Rt. 43 for 4 1/2 miles. In W. Sand Lake, take a right turn at the lighted intersection onto Rt. 150. Go 1 mile on Rt. 150. Take a left turn on Cnty Rd #52/Sheer Rd (at stone wall). Go 1 mile on Sheer Rd and bear left at fork onto Garner Rd. AMI is the 3rd house on the right.

Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter LEVEL I: Each month, January through May, AMI presents a film that reflects a special insight to inspire your meditation practice. MAR 14 & APR 11, $20. see p. 6 for full details

AMI Classes for March - April 2014

YOGA PSYCHOLOGY

THE CHAKRA SYSTEM

The Gita’s Mind/Body Connection

Balancing Subtle Body Energies

Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter

Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning) Study Yoga Psychology from your own home or anywhere in the world. Call 518.674.8714 for details. No additional computer software is necessary.

LEVEL II: The Bhagavad Gita is the most revered scripture in the literature of Yoga Science. As a follow-up to the six-week Comprehensive Meditation course, the Gita will teach you how to further reduce stress and confidently enhance your personal health and creative abilities while providing you a new perspective on all your family and business relationships. MONDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, $150. (6 WKS) MAR 3 - APR 7; APR 14 - MAY 19

THE MEDITATION DIET All the Body is in the Mind Leonard Perlmutter, AMI Founder Level I: Yes, you can lose weight without drugs, strenuous exercise, calorie counting or expensive gadgets that don’t work. Most overweight people have faced the frustration of trying to lose weight but failing time and again because they don’t understand that all the body is in the mind. The Meditation Diet approaches weight loss without making unrealistic starvation diet demands. This is not another fad diet. Rather it is a common sense approach, based on scientific principles, to help you lose weight naturally! The Meditation Diet provides permanent results through a painless method. Forget about old diet methods that never worked. AMI founder Leonard Perlmutter will share an ancient, revolutionary approach that guarantees positive results through the wisdom of Yoga Science. TUESDAY NIGHTS, 7:00-8:00PM $125. (3 WKS) MAR 11 - 25

•*

Your entire $125 registration fee will be applied to your COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION tuition should you decide to register for that additional class within one year.

Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning) Study The Chakra System from your own home or anywhere in the world. Call 518.674.8714 for details.

LEVEL II: The power to attain our own perfect health lies within each of us. It is simply a matter of attaining the necessary knowledge, and then cultivating our determination and will to employ the knowledge we have learned. This three-week course provides a detailed understanding of the meaning, anatomy, psychology and function of the ancient yogic chakra system. By learning to balance the chakras, through the advanced mind/body medicine practices taught each week, you can increase your vitality and power of concentration, and rediscover your inner source of physical, mental and emotional health and well being. SATURDAY AFTERNOONS, 2:00 - 4:00PM, $195 APR 12 - 26 (3 weeks)

PERSONAL COUNSELING Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder Int’l. Association of Yoga Therapists Meditational Therapy is a powerful tool of mind/body medicine. With over 35 years of personal practice, Leonard will teach you how to live free from stress and illness. Each personal counseling session will teach you how to live a rewarding life by making choices that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being.

AMI HOME CENTER, By appointment. $125 /hr.

FREE GUIDED MEDITATION Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter LEVEL I: Join AMI’s FREE 20-minute guided meditation and satsang teaching. Participants can sit on comfortable chairs or on the floor. SUNDAYS, 9:30 - 11:00AM, FREE 5

Dinner • Movie • Satsang “The Way” Starring Martin Sheen Written and Directed by Emilio Estevez

Friday, Mar 14, 5:30-10:00 PM

CALENDAR SUNDAY GUIDED MEDITATION & SATSANG Sundays 9:30-11:00 AM with Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter. Love donations appreciated.

MARCH 2014 MAR 3 - APR 7: YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.5 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 wk. Bhagavad Gita Study)

MAR 8 & 15: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION

see p. 2

Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 10:30 AM (2 weeks)

MAR 11 - 25: THE MEDITATION DIET see p. 5 A powerful and inspirational story about family, friends and the challenges we face while navigating this everchanging and complicated world.

“Elmer Gantry” Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Arthur Kennedy Dean Jagger, Shirley Jones, Patti Page

Friday, Apr 11, 5:30-10:00 PM

Tues. Nights, 7:00 - 8:00 PM (3 weeks)

MAR 14: DINNER-MOVIE-SATSANG see p. 6 Fri. Night, 5:30 - 10:00 PM

MAR 19- APR 23: COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION see p. 3 Wed. Nights, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (6 weeks)

MAR 22- APR 26: COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION see p. 3 Sat. Mornings, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM (6 weeks)

MAR 22: INNER WORLDS - OUTER WORLDS see p. 4 Sat. Afternoon, 1:30 - 4:30 PM

APRIL 2014 APR 11: DINNER-MOVIE-SATSANG see p. 6 Fri. Night, 5:30 - 10:00 PM

APR 12 - 26: THE CHAKRA SYSTEM

see p. 5

Sat. Afternoons, 2:00 -4:00 PM (3 weeks; available online)

APR 14 - MAY 19: YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.5 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 wk. Bhagavad Gita Study) Oscar ® winning actor Burt Lancaster plays a fast-talking traveling salesman with a charming, loquacious manner who convinces a sincere evangelist that he can be an effective preacher for her cause.

Each film reflects a helpful, practical aspect of Yoga Science. A gourmet vegetarian dinner begins at 5:30 PM, followed by a movie and discussion (satsang). A group meditation concludes the evening. $20 per person (dinner & complementary movie). RSVP required.

MAY 2014 MAY 3 & 10: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION

see p. 2

Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 10:30 AM (2 weeks)

MAY 14- JUN 18: COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION see p. 3 Wed. Nights, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (6 weeks)

MAY 17- JUN 28: COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION see p. 3 Sat. Mornings, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM (6 weeks, excl. May 24)

AMI’s 17th Annual

American Meditation Institute

americanmeditation.org \ Tel. (518) 674-8714 ami@americanmeditation.org AMI is a tax exempt, non-profit 501(c)3 educational organization. Donations are fully tax deductible.

Giving Campaign Please support AMI with your generous donation.

Thank you for your generosity. americanmeditation.org/make-a-donation

Transformation The Journal of Meditation as Mind/Body Medicine

SATSANG 4 Ways to Keep the Company of the Wise By Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev) Photo by 123RF.com

Like water naturally taking the shape of the container in which it finds itself, your will, deeds and destiny conform to the company you keep. It’s true. What you give your attention to has an enormous influence on the life you live. If the company you keep, both mentally and physically, is chosen unconsciously, stress and dis-ease will likely follow. But if the company you keep is chosen consciously, with discrimination, it’s likely that happiness, health and security will follow. How do I know? In 1978, shortly after I began my spiritual journey in earnest, my teacher, Swami Rama of the Himalayas, taught me that I am the architect of my life; I determine my destiny, and that if I were willing to make choices based on the Truth revealed by my own inner wisdom instead of relying on old habits, a new constellation of relationships would bring me everything I need––physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Because I believed my teacher and had faith in the lineage of teachers that preceded him, I started experimenting with the knowledge he shared. I began pruning away a variety of internal and external relationships that conflicted with the Truth

revealed by my conscience (buddhi). As a result of seeking the company of the wise in a coordinated and disciplined manner, my life was indeed transformed from stress into strength and my dis-ease gave way to ease. The relationship I developed with Swami Rama is variously referred to as satsang, satsanga or sangha. An essential element of Yoga Science, it supports and deepens your meditation practice and spiritual understanding. The Sanskrit term satsang comes from the words sat, which means “eternal Truth” and sanga meaning “company.” The practice of satsang implies (1) remaining in the company of the “highest Truth,” (2) receiving the wisdom of a qualified teacher, and (3) gathering together with like-minded people to hear (or read) spiritual literature, to discuss it, assimilate it, contemplate its meaning, and then to be inspired to apply the revealed Truth in daily life. Satsang with a Teacher One of the earliest forms of satsang in ancient India developed as the study of the scriptures now known as the Upanishads. In fact, the term Upanishad itself is a definition 7

of satsang. Upanishad literally means “to sit down near,” and implies listening closely to a guru or a spiritual teacher who has already realized certain fundamental truths concerning life––both here and hereafter. A student participating in a satsang on the Upanishads can learn the fundamental teachings of karma (action and consequence), samsara (reincarnation), moksha (liberation), the Atman (the nature of the soul), and Brahman (The Supreme Reality or God). Two thousand years ago Jesus of Nazareth, speaking as the enlightened, Christ-conscious teacher, provided helpful insight into the profound nature of satsang when He taught, “Where two or three are gathered in My Name, I am there in their midst.” Is the Christ offering magic by this statement? Of course not. He is stating a spiritual law: when earnest students of an accomplished teacher come together seeking the highest Truth, they will receive inspiration and clarity that can advance their spiritual understanding. But it is not only the realized teacher who is the Christ’s wisdom-messenger. In my own experience of many satsangs, often a well intentioned question from the least knowledgeable person present can spark the light of illumination. Our Western culture provides many blessings but few situations in which a spiritually minded person can solicit or receive philosophically enriching conversation on questions like, “Who am I, from where have I come, why am I here, what shall I do, and where will I go after death?” For those who sense there is something more to life than just work, food, shopping, sex, travel and sleep, satsang can provide the wisdom and inspiration to balance worldly responsibilities with philosophical and spiritual insight and support. Satsang can help us reconnect with ancient, half-forgotten wisdom, and can serve as a reliable means to discover truths we might otherwise struggle to find. Aside from the actual ideas shared during satsang, spending time with like-minded seekers can provide a deeply nurturing experience, a vibrant sense of community, and a comfort that comes from knowing we are not alone on the road less traveled. Satsang often provides practical teaching 8

stories that underscore how the company of the wise can help transform our lives. One such story tells of the great sage Narada, who asked the Lord, “What are the benefits of satsang?” Pleased by Narada’s question the Lord pointed to a big worm on the ground and said, “Ask your question of that worm. I’m sure you’ll get your answer.” So Narada leaned down to the worm and asked, “Dear worm, what are the benefits of satsang?” The worm looked directly at Narada but died before he could utter a word. Narada turned to the Lord and said, “I did not get an answer to my question because the worm died. Now I ask You to please provide me the answer.” The Lord, still sympathetic to Narada’s plea, directed him to a newly hatched parrot in a nearby tree. “Go ask your question of the baby parrot,” the Lord directed, “and I am certain the answer will be revealed to you.” Having received such a firm divine command, Narada approached the baby parrot and whispered, “What are the benefits of satsang?” The parrot opened its eyes, looked directly at Narada, and peacefully passed away. This experience frightened Narada, and he began to wonder, “Is the benefit of satsang immediate death?” Sad and upset, Narada made his way back to the Lord. With great emotion Narada exclaimed, “If you want me to know the Truth, then please tell me yourSelf. The two I have asked thus far have died, and guilt now hangs heavy on my conscience. Your suggestions have brought me frustration and impatience.” The Lord lovingly consoled Narada, saying, “Dear Narada, don’t be upset. Examine your frustration and impatience and if you truly desire the answer to your question, go to your neighbor’s farm and ask his newly-born calf.” Still upset by the death of the parrot, Narada approached the newborn calf and earnestly asked, “What are the benefits of satsang?” As Narada waited for the answer, the calf looked directly into Narada’s eyes, fell to the ground and died. Now Narada was extremely shaken. Had he sinned by killing a cow too, he wondered? In turmoil, Narada quickly returned to the Lord to share his sorrow. The Lord was

again understanding of His student’s condition, and after He had calmed the grieving Narada, the Lord gently instructed, “The king and queen have just been blessed with the birth of a son. Go to the palace and ask the young prince your question. He will certainly give you the answer.” At this pivotal moment, Narada began to respectfully plead his case to the Lord, saying, “Up until now I have followed your instructions and asked my question about satsang to a worm, a parrot and a calf, and they have all died. I’ve been fortunate that nobody has tried to blame or harm me. But if the king’s son should die I will be in serious trouble. Perhaps it would be better if I did not learn anything about the benefits of satsang.” But the Lord compassionately assured Narada that no harm would come to him, and that the young prince would definitely explain to Narada the true benefit of satsang––without dying. With a brave heart Narada went to the palace and asked the prince, “Your royal highness, what are the benefits of satsang?” Upon hearing the question the infant prince looked lovingly at Narada and proclaimed, “O great Sage, your question has already been answered! When you first asked me the question about satsang I was only a worm. But just because of my meeting with you I was able to die to become a parrot. As a result of my brief contact with you as the parrot I died and was given the body of a calf. Then again through your mere presence and grace I was freed and given this highest birth as a human being. Now, through my association with you I have become a Self-realized being. If by only your company I have gained life’s highest calling, then think how much other people can gain by associating with a sage like you in satsang.” Finally, with full appreciation of the great transformative power of satsang, Narada returned to the Lord to offer his praise and gratitude. Purification (Saucha) as Satsang Being in the company of an illumined teacher is only one of several beneficial forms of satsang. Establishing good company through satsang can also be realized through the

practice of saucha––one of five niyamas (yogic observances required of every Yoga scientist). Saucha means purity and cleanliness, and when regularly applied in daily life, it reduces stress and increases contentment, health and creativity. Keeping your body and your surroundings clean can enhance your spiritual practice, but saucha also means cleanliness of mind. Most physicians agree that the body’s health is, in large measure, a consequence of the personality’s habit patterns and lifestyle choices. The health or dis-ease of the body usually reflects our habitual thoughts. Yogically, the only real “dirt” that needs to be cleared away from one’s life is avidya––ignorance of the true Self. That’s why one of the primary benefits of a daily meditation practice is purification of the mind (and thereby the body) through the surrendering of all undesirable thoughts, desires and emotions (preyas). Most of us are aware of the harmful effects of eating “junk food,” but “junk thoughts” also pose a legitimate health concern. Saucha’s purification process is critically important because everything that occurs in the manifest world is always preceded by events in the subtle world of our thoughts and intentions. As the Compassionate Buddha observed in the opening verses of the Dhammapada, “Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draw it. Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves.” One of the best ways to clean the mind of “junk thoughts” is to keep the company of Truth (in thought, word and deed). The mind is like a clear crystal. Just as a crystal reflects the color of its immediate environment, your mind will similarly become colored by the thoughts it dwells with. Japa as Satsang Many Christians are familiar with the injunction to “pray without ceasing.” In Yoga Science, japa is the practice of silently listening to the mantra throughout the day. Japa is the same practice the ancient Hebrew, Christian and Muslim sages observed in 9

following scriptural commandment to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your might.” Each spiritual tradition prescribes a way of remembering––a mechanism for keeping company with the Supreme Reality. In Judaism, a mezuzah––scriptures encapsulated in a small decorative container––is placed on the doorposts of a building, so that people going out or coming in are reminded of the One God. Catholics use the rosary beads as an aid to practicing “prayer without ceasing.” The mala for the Hindus and Buddhists, and prayer beads for Muslims support the same goal––constant remembrance. The practice of japa is simple, easy and pleasurable. Just rest your attention silently, lovingly and continuously on the sacred sound of the mantra as if you were listening to beautiful music. Attend to the mantra with the same emotion that parents feel as they communicate with their newborn baby. Learn to speak the language of love with your mantra as if it were your beloved. Remember: all power lies in the realm of the subtle. As you think, so you become, and for every action there will be an equal reaction. Therefore, whenever you have a few moments, take the opportunity to embrace the beneficial company of your mantra. Although your moods can ambush your consciousness with intense and shocking power, remember that you always have the choice of how you direct your attention. In every circumstance, base your outer actions on your inner wisdom, and the stored power of the mantra will come forward when you need it most, in the form of love, fearlessness and strength. With all your heart, try to establish an intimate relationship with your mantra. Once you receive a mantra from a competent teacher, the mantra should become your default thought and constant companion in every aspect of your life. Whenever you have no urgent duty or responsibility to fulfill, keep company with the mantra by lovingly giving your attention to its reverberating sacred sound––just as if you were tuning in a radio station playing your favorite melody. When you wake up in the morning, begin your practice of satsang by listening to 10

your mantra. While falling asleep, listen to the sacred sound of your mantra. In fact, if you fall asleep listening to the mantra, it will repeat itself throughout the night––sowing seeds of wellness and strength in the unconscious mind. When you’re taking a shower, listen to the mantra. When you’re preparing your meals or eating, silently listen to your mantra. When you are sick, listen to the healing vibration of the mantra. When you have an appointment with the doctor or dentist, listen to the mantra. When you’re delayed by a red light on your drive to work and an angry thought appears in your awareness, witness the anger and willingly substitute your mantra. The more you listen to the mantra, the more you benefit. Inspirational Reading as Satsang The spiritual life can be a challenge for any of us as we ascend toward life’s highest summit. During those moments when our confidence might ebb, our will power lag, or we are in need of a good dose of comfort and consolation, ancient scriptures and the writings and biographies of the great mystics of all traditions can serve as our satsang. Keeping the company of women and men who have walked this path before us can serve as great support and inspiration because these individuals have already faced the very same issues we are facing today. Their trials provide perspective on our own difficulties and their triumphs give us courage. At the turn of the twenty-first century, our culture tells us that modern technology makes us different from our predecessors. After all, we’ve taken trips to the moon and have computers, cell phones, ipads, television and automobiles. On a very basic level, however, no difference exists between us and the cave dwellers who lived twenty thousand years ago. When the caveman was sharpening his one-and-only stone knife and the point broke, the anger and fear he had to deal with were no different from the anger and fear you feel today. Names and forms have changed, but when your computer software program crashes, you face the same emotions the caveman did. While a one-time reading is usually

sufficient for most fiction or nonfiction, mystical literature continuously provides a new insight each time we return to it. By keeping the company of the sages––whose consciousness has merged with the infinite––we learn how to grow as human beings; how to choose, to change, to endure, to know, to love and to be loved. Whenever my wife Jenness and I visited our teacher Swami Rama in the early 1990s, we always budgeted time to visit the ashram bookstore and stock up on books that would help us on our spiritual path. Many of these same titles are now available to you at AMI in Averill Park and on the AMI website. For me personally, no one book has had greater impact on my life than the Bhagavad Gita. It is truly a handbook for daily living. In that text the Lord, in the form of Krishna, explains to Arjuna, who represents our own individual personality, what we shall be when our entire life is one continuous satsang, and we are constantly living in the company of the Truth. Unerring in discrimination, sovereign of the senses and passions, free from the clamors of likes and dislikes, she leads a simple, self-reliant life based on

meditation––using speech, body and mind to serve the Lord of Love. Free from self-will, aggression, arrogance, from the lust to possess people or things, she is at peace with herself and others and enters into the unitive state. Always united with the Supreme Reality, ever joyful, beyond the reach of self-will and sorrow, she serves Me in every living creature and attains supreme devotion to Me. By loving Me she shares in my glory and enters into my boundless being. All her acts are performed in My service, and through My grace she wins eternal life. According to 8th century sage Adi Shankaracharya, all forms of satsang eventually lead to liberation––the end of pain, misery and bondage. Shankaracharya put it this way, “When you are in good company, you are not in bad company. When you are not in bad company, you don’t fall into delusion. When you don’t fall into delusion, the mind becomes steady. When the mind becomes steady, you are liberated.” May each of you remain in the best of company and experience your complete potential in this lifetime.

The Heart and Science of Yoga

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Spiritual Loneliness By Linda Johnsen Photo / Northwestern University

Life is full of nasty surprises. I got one in the mail a few weeks after my first book rolled off the press. To my dismay, my publisher had sent me a long list of venues where I was supposed to lecture over the next few months. I thought being a writer meant sitting at home, thinking weighty thoughts, and transcribing them onto paper. It turns out these days the actual process of writing is the least significant part of the job; most of what we authors do now is book promotion: talks, book signings, radio and television interviews, etc. Since I was one of those people who feared public speaking worse than death, this was not welcome news. Since then I’ve given hundreds of lectures and have long since gotten over my phobia. The people who show up for my talks are warm, enthusiastic, and sincerely interested in spirituality—a real pleasure to connect with. But there is something else I’ve learned about many of them that really distresses me. Often after my presentations people will stay for an hour or more to share their own stories. Sometimes they cry. One theme comes up again and again: they are lonely. Not lonely for company—most of them are surrounded by family and friends. They are lonely, desperately so, for someone they can share their spiritual life with. 12

Here in the U.S. many students of Yoga Science find themselves in one of two situations. The first group comes from a strongly religious background where an interest in mysticism or meditation is not encouraged. A priest, rabbi or imam lays out the doctrine and moral code they are supposed to adhere to, but leaves many important questions unanswered. What is the soul? What is God? Can I experience the reality of spirit right now? How? As a child I was in this category myself. I urgently wanted to experience God’s living presence, but this never occurred during our monumentally boring church services, not even during Holy Communion when He was supposed to be present in the sacred wafers and wine. Pastor Matthias’ admonition to simply have faith seemed a poor substitute for actual experience. People who stifle serious internal conflict about the tenets of their faith or their unfulfilled spiritual impulses, may find themselves living an inauthentic religious life. Either they veer toward blind—even fanatic—belief, or else toward painful hypocrisy, espousing a faith that actually leaves them feeling frustrated and empty. The second type of Yoga student has little or no religious training. They grew up in a wholly secular culture, and were taught

that science alone offers satisfactory answers to life’s mysteries. And yet something inside them can’t accept a purely materialistic interpretation of the universe. They secretly harbor a persistent suspicion that scientists don’t know the whole story yet, that there is more to life than can be scientifically calibrated. All of us can see the consequences of living a spiritually eviscerated life, as technology rushes in to fill the void in people’s souls. I personally am amazed at the extent to which people, especially young people, are turning into Borg. The Borg are halfhuman, half-machine aliens seen on Star Trek: the Next Generation, who can’t survive apart from the massive computer system that links them together and tells them what to do. When I see people glued to their cell phones and computer tablets, constantly attending to tweets, texts, computer games, viral videos and email, I think of the soulless Borg and their warning to anyone who resists becoming subsumed by technology: “Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.” There are kids these days who can’t even imagine sitting quietly by themselves. They need to be plugged in constantly or they feel suddenly, horrifyingly alone. For others, pharmaceutical companies offer relief for that nagging sense of meaningless that a spiritless life incurs. Legal and illegal drugs, and ubiquitous alcoholic beverages can turn their consumers into lethargic zombies, people who still live and act in the world, but feel dead inside. I vividly remember a mercifully brief stint working at an insurance company in Chicago. The low paid employees there were absolutely miserable, counting the minutes until they could find relief in their booze binges at the tavern after work. This is what can happen when you live in a spiritual vacuum. Nature abhors a vacuum, and so does the heart. That emptiness needs to be filled somehow. Spiritual Connectivity I have met yoga students who don’t know a single other person who feels the same inner yearning they do. Everyone else in their community deals with their emptiness in conventional ways, perhaps through a lip

service relationship with their religion, through substance or internet addiction, or other self-defeating strategies like unrestrained shopping or visits to a casino. Even other people they encounter at yoga centers may seem primarily interested in hatha postures or health strategies to prolong their life and looks, rather than a sincere desire for spiritual understanding. These students show up at my lectures hoping to connect with someone who knows what they’re going through. Ordinarily if they express their desire for something genuinely spiritually fulfilling, friends will recommend they see a counselor, or will pass them a joint. No one seems to understand the depth of their aloneness. They feel like aliens on their own planet. This is not a new situation. The Bhagavad Gita (composed in northern India around 2500 years ago from even more ancient oral teachings) says only one person out of many thousands actively searches for knowledge of their inner being. If you are that one person, surrounded by many thousands of others who simply don’t feel the same way, it can be pretty isolating. But what is loneliness, really? Vedanta, the sacred tradition of India, teaches that to be lonely is to be cut off from one’s true inner Self. Our deepest Self (Atman), says the tradition, is no other than the Self of all beings (Brahman). The feeling that we’re separate from others is an illusion produced by our sense organs and the physical limitations of our brain. When we experience our inner depths, we discover our consciousness is not limited to one material body but extends outward infinitely, embracing the whole of reality. In fact, mystics throughout the ages have reported this amazing experience of cosmic consciousness. “We are all one,” isn’t a trite New Age adage, it’s literally true. The Isha Upanishad, a very ancient Vedantic text, urges us to “see the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self.” How can we be lonely when we’re never actually cut off from anyone else, ever? Loneliness, from this perspective, is divorce from the Self. Knowing one’s own Self is therefore the ultimate cure for loneliness. Yoga scientists will often go off by 13

themselves on extended retreats to uncover the Higher Power within that paradoxically both transcends the material universe yet also links them with all creation. Those of us who have spent time with very advanced spiritual masters––like Swami Rama of the Himalayas––can attest that these great beings often have astonishing telepathic skills. For them the doors that separate one mind from another are left ajar. Their sense of unity with all consciousness means that in certain circumstances they can have as much access to another person’s thoughts as to their own. For them, consciousness is an extended field (the One Self), not a series of isolated units like “you” and “me.” Needless to say, explaining this to lonely people who come to my lectures isn’t particularly helpful. Most of us are still so far from this level of awareness in our own meditation practice that simply knowing intellectually “we’re all one” may be inspiring, but it isn’t completely practical. What I advise these people is, “You must go out and find your spiritual community.” The Yoga tradition strongly emphasizes the value of satsang, fellowship with authentic spiritual teachers and like-minded spiritual aspirants. This is where we find the support we need to persevere in our practice, and companionship on a long and arduous path. When I formally set off on my quest for spiritual truth, it took me six years to find a genuine teacher and friends who shared my quest. What a relief to finally find people I could talk to about the single subject closest to my heart! Nowadays, it rarely takes that long to find a viable spiritual community. Here are a few tips to help you find spiritual community. 1. Some Yoga traditions are primarily intellectually oriented, others are heart centered, and many are focused almost exclusively on the health-promoting aspects of Yoga as a science. You need to find a competent teacher who’s a good fit for you––one who addresses your physical, emotional and spiritual needs simultaneously. 2. Try to connect with a community that has deep spiritual roots––that can trace its lineage backwards through authentic saints and sages. 14

3. Be wary of groups that demand extravagant fees or uncritical subservience to a particular leader. 4. Respect, but don’t over-idealize your teacher. Teachers are human beings too. 5. When you find a genuine tradition that feels like home to you, don’t just show up for classes. Offer to help out with whatever Karma Yoga (selfless service) projects might benefit the organization. It is during these moments of service (after the formal classes have ended) that you’re most likely to make meaningful connections with other serious students. Keeping company with other spiritually minded souls will lead you to keep company with your own Self. When you begin to live a truly authentic spiritual life, other lonely seekers will want to keep company with you.

Linda Johnsen, M.S. is the award winning author of Daughters of the Goddess: The Women Saints of India, Lost Masters: The Sages of Ancient Greece, and six other books on spiritual traditions.

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SATSANG A Father Shares Eternal Wisdom With His Son From the Chandogya Upanishad Translation by Eknath Easwaran Photo by 123RF.com

In the climax of the ancient Chandogya Upanishad, Uddalaka shares the highest wisdom with his son, Shvetaketu––who represents the quintessential seeker of knowledge. The refrain “You are that,” (Tat tvam asi in Sanskrit) is one of the great utterances of all mystical scripture. As by knowing one lump of clay, dear one, We come to know all things made out of clay. They differ only in name and form, While the stuff of which all are made is clay. As by knowing one gold nugget, dear one, We come to know all things made out of gold. They differ only in name and form, While the stuff of which all are made is gold. As by knowing one tool of iron, dear one, We come to know all things made out of iron. They differ only in name and form, While the stuff of which all are made is iron. So through spiritual wisdom, dear one, We come to know that all of life is one. In the beginning was only Being –– One without a second. Out of Himself He brought forth the cosmos And entered into everything in it. There is nothing that does not come from Him. Of everything He is the inmost Self. He is the Truth; He is the Self supreme. You are that, Shvetaketu; you are that. When a person is absorbed in dreamless sleep, He is one with the Self, though he knows it not. We say he sleeps, but he sleeps in the Self. As a tethered bird grows tired of flying About in vain to find a place of rest

And settles down at last on its own perch, So the mind, tired of wandering about Hither and thither, settles down at last In the Self, dear one, to whom it is bound. All creatures, dear one, have their source in Him. He is their home; he is their strength. There is nothing that does not come from Him. Of everything He is the inmost Self. He is the Truth. He is the Self supreme. You are that, Shvetaketu; you are that. As bees suck nectar from many a flower And make their honey one, so that no drop Can say, "I am from this flower or that," All creatures, though one, know not they are that One. There is nothing that does not come from Him. Of everything he is the inmost Self. He is the truth; He is the Self supreme. You are that, Shvetaketu; you are that. As the rivers flowing east and west Merge in the sea and become one with it, Forgetting they were ever separate streams, So do all creatures lose their separateness When they merge at last into pure Being. There is nothing that does not come from Him. Of everything He is the inmost Self. He is the truth; He is the Self supreme. You are that, Shvetaketu; you are that. 15

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