American Meditation Institute americanmeditation.org
APRIL - JUNE 2015
AVERILL PARK, NEW YORK
Self-Care for Healthy Living
MEDITATION Before and After
SURGERY Establishing A Healthy Heart Rhythm
HEAD ON: An Encounter with Mortality
Photo: 123RF.com
Upcoming Classes and Events Inside this Issue: The Chakra System Beginner’s Meditation Comprehensive Meditation If you want to start and maintain a meditation practice, this course is perfect for you. / P. 2
Compassionate Buddha This one-day study will explain how the Buddha’s teaching is based on Yoga Science. / P. 5
This six session self-care program offers the complete science of Yoga, and lifelong support. / P. 3
Learn the meaning, psychology and functioning of the chakras to enhance your well being. / P. 4
Transformation
Practical essays to support and deepen your meditation by AMI founder Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev) and other respected Yoga scientists. / P. 7
COMPLETE AMI CLASS SCHEDULE: Pages 2-5
AMI Classes for April - June 2015
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.
Why Should I Meditate? 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. • 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
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.
• Meditation makes you more creative. By 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. 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.
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SATURDAY MORNINGS, 9:30 -11:00AM, $95. (2 WKS) MAY 2 & 9; AUG 1 & 8
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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-session 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
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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 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
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 WED NIGHTS: APR 15 – MAY 20 TUES NIGHTS: JUN 2 – JUL 7 6:30 - 9:00PM, $475. (6 WKS) Physicians $775; PAs, NPs, Psychologists: $675; RNs: $575
Required Texts: The Heart and Science of Yoga
TM
REGISTRATION INCLUDES: Lifelong support for your meditation practice, a Guided Meditation CD, a free subscription to the Transformation journal and a copy of The Physiology of EasyGentle Yoga.
and The Art of Joyful Living.
PHYSICIAN ACCREDITATION (15 CMEs)
NURSING ACCREDITATION (15 contact hours)
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 providership 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.
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.
The Albany Medical College designates this Live activity for a maximum of 15 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
PSYCHOLOGIST ACCREDITATION (15 CE hours) The American Meditation Institute (AMI) has been approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. AMI maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
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americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714
Dinner • Movie • Satsang 2015 FILM DISCUSSION SERIES Friday, Apr 17, 6:00-10:00 PM The Last Temptation of Christ
A yogic story that imagines how Jesus of Nazareth dealt with his own self-willed attachments on his journey to Christ consciousness.
Friday, May 15, 6:00-10:00 PM
THE CHAKRA SYSTEM
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Balancing Subtle Body Energies Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter 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.
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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 gained. 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 and mental health and well being. SATURDAY AFTERNOONS, 2:00 - 4:00PM, $195 APR 11 - 25 (3 WKS)
The question of duty (dharma) is explored by a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland who, on the verge of taking her vows, discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation.
Friday, Jun 19, 6:00-10:00 PM
A madcap romp at a popular 1930s European ski resort portrays the comedic side of the Supreme Reality in manifesting the infinite number of possibilities.
Each film reflects practical Yoga Science. A gourmet vegetarian dinner begins at 6:00 PM, followed by a movie and discussion (satsang). A group meditation concludes the evening. RSVP required by Wednesday before the event .
$20 per person - (dinner & complementary movie) 4
KITCHEN YOGA Food as Medicine Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter LEVEL I: Would you like to learn how to prepare the same healthy and delicious foods Leonard and Jenness eat daily? After tasting a nutritious breakfast, you’ll consciously prepare and eat lunch and dinner, and you’ll benefit from the Perlmutters’ 36 years of research, experimentation and practice with nutrition, vegetarianism, food combining, Ayurveda, and alkaline therapies. After eating colorful, healthy, whole-food meals during this “food as medicine” training, you will be informed and inspired to transform your own and your family’s diets. Menu preparation will respect your personal Ayurvedic body-type and any dietary restrictions you may have, including vegan and gluten-free food choices. SATURDAY, 10:00AM - 5:00 PM, $175. (1 DAY) JUN 27
AMI Classes for April - June 2015
COMPASSIONATE BUDDHA
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A MI STRESS MANAGEMENT
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The Healing Power of Thoughts
Techniques to Transform Stress
Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter
Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev) AMI Founder
Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning)
LEVEL I: (offered once a year) The Compassionate Buddha, one of our most practical yogic teachers, prescribes the practice of meditation as mind/body medicine. From the very first line of the Dhammapada, “Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think,” the Buddha explains what leads to joy and health and what leads to disease and sorrow. Then he explains how to take our lives into our own hands. Without esoterica or metaphysics, without appeal to anything magical or superhuman, the Buddha encourages us to experiment with our minds; to coordinate the four functions of the mind just as Patanjali (the codifier of Yoga Science) suggests, so that we can experience lasting health, happiness and security. TUESDAY NIGHT, 6:30 - 8:30PM, $95. MAY 5
SACRED JOURNEY
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Living Purposefully and Dying Gracefully
Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning) *Level II: To understand the purpose of life, we
must try to understand the relationship between life and death. The two are partners––each providing a context for the other. Death is not the end, but merely a pause in an eternal journey. When both birth and death are understood and accepted as parts of the human journey, then the fear of death subsides and life can be lived more fully and joyfully. Based on the ancient Katha Upanishad, this course reveals how to organize your life in a way that leads to expansion and growth. Every student with a body is encouraged to attend. Required text: Sacred Journey, by Swami Rama
MONDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:30PM (6 WKS) JUN 22 - AUG 3 EXCEPT JULY 27 $150.
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Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning)
LEVEL I: The pace of modern life makes stress management a necessary skill for everyone. Many people juggle multiple responsibilities: work, family, school, caregiving and a variety of other relationships. Learning to identify stressful situations and implement solutions is the key to successful stress reduction. Unfortunately, the nonstop stress of modern life means your alarm system of fight, flight or freeze remains on high alert and never shuts off. Over time, high levels of stress can lead to serious health problems. That’s why stress management is so important. AMI Stress Management provides you a range of helpful tools (like diaphragmatic breathing) to reset your alarm system. Don’t wait until stress has a negative impact on your health, relationships or quality of life. Start today to learn a range of simple and easy to use stress management techniques that have worked for over 5,000 years. TUESDAY NIGHT, 7:00 - 8:30PM, $75, APR 7
YOGA PSYCHOLOGY
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The Gita’s Mind/Body Connection Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning)
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LEVEL II: The Bhagavad Gita is the most revered scripture in the literature of Yoga Science. As a follow-up to the six-session Comprehensive Meditation course, this Gita course will provide you ongoing guidance on how to further reduce stress in your life and confidently enhance your personal health and creative abilities while it offers a new, creative perspective on all your family and business relationships.
MONDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, $150. (6 WKS) MAY 4 - JUN 15 EXCEPT MAY 25 Computer Distance Learning: Study from your home or anywhere in the world. Call 518.674.8714 for details. No additional computer software is necessary.
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CALENDAR FREE: SUNDAY GUIDED MEDITATION & SATSANG Sundays 9:30-11:00 AM with Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness
AP RIL 2015
APR 7: AMI STRESS MANAGEMENT see p. 5 Tues. Night, 7:00 - 8:30 PM
APR 11-25: THE CHAKRA SYSTEM
see p. 4
Sat. Afternoons, 2:00 - 4:00 PM (3 weeks)
APR 13-27: MAHABHARATA see p. 14 Mon. Night, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (3 weeks)
APR 15 - MAY 20: COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION see p.3 Wed. Nights, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (6 weeks)
APR 17: DINNER, MOVIE, SATSANG see p. 4 Fri. Night, 6:00 - 10:00 PM
APR 25: SCIENCE OF MEDITATION With Leonard Perlmutter 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Hindu Temple, 450 Albany-Shaker Road
MAY 2015 MAY 2 & 9: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION
see p. 2
Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 11:00 AM (2 weeks)
MAY 4 - JUN 15: GITA/YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.5
Our Founder In the very beginning of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna (the Lord) shared the teaching of Yoga Science with his disciple Arjuna (the human personality) in order to rouse him from his lethargy and sorrow and to instruct him how to act skillfully. After learning about the superconscious wisdom at the core of his own being, Arjuna asked his teacher, “How does a student of Yoga Science always act skillfully?” In this issue of Transformation, three Yoga Scientists share with us their inspiring stories of how meditation and it’s allied disciplines and tools have enabled them to positively deal with the physical and emotional issues associated with their recent surgeries. We are deeply grateful for their willingness to share this important teaching.
Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 week Gita Study)
MAY 5: THE COMPASSIONATE BUDDHA
see p. 5
Tues. Night, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
MAY 15: DINNER, MOVIE, SATSANG see p. 4 Fri. Night, 6:00 - 10:00 PM
JUNE 2015
JUN 2- JUL 7: COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION see p. 3 Tues. Nights, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (6 weeks)
JUN 19: DINNER, MOVIE, SATSANG see p. 6 Fri. Night, 6:00 - 10:00 PM
JUN 22 - AUG 3: SACRED JOURNEY see p.5 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 week study)
JUN 27: KITCHEN YOGA see p.4 Saturday, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
JULY 2015
JUL 16 -19: SUMMER RETREAT see p. 13 JUL 31: GURU PURNIMA FIRE CEREMONY 7 - 10PM
Professional
ENDORSEMENTS “ This teaching has been an enormous benefit in my personal and professional life. I have less stress, more focus, and am able to serve my patients with greater clarity. It becomes surprisingly easy now to recognize the many clinical situations in which patients with somatic manifestations of 'dis-ease' could greatly benefit from Yoga Science.” JOEL M. KREMER MD Board Certified in Internal Medicine & Rheumatology, Albany, NY
The AMI Curriculum is also endorsed by:
Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD
American Meditation Institute
Self-Care for Healthy Living
April - June, 2015 • Vol. XVIII No. 3 ©2015 60 Garner Road, Averill Park, NY 12018
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.
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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.
MEDITATION Before and After
SURGERY By Mary Helen Holloway (Daya Mata)
Photo: 123RF.com
In January of 2014, after reporting a certain “recurring abdominal pain” to my primary care physician, I underwent a series of diagnostic tests that would ultimately lead to an extremely complicated surgery involving the pancreas, gall bladder and small intestine. Imaging tests revealed a large cyst in the head of the pancreas, but even after the cyst had been biopsied, there was no way, short of surgery, to know definitively whether it was benign or malignant. As much as I would have liked to say, “no, thank you” when I was told surgery needed to be done, there was really no other option. In the language of Yoga Science, surgery was the shreya, (the action that would lead to my highest and greatest good), and I was being asked to serve this unwelcome shreya with my mind, speech and action. My body had never experienced a surgery before, so I had no frame of reference to draw upon. I learned that the surgery itself would take 8-10 hours; the head of the pancreas would be removed, along with the gall bladder, the bile duct, part of the stomach and part of the small intestine. And then in some miraculous way, the surgeon would reconnect my insides in five different places, stitch up the incision, and if all went well, the body would establish a new “normal” function.
As I listened to all this information, the mind was spinning and full of questions and uncertainties. There was a legitimate desire and need to search for answers outside of myself, to research the procedure, the hospital and the surgeon, to gather as much information as possible so that informed decisions could be made. I desperately wanted to maintain balance and not be consumed with worry and fear for the body. I knew I would need to dig deep and remain vigilant with my meditation practice and all of the tools of Yoga Science. During the time leading up to and following the surgery, I relied heavily on the counsel of my teacher (Ram Lev), my meditation practice and the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita. I kept a journal, and it’s been interesting to return to those entries and see that although I made no conscious decision to create a “Battle Plan”, the time with my teacher, my use of the tools in the Heart and Science of Yoga “toolbag”, and my relationship with the Gita did, in fact, prepare me for the looming encounter. Throughout the experience I felt a strong kinship with Arjuna (from the Bhagavad Gita) and well understood his desire to run away from his battle and to become a monk. And yet, I knew from personal experience with my meditation practice, that there were surely important 7
teachings and great gifts in this karma, if the personality could simply remain open to whatever might come. Over the course of the past nine years, I had learned that within each of us there exists two opposing forces. In the Gita, they are represented metaphorically by the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The Pandavas, including Arjuna, represent the forces of light, upholding our higher, discriminative tendencies. The forces of darkness, represented by the Kauravas, are our addictions to the impulsive ego and sense tendencies. Before any battle it’s vitally important to survey the troops, just as Arjuna did at Kurukshetra, in order to understand both the strengths and limitations we’re dealing with. Armed with this intelligence, we can then formulate an effective battle plan. Swami Rama taught that, “it is important for one to be aware of both our strengths and our weaknesses, for without such awareness, success in life remains a mere dream.” He explained as meditators we need to strengthen the faculty of discrimination which enables us to recognize within ourselves the qualities that prepare us to attain our goal, as well as those that create barriers for us and dissipate our will power. Every meditator must learn to examine those two factors. On the pre-surgery battlefield I observed the Kauravas’ many foot soldiers of fear, massive divisions of self-criticism and laser guided missiles of guilt reminding me of past actions that might have invited this illness. In addition, the mind was aware of many nefarious thoughts of vanity, pride, disappointment and a major attachment to the body. Facing this mighty army of darkness, I could feel the vital energy of prana draining from every cell of the body––much like air slowly leaving a balloon. I found myself in old, familiar territory surrounded by fear, judgment and self-doubt. But wait. On the other side of the battlefield, the Pandavas were bravely aligned! As the Gita explains, they were not as strong in number as the forces of darkness, but theirs was the voice of Truth. Then suddenly, in the midst of my internal confusion and sorrow, I could hear my mantra, and then the comforting 8
voice of the buddhi (my conscience), telling me which thoughts to give my attention to, which words to verbalize, and which actions to take. I was reminded that all life is sadhana, spiritual practice that helps us skillfully defend our health and well being while allowing our consciousness to evolve. I was also aware of my dharma (duty) as wife, mother, grandmother, friend, student and teacher. How I responded to this karma would affect the whole; I had a responsibility to serve the Truth to the best of my ability. Through my yogic study and personal experience in meditation, I had come to trust that nothing would come to me beyond my capacity to handle it. I could hear Ram Lev’s voice saying, “A thought has no real power of its own. All its power comes from the attention you give it. When you withdraw your attention, the thought or emotion will be powerless to compel you to act. Let go of the fear, judgment, guilt and self-doubt. It’s not the truth.” During my contemplation practice, I was able to withdraw my attention from the forces of darkness. Arjuna, in the form of Mary Helen, continually asked, “Who Am I that is preparing the body for surgery? Who Am I that is aware of fear and judgment, guilt and self-doubt? Am I merely the body? Who Am I?” In a very short time, although I was still aware of fear, that fear was no longer all-consuming. On numerous occasions I spent time with my teacher. In those meetings Ram Lev helped me recognize the power in my attachments and emotions. Together, we examined habits of the mind and developed a battle plan to transform the mind’s contractive energy into a more useful and positive form. Sometimes, I would just sit in silence in His office. Merely being in His presence brought me equanimity, strength, courage and optimism. It was a priceless gift. The mind/body felt well-prepared and well-armed when April 23, 2014 arrived. The surgery took place nearly a year ago, and was successful by every measure. The wisdom of the body, a phrase I often heard in classes, took on new meaning for me. The wisdom is consciousness or G-O-D. The more I could become centered in that wisdom and simply
witness, rather than identify with the mind’s fear-filled color commentary, I could observe consciousness withdrawing from the limited perspective of the senses, ego and habits of a lifetime. In their place appeared a higher priority that needed all my attention and energy (prana). That priority was the urgent need for me to consciously assist in healing my own body by letting go of judgment and expectation, and replacing them with love, compassion and respect. In part, because I was able to view my recent medical experience as a parallel to Arjuna’s battle at Kurukshetra, I now realize that life is filled with similar kinds of battles in every relationship. And no battle is too big or too small. The same forces of light and darkness, the same habits of this mind, are present in every skirmish. Twentieth century mystic Yogananda puts it this way, “Each person has to fight his or her own battle of Kurukshetra. It’s a war not only worth winning, it’s a war that sooner or later must be fought and won. In the Holy Bhagavad Gita, the quickest attainment of that victory is assured to the devotee who, through undiscourageable practice of the divine science of Yoga Meditation, learns, like Arjuna, to hearken to the inner wisdom-song of Spirit.” This might sound strange, but I am grateful on many levels for this unexpected surgery. I am grateful for the experience itself because I believe I will have greater compassion and understanding for others in similar situations; for the caregivers who attended to me; for my birth family and my AMI family whose love and support I could feel every moment; but, most especially, I am grateful for my meditation practice. I know that without it, there would have been a very different outcome. Every step of the way, there was a tool waiting for me, a practice that was of great comfort to me. I never felt alone. I’ve even gone so far as to think that perhaps one of the reasons I was attracted to The American Meditation Institute in 2006 was to prepare for this surgical experience so that we could all learn from it. Since the surgery last April, I am aware of the mind’s life-long habit of indulging in sukhas and dukhas (emotional highs and lows). The day-to-day health of the body,
which is still somewhat unpredictable, can dictate my relief or concern, happiness or sadness. In diligently contemplating the habits of my mind, I’ve been able to identify the specific desire or fear that motivates certain unconscious responses. What I’ve realized through this examination is that when the mind drifts into the past, it longs for the health and vitality of the pre-surgery body. When it fast-forwards into the future, it often creates an expectation of when the body should return to its “normal” energy level. As a Yoga Scientist, however, I recognize that this habitual movement between past and future is being orchestrated by the ego. And when the mind is in the past or in the future, it cannot be in the present moment to give one-pointed attention and love to whatever is the relationship at hand. The mind cannot experience equanimity or evenness, and the healing process suffers. What I know today is that, just like the body I used when I was 3, or 13, or 23, the form of the body that I knew when I entered surgery is no more. Intellectually, I knew there would be a grieving and mourning period associated with the loss of that body, but the experience of it has been much more powerful than the mind’s preconception could have predicted. In the Gita Krishna tells Arjuna, “Holding pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat to be the same, make ready for battle.” At this time my primary battlefield of action (Kurukshetra), is the mind/body. With full resolve (Sankalpa Shakti), I have learned how to accept and love the body as it is at this moment. That means to compassionately care for the body with sufficient patience, time and selfless service so the whole mind/body can heal to its full potential. Toward that end, I know I need to rely on constant assistance from my loyal partners: mantra and buddhi. Understanding that the mind/body/sense/ complex is one holistic organism, I considered what consequences might develop when expectations and judgments were habitually entertained. “Do these thoughts support or obstruct the intelligence of the body?” I asked myself. “How does the mind know where to direct its healing energy (prana)? 9
Could greater compassion, love and acceptance help balance digestive enzymes more easily? Could glucose levels be made more predictable? Could the nausea be lessened or even eliminated?” Motivated by my meditation practice, my teacher and the 6,000 year old lineage of women and men who had preceded me on the path of Yoga Science, I decided to seek answers to these questions scientifically. Knowing that every action brings about a consequence, I willingly treated each physical, mental and emotional relationship as a meaningful subject in a yogic experiment. With no expectations or claims to the outcome, I simply began the process of what Buddhists would call, “chopping wood and carrying water.” In other words, I decided to give my best effort in basing my thoughts, words and deeds on my own inner, intuitive wisdom, and then objectively observe the outcome. And what a bounty of gifts have come as a result of my surgery! I know my willingness
to experiment with inner wisdom on this challenging medical field of action is serving a very important purpose in my life and the lives of countless others. My teacher’s teacher, Swami Rama of the Himalayas taught, “Through the help of profound and systematic spiritual practice (sadhana), a person can go beyond everyday experiences to attain a state of inner peace and well being.” His words have been substantiated in my own personal laboratory. And because all this has happened for me, I decided to share these thoughts with you.
Mary Helen Holloway (Daya Mata) has been a student at The American Meditation Institute since 2006. She is a certified meditational therapist and serves as Director of the AMI Teacher Training Program.
7th Annual Retreat for Physicians • RNs • NPs • PAs • Psychologists
Comprehensive Training in Holistic Mind/Body Medicine
The Heart and Science of Yoga
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Meditation • Mantra Science • Diaphragmatic Breathing • Yoga Psychology Mind Function Optimization • Chakras • Easy-Gentle Yoga • Lymph System Detox Yoga Nidra • Nutrition • Functional Medicine • Ayurvedic Medicine • Epigenomics How Meditation Practices Can Relieve Physician Burnout Self-Care For Healthy Living
Register EARLY!
Albany Medical College
Lenox, Massachusetts
The only 4-Diamond Resort in the Berkshires
30 CMEs
November 3-7, 2015
30 CMEs
Curriculum Endorsed by: Mehmet Oz MD, Dean Ornish MD, Larry Dossey MD and Bernie Siegel MD
REGISTER ONLINE: 10
americanmeditation.org/cme
• Tel. (518) 674-8714
HEAD ON By Linda Johnsen photo: 123RF.com
Six months after surgery, the right side of my face still hurt so badly I could hardly sleep at night. During the day I could push the pain out of my mind but lying in bed at night, there was nothing else there but me and the non-stop ache. There is no head-on collision with reality like a health crisis. Sleepwalking through life? A medical emergency will jolt you awake like a kick to the head. In my case, to the right side of my head—where the tumor was diagnosed. One day you’re driving home from work, planning dinner, thinking about the TV shows you want to watch that night. The next day the doctor says that lump in your jaw is osteosarcoma, and there’s a really good chance you’re going to die. All the babble in your brain—the daydreams, the resentments, the important projects, the song on the radio that keeps playing inside your skull—all screech to a halt. Suddenly there’s nothing there but you and reality. I’ve reached an age now where I’ve watched all too many friends and family face this very moment, this extraordinary glitch in time when your life is abruptly, insanely, unfathomably interrupted by reality. It can’t be happening, but it is. Over the course of your lifetime you’ve seen so many people die—aging relatives, assassinated presidents, celebrity drugs addicts, victims of crimes in bad neighborhoods—but it’s
never, ever you. Thousands, millions of people die, but never you. Till this moment. Your turn. No meditation like this one. No such complete arrest of time. No such wrenching clarity. No shrugging this off, no avoiding this crash into reality. Getting Real Crash! Have you heard of the Bon-po? This was the religion of Tibet before the arrival of Buddhism. The Bon-pos talked about bardos, different stages of reality souls inevitably experience. There are the obvious ones: life in a womb, life outside the womb, life outside the physical body following its death. But the Bon-pos add another phase of existence the Buddhists who came after them don’t mention. That’s the state of consciousness you’re thrust into while you’re still in a body, when you realize you’re about to die. All the bullshit stops. For once in your life, nothing stands between you and reality. No matter how desperately you want to return to the bardo you inhabited a split second ago, the bardo where you believed you would not die for a long, long, long time, the bardo everyone around you is still in, that insane illusion that you could not die at any moment, that lie is now irretrievably gone. Everyone looks at you differently. They 11
know that even though you’re still in your body you’re no longer one of them, you are in another bardo. No matter how hard they try to conceal it, there is pity in their eyes. You are going to die, but they are going to go on living for a long, long, long time. You know the reality now, but it would be impolite to tell them: in another eye blink they’re going to die too. In an eye blink life shoots past. An eye blink! This is such a precious moment. It’s such an exalted state. You are completely focused. This is the level of concentration you strived so hard for during meditation, but which was always buffeted by the million thoughts, feelings, memories that seem so irrelevant now. Right now there is only one sensation: total clarity. You get to know your fellow cancer patients well. There is the elderly black woman who is at peace with her life and looks forward to heaven. There is the executive who lashes out at the nurses because mistreating other people is the only power she has left. There is the middle aged bus driver who is certain he’s going to make it— he will survive—all he has to do is visualize hard enough and the tumors will melt away. He is the first of our group to die. So many things in our lives we prepare for. Qualifying for a well-paying job. Our first child. The big trip to Europe. Retirement. But who prepares for what comes after retirement? Who even thinks to prepare for death in advance because it may not wait till our golden years to claim us? Who is ready right now—just in case? In America meditation is touted as an antidote to premature death. It will lower your blood pressure. It will release stress. It boosts your immune function and decreases inflammation. In ancient India where the science of meditation developed, no one sat down to meditate in order to lower their blood pressure. People meditated to get to know their own soul, a place of inner stillness unscarred by the wounds of life. It shifted them out of the flickering passage of time with all its sorrows and responsibilities, into the reality of unbroken illumined awareness. In ancient India your guru would teach you to stop confusing your thoughts and 12
feelings with the pure consciousness that is aware of them. You would be taught to calmly observe the contents of your mind, defusing their emotional charges. In this way you would clear the gunk out of your mind so that at the time of death you could slip out of your body with a pure heart and clear conscience. You would be taught to do your spiritual practice diligently, and not to become attached to the accoutrements of life overly seriously, because at any moment they might be ripped away from you forever. Classical Indian life consisted of four stages. First there was childhood with its emphasis on education. Second there was adulthood with its emphasis on work and maintaining a family of your own. Third came retirement, when you withdrew from a full-time career to part-time service of your family and community. Western culture includes these three, but not the fourth: total withdrawal from material life to focus exclusively on spiritual life, so that you would be prepared for the transition out of your body. If you had never meditated before, if you had never chanted God’s names, turning your full attention to a higher power, this was the time to do so. You were supposed to get ready. There was always a small segment of the population who worried that waiting until old age to sit in meditation might mean waiting too long. Swamis, sadhus, tantrics, and yogis took up meditation much earlier because death could come at any time, and you have to be ready. You have to know the part of yourself that is not subject to death if you want to be enlightened in this life and liberated at death. The Rig Veda, India’s oldest scripture, speaks approvingly of those who “know both ways,” the path of worldly engagement and the path of spiritual development. Ideally, both are integrated in a balanced life. Here in the West we have the opportunity to explore both avenues. Our schools and colleges teach us how to succeed in our outer lives. Our spiritual centers teach us how to succeed in recognizing the inner luminosity at the very heart of the world. Ideally we are trained to live well and also to die well, not making the mistake of clinging anxiously to things we can enjoy only for an eye blink.
Meeting Death Head-On I was misdiagnosed. Incredibly, it turned out I had a vanishingly rare form of bone cancer that was easily treatable with surgery and radiation. When people look at me with pity these days, it’s because there’s something a bit unbalanced-looking about my face. That’s because part of my jaw was amputated and I wear an internal prosthesis which allows me to eat and speak. I know I look funny but honestly it doesn’t bother me, because that surgery was the price I paid eleven years ago to go on living in this body. I wake up every morning realizing how lucky I am to be alive. The pain from the amputation lasted for over a year. It really hurt. It was a constant reminder that life in a physical body, for all its value, also involves immense suffering. I have never been able to fully return to the previous bardo, the one in which I could push the ever-present possibility of imminent death out of my awareness. I take my medi-
tation much more seriously now. It’s not just about relaxing mentally and physically, or connecting with my creative energies. It’s about taking what I learned from my dress rehearsal for death and getting ready for the real thing. Recognizing the evanescence not just of one’s possessions but also of one’s greatest accomplishments—and being okay with that. Loving everyone in my life more fully than ever before—that is, without clinging to or manipulating them, imagining we’ll be together forever. I have stopped expecting more from life than it can give. I am trying to the best of my ability to fill my mind with constructive thoughts and beautiful images. My meditation teacher, Swami Rama, told us that at the time of death, as our connection with the physical world fades, our unconscious mind comes forward. I want my unconscious mind to be filled with beautiful things. The Tibetans say that if, at the time of death, we can bring the full force of our
The Heart and Science of Yoga
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Summer Retreat with LEONARD PERLMUTTER (Ram Lev) • JULY 16-19, 2015 Meditation • Mantra • Breath • Mind Function Optimization • Lymph System Detox Ayurveda & Alkaline Nutrition • Easy-Gentle Yoga (for joints, glands and internal organs)
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awareness to bear, then we can use that critical moment of transition to recognize reality for what it is: pure, transparent, diamond-like clarity. To relax permanently into that state, which exists outside all bardos, and to be that reality, is to be enlightened. That’s a tall order. But it’s no different from what we already are, unconsciously, right now. We can hide from the truth, behind our hopes and fears, thoughts and emotions. Or we can face
reality head-on, and courageously embrace it.
Linda Johnsen, MS, is the award winning author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hinduism, Lost Masters: The Sages of Ancient Greece, and six other books on spiritual traditions.
The American Meditation Institute Since 1996
AMI has taught Classes to thousands.
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Mahabharata
A profound and thought-provoking film journey into the very heart of Indian mythology, religion, history and yoga philosophy. In bringing to life the conflict between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, director Peter Brook has crafted an allegory that speaks to the emotions and concerns of every Yoga student.
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My Heart & Yoga Science By Betty Senter At the end of December 2010, my primary care physician detected an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation. The prescription he wrote seemed to help, but a few days later on a cold New Year’s Eve, my life took an unexpected and challenging turn. As the clock ticked past midnight, I experienced severe chest pains. I initially assumed there was a problem with the prescription, but when the pain grew so severe that I could hardly walk, I knew I needed help. What to do? I called 911. The ambulance arrived quickly and I was promptly delivered to the Albany Medical Center Hospital emergency room where the attending ER physician explained that I was experiencing heart failure. Within ten days the docs performed open-heart surgery to repair a valve. The surgery was successful, but after just a few quiet hours in recovery, I was rushed back into surgery to attend to a dangerous bleed situation. For me it felt like “double trauma.” Finally, my condition stabilized, but my surgeon notified me that before I could be released I needed to have a pacemaker implanted to stabilize the “afib.” Now, while the original heart valve surgery was a major challenge and the second surgery was an unwelcome plot twist, it was the news of the pacemaker surgery that broke the camel’s back. For the first time in this complicated ordeal I became deeply upset and scared. I‘ve always been the type of person who takes good care of herself; it was that inclination in fact that led me to study Yoga Science at AMI. But this latest medical news, on top of everything else, was just too much. To me it seemed to call for drastic action. So, I decided to pray. The only problem was that even though I’ve been a lifelong, practicing Catholic, my mind was so traumatized I couldn’t even remember the words of the “Lord’s Prayer.” “Okay,” I said to myself, “I’ll just meditate for a while.” But I couldn’t do that either. I just couldn’t remember my mantra.
Determined not to give up, I tried concentrating on the Yoga Nidra practice of “61 Points” I had learned at AMI. While lying in the hospital bed, my mind traveled through the 61 prescribed locations in the body. With steady concentration I experienced a very deep and complete release of muscle tension, a sense of revitalization and a calming of the mind. To my amazement I could remember all 61 points! In fact, I did it twice! After the practice, a group of nurses came to my bedside and notified me that we were all going for a walk. Several nurses were needed to read my vital signs as we walked. They supported me on both sides, and we finally came to the end of the hall where they helped me into a wheelchair. At that point, all the nurses were grinning and clapping as if I had just accomplished some great feat. They wheeled me back to my room, explaining that during the walk my heart “just kicked in” and that my vital signs appeared nearly perfect. The meaning of all this? No pacemaker was needed! The nurses probably believed it was the walk that stabilized my heart that morning. But as I have since learned, such a walk doesn’t always stabilize the heart. No doubt, the skill of my surgery team and the medicine saved my life. But in my heart I believe that an additional factor was responsible for consciously directing the mind and the energy of the body. To this day I believe that the subtle factor that helped power my recovery was the practice of “selfcare” gifted to me by the grace of God and the ancient lineage of Yoga Science. At 80 years young, Betty Senter is a true renaissance woman. After operating a sawmill with her husband for many years, Betty helped design scores of highway bridges in upstate New York. Since 2007 Betty has been a student of The American Meditation Institute.
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American Meditation Institute Self-Care for Healthy Living Tel. 518.674.8714 • americanmeditation.org 60 Garner Road, Averill Park, NY 12018
Summer Retreat LEONARD PERLMUTTER (Ram Lev)
JULY 16-19, 2015 at AMI Meditation • Mantra • Breath • Mind Function Optimization Lymph System Detox • Ayurveda & Alkaline Nutrition • Easy-Gentle Yoga This retreat is open to the General Public. Physicians receive 18 CME credits and RNs, NPs, PAs and Psychologists receive 18 medical education credits. americanmeditation.org/summer-retreat