April - June 2017 Transformation

Transformation American Meditation Institute

americanmeditation.org Self-Care for Healthy Living

APRIL - JUNE 2017

AVERILL PARK, NEW YORK

A Powerful

DELUSION

HOLDS US CAPTIVE Read about the remedy starting on page 9

Photo: ©123RF.com

Upcoming Classes and Events Inside this Issue: Beginner’s Meditation

TheHeart& ScienceofYoga®

Health & Happiness Conference

If you want to start and maintain a meditation practice, this course is perfect for you. / P. 4

Includes AMI meditation, breathing, mind function optimization, Ayurveda and gentle yoga. / P. 2-3

Share a day of fun, wisdom and delicious vegetarian food with Dr. Bernie Siegel. / P. 12-13

AMI Classes for April - June 2017

The Heart and Science of Yoga

®

Empowering Self-Care Program

Reduce Stress & Burnout • Relieve Pain • Optimize Health with Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder Taught continuously since 1996 • For Mind, Body and Spirit

Introduction to Self-Care Now, in your present situation, you need to successfully balance all your many personal, professional and family responsibilities.

AMI’s time-tested Heart and Science of Yoga ® Complete Self-Care Program will help you transform your stresses into strength, sharpen your decision-making skills, and meet every one of your challenges creatively.

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is an essential survival skill. SelfCare refers to easy-to-learn daily practices that can reduce stress and maintain and enhance your short and long term health and well-being. By maintaining AMI’s Self-Care Program you’ll be able to fulfill all your personal and professional commitments effectively and rewardingly.

Purposes of Self-Care Self-Care is not simply about limiting or eliminating stressors. It is also about enhancing your overall health and wellbeing. The purposes of Self-Care include: • Strengthening physical and psychological health • Managing, reducing and transforming stress • Honoring emotional and spiritual needs • Fostering and sustaining relationships

“A problem cannot be solved on the level at which it appears.

It must be solved on a higher level.”

ALbERt EINStEIN AMI’s Heart and Science of Yoga® Complete Self-Care Program teaches you how to reliably access your own inner, intuitive wisdom from the superconscious portion of the mind.

By accessing this “higher level” of knowledge you will know (and know that you know) how to make positive, stress reducing and health affirming lifestyle choices.

Self-Care is essential to your OPTIMAL HEALTH Herbert Benson, MD of the Harvard Medical School, says the maintenance of optimal health is analogous to a three-legged stool that must be supported by SELF-CARE. Such as AMI’s

Heart and Science of Yoga ® Complete Self-Care Program

Optimal

HEALTH

Self-Care Pharmaceuticals

Surgery

Leonard Perlmutter Leonard is a noted educator and founder of The American Meditation Institute.

He is the author of The Heart and Science of Yoga® and the mind/body medicine journal, Transformation. He has presented self-care courses at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Albany Medical College, The New York Times Yoga Forum with Dean Ornish MD and the U. S. Military Academy at West Point.

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

What A MI’s Self-Care Program Can Do for YOU In 2007, AMI conducted a retrospective case study of participants who completed Leonard Perlmutter’s Heart and Science of Yoga ® Self-Care Program. the findings included these positive, reproducible, long-term health-promoting changes: • Reduced cholesterol levels • Significant reductions in stress and fear • Improved energy levels • Diminished or extinguished • Increased creative capacity • Decreased anxiety and depression acute and chronic pain • Diminishment of migraine headaches • Lowered blood pressure • Weight loss • Heal irritable bowel syndrome • Lowered heart rate • Increased breathing capacity • Enhanced happiness and optimism • Improved restorative sleep

the Heart and Science of Yoga ® Self-Care Program Curriculum AMI Meditation • Mantra Science • Diaphragmatic Breathing • Yoga Psychology Mind Function Optimization • Easy-Gentle Yoga • Lymph System Detox • Nutrition • Ayurveda 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 AMI MEDITATION Systematic procedure for AMI Meditation Diminishing distractions with mantra science Learning the one-minute meditation Building focus, fearlessness, and strength BREATHING TECHNIQUES Breath as Medicine How breathing irregularities foster dis-ease Complete (three-part) yogic breath

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

HEALTH INSURANCE CovERAgE Call us to discuss how your Health Insurance plan might cover this program.

WEd NIgHtS: APR 12 – MAY 17 tUES NIgHtS: MAY 23 – JUN 27 6:30 - 9:00PM, $575. (6 WKS) Physicians $875; PAs, NPs, Psychologists: $775; RNs: $675

PHYSICIAN ACCREDITATION (15 CMEs) 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.

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.

Required Texts: The Heart and Science of Yoga ® The Art of Joyful Living.

Registration Includes: Lifelong support for your meditation practice, a 22 minute Guided Meditation CD, a copy of The Physiology of Easy-Gentle Yoga, and a complementary subscription to AMI’s quarterly publication, Transformation, the journal of meditation as mind/body medicine.

NURSING CONTINUING EDUCATION (15 contact hours) This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the American Nurses Association Massachusetts (ANA MASS), an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

the Heart and Science of Yoga ® Self-Care Program is Endorsed by Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD, Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD 3

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

Save this Date!

9th Annual Heart and Science of Yoga®

PHYSICIANS’ 30 CME CONFERENCE Meditation • Mantra Science • Chakras Diaphragmatic Breathing • Neuroplasticity Yoga Psychology • Ayurvedic Medicine Mind Function Optimization • Functional Medicine Easy-Gentle Yoga • Lymph System Detox Resilience • Yoga Nidra • Nutrition • Epigenomics Practices to Relieve Physician Burnout Cranwell Resort & Spa, Lenox, MA

OCTOBER 24-28, 2017

The Heart and Science of Yoga®

SUMMER RETREAT - jULY 13-16

Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder The 17th annual July retreat presents the same core curriculum as AMI’s Complete Self-Care Program (see pages 2 & 3). These time-tested practices are designed for both the general public and healthcare professionals. Attending physicians, PAs, RNs and NPs will receive 18 CME credits. Join Leonard and Jenness and the AMI staff in the comfort of the Home Center just East of Albany, NY in the foothills of the Berkshires. Delicious gourmet vegetarian meals are included.

FOR MORE INFORMAtION: tEL. (518) 674-8714 americanmeditation.org/summer-retreat

For Details: (518) 674-8714

americanmeditation.org/cme Delicious Gourmet Vegetarian Cuisine

From Recent Attendees 1. “This course was excellent and life changing by introducing me to a practice and philosophy so fundamentally different from the way allopathic medicine views the mind and body. I am so grateful for this experience, knowledge, expertise and compassion given by all the faculty and staff.” S.L. MD, NYC 2. “Life changing! Everyone in every facet of life should experience this. I’m so grateful for you and your institution and all involved for bringing truth to doctors with love and compassion. This is a light the world needs to see.” P.S. MD, RI 3. “This course has been the best CME course I have ever attended. It has given me a strong foundation, where I can help patients improve their lives with mindfulness. For myself, I have learned a skill that is lifelong and so powerful. I’m excited to use these skills for my greater good.” V.Q. MD, NYC 4. “A fantastic course! Very informative. It had a great mix of theory, science and practical use/practice. The spectrum of content was also balanced. Some of the more scientific/study presentations gave me the opportunity to see how I can incorporate this information within my practice.” R.G. MD, NY the AMI Core Curriculum is also endorsed by:

dean Ornish Md, dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz Md) bernie Siegel Md, Larry dossey Md

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.

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BEGINNER’S MEDITATION the basics for getting Started Mary Holloway, Doreen Howe, Beth Netter MD, André Tremblay, Sandy Vo

LEVEL I: Have you thought about trying meditation, but wanted to learn and experience a little before you register for AMI’s 6 week Heart and Science of Yoga® Complete SelfCare Program? This two session course will provide you 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 also includesa FREE “guided meditation” CD. SAtURdAY MORNINgS, 9:30 - 11:00AM, $95. (2 WKS) APR 15 & 22; MAY 13 & 20; JUN 17 & 24

MORNING YOGA fOR fIfTY PLUS Melanie (Uma) gloeckner RYt Level I: Yoga for healthy aging focuses on developing awareness and skills for daily living. Increase flexibility and strength, improve balance, build endurance and breath awareness, reduce stress, relax and re-energize.

WEdNESdAY MORNINgS, 9:45 - 11:00AM $60. (6 WKS) APR 12 - MAY 17 No experience necessary. drop-In $15.

AMI Classes for April - June 2017

COMPASSIONATE BUDDHA

*

The Healing Power of Thoughts Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter

*

Available by CdL (Computer distance Learning)

LEVEL II: (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.

SAtURdAY AFtERNOON, 2:30 - 4:30PM, $95.

MAY 6

*

YOGA PSYCHOLOGY BHAGAVAD GITA STUDY

Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter

*

Available by CdL (Computer distance Learning) Attend this in-depth course from your own home or anywhere in the world. Call 518.674.8714 for details.

LEVEL II: In continuous six week installments this course presents the profound teachings of the Bhagavad Gita as a handbook on the science of life and the art of living. If you are seeking a manual or guide for the supreme task of living in the world today, this ongoing study will provide you practical wisdom, meaning and purpose for your life. Each week Leonard and Jenness will teach you how to reduce stress and confidently enhance your health and creative abilities, while providing you a fresh, positive perspective on all your family and business relationships.

MONdAY NIgHtS, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, $150. (6 WKS) APR 10 - MAY 15; MAY 22 - JUL 3 (ExCEPT MAy 29)

PHYSICIANS’ CME CONfERENCE Comprehensive training in Yoga Science as Holistic Mind/body Medicine

October 24-28, 2017 Cranwell Resort • Lenox, MA • 30 CMEs

Upon Completion of this Conference Participants will be able to: 1. Demonstrate knowledge of how yoga Science as mind/body medicine can help heal disease, manage addictive habits, alleviate stress, inflammation and physician burnout.

2. Develop equanimity, discrimination, will power, creativity and energy through a daily practice of meditation and diaphragmatic breathing.

3. Incorporate long-term strategies for healthy lifestyle choices using yoga Psychology.

4. Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of both Ayurveda and Epigenomics.

5. Identify yogic practices to transform trauma and increase resilience.

6. Recognize the physiological benefits of EasyGentle yoga (exercises for lymph system detox, joints, glands, muscles and internal organs).

7. Help themselves and their patients reduce conditioned habits of negative thinking and other symptoms of burnout through the healing powers of mantra science.

8. Utilize Food as Medicine (Diet, Nutrition, Functional Medicine) to maximize personal well being.

9.Use Chakra Psychology (subtle emotional/mental causes of stress) to diagnose and treat dis-ease.

10. Recognize how meditation changes the neural pathways in the brain.

30 CME Conference

americanmeditation.org/cme 5

The AMeRIcAN MedITATIoN INsTITuTe’s

empowering self-care Program for a happy, healthy, Joyful Life

The Ultimate Manual for Meditation and Life Transformation Now in Paperback –– Revised and Expanded Leonard Perlmutter, considered one of West’s foremost guides to understanding the nature of consciousness, now offers a heralded book that is an encyclopedic guide to meditation and the time-tested science of Yoga that continues to validate it.

This ultimate guidebook explains not just what to do, BUT WHY TO DO IT––how our choices and actions energetically enhance or diminish our empowerment, influencing our ability to experience a healthy, secure, creative and rewarding life.

Available at Barnes & Noble • Amazon.com • americanmeditation.org and all Fine Bookstores 6

CALENdAR FREE: SUNDAY GUIDED MEDITATION & SATSANG Sundays 9:30-11:00 AM with Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness

Dinner • movie • Satsang 2017 FILm DISCuSSION SERIES

Friday, April 21, 5:30-10:00 PM

AP RIL 2017 APR 10- MAY 15: GITA/YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.5 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 weeks)

APR 12- MAY 17: THE HEART & SCIENCE OF YOGA see p. 3 AMI’s Complete Self-Care Program Wed. Nights, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (6 weeks)

APR 12- MAY 17: MORNING YOGA FOR 50 PLUS see p. 4 Wed. Mornings, 9:45 - 11:00 AM (6 weeks)

APR 15 & 22: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION see p. 4

COLLATERAL bEAuTy Will Smith, Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Ed Norton When a successful advertising executive suffers a great tragedy, he seeks answers by writing letters to Love, Time and Death that bring unexpected personal responses.

Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 11:00 AM (2 weeks)

APR 21: DINNER, MOVIE, SATSANG see p. 6 Fri. Night, 5:30 - 10:00 PM

Friday, May 19, 5:30-10:00 PM

APR 29: HEALTH & HAPPINESS CONFERENCE see p. 12-13 Saturday, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

MAY 2017 MAY 6: COMPASSIONATE BUDDHA see p.5 Sat. Afternoon, 2:30 - 4:30 PM

MAY 13& 20: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION see p. 4 Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 11:00 AM (2 weeks)

MAY 19: DINNER, MOVIE, SATSANG see p. 6 Fri. Night, 5:30 - 10:00 PM

MAY 22- JUL 3: GITA/YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.5 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 weeks)

MAY 23- JUN 27: THE HEART & SCIENCE OF YOGA see p. 3

LION dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, Priyanka bose 25 years after Saroo was separated from his family at age five, he sets out to find that family and first home with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth.

Friday, Jun 16, 5:30-10:00 PM

Complete Self-Care Program Tues. Nights, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (6 weeks)

JUNE 2017 JUN 16: DINNER, MOVIE, SATSANG see p. 6 Fri. Night, 5:30 - 10:00 PM

JUN- 17 & 24: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION

see p. 4

Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 11:00 AM (2 weeks)

American Meditation Institute

Self-Care for Healthy Living April - June, 2017 • Vol. XX No. 3 ©2017 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.

PATERSON Adam driver, golshifteh Farahani, Kara Hayward A hardworking bus driver in Paterson NJ routinely observes the city and listens to fragments of passenger conversations, all as grist for his heartfelt poetry.

Each film reflects practical Yoga Science.

A gourmet vegetarian dinner begins at 5:30 PM, followed by a movie and discussion (satsang). A group meditation concludes the evening.

RSVP required by Wednesday prior to the event.

$20 per person - (dinner & complementary movie) 7

American Meditation Institute’s Yoga of Medicine Program Presents

9th Annual Conference for Physicians • RNs • NPs • PAs • Psychologists comprehensive Training in Yoga science as

holistic Mind/Body Medicine A Unique Curriculum developed for Clinical Application • Personal Health • Relieving Physician burnout and building Resilience

30 CMEs

The Heart and Science of Yoga

®

AMI Meditation • Mantra Science • Diaphragmatic Breathing • Yoga Psychology Mind Function Optimization • Chakra System • Easy-Gentle Yoga • Lymph System Detox Yoga Nidra • Functional Medicine • Ayurvedic Medicine • Food as Medicine Epigenomics • Trauma • PTSD • Resilience • Neuroplasticity AMI MEDITATION PRACTICES TO RELIEVE PHYSICIAN BURNOUT

OCTOBER 24-28, 2017

Self-Care For Healthy Living

Albany Medical College

5 1/2

Space is LIMITED

Hour Online Video Course & Book

Lenox, Massachusetts

The only 4-Diamond Resort in the Berkshires

FREE!

Mark Pettus MD

Leonard Perlmutter

Susan Lord MD

Please Register EARLY!

Beth Netter MD

Sara Lazar PhD

REgIStER ONLINE:

Jyothi Bhatt BAMS

Tony Santilli MD PrashantKaushikMD G. Grodnitzky PhD Jenness Perlmutter

Jesse Ritvo MD

americanmeditation.org/cme • tel. (518) 674-8714

Core Curriculum Endorsed by: Dean Ornish MD, Mehmet Oz MD, Larry Dossey MD and Bernie Siegel MD

A Powerful

DELUSION HOLDS US CAPTIVE

By Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev) Photo: ©123RF.com

The ancient Isha Upanishad scripture declares that

The face of Truth is veiled by a golden disk.

The “golden disk” is a metaphor representing our own unconscious fears, anger and selfish desires. The disk obstructs our access to the Truth by distracting the mind and senses with its kaleidoscopic procession of charms, attractions and temptations. But all objects the “golden disk” manifests are subject to change and decomposition. If we beieve in them we can never experience what we most deeply desire: absolute security, joy, contentment and wholeness. Therefore, every desire begets another desire. The “golden disk’s” veil or curtain, the power of illusion and delusion that conceals the Truth from us, is known as maya.

The purpose of human life is to train the mind to become detached from deceptive appearances and impressions; to behold the absolute, eternal Truth, to know and serve the Truth in every relationship, and to receive the blessings of that Truth in ways that are presently far beyond our imagination. By

learning to employ our mind’s discriminative faculty, known as buddhi (conscience), human beings can exercise our capacity to reliably think, speak and act in a balanced, compassionate, wise, creative and healthaffirming manner.

But removing maya’s “golden disk” is not an easy task. That’s because maya’s overwhelming power of illusion is recreated and reinforced in every moment by the faulty unconscious concepts that distort our conscious perceptions. The phenomenon is similar to seeing, believing and acting on the unenlightened notion that the mirage of an oasis at the horizon line of a hot, dry desert is going to quench one’s thirst.

Regardless of what form it assumes, maya’s illusion is always defined by the following characteristics: birth, growth, change, decline and ultimately, death. Because of their transitory nature, our mental attachments to the illusion of maya inevitably lead 9

to likes and dislikes (raga/dveshas), delusion, unskillful action, the fear of loss, frustration, anger, and inevitably, to pain. Chasing after the illusion of maya and disregarding the Truth, human beings remain in a hypnotized state. This ignorance repeatedly pilfers their storehouses of energy in order to seek, identify, capture, control, manipulate and perpetuate the perceived objects of pleasure, and it motivates the urge to obliterate the messengers of pain that appear only to warn of danger ahead.

Despite its pervasiveness, maya has no inherent ability to attract and hold us captive to its false promises. Maya’s sole power source is the habits of the human mind––our own willingness to believe the empty promises and limited perspective of the personality and senses.

Is the Tree Holding Me Captive, Or am I Holding on to the Tree?

One day during his teenage years, my meditation master, Swami Rama of the Himalayas, asked his Guru, Bengali Baba, to remove his youthful misunderstandings about the nature and power of maya. Wishing to teach by demonstration, Bengali Baba simply replied, “Tomorrow morning I will show you what maya is.”

So excited by the prospect that he would finally be able to remove the “golden disk” and see through the illusion of maya, the young student found himself unable to sleep or meditate that night. Early next morning, as the two walked along the Ganges, Bengali Baba suddenly ran from the boy’s side, rushed up to large, imposing tree, and wrapped his entire body around it.

Apparently writhing in pain, the master cried out, “If you are my true disciple, then please, help free me from this terrible tree.”

At first Swami Rama was amused, then shocked and finally afraid as he witnessed what seemed to be a very real, supernatural, life-threatening event. If his great teacher could not free himself from the clutches of this strange and ferocious tree-like being, perhaps it would entrap him as well. In his hesitancy and fear, the boy stood paralyzed until he heard Bengali Baba cry out again.

“Please, my son, take hold of my hand or 10

foot and try to pull me away! My body has been caught by this tree and I cannot get away!”

Swami Rama tried to help, but to no avail. After exhausting himself by unsuccessfully trying to pry his master’s fingers, hands, arms, toes, feet and legs from the persistent pull of the tree, he stood watching his teacher’s predicament with new eyes and asked, “How is this possible, Master? A tree has no power to hold anyone captive. What’s really happening here?”

In response, Bengali Baba unwrapped his arms and legs, laughed and said, “This is an example of how the cosmic illusion of maya enslaves you. It was your own attachment and fear for your beloved teacher––and for yourself––that caught you in its spell.”

In that instant, Swami Rama understood that the illusion and pain of maya is, in fact, self-created. Through our own unexamined concepts we become attached to worldly desires and then claim that they have entrapped us. Twenty-five hundred years ago, the Compassionate Buddha saw through this illusion when he warned humanity, “Do not swallow a red-hot iron ball and then cry, ‘I am in great pain!’” Centuries later, Leo Tolstoy observed, “If you did not desire your present position, you would not be doing everything possible to maintain it.”

Life is a Journey Whether we consciously acknowledge it or not, each of us is on a journey. We have come from the unknown, and we are headed back to the unknown. In this brief interlude called human life, we have unwittingly created bundles of unconscious habit patterns for ourselves; deep, unconscious channels (samskaras) of fear, anger and selfish desires that condemn us to view life through the lens of our own ignorance––the habit of embracing the bondage of maya while ignoring the eternal Truth of our own divine nature. We are like the person of perfect proportion who goes on a crash diet after seeing herself in a distorting carnival mirror that makes her look as if she weighs three hundred pounds.

All the many practices of Yoga Science, including AMI meditation and its allied disciplines, provide opportunities to free

ourselves from the powerful delusion that now holds us captive. We have the great gift of a human birth. We now have a body. We have a mind. We have five senses and a conscience––the unique faculty of discrimination that has the capacity to reflect perfect wisdom from the superconscious portion of the mind. Thanks to our humanity, we have all the necessary tools to leave behind the suffering brought about by indulging our lower, animal nature and to reclaim the divine treasure hidden deep within our consciousness. But to accomplish this goal, we must learn to be present in each moment to make discriminating, conscious choices.

“Yeah, But” The transition from delusion and bondage to discrimination and freedom can sometimes be quite challenging. For that reason it’s essential that you remain on guard for one of humanity’s most debilitating excuses: “Yeah, but.” Authoring this phrase, the ego, trying to maintain its power, will surreptitiously undercut your resolve by first acknowledging the value of removing the “golden disk” of illusion and then by denying its appropriateness for you. “Yeah,” the ego agrees, “the Truth is very profound––but it’s just not right for us at this time.” Whenever you hear this kind of seductive argument, confront it immediately. Use your conscience to expose the ego’s ill-advised attempt to limit your vision and potential by favoring the “glittering disk” of maya over the Truth.

In actuality there’s no greater adventure than seeking and finding the Truth. It’s like continually surfing the big wave or being able to ski uphill. Remember: every time we think, speak or act, we use some of our vital energy (prana). That might not have concerned us in our teens or twenties, but for those living into their forties, fifties, sixties, seventies and beyond, a technology for renewing that creative force is invaluable.

Regardless of age, everyone wants to be happy, healthy, creative, productive, loving and nurtured. Merely professing to be the architects of our lives does not assure a destiny free from the debilitating strictures of stress and disease. To maintain good health and attain the blessings life has to offer, we

need a practical framework that helps us transform every thought, word and deed into energy, will power and creativity. Yoga Science is such a framework.

Be That Which You Are The practice of Yoga Science is not a pill you swallow to eliminate pain or instantly gain something you want. The extent to which you work with this teaching is entirely up to you. If you are sincerely interested in becoming free from pain and bondage, and are willing to transform your own fear, anger and self-centered desires into a loving, creative and uplifting force, your life will definitely become the magnificent symphony you and the world are waiting to hear.

The Bible says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” But nowhere in the scriptures is there an instruction to knock only once. “Keep knocking; keep practicing,” the sages of Yoga Science would urge, “and the gates of heaven will open for you.”

Students often ask if there is a higher level to this teaching, or some advanced course they should take. The answer is yes.

The higher level and advanced course lies in your next thought. Who are you, and what are you going to do with that thought?

If you are curious and motivated to experiment with the practices of Yoga Science, always remember that you are indeed the architect of your life. Your thoughts determine your destiny. But each thought that comes into your awareness is only a suggestion of what to give your attention to in the present moment. It is not an imperial command.

Every thought is a manifestation of your most powerful and abundant natural resource. Every thought has the potential to transform your life from its present limited condition into poetry and song. Developing the skills to steward this great natural resource, therefore, is the most important task in life. AMI Meditation and the practices that support it are proven catalysts for transformation––if you are earnest and sincere.

Ultimately, everything will yield to your earnestness.

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The sages of all traditions teach that joy and fearlessness are the birthrights of every human being, and our own personal studies have taught us that Yoga Science has developed powerful and practical mechanisms for reclaiming this misplaced inheritance.

By relying exclusively on the Divine wisdom of a purified buddhi to determine which thoughts are served and which are not––in your mind, action and speech––you will experience a peace and creativity beyond your imagination.

In light of this, life will no longer be considered a trap or a punishment. It will be an opportunity and a challenge. We have all come here to learn and grow, and finally to receive this knowledge and to be free.

Through continuous, conscientious practice, you too can find new zest and enthusiasm for life. That’s the great gift of Yoga Science.

You can be empowered by your new, meaningful purpose and encouraged by the certainty of a rewarding outcome.

In 1962, President Kennedy announced that the United States would place a man on the moon before the end of that decade. “We choose to go to the moon,” Kennedy said, “not because it is easy, but because it is hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills; because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone.”

At first glance, freeing ourselves from maya’s “golden disk” of illusion may seem as overwhelming a task as visiting the moon, but haven’t we already tried the easy path of skimming along the surface of consciousness––allowing our fears, anger and selfish

desires to determine our destiny? In actuality, changing old habits is not as hard as our old concepts tell us it is. Very quickly, the initial discipline required yields to love––because seeking, finding and serving the Truth makes you feel better physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Why? That answer is revealed at the very end of the Isha Upanishad with these enlightening words, “The face of Truth is hidden by your golden disk, O Lord. May you remove the illusion of your maya so that I, who adore the Truth, may see the glory of the Truth. Subdue your dazzling splendor so that I may see your blessed Self. Even that very Self am I!” So you see, meditators may appear to be disciplinarians, but they are not. Meditators are actually pleasure seekers of the highest order. The more we experiment with diminishing the non-truth in thought, word and deed, we become united with the Truth––which is, in actuality, the blessed Self of the Lord and our very own Essential Nature, at the core of our being.

And if that’s not a sufficient motivation for you, here’s a final thought of inspiration.

It’s a simple bit of advice given to a young Native American at the time of his initiation: “As you go the way of life, you will see a great chasm. Jump! It’s not as wide as you think.”

So the next time some passing pleasure promises a lasting reward, don’t be fooled once again by the “golden disk’s” illusion of maya. Rather, remember that it is we ourselves who have created this bondage––like the Guru who hugged the tree and shouted in pain that the tree held him captive.

The Ultimate Manual for Meditation and Life Transformation Leonard Perlmutter, considered one of West’s foremost guides to understanding the nature of consciousness, now offers a heralded book that is an encyclopedic guide to meditation and the time-tested science that continues to validate it. This ultimate guidebook explains not just what to do BUT WHY TO DO IT––how our choices and actions energetically enhance or diminish our empowerment, influencing our ability to live well, peacefully and successfully.

2nd Edition––Revised and Expanded Now available at AMI and all fine bookstores 12

beginner’s Sessions: 10:00am – 10:45am MEDITATION 101 Mary Holloway 10:45am – 11:15am BREATH AS MEDICINE Beth Netter MD 11:15am – 11:45am RELIEVING STRESS Tony Santilli MD 12:00pm – 12:45pm LUNCH (Gourmet Vegetarian) 12:45pm – 1:15pm FOOD AS MEDICINE Susan Lord MD

Additional Sessions: EASY-gENtLE YOgA 12:30pm –1:00pm and 3:15pm – 3:45pm

Advanced Sessions: 10:00am – 10:45am DNA IS NOT DESTINy Mark Pettus MD 10:45am – 11:15am FUNCTIONS OF THE MIND Leonard Perlmutter 11:30am – 12:15pm MEDITATION & THE BRAIN Sara Lazar PhD 12:30pm – 1:15pm LUNCH (Gourmet Vegetarian) Keynote Speakers: 1:20pm – 2:15pm THE MIND CAN HEAL THE BODy Leonard Perlmutter 2:20pm – 3:15pm HEALING POWER OF LOVE Bernie Siegel MD 3:25pm – 4:00pm PANEL DISCUSSION

Bernie Siegel MD and Leonard Perlmutter Will Be the Keynote Speakers at the April 29th Health & Happiness Conference in Albany, New York Mind/Body Medicine pioneer Bernie Siegel MD and Leonard Perlmutter, founder of The American Meditation Institute, will lead a faculty of distinguished physicians and meditation researchers at AMI’s Health & Happiness Conference on April 29, 2017.

americanmeditation.org/happiness Leonard Perlmutter’s Lecture Topic:

Using the Mind to Heal the body

Bernie Siegel’s Lecture Topic:

the Healing Power of Love

Conference Objectives Participants will receive these practical tools for healthy living: • An understanding of how Yoga Science as mind/body medicine can help heal disease, manage addictive habits, and alleviate inflammation, stress and burnout symptoms • The power to reduce negative thinking and other symptoms of stress and burnout through AMI meditation and mantra science • Access to contentment, discrimination, will power, creativity and energy through a daily practice of AMI Meditation and diaphragmatic breathing • How to incorporate long-term strategies for healthy lifestyle choices using Yoga Psychology • An understanding of the principles of Ayurveda and Epigenomics (DNA is not destiny!)

• The ability to identify and employ yogic practices to enhance the immune system • The ability to recognize the physiological benefits of Easy-Gentle Yoga (exercises for lymph system detox, joints, glands, muscles and internal organs) • The ability to use Food as Medicine (Diet and Nutrition) to maximize personal well being • An understanding of how AMI Meditation and the practice of meditation-in-action can change the neural pathways in the brain

bernie Siegel Md –– Keynote Speaker Acclaimed mind/body medicine pioneer Bernie Siegel MD will present a special keynote lecture, The Healing Power of Love. During his practice as a surgeon he learned how powerful the mind can be in healing the body. Since the 1970s and throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Siegel has worked with patients to help them heal and to deal with issues regarding disease and mortality. Bernie embraces a philosophy of living and dying that stands as a beacon of clarity for today’s medical ethics and spiritual issues. He is the originator of the “Exceptional Cancer Patients” therapy clinic and the award-winning author of Love, Medicine & Miracles; Peace, Love & Healing and How To Live Between Office Visits.

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MINd /bOdY NEWS docs vs. the Public

Burnout Rates Rise

A Sense of “Calling”

The American Medical Association and the Mayo Clinic recently conducted a study to determine how physician burnout differs from burnout in the general working population. The study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, found that compared with the general U.S. population, physicians worked a median of 10 hours more per week, displayed higher rates of emotional exhaustion and reported lower satisfaction with work-life balance. Though the general population does experience burnout, the changing state of the health care system is clearly driving the dramatic increases in physician burnout.

A 2017 AMA Medscape Lifestyle Report asked physicians from 27 medical specialties to grade the severity of their burnout on a scale of 1 to 7— one being that it does not interfere, and seven indicating thoughts of leaving medicine. All but one specialty chose a level four or higher. Emergency Medicine was most affected––with nearly 60 percent saying they feel burned out (up from half in 2013). More than 14,000 physicians surveyed named the following four concerns as the top causes of burnout: too many bureaucratic tasks, spending too many hours at work, feeling like just a cog in a wheel, increased computerization of practice.

A recently published study carried out by the Mayo Clinic, of internal and external factors that keep physicians motivated and prevent burnout shows that having a personal sense of calling or a deep commitment to medicine is a key factor in physicians’ well-being. The study also found that extrinsic incentives, such as increased salary, are less meaningful.

According to lead researcher Audiey C. Kao, MD PhD, “If the practice of medicine is not seen as work that is personally rewarding and serving a greater good, physician performance may suffer and, more importantly, so too may the quality of care that patients receive.”

MEdItAtION tECHNIQUES HELP StUdENtS FOCUS Meditation techniques are being used in schools across the country. A recent study by the University of California-Davis shows meditation practices actually triple students’ ability to focus and participate in class activities. Fourth graders meditating? Kindergartners practicing mindful breathing? It’s not a big deal at Harris Hill Elementary School in Pennfield, New York.

Every class there has students doing both practices. As a consequence,“They’re less impulsive with one another, they think more deliberately about their words before they speak, so it definitely spills into the daily routines,” said 4th grade teacher Heidi Palmiero-Potter. “Mindfulness can be different things, like meditating or deep breathing,” said Adam Elbousty, a 4th grade student. “Like you breathe really slowly,” said Preston Payne, a 3rd grade student. School psychologist Michelle Braun-Burget began testing these techniques three years ago with students.

“What I’m finding is that there are a lot of students––even at this age, which is kindergarten through fifth grade, five year olds to ten and eleven year olds––who are anxious and nervous and have trouble focusing.” Braun-Burget says that students are now acting in a variety of situations with more self-confidence. “They’re just more aware of themselves and what makes them upset, what makes them nervous, and they have better control of how to deal with their anxiety levels,” she said. “If one of the kids is having a hard time these practices provide them helpful strategies. I’ve heard students say, ‘do your breathing.’ The purpose behind the techniques that mindfulness and meditation bring to education is helping those children learn coping strategies––no matter what difficult circumstances they might be experiencing.”

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americanmeditation.org/summer-retreat

Join Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter at AMI’s

SUMMER RETREAT July 13-16 17th Annual “Please join me this summer as I share how you can experience life’s greatest gifts through the personal practice of AMI Meditation.”

Leonard (Ram Lev)

18 CMEs For Physicians Gourmet Vegetarian Meals

The heART ANd scIeNce oF YogA ®

self-care for healthy Living 16

American Meditation Institute Self-Care for Healthy Living Tel. 518.674.8714 • americanmeditation.org 60 garner Road, Averill Park, NY 12018

Leonard Perlmutter and Bernie Siegel MD Keynote Speakers at the

Health & Happiness Conference Plus a distinguished faculty of physicians and meditation researchers and a delicious gourmet vegetarian lunch

April 29th • 10am-4pm Hindu Cultural Center 450 Albany-Shaker Road, Albany, Ny americanmeditation.org/happiness All the body is in the mind, and yet all the mind is not in the body.

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