Transformation American Meditation Institute
JANUARY - MARCH 2019
americanmeditation.org
YOGA SCIENCE FOR MODERN LIFE
The Secret of Living Joyfully In the Presence of Fear & Anger See Page 8
“A problem cannot be solved on the level at which it appears. It must be solved on a higher level.” — ALBERT EINSTEIN AMI MEDITATION COURSE pgs. 3-5
americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714
The Chakra System
Yoga Psychology
As a Diagnostic Tool
Study of the Bhagavad Gita
Balancing Your Subtle Body Energy
A Manual for Daily Living p. 7
Morning Yoga For 50 Plus with
Melanie Gloeckner p. 6
The Compassionate Buddha May 4, 2019
p. 7
A MI MEDITATION
Intro to A MI Meditation
The Foundation Course of Yoga Science
Transformative Learning
For Mind, Body and Spirit With Leonard Perlmutter, AMI Founder 32 Practical Tools to Experience Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Well-Being
p. 3-5
Movie Night
Watching & Discussing Films with Yogic Themes p. 14
Physician’s CME CONFERENCE
Overview of the Basics p. 6
A MI Summer Retreat July 18-21, 2019 in Averill Park p. 7
October 22-26, 2019 Cranwell Resort & Spa p. 6
Introduction to the AMI Classes
The American Meditation Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization devoted to providing comprehensive training in Yoga Science. AMI is a modern link to the world’s oldest holistic mind/body medicine, and to the core principles of every spiritual and religious tradition. Yoga is the ancient science that provides proven benefits by facilitating the union of the superconscious mind with the physical, mental and emotional elements of everyday life.
Founded in 1996, AMI combines ancient Eastern wisdom and modern Western science in a practical, empowering curriculum. The Foundation Course of this study is AMI MEDITATION. This transformative learning experience presents the essential principles 2
and tools of Yoga Science. It is designed to empower you to relieve stress and burnout, reduce pain, boost your immune system, heal relationships, enhance your problem solving ability, deepen your spiritual journey, and find inner peace and unbounded happiness and security.
The components of all additional AMI classes, retreats and conferences are developed from themes presented in the AMI MEDITATION Foundation Course. This perennial wisdom gives you a deep understanding of the principles and practices that have renewed and sustained the best of world culture, and provides you the insight and skills necessary to create a healthy counterbalance to some faulty modern assumptions.
A MI MEDITATION The Foundation Course of Yoga Science AMI Classes for January - March 2019
CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE –– CHANGE YOUR EXPERIENCE The Heart and Science of Yoga® Empowering Self-Care Program
Yoga Science • AMI Meditation • Breathing • Yoga Psychology • Ayurveda • Easy-Gentle Yoga
Study with a modern link in the world’s oldest health and wisdom tradition
Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder
Five to six thousand years ago, certain women and men embarked on a journey of selfinquiry, self-discovery and self-care through self-direction. By experimenting with scientific meditation techniques, they learned how to establish a state of yoga (unity and balance) in mind, body and spirit. By their endeavors, these ancient explorers discovered the secret of happiness, health and security which ultimately evolved to become Yoga Science. Today, that ancient lineage of wisdom is represented by the practices and principles taught in this foundation course.
A MI MEDITATION’s Transformative Learning
What do you see? Two faces in silhouette, or a wine goblet? Both are there, but you can only see one at a time. Most people see only one image unless they’re prompted to look again. The AMI MEDITATION course will enable you to see yourself and your world from a fresh perspective and with a higher purpose in mind. With this new, clearer vision you can begin to reliably access and employ your own inner wisdom from the superconscious mind. As your practice deepens, you’ll soon find yourself becoming more insightful, self-reliant and self-confident to make decisions that creatively resolve challenging situations and relationships.
Purposes of A MI MEDITATION Curriculum
The AMI MEDITATION course will not only teach you how to limit and eliminate stress. It will help you create your own personal philosophy of life, and provide you the practical tools to make conscious, discriminating choices that will positively affect all your personal and professional relationships. The additional purposes of this course include: Strengthening your physical and psychological health Managing, reducing and transforming the energy of stress Honoring emotional and spiritual needs Fostering and sustaining relationships
“This curriculum presents the holistic benefits of Yoga Science, and brought joy to this heart surgeon’s heart.” — Mehmet Oz MD (Dr. Oz) 3
A MI MEDITATION: Case Study Results americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714
In 2008, AMI conducted a retrospective case study of participants who completed Leonard Perlmutter’s AMI MEDITATION Heart and Science of Yoga ® Self-Care Program. The findings included these positive, reproducible, long-term health-promoting changes:
• Significant reductions in stress and fear • Decreased anxiety and depression • Lowered blood pressure • Lowered heart rate • Improved restorative sleep
• Improved energy levels • Increased creative capacity • Diminishment of migraine headaches • Heals irritable bowel syndrome • Enhanced happiness and optimism
• Reduced cholesterol levels • Diminished or extinguished acute and chronic pain • Weight loss • Increased breathing capacity
Your Personal Yoga Science Tool Bag
The AMI MEDITATION course will provide you with a set of 32 essential survival tools. When you choose and employ the right tool in the appropriate situation, you’ll be able to transform the energy of stress into positive energy, will power and AMI creativity. The tools you receive will enable you to know the Yoga Science Tool Bag Truth of who you are, and with that profound knowledge, you’ll increasingly be able to make the best choices for reducing stress and enhancing your total well-being. By employing the tools learned in this course, you can fulfill all your personal and professional commitments more effectively and rewardingly.
Curriculum Overview: A MI MEDITATION The curriculum for AMI MEDITATION is based on the award-winning book, The Heart and Science of Yoga® by Leonard Perlmutter
Seated AMI Meditation • Mantra Science Diaphragmatic Breathing • Yoga Psychology Mind Function Optimization • Easy-Gentle Yoga Lymph System Detox • Nutrition • Ayurvedic Medicine
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YOGA SCIENCE––WEEK 1 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––WEEK 2 Systematic procedure for AMI Meditation Diminishing distractions with mantra science Learning the one-minute meditation Building focus, fearlessness, and strength BREATHING TECHNIQUES––WEEK 3 Breath as Medicine How breathing irregularities foster dis-ease Complete (three-part) yogic breath
YOGA PSYCHOLOGY & AYURVEDA––WEEK 4 How the mind supports optimal health The power of the present moment Building and healing relationships Introduction to Ayurveda EASY-GENTLE YOGA EXERCISES––WEEK 5 Yoga stretches to benefit: muscles, joints, glands and internal organs Physiological benefits of yoga postures MIND /BODY CARE PLAN––WEEK 6 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
Leonard Perlmutter AMI Founder
AMI Classes for January - March 2019
The AMI MEDITATION Foundation Course on Yoga Science was developed and is taught by Leonard Perlmutter. Leonard is a noted educator, philosopher, Yoga scientist 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 studied in Rishikesh, India and is a direct disciple of Swami Rama of the Himalayas––the man who, in laboratory conditions at the Menninger Institute, demonstrated that blood pressure, heart rate and the autonomic nervous system can be voluntarily controlled. Leonard’s many writings and all his lectures are enlivened by his inspiring enthusiasm, vast experience, humor and clear teaching style. Leonard has presented informative workshops 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.
Inner Wisdom
Superconscious Mind
YOGA SCIENCE UNION
Outer Action
Thoughts Words Deeds
At the first class you will learn to create and employ your own “Bridge of Yoga.” Then, as your outer actions (thoughts, words and deeds) are based on your inner wisdom (conscience), you’ll always be led for your highest and greatest good. And there will be no cause for worry.
A MI MEDITATION Class Schedule and Accreditation
Medical Accreditation PHYSICIAN ACCREDITATION (15 CMEs)
americanmeditation.org/physician-cme 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.
NURSING CONTINUING EDUCATION (15 contact hours) americanmeditation.org/nursing-continuing-education 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.
UPCOMING CLASSES SATURDAY MORNINGS:
Jan 5– Feb 9; Feb 23– Mar 30 9:00 - 11:30am, $595. (6 WKS)
Physicians $895; PAs, NPs: $795; RNs: $695
Required Texts: The Heart and Science of Yoga ® The Art of Joyful Living.
Registration Includes: Lifelong support for your meditation practice, a 20-minute CD & digital Guided Meditation, 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.
HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE
Call us to discuss how your Health Insurance plan might cover this program. This curriculum is endorsed by medical pioneers
Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD, Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD 5
americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714
Save this Date! 11th Annual Heart and Science of Yoga®
2019 PHYSICIANS’ 30 CME CONFERENCE
Attendees from AMI’s 2018 Conference
Meditation • Mantra Science • Chakras Diaphragmatic Breathing • Neuroplasticity Yoga Psychology • Ayurvedic Medicine Mind Function Optimization • Easy-Gentle Yoga • Lymph System Detox • Yoga Nidra • Nutrition Practices to Relieve Physician Burnout Cranwell Resort & Spa, Lenox, MA
OCTOBER 22-26, 2019 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. And I’m already using these skills every day since the conference.” V.Q. MD, NYC The AMI Core Curriculum is also endorsed by:
Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish 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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INTRO TO A MI MEDITATION The Basics for Getting Started
Bob Iwaniec DC, Mary Holloway MT, Doreen Howe and André Tremblay
LEVEL I: If you’re not quite ready to register for our six-week AMI MEDITATION foundation course on Yoga Science, this two-session ‘Intro’ course will provide you step-by-step guidance on how to start—and stick with—a daily practice. It’s easier than you think to learn the basics, and it’s very enjoyable!
Now at Two Locations: Averill Park: AMI Home Center, 60 Garner Rd. 674-8714 Clifton Park: AMI North, 108 Old Coach Rd. 383-0994 SATURDAY MORNINGS, 9:30 - 11:00AM, $95. (2 WKS) JAN 12 & 19 AVERILL PARK FEB 16 & 23 CLIFTON PARK MAR 16 & 23 AVERILL PARK
MORNING YOGA FOR FIFTY PLUS Melanie (Uma) Gloeckner RYT
Level I: Yoga for healthy aging focuses on developing increased flexibility and strength, improved balance, endurance and breath, reduced stress, relaxation and greater energy. WED. MORNINGS, 9:45-11:30AM ($40-$50/MONTH) JAN––MAR No experience necessary. Drop-Ins $15.
FREE SUNDAY A MI MEDITATION Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter
LEVEL I: Join AMI’s FREE 20-minute guided meditation and satsang teaching. Participants may sit on comfortable chairs or on the floor. SUNDAYS, 9:30 - 11:00AM, FREE
NOW AVAILABLE AMI Bookstore Barnes & Noble Amazon.com All Fine Booksellers
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AMI Classes for January - March 2019
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THE CHAKRA SYSTEM
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.
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 and mental health and well being.
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MONDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:30PM, $195 (3 WKS) FEB 25 - MAR 11
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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) JAN 7 - FEB 11; MAR 18 - APR 29
The Heart and Science of Yoga®
2019 SUMMER RETREAT
Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder
AMI’s 19th annual retreat July 18-21 will present the same core curriculum as the AMI MEDITATION course (pgs. 3-5). These time-tested practices are designed for both the general public and medical professionals. Attending physicians, PAs, RNs and NPs receive 18 CME credits. Gourmet vegetarian meals are included. FOR MORE INFORMATION: TEL. (518) 674-8714
americanmeditation.org/summer-retreat
PERSONAL COUNSELING
Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder Int’l. Association of Yoga Therapists
With over 40 years of experience, Leonard will teach you how to thrive while dealing with all of life’s challenges.
AMI HOME CENTER, By appointment. $150/hr.
Vyasa
Personal Limit Think of Your personality
As your very own Personal limit
As where you chose To end infinity
And where you chose To begin it
Robert j Iwaniec
smile.amazon
&
AMI
AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support The American Meditation Institute. When you make a purchase at smile.amazon.com, AMI will receive .5% of the purchase price.
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The Secret of Living Joyfully In the Presence of Fear and Anger BY LEONARD PERLMUTTER (RAM LEV)
These days almost every situation can trigger the fight-flight-freeze stress response. Life in the 21st century so far feels as if we’ve been hijacked into a bizarre Rod Serling “Twilight Zone” episode from the 1960s. Suddenly, what once seemed stable and reassuring now feels uncertain and potentially threatening. Fear, anger, anxiety and depression are now commonplace in our minds, our homes, our politics, at work and school, in hospitals, concert halls, vacation resorts, on television and the internet––even in our sacred houses of worship. Nothing feels quite as normal nor as optimistic as it once did. A clear, sobering indicator comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. CDC Director Robert Redfield recently announced that “for the second time in three years, life expectancy in the U.S. has ticked downward as the result of a troubling rise in opioid overdoses and suicides.” Faced with that kind of fear-filled news every day, the ego remains in reptilian overdrive, incessantly worrying about what the future might hold.
Joseph Campbell But from the long view of history, it seems these kinds of stressors are not totally unusual. In 1984, for example, Joseph Campbell, then a professor at Sarah Lawrence College and 8
acclaimed lecturer on comparative mythology and religion in human experience observed, “When we talk about settling the world’s problems, we’re barking up the wrong tree. The world is perfect. It’s a mess. It has always been a mess. We are not going to change it. Our job is to straighten out our own lives. We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can Joseph Campbell come. If we fix on the old, we get stuck. When we hang on to any form, we are in danger of atrophy. Hell is life drying up. The Hoarder, the one in us that wants to keep, to hold on, must be killed. If we are hanging on to a form now, we’re not going to have the form next. You can’t make an omlet without breaking eggs. Destruction before creation.” Of course, Campbell was not speaking to the average person on the street. His words were directed purposefully at the potential spiritual warrior within each of us––the woman or man now poised at the threshold of their own Hero’s Journey. To encourage that Yoga scientist-to-be in the face of their
own stressful challenges, Campbell implored, “Say ‘Yes’ to life. ‘Yes’ to it all. Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.” If the prospect of learning to “live in joy” even in the face of powerful forces like fear and anger sounds a bit too Pollyannish, you’re missing some important news-to-use. Yoga Science and AMI Meditation provide a philosophy of life and complete toolbag of easy-to-learn, commonsensical practices that make the work of thriving, while navigating through the currents and cross-currents of life, easier than you might imagine. First, you must understand that human birth is not an accidental phenomenon. Life has distinct purpose, and every human being is born with all the means and resources necessary to attain the goal. That shared goal is to discover the Truth of who we are, from where we have come, why we are here, what’s to be done in every relationship, and where we will go when the body is no more. By establishing your own consistent meditation practice, you’ll quickly learn, to your amazement, that you are not who you think you are. You are actually a citizen of two worlds. Essentially, you are a wise, free, eternal, spiritual being––pure consciousness itself––having an individual human experience in time and space through a transitory mind-body-sense complex. The Doubting Thomas in us objects: “If that’s true, why am I not aware that the Supreme Reality resides at my core––closer than my own breath? Certainly, human beings are highly intelligent. We have sent people to the moon in spaceships, harnessed the power of the atom and cured polio. We possess the secret of heating a house in freezing temperatures, and comfortably cooling that same building on the hottest summer days. Why then am I blind to the most important question of all: ‘Who am I?’ Why do I suffer from such an unknowingness; from a persistent sense of lack and insecurity in all kinds of situations? Why do I permit myself to be continually highjacked by the forces of fear and anger? What keeps me unaware of my true divine nature? What unknown force inhibits me from fulfilling the goal of life and
living every day in joy? Am I a bad person? Am I unlucky? Am I being punished?” From my own personal experience, I can assure you that none of those three guesses are true. Your unknowingness of who you really are is common to all human beings––until the veil of illusion is removed. Part of the mystery can be explained through an acquaintance with the principle of illusion called maya. Maya is defined as the deceiving force by which the One, Supreme Reality (a. k. a. God), boundless and whole, is made to appear limited, divided and lacking. This potent illusion gives rise to our mistaken conviction that as a human being “I” am an individual. The power of maya operates at many levels of human perception, casting a veil of ignorance. However, by understanding how we have become so thoroughly identified with the limitations of body, mind and senses, an earnest spiritual seeker can begin to recognize and overcome this pervasive error. A short visualization will serve to initiate the process. This visualization is not a meditation. While meditation requires the flow of attention to a single point, visualization asks you to allow your fertile imagination complete freedom to create detailed mental images. Before you begin, remember that strong habit patterns (known as samskaras in Sanskrit) are created and maintained in your unconscious mind by the attention you habitually give to certain thoughts, and that your awareness flows through those most open and frequented channels in the mind. It follows that we, ourselves, are responsible for creating our own mental software, simply by repeatedly directing our attention according to habit. In preparation for this visualization, assume a meditation posture in a comfortable, straight back chair with your head, neck and trunk in straight alignment. Gently close your eyes and mouth and connect your thumb and index finger on both hands in the okay sign known in Yoga Science as the “finger lock.” Throughout this visualization, the body should remain motionless. Now, imagine what it was like to be inside your mother’s womb. To whatever 9
extent your mind can visualize that experience, place yourself inside your mother’s womb. It’s a perfect environment where everything you need is provided. It’s warm, comforting, loving and nurturing. Mama’s heartbeat is reassuring. Perhaps she’s humming a sweet lullaby or lovingly caressing her belly. With complete one-pointed attention, continue to imagine what it was like to be in that perfect environment. As you grow in the womb you might subtly perceive the need for more elbow room, but beyond that minor inconvenience, everything is perfect. Then, in the ninth month of gestation, you realize that dramatic changes are on the way. You’re ready to be born. One day your whole environment begins to shift and squeeze. You experience a rush of adrenaline and expectancy as your body is pressed down through the birth canal. This is turning into a bit of a struggle, but you’re ready for it. After all, you want to live! Then, at last, you are born! Those first few moments after birth are momentous. Although your humanity has provided you with adequate physical and mental equipment for this new adventure, the intense onslaught of sensory information is overwhelming. You have eyes, but they can’t really focus yet, and the never-before seen light is uncomfortable and blinding. The mesmerizing and comforting sounds of Mama’s heartbeat and internal organs suddenly disappear in a cacophony of loud, unidentifiable and even terrifying sounds. For the first time you begin to smell and to experience the bodily functions of swallowing and tasting. So many new sensations! And the broad expanse of your naked skin is relatively cold. In fact, everything the skin touches seems rough and hard and cold compared to Mama’s womb. Then, if you’re not already breathing, somebody might slap you on the behind. After all, you have to breathe! Now, you’re on your own, baby. Installing the Software of the Mind So there you are, a newborn infant in a strange and wondrous new world. In the 10
midst of an overwhelming barrage of sensory stimulation, an innate desire for self-preservation propels you to search for comfort, safety and contentment. Above all else, you want to live! You must learn how to eliminate the pain! You must find happiness! But how? You have no frame of reference to remind you that this situation is merely temporary. You can certainly scream and thrash your arms and legs about, but beyond that, you can do little. Then, as you try to comprehend and deal with this seemingly endless sensory assault, you begin to experience a very different kind of relationship. You are introduced to your mama, and Mama’s breast. As Mama lovingly cuddles you in her arms and coos, you begin to nurse at Mama’s breast, and all your mental and physical attention focuses down to a single point: Mama’s nipple. Because of your one-pointed attention, you are no longer aware of the stimulus of the senses, and you begin to experience a cessation of pain and the establishment of pleasure. For the first time since the birth process began, you are aware of relative calm. You feel safe, secure, warm, nurtured, content and loved. And, in the midst of this new, pleasant experience you reach your first profound, but ignorant, conclusion: “I am a separate entity and Mama is a separate entity, and objects and relationships in the material world bring about contentment and happiness and cause the elimination of pain.” Fueled by an intense desire for selfpreservation, this memorable experience leads the newborn to conclude that “I,” the subject, perceive Mama, the object. The experience of nursing at Mama’s breast is the dawning of the delusion of duality known as maya. It represents the birth of the ego (ahamkara in Sanskrit)––that function of the mind that effectively separates the baby from the One Absolute Reality. In fact, the ancient Sanskrit word mama means mine. The baby now believes, based on the limited nature of the brain, senses and its own personal experience, that there is a “me” (the subject) and there is also an “other” (an object). Because survival depends on this new
relationship, the baby mistakenly accepts duality as the true reality. Separation becomes the operative paradigm. Separation is now key to the newborn’s self-preservation, and is stored in the unconscious hard drive. In fact, the attachment is so powerful that it strikes the virgin unconscious with a meteor-like force, creating a huge conceptual habit pattern that will dictate inappropriate, but believable, perceptions for a lifetime. After all, self-preservation is indispensable! The baby must survive! As the newborn begins to experience, learn and make choices, he or she encounters continual reminders that reinforce the delusion that objects and relationships in the material world eliminate pain and establish relative calm and happiness. Remember, consciousness flows through the deepest, widest and most unobstructed channels in the unconscious. Only moments after birth, as soon as the baby nurses at Mama’s breast, the baby’s unconscious mind becomes programmed by a web of delusion. The cause? Newly installed software that is entirely based on the illusion of separateness and duality perceived by the limited hardware and software of the brain and senses. As the baby grows, simple logic dictates that the security of Mama’s breast is then replaced by a succession of different objects: new relationships with a bottle of formula, a pacifier, a stuffed animal, a suit of clothes, a shiny toy, a good grade on a spelling test, a high school diploma, a college degree, an automobile, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a husband, a wife, or even a new baby. The human being continually substitutes one object and relationship for another, prodded and deluded by the notion that the next object or relationship is going to bring happiness and eliminate pain. Why? Because the mental operating system is based on habit patterns that define each human being and material object as an essentially separate entity. But without the guidance of a philosophy of life that reveals the Truth of who we are, we logically grow up viewing ourselves and others too as separate from one another and from the universe. This hypnotic optical delusion alienates us and guarantees fear, anger––and eventually danger, because by
that time in life we’ve become naturally skeptical of what our mind thinks is not “me.”
Alan Watts To teach his students how to cut through this veil of delusion and to live a joyful life, even in the face of fear and anger, 20th century British-American philosopher Alan Watts wrote the following simple, child-like explanation. “There was never a time when the world began, because it goes round and round like a circle, and there is no place on a circle where it begins. Look at my watch, which tells the time; it goes round, and so the world repeats itself again and again. But just as the hour-hand of the watch goes up to twelve and down to six, so, too, there is day and night, waking and sleeping, living and dying, summer and winter. You can’t have any one of these without the other, because you wouldn’t be able to know what black is unless you had seen it side by side with white, or white unless side by side with black. “In the same way, there are times when the world is, and times when it isn’t, for if the world went on and on without rest forever and ever, it would get horribly tired of itself. It comes and it goes. Now you see it; now you don’t. So because it doesn’t get tired of itself, it always comes back again after it disapAlan Watts pears. It’s like your breath: it goes in and out, in and out, and if you try to hold it in all the time you feel terrible. It’s also like the game of hide-andseek, because it’s always fun to find new ways of hiding, and to seek for someone who doesn’t always hide in the same place. “God also likes to play hide-n-seek, but because there is nothing outside of God, he has no one but himself to play with! But he gets over this difficulty by pretending that he is not himself. This is his way of hiding from himself. He pretends that he is you and I and all the people in the world, all the animals, plants, all the rocks, and all the stars. In this 11
way he has strange and wonderful adventures, some of which are terrible and frightening. But these are just like bad dreams, for when he wakes up they will disappear. “Now when God plays “hide” and pretends that he is you and I, he does it so well that it takes him a long time to remember where and how he hid himself ! But that’s the whole fun of it––just what he wanted to do. He doesn’t want to find himself too quickly, for that would spoil the game. That is why it is so difficult for you and me to find out that we are God in disguise, pretending not to be himself. But when the game has gone on long enough, all of us will WAKE UP, stop pretending, and REMEMBER that we are all one single Self––the God who is all that there is, and who lives forever and ever. “Of course, you must remember that God isn’t shaped like a person. People have skins and there is always something outside our skins. If there weren’t, we wouldn't know the difference between what is inside and outside our bodies. But God has no skin and no shape because there isn't any outside to him. [With a sufficiently intelligent child, I illustrate this with a Möbius strip—a ring of paper tape twisted once in such a way that it has only one side and one edge.] The inside and the outside of God are the same. And though I have been talking about God as ‘he’ and not ‘she,’ God isn’t a man or a woman. I didn’t say ‘it’ because we usually say ‘it’ for things that aren’t alive. “God is the Self of the world, but you can't see God for the same reason that, without a mirror, you can’'t see your own eyes, and you certainly can’t bite your own teeth or look inside your head. Your Self is that cleverly hidden because it is God hiding. “You may ask why God sometimes hides in the form of horrible people, or
pretends to be people who suffer great disease and pain. Remember, first, that he isn’t really doing this to anyone but himself. Remember, too, that in almost all the stories you enjoy there have to be bad people as well as good people, for the thrill of the tale is to find out how the good people will get the better of the bad. It's the same as when we play cards. At the beginning of the game we shuffle them all into a mess, which is like the bad things in the world, but the point of the game is to put the mess into good order, and the one who does it best is the winner. Then we shuffle the cards once more and play again, and so it goes with the world.” So from birth to death, most of us grow up under a grand illusion of separation. In small ways, however, we begin to see that we have innocently accepted the limitations of individuality and separateness that our brain and senses, our ego, family, race, gender, tribe, religion and culture have suggested to us. We also begin to suspect that our unconscious concepts have been shaping many of our conscious perceptions, our actions, and the pains we have experienced. Then, at a certain point in life, some are called to embark on life’s greatest adventure––the journey of Self-realization. On that voyage the veils of illusion and separateness are finally torn asunder, allowing us to discover the sacred unicity of consciousness Itself––which has always existed at the core of our being. And as that new, higher perspective becomes more established, we increasingly serve the world responsibly, joyfully, lovingly, skillfully and compassionately––especially when we encounter the presence of fear and anger. For believe it or not, my friend, your own true Self, in the forms of “you” and “me,” is the Light of the world.
GIVING CAMPAIGN 22nd Anniversary
ank you for your generosity. americanmeditation.org/annual-appeal
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DID YOU KNOW?
Meditation Goes Mainstream
It’s official! Meditation and yoga are the most popular alternative health approaches in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, the number of Americans who meditate has tripled and hatha yoga is up 55%. Better availability of classes and apps is one obvious reason. Researchers also believe increased interest is due to escalating anxiety and stress in our modern culture.
Kids Meditate More
Adults aren’t the only ones who are meditating more. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also found that the use of yoga and meditation among children aged 4 to 17 years is also on the rise. From 2012 to 2017, there was an increase in the use of hatha yoga (from 3.1 to 8.4%) and meditation (from 0.6 to 5.4%).
PTSD Veterans Study
A recent study by the Department of Defense found that many vets are benefiting from meditation. After 3 months of once-a-week therapy sessions for 90 minutes, researchers found that 61% of vets assigned to a meditation group had improved on a standard PTSD assessment, compared to 42% of those receiving exposure therapy and 32% who went to nutrition and exercise classes.
Historian Finds Truth in Meditation
Meditation plays an important role in Yuval Harari’s work as a historian. The author of the internationally renowned book “Sapiens” says that meditation has given him “the discipline to focus on much bigger things and to really tell the difference between what’s important and everything else.” Meditation also helps him discriminate between truth and non-truth. “My main ambition as a historian is to be able to tell the difference between what’s really happening in the world and what are the fictions that humans have been creating for thousands of years,” says Harari.
The Heart and Science of Yoga
Come visit our beautiful AMI campus with walking trails and the Buddhi Yoga Labyrinth nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires!
19th Annual
Summer Retreat
®
AMI is conveniently located only 20 miles East of Albany, NY.
All meals provide gourmet vegetarian food
with LEONARD PERLMUTTER (Ram Lev) • JULY 18-21, 2019
Meditation • Mantra • Breath • Mind Function Optimization • Lymph System Detox Ayurveda & Alkaline Nutrition • Easy-Gentle Yoga (for joints, glands and internal organs)
Please Register Early! Overnight Accommodations at AMI’s Home Center Are Limited THIS RETREAT IS OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. Physicians, RNs, NPs and PAs will receive 18 CME credits.
REGISTER ONLINE (watch our retreat video): americanmeditation.org/summer-retreat
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CALENDAR
FREE: SUNDAY GUIDED MEDITATION & SATSANG
Sundays 9:30-11:00 AM with Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness
JANUARY 2019
see p. 6
Wed. Mornings, 9:45 - 11:30 AM (5 weeks)
JAN 2- JAN 30: MORNING YOGA FOR 50+ JAN 5- FEB 9: AMI MEDITATION see p. 3-5
Sat. Mornings, 9:00-11:30 AM (6 wk) Complete Foundation Course
JAN 6: JESUS’ SECRET LIFE IN INDIA see p.16 Sun. Morning, 9:30 - 11:00 AM
JAN 7- FEB 11: GITA/YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.7 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 weeks)
JAN 12 & 19: INTRO TO AMI MEDITATION see p. 6
Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 11:00 AM (2 wks Averill Park)
FEBRUARY 2019
Wed. Mornings, 9:45 - 11:30 AM (4 weeks)
see p. 6
FEB 6 - FEB 27: MORNING YOGA FOR 50+
see p. 6
Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 11:00 AM (2 weeks Clifton Park)
FEB 16& 23: INTRO TO AMI MEDITATION
Movie • Satsang
2019 FILM DISCUSSION SERIES
Thursday, Jan 24, 6:30-8:30 PM
BILL MURRAY STORIES
Bill Murray In this unusual docudrama about “Life Lessons Learned from a Mythical Man,” Americans recount their random and unexpected encounters with actor Bill Murray.
Thursday, Feb 21, 6:30- 8:30 PM
MR. ROGERS
FEB 23- MAR 30: AMI MEDITATION see p. 3-5
Sat. Mornings, 9:00-11:30 AM (6 wk) Complete Foundation Course Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (3 weeks)
FEB 25- MAR 11: THE CHAKRA SYSTEM
MARCH 2019
see p. 7
Wed. Mornings, 9:45 - 11:30 AM (4 weeks)
MAR 6 - MAR 27: MORNING YOGA FOR 50+
see p. 6 see p. 6
Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 11:30 AM (2 weeks Averill Park)
MAR 16 & 23: INTRO TO AMI MEDITATION
MAR 18- APR 29: GITA/YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.7 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 weeks)
APRIL 2019
APR 2- MAY 7: AMI MEDITATION see p. 3-5
Tues. Nights, 6:30-9:00 PM (6 wk) Complete Foundation Course Wed. Mornings, 9:45 - 11:30 AM (4 weeks)
APR 3 - APR 24: MORNING YOGA FOR 50+
see p. 6
American Meditation Institute
Yoga Science for Modern Life January - March, 2019 • Vol. XXII No. 2 ©2019 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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Fred Rogers (documentary) Filmmaker Morgan Neville examines the life and legacy of Fred Rogers, the beloved host of the popular children's TV show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."
Thursday, Mar 21, 6:30-10:00 PM
THE LAST TEMPTATION
OF CHRIST
Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey Martin Scorsese’s courageous film masterpiece that imagines how Jesus of Nazareth dealt with his own selfwilled attachments on his journey to Christ consciousness.
Each film, which reflects practical Yoga Science will begin at 6:30 PM. The movie will be followed by a discussion (satsang). A group meditation concludes the evening. RSVP required by Tuesday prior to the event.
$10 per person
YOGA SCIENCE NEWS AMI Announces New Department of Medical Education Co-Chairs
The American Meditation Institute is pleased to announce that effective December 1, 2018, Renee Rodriguez-Goodemote MD and Anthony Santilli MD have been named Co-Chairs of AMI’s Department of Medical Education. Dr. Santilli’s medical degree is from the University at Buffalo, having completed his fellowship at Weill Cornell University and post-graduate training at Brown University. Tony is board-certified in Pulmonary and Critical Care medicine in Schenectady, NY, and has served as a member of the AMI Department of Medical Education since 2014. “We know that a large percentage of disease stems from lifestyle choices,” says Dr. Santilli. AMI’s comprehensive curriculum focuses on practical self-care and selfawareness techniques. Part of AMI’s Department of Medical Education mission is to share the mind/body medicine of Yoga Science with as many interested healthcare providers as possible, not only to help themselves, but also to share what they have learned with the patients they care for, ultimately benefiting literally millions of people. I’m honored to serve this vision and I look forward to continuing the important work of AMI.” Dr. Goodemote is currently the medical director of the Saratoga Hospital Community Health Center, Saratoga Springs, NY. She recently served as chairperson of the Department of Family Medicine as well as President of the Medical Staff at Saratoga Hospital. Renee is board certified in Family Medicine offering the principles of Yoga Science to her patients in the form of a complementary pain management program. Renee has served as a member of the AMI Department of Medical Education since 2016. “We are at a transitional point in
Renee Goodemote MD Co-Chair
Tony Santilli MD Co-Chair
Beth Netter MD Chair Emeritus
medicine where increasing attention is being paid to the mind/body connection and it’s importance in wellness,” she observes. “The Yoga Science curriculum taught at AMI provides practitioners with tools to address all facets of wellness in a comprehensive and holistic manner. We strive to continue this work enabling practitioners to enjoy personal wellness while sharing this teaching with those they serve.” Since its inception in 2008, Beth Netter MD served as Chair of AMI’s Department of Medical Education, and will now serve as Chair Emeritus. During Dr. Netter’s ten years of service, one of her most significant contributions was conducting a retrospective study documenting the health benefits of AMI Meditation. This study was instrumental in The Heart and Science of Yoga® curriculum receiving CME accreditation from the American Medical Association and Albany Medical Center. Because of this accreditation, hundreds of physicians and other healthcare providers have now completed The Heart and Science of Yoga® curriculum. Dr. Netter states, “It has been an honor to assist healthcare providers in improving the quality of their personal and professional lives. I have full faith that Dr. Goodemote and Dr. Santilli will bring the same integrity, creativity, warmth and compassion to AMI’s Department of Medical Education that they bring to their medical practices.” 15
American Meditation Institute Yoga Science for Modern Life
Tel. 518.674.8714 • 60 Garner Road, Averill Park, NY 12018
“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you.
If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”
Jesus’ Secret Life in India
Guided Meditation and Jesus’ Teachings of Yoga Science
With Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter
Sunday, January 6, 2019 • 9:30-11:00am
ONLINE STREAMING: americanmeditation.org/jesusindia
americanmeditation.org
American Meditation Institute
American Meditation Institute
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