American Meditation Institute americanmeditation.org
NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2013
AVERILL PARK, NEW YORK
Self-Care for Healthy Living
AMI’s
Buddhi Yoga Labyrinth Dedication Ceremony and Thanks-Giving Luncheon
Counsel Within Before Acting Without
Sunday, November 17, 9:30am-2pm See story and details on p. 8-10
Photo by Elaine Peterson
Upcoming Classes and Events Inside this Issue: Beginner’s Meditation Comprehensive Meditation Advanced Tantric Healing If you want to start and maintain a meditation practice, this course is perfect for you. / P. 2
FREE Guided Meditation Every Sunday morning at 9:30 you can experience a “guided meditation” with Leonard. / P. 5
This six week “self-care” program offers the complete science of Yoga, and lifelong support. / P. 3
Transformation
Practical essays by respected Yoga scientists to support and deepen your meditation. / P. 8
Learn five ancient yogic energy practices for your self-care and stress management. / P. 5
Yoga Psychology Teaches how to reduce stress, enhance personal health and heal all kinds of relationships. / P. 5
COMPLETE AMI CLASS SCHEDULE: Pages 2-5
AMI Classes for November - December 2013
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?
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.
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.
• Meditation makes you smarter. A 2005 Harvard Medical School study showed that meditation increased thickness in the regions of the brain associated with attention, sensory awareness and emotional processing.
Why Should I Meditate?
• Meditation makes you more creative. By
According to ABC World News Tonight, meditation is used today by many Americans including the U. S. Marines and students in classrooms all over the country. In 2011, 10% of U.S. adults (over 20 million) practiced meditation and 3 million patients, on the recommendation of their physicians, established their own meditation practice.
resting the mind from its habit of thinking, planning, judging and worrying, you create more space for new ideas to arise and to be noticed. Meditation also lowers resistance you may have to new concepts and ways of thinking.
• Meditation can make you healthier. Daily meditation is an essential ingredient in your own personal “self-care health program.” Scientific studies at the Mayo Clinic show that “meditating slows breathing rate, heart rate, lowers blood pressure and aids in the treatment of anxiety, depression and a range of other ailments.” • Meditation calms the mind. The mind and body are inter-connected. When the mind is calm, the body becomes stronger, more flexible, and less inflamed. When the mind 2
• 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.
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 -10:30AM, $95. (2 WKS) NOV 16 & 23; JAN 11 & 18
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Your entire $95 registration fee will be applied to your COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION tuition should you decide to register for that additional class within one year.
americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714 TMTM
COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION: The Heart and Science of Yoga Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder
LEVEL I: AMI’s acclaimed six-week course teaches you how to apply meditation principles to every situation. This complete “self-care health program” includes all the Beginner’s Meditation material plus breathing techniques, nutrition counseling, easy-gentle yoga exercises, instruction on how to make the best possible choices and lifelong support for your meditation practice. It provides you all the tools you’ll need to ease stress, reduce pain, boost your immune system, heal relationships, enhance your problem solving ability and find inner peace, happiness and security. A retrospective case study of former Heart and Science of Yoga TM students
recently found these positive, reproducible, long-term health-promoting changes: • Lowered blood pressure • Increased exercise capacity • Reduced stress and fear • Lowered heart rate • Improved restorative sleep • Eliminated irritable bowel • Reduced cholesterol levels • Improved energy levels • Enhanced happiness/optimism • Weight loss • Increased creative capacity • Diminished or extinguished • Increased breathing capacity • Diminished migraines acute and chronic pain TM
The Heart and Science of Yoga Curriculum is Endorsed by
Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD, Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD WEEK 1: YOGA SCIENCE How to use the mind for the best choices How to create new, healthier habits Understanding pain as an agent for healing Increasing energy, will power & creativity Antidotes for worry, stress and depression WEEK 2: MEDITATION Systematic procedure for meditation How to diminish distractions Learning the one-minute meditation Building focus, fearlessness, and strength WEEK 3: BREATHING TECHNIQUES Breath as Medicine How breathing irregularities foster dis-ease Complete (three-part) yogic breath
WEEK 4: PSYCHOLOGY & AYURVEDA How the mind supports optimal health The power of the present moment Building and healing relationships Introduction to Ayurveda WEEK 5: EASY-GENTLE YOGA Yoga stretches and exercises for: muscles, joints, glands and internal organs Physiological benefits of Hatha Yoga WEEK 6: MIND-BODY CARE PLAN The healing power of prayer The practical benefit of contemplation Creating a therapeutic care plan Learning to budget your time Integrating spiritual beliefs
PHYSICIAN ACCREDITATION (15 CMEs)
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 sponsorship of Albany Medical College and The American Meditation Institute. Albany Medical College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
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 only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 9:00PM, $475. (6 WKS) Physicians, Residents, Fellows, PAs, NPs: $775; RNs: $575 NOV 13 – DEC 18; JAN 15 – FEB 26 (excluding Jan. 29)
Registration Includes: Lifelong support for your meditation practice, a Guided Meditation CD, a complementary subscription to Transformation journal and a copy of The Physiology of EasyGentle Yoga. Required Texts: The Heart and Science of Yoga : A Blueprint for Peace, Happiness and Freedom from Fear, and The Art of Joyful Living. TM
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americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714
Welcome to AMI Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter founded The American Meditation Institute in 1996 as a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization devoted to providing “self-care for healthy living.” In its holistic approach to wellness, AMI combines the best of ancient Eastern meditational wisdom and the practicality of modern Western science. By practicing the scientific, meditational techniques taught at AMI, students learn how to construct a practical bridge between their own inner, intuitive wisdom and their actions in the world. This bridge between the inner and outer worlds coordinates all our assets so that we can experience healthy, creative, loving, nurturing and rewarding relationships.
Professional
ENDORSEMENTS “Traditional medicine is very good at treating physical illness. However, studies show that the state of one’s health has more to do with lifestyle choices than with heredity or medical care. Patients need something beyond what we can offer them. Meditation relieves stress, allows clearer thinking and helps to control many chronic illnesses, all at very low cost and a small investment of time. We are fortunate to have the excellence of AMI in our area.” RICHARD RUBIN MD Internal Medicine, Slingerlands, NY
“The Heart and Science of Yoga comprehensively outlines the holistic benefits of Yoga and brought joy to this heart surgeon’s heart.” MEHMET OZ MD Host of “The Dr. Oz Show” The AMI Curriculum is also endorsed by:
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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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? At this hands-on workshop you will 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) FEB 22
PHYSICIANS’ RETREAT Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder
November 6 -10, 2013 Cranwell Resort • Lenox, MA • 26 CMEs
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 1 in 3 Americans are now seeking mind/body healing therapies to supplement their conventional care, and a growing number of patients are seeking guidance about the value of various holistic modalities. This conference (at one of the nation’s premier golf and spa resorts) provides an opportunity for physicians and other health care providers to deepen their understanding of Yoga Science as mind/body medicine in a stimulating combination of lectures and practicums led by Leonard Perlmutter and a panel of other leading medical and Yoga experts. Physicians receive 26 CME credits; nurses receive 26 contact hours. FOR MORE INFORMATION: TEL. (518) 674-8714 OR VISIT: americanmeditation.org/cme.aspx
AMI Classes for November - December 2013
ADVANCED TANTRIC HEALING
FREE GUIDED MEDITATION
“Yoga Nidra” Practices To Benefit Mind and Body
Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter
Leonard Perlmutter –– AMI Founder LEVEL II: This course provides important instruction on employing the subtle energy healing of Tantra, a system of powerfully effective tools for self-care and stress management. Each week you will be taught new skills that reduce the effects of stress, illness and physical exhaustion by purifying the mind and body. These deeply therapeutic yogic practices minimize tension, facilitate energy flow, calm and train the mind, awaken creativity, enhance memory and retard the aging and disease processes by boosting the body’s innate healing wisdom. This advanced two-week course will provide you complete instruction in the practices of yoga nidra, shitali karana, shavayatra, trataka and tantric visualization. This study is recommended for physicians, nurses, counselors and therapists as well as the general public. SATURDAY MORNINGS, 10:00AM -NOON, $125 (2 WKS) DEC 7 & 14
YOGA PSYCHOLOGY
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LEVEL I: Have you been thinking about learning to meditate, but just haven’t taken the first step? Each Sunday morning AMI offers a FREE 20-minute guided meditation followed by a satsang (an informational discussion led by Leonard and Jenness). Participants can choose to sit on comfortable chairs that are provided or cross-legged on the floor. This program provides a convenient way to become familiar with the teachings at AMI. SUNDAYS, 9:30 - 11:00AM, FREE
PREMARITAL COUNSELING Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder Int’l. Association of Yoga Therapists Love is the essential first ingredient in every marriage, yet the challenges of life can divert our attention from the union we cherish. Our own hopes, attitudes, expectations and assumptions will shape the marriage determining what joy, stability and fulfillment we create together. This counseling can help you create a loving philosophy of life that can identify the strengths and needs of both partners.
AMI HOME CENTER, By appointment. $125 /hr.
The Gita’s Mind/Body Connection Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning) Study Yoga Psychology from your own home or anywhere in the world. Call 518.674.8714 for details. No additional computer software is necessary.
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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-week Comprehensive Meditation course, the Gita will teach you how to further reduce stress and confidently enhance your personal health and creative abilities while providing you a new perspective on all your family and business relationships. MONDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, $150. (6 WKS) OCT 28, NOV 18 - DEC 16
PERSONAL COUNSELING Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder Int’l. Association of Yoga Therapists Meditational Therapy is a powerful tool of mind/body medicine. With over 35 years of personal practice, Leonard will teach you how to live free from stress and illness. By observing and harnessing the power of your thoughts, desires and emotions, you can establish a state of personal contentment, creativity and bodily health. Each personal counseling session will teach you how to make choices that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being.
AMI HOME CENTER, By appointment. $125 /hr. 5
CALENDAR SUNDAY GUIDED MEDITATION & SATSANG Sundays 9:30-11:00 AM with Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter. Love donations appreciated.
NOVEMBER 2013 OCT 28 - DEC 16: YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.5 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 wk. Bhagavad Gita Study)
NOV 6 - 10: PHYSICIANS’ RETREAT see p.4 Wed. through Sun. Cranwell Resort, Lenox, MA
NOV 13 - DEC 18: COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION see p.3 Wed. Nights, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (6 weeks)
NOV 16 & 23: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION see p. 2
15% OFF ALL ITEMS A MI BOOKSTORE Through December 31st
Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 10:30 AM (2 weeks) NOV 17: Sunday, 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM see p. 10
BUDDHI YOGA LABYRINTH DEDICATION (FREE) THANKS-GIVING CELEBRATION (FREE)
DECEMBER 2013 DEC 7 & 14: ADVANCED TANTRIC HEALING see p. 5 Sat. Mornings, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (2 weeks)
DEC 31: NEW YEAR’S EVE see p. 14 Tues. Night, 6:30 - 10:00 PM
BOOKS • CDs • Coffee Mugs STATUARY • YOGA MATS HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE G.I. SUSTAIN VITAMINS • COLD BUSTER REMEDY INCENSE • JEWELRY NETI POTS • MASSAGE OILS At AMI’s Bookstore in Averill Park or Online at: americanmeditation.org/Shop.aspx
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014 JAN 11 & 18: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION
see p. 2
Sat. Mornings, 9:30 -10:30 AM (2 weeks)
JAN 15- FEB 26: COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION see p. 3 Wed. Nights, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (6 weeks)
FEB 22: KITCHEN YOGA see p.4 Saturday, 10:00AM - 5:00 PM (1 Day)
AMI’s 17th Annual
Giving Campaign American Meditation Institute
Self-Care for Healthy Living November-December, 2013 • Vol. XVII No. 1 ©2013 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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Begins November 1, 2013
Please support AMI with your generous donation. Thank you for your generosity. americanmeditation.org/MakeADonation.aspx
MEDITATION NEWS Hope for Stroke Patients
vessel supplying blood to the brain, or because a blood vessel in the brain breaks. Either way, the shut-off damages fragile brain tissue. In fact, stroke is the leading cause of serious long-term disability in the United States. This new study of chronic stroke survivors shows that practicing gentle yoga can improve balance in patients and potentially reduce disabilities by giving them more confidence to handle normal dayto-day activities. By the end of the eight week program, all participants had improved their balance standing with their eyes open and closed, standing with their feet together, and rotating 360 degrees. In addition, they also reported being less fearful of
falling, feeling more independent and enjoying a better quality of life. Researchers also noticed improvements in the patients’ mental outlook. Participants talked about walking through a grocery store, instead of relying on a scooter, for instance, and feeling motivated to visit friends and family.
College Test Scores
Strongest Study Yet
Brain’s Processing Speed
Jonathan Schooler, professor of psychology at UC Santa Barbara, observed that after a group of his students completed a two-week meditation training program, their minds were more focused, their working memory capacity was enhanced, and they recorded higher scores on their Graduate Record Exams (GRE).
Although most physicians say meditation can’t hurt, now there’s evidence that it may help ward off disease. Dr. Robert Schneider’s recently published study in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, reports that people who meditated regularly had a 48% reduction in their overall risk of heart attack, stroke and death.
UCLA professor, Eileen Luders, has found that the brains of long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification (wrinkling). This indicates they can process information faster than nonmeditators. Luders’ study may provide further proof of the brain’s neuroplasticity, or the ability to adapt to new environmental changes. 7
According to a recent study published in the Stroke medical journal, meditation, gentle yoga and breathing exercises can improve motor function and balance in stroke survivors, even if they don’t begin their practice until six months after the stroke. Lead study author Arlene Schmid, Ph.D, of the Roudebush VA Hospital Medical Center, Indianapolis, reports that “even after six months, improvements can still take place through ongoing changes in the brain.” A stroke (or “brain attack”) occurs when part of the brain no longer receives the steady supply of oxygen-rich blood it needs. This can occur because of a blockage in a
Arlene Schmid, Ph.D
Transformation The Journal of Meditation as Mind/Body Medicine
Buddhi Yoga Labyrinth Counsel Within Before Acting Without By Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)
Photo by Elaine Peterson
As we prepare to dedicate the new AMI Buddhi Yoga Labyrinth on November 17th, it would be helpful to understand the history and meaning of its profound design, and how walking this labyrinth––as a form of meditation––can enhance your happiness, health and peace of mind. AMI’s Buddhi Yoga Labyrinth is a replica of an ancient Indian labyrinth known as Chakra-vyuha or Padma-vyuha. The design is derived from a defensive troop formation, a vyuha, employed by Drona––master of advanced military arts, Arjuna’s archery teacher in the epic Mahabharata, and one of the commanders of the Kauravas during their battle against the Pandavas at Kurukshetra. When viewed from above, the design resembles a disk (chakra) or blooming lotus (padma). The labyrinth construction begins with the letter Y (signifying the heart center bija mantra yam). The yam is then surrounded on three sides by a semi-circle and dot. Familiar as elements of the mantra AUM (\), the semi-circle symbolizes maya––the illusions that prevent us from fulfilling the true purpose of our lives, and the dot signifies 8
turiya––the silence experienced in the fourth state of consciousness that exists beyond waking, dreaming and deep sleep. Buddhi Yoga, the Yoga for which the labyrinth is named, teaches us the importance of creating a philosophical bridge in our lives that connects our outer actions with our own inner wisdom. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj. It means to join, connect or unite the many into one. And buddhi is the name given to the function of the mind that has the power to reflect unerring, inner intuitive wisdom from the superconscious portion of the mind. Buddhi is also known as the conscience, and as the Holy Spirit. When supported by the desires for self-discipline and Self-realization, the buddhi awakens us to a higher state of consciousness that skillfully guides us beyond the unconscious conditioning that has prompted our past unskillful actions. When we consult the buddhi within before we act in the world, our discriminating thoughts, words and actions effectively transform the debilitating and contractive power of fear, anger, self-willed desires and unexamined concepts into
Pictured on the left, the Y symbol of the heart center’s bija (seed) mantra yam, is supported on three sides by a semi-circle and dot. This design serves as the guiding construction element of AMI’s new Buddhi Yoga Labyrinth, pictured on the right. expansive, positive reserves of energy, will power and creativity. The daily practice of Buddhi Yoga lengthens the space between stimulus and response, teaches us how to discriminate between passing pleasure and perennial joy, and helps diminish our expectations, worries and judgments in every relationship. It focuses the energy of the mind, and motivates us more and more to utilize our human, rather than our animal resources. As a consequence, those who practice Buddhi Yoga experience a peacefulness of mind that expresses itself as contentment, tranquility, happiness and creativity. The physics of Buddhi Yoga is easy to understand. Before we take any action in the outer world, that action is first performed subtlely in the inner world of the mind. In other words, every spoken word and physical deed is preceded by a thought. The mind moves first and then the body follows. But while a seed may possess the potential to bring forth flowers and fruits, to do so it must first be sown in the soil, fertilized, watered and given sunlight. Only then can the plant emerge to fully express its potential. Similarly, only by employing our inner wisdom can we begin to fulfill the true purpose of our lives, free ourselves from pain, misery and bondage, and become a blessing to ourselves, our family and the greater family of humankind. For this very reason, Jesus, speaking as the Christ who practiced and taught Buddhi Yoga to the ancient Hebrew people, said this: “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.” It’s true that the path of Buddhi Yoga can be challenging. Some even say the path is so demanding that it resembles a razor’s edge. But the skillful practice of Buddhi Yoga can actually make our lives less stressful. When we learn to regulate the four primitive urges for food, sex, sleep and self-preservation, and perform our actions with a mental attitude of detachment, we can experience the limitless joy and grace that comes from being an instrument of Divine Providence. But if our mind remains undisciplined, unfocused and attached to the fruits of our actions, the ego will surely remain rebellious and resistant to supportive suggestions that are authored by a subtle, superconscious wisdom that lies beyond its limited perspective and influence. In light of life’s many demands and responsibilities, we invite you to visit and experience the positive effect of walking AMI’s Buddhi Yoga Labyrinth. When you walk the labyrinth, do so mindfully, listening to your mantra––with complete one-pointed attention. As you journey inward toward the center, you will encounter a microcosm of life––complete with surprising twists and unexpected turns. Bear them all patiently, and remain focused on your passage through them. In this metaphoric journey, as in your everyday life, your steps can lead you beyond the boundaries of thinking, feeling and ordinary reason––to experience both the imperishable comfort and brilliance of 9
confidence that reside at the core of your being. Upon reaching the center of the labyrinth you will meet a statue of Prince Siddartha Gautama. Siddartha was the human being who became known to the world as the Compassionate Buddha––for he found peace, happiness and freedom from fear by employing the buddhi in all his relationships. Take a moment to acknowledge the buddhi within you. Then, remaining ever aware of the Supreme Reality residing within, continue listening to your mantra and proceed from the center of the labyrinth back into the world, to employ the wisdom of the buddhi in mind, action and speech. Through this continuous process––of basing your outer action on your own inner wisdom––you will become the Buddha (the awakened one who relies on the buddhi). You will become the righteous tzadik, the Christ-conscious, Brahman-conscious, Allah-conscious Prophet of Love the world desperately awaits. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna (representing Supreme Wisdom) lovingly shares the secret of happiness, health and security when he says: “Whatever you do, make it an offering to Me––the food you eat or worship you perform, the help you give, even your suffering. Thus will you be free from karma’s bondage, from the results of action, good and bad. Do not grieve, simply leave all other support and look only to Me for your protection. Give not your love to this transient world of suffering, but give all your love to Me. Give Me your mind, your heart––all your worship. I shall purify you from the sins of the past. Long for Me always, live for Me always, and you shall be united with Me. If you constantly commit to seeking and
serving Me with your love through Buddhi Yoga, I give you the understanding and vision by which you can reach Me.” In these verses the Lord is playing hardball with us––offering both the carrot and the stick. She’s not necessarily asking us to give up our camp at the lake or our ski vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She’s only asking us to forsake our unreliable habits so that life can be more rewarding and healthy. “Look here,” She’s saying, “Your ego, senses and habit patterns can be extremely valuable counselors in certain circumstances, but their vision is often prejudiced by the simple fact that there are things they like and things they don’t like. But what they like isn’t always good for you, and what they don’t like isn’t always bad for you. Why not experiment with your choices by basing your thoughts, words and deeds on the perspective of the buddhi? The buddhi alone is your real buddy in life. Only the buddhi can reflect My Perfect vision of what you need to do and what you need not do so that you’ll be happy, healthy, loved and secure in every situation.” In effect, Buddhi Yoga represents a secret blueprint for living a more rewarding and stress-free life than you could possibly imagine. And the Lord understands your inability to see other options that lie outside the current matrix of your mind. That’s why She is gifting you the opportunity to experiment with Buddhi Yoga. If you accept her invitation, you’ll be able to use your mind to go beyond your mind, to access an infinite number of possibilities that will enable you to fulfill the noble purpose of your life. Is that of interest to you? Are you ready to begin life’s greatest adventure?
Buddhi Yoga Labyrinth Dedication & Thanks-Giving Luncheon Sunday, November 17, 2013 American Meditation Institute –– Rain or Shine 9:30am Guided Meditation 10:30am Labyrinth Dedication 12:00 - 2:00pm FREE Thanks-Giving Luncheon
RSVP Required by Nov. 14 10
The Cruel Fire Making Peace with Reality
By Linda Johnsen Photo / 123rf.com
It’s tough watching the news these days. Staying informed about what’s happening in the world is important, yet the news is always the same. Violence. Disasters. Corruption. New threats to our health and environment. Dysfunctional government. More violence. I’m a child of the 1960s who grew up believing my generation could transform the planet into a new Eden. All we needed was “peace, love and understanding.” Life has been profoundly disillusioning for those of us raised with such high ideals. It turns out peace and love are not very popular, at least not compared with their far more successful rivals: greed and anger. I’ve noticed that in the face of the ongoing cataclysm of world events, there’s a tendency for some of us in the yoga community to fall back into the cocoons of our own comparatively comfortable lives. The challenges we face are generally along the lines of a long job hunt or a bitter divorce. Unlike some other parts of the world, we don’t have to worry about drones exploding on our roof or enemy tribesmen bursting into our home with automatic weapons. All things considered, we’re pretty lucky. We are benefiting from adhibhautika karma, the “collective karma” of our country, which, for all its warts, is fairly prosperous and secure.
We students of Yoga Science need to be careful not to become complacent. Swami Rama, one of the great Yoga adepts of the 20th century, taught us, “Always be content, but never be satisfied.” He encouraged us to be cheerful and balanced, but never to stop improving. We’re here on Earth to grow spiritually and also to serve the other living beings on this planet. Karma Yoga, “selfless service,” is a large part of spiritual practice. This means engaging with the world even when it appalls us. One of my neighbors recently said to me, “As far as I can see, Hatha Yoga students are only concerned about themselves. They seem to be focused on their bodies, their looks, and their yoga outfits. If they meditate, it’s only so they can feel good about themselves. What good are they doing for the world? Yoga doesn’t deal with the bigger picture––the mess in the world.” Actually the mess in the world is exactly what Yoga Science does deal with. However, it approaches the chaos around us in a very different way than most people here in the West do. Authentic Yoga Scientists are inner activists. That’s not as facile as it sounds. Let me explain. Facing the Fire There’s a Sanskrit word for the condition of 11
the world: samsara. Sam means “all together, the aggregate of,” and sara means “motion.” It literally refers to the entire “commotion” of the universe. Samsara is pictured as an infinitely vast ocean that’s constantly roiling with currents and waves. It is continually in flux. The Compassionate Buddha was frank about our prospects in this ocean of existence; life here, he explained, is dukha, “full of suffering.” The Buddha pointed out that every one of us faces the ever-present threat of impoverishment, disease and death. “The whole world is on fire,” he said. “Everything is burning.” We see this conflagration particularly clearly in Africa and the Middle East, but discover it in our own lives too. In the past few years I’ve lost several relatives to Alzheimers. A good friend was hit by a car when the driver was momentarily blinded by the sun. I’ve seen neighbors lose their entire retirement savings during the recession. One of my husband’s friends tried to kill himself when after four years of trying, he still couldn’t find a job. Another watched in horror as her house burned down—her whole world was literally on fire. I’m sure you see the flames of dukha blazing around you too. In India this experience is compared to an attack. You’re walking beside a peaceful river when, without warning, a crocodile shoots out, grabs you by the leg and drags you into the water. The crocodile comes in many forms: a mugger in an alley, an identity thief on the internet, a health scare, a stranger with a gun at your children’s school. Something deep in our soul says this is wrong, that things shouldn’t be this way. The world should brim with peace, love and understanding! But to believe this is to fail to understand the nature of samsara. This is a world of duality where the opposing forces of good and evil coexist. The ancient Vedic tradition pictured it this way: the Creator of the universe is continually performing a sacrifice to himself. All animals prey on other animals or plants so that they can survive. Life feeds on life. Since the universe is God’s own body, the Creator is actually sacrificing himself to himself. Violence is the very nature of life. This is just the way it is. 12
But knowing that doesn’t make confronting pain and loss any easier. Thousands of years ago the Vedic sages asked themselves, “How can we face the raging fires of life? How do we overcome our fear?” Today we also ask, “How can God allow so much suffering?” Swami Rama advised, “Remember, God is merciful, but he is also a cruel fire. You have to understand both aspects. You have to accept life as it is, and enjoy life fearlessly. “Where does fear come from? When you are full of fear, it means you have forgotten your real nature. If you remember you are a shrine of the Lord you will never be afraid.” Our spiritual practices reveal that there is more to life than the flames of suffering Buddha described. In a famous Indian epic called the Ramayana, the heroine Sita is abducted by a demon who offers her all the pleasure and wealth of the earth if she will marry him, or a horrific death if she refuses. Sita keeps her mind focused on Rama (Rama is one of the names of God in the Hindu tradition) and walks through a blazing wall of fire without being burned. As long as she remains focused on Rama, the higher power within herself, nothing can harm her. Yoga Science teaches that samsara, the nonstop turbulence of the cosmos, is not the only reality. There is also purusha, “the inner dweller” that silently witnesses the commotion. Consciousness stands apart from matter. This inner being, our higher Self, occupies and enlivens a physical body during the course of a lifetime, then moves on. If our focus is exclusively on samsara, we lose ourselves in the enchantments and terrors of life, or as the scriptures say, we “drown in the ocean of births and deaths.” If instead we abide in our true being, the spiritual reality that existed before we were born and endures after we die, then like Sita we maintain our composure as we walk through all the flaring savagery around us. Inner Activism Peace, love and understanding? We want to save the world but we haven’t yet saved ourselves. The original purpose of all those
hatha poses students learn is to make the body healthy, supple and stable enough to sit for extended periods of meditation. The purpose of meditation is to uncover our innermost Self, to remember who we are and learn to balance our awareness in that unshakable higher reality. The purpose of reclaiming our spiritual identity is so that we can move through the world like great yogis do, as masters rather than victims of the cosmic process. The amazing thing about shifting our perspective from the mind which focuses almost exclusively outward at the external world, to spirit which rests beyond time and space, is that spirit brims with unexpected gifts. It enhances our discrimination, allowing us to understand the situation we’re in, in fact the situation the whole world is in, with clarity and compassion. When we are discouraged and confused, it guides us. When others are discouraged and confused, it gently prompts us to say the most helpful thing or take the most constructive course of action in order to assist. Self-knowledge is a constant source of strength when facing the violence and sorrow in the world, and their ugly intrusions in our life. As Yoga scientists, if we pull back from the world, it must be find the inner shrine Swami Rama was talking about. It must be to connect with what is most profound and authentic inside ourselves. This inner activism, this serene conquest of one’s own soul, prepares us for enlightened and effective action in the external world. As a sort of roving Yoga Science reporter, I’ve been deeply impressed by the perfected masters (siddhas) I’ve met over the years, whom I’ve written about in my books and magazine articles. I’m astounded by how much they get done in a single day, every day, and what enormous impact they have on those around them. In a few short years Swami Rama built not just a hospital but a hospital city for the enormous population of his home state, Uttara Pradesh. The amazing yogini Amritanandamayi Ma did more to help the people of Gujarat rebuild their community after the devastating 2001 earthquake than the entire government of India. I think too of one of the greatest figures of the late
19th century, Swami Vivekananda. In the last years of his short life Vivekananda introduced the Western world to Raja Yoga (the meditative tradition), Karma Yoga (the path of selfless action) and Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion to God), and galvanized India into a period of renewed spiritual activism. Swami Rama spoke of “actionless action.” These are our efforts in the world which stem not from egotism with its ceaseless demand for rewards and renown but from the spiritual center of our being, with its effortless wisdom and inexhaustible energy. This world is not an easy place to live in. It’s filled with brutality, greed and stupidity. That, folks, is the reality. But there is a deeper reality which saints and sages tap into, and we can too. We may not be able to create peace, love and understanding for everyone on the planet, but we can make peace with reality ourselves, and bring that peace into all our actions and interactions. So when my neighbor claimed Yoga has little to offer this crazy, violent world, I had to disagree. The ancient sage Patanjali made an amazing statement. He said the purpose of matter is to serve spirit. The extraordinary miracles that occur around great saints and yogis are examples of this. But spirit also serves matter. The insight and blessing power of Self-realized spiritual agents, the great masters of Yoga, is the Light that illumines this sometimes incredibly dark world. Let us all undertake to find that Light of awareness in ourselves, and to help each other. Linda Johnsen is author of Daughters of the Goddess: The Women Saints of India, Lost Masters: The Sages of Ancient Greece, and six other books.
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How Yoga Science Can Alter Genes Alternative therapies meant to help us “break the train of everyday thinking” have effects on a cellular level. PROBLEM: The flight, fight or freeze response––the natural response to stress–– essentially puts the nervous system in overdrive. So it’s no surprise that its opposite state, the relaxation response to stress, is associated with feeling good, in a general sense. People are able to evoke the relaxation response through mantra meditation, repeating a gentle yoga pose, prayer, or mantra while disregarding other thoughts, and it's been shown to protect against psychological disorders like anxiety and depression as well as physical conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and types of cancer that are exacerbated by stress. METHODOLOGY: Researchers at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center trained 26 adults with no prior experience in this type of meditation for eight weeks. They practiced deep breathing, repeated mantras, and learned to ignore intrusive thoughts. Initially, they were given blood tests immediately before and 15 minutes after listening to a 20-minute health education CD. This was repeated after their training, only with a CD that guided them in their meditation. Twentyfive other participants, who had long-term experience in evoking the relaxation response, were tested as well. RESULTS: Blood samples revealed significant changes in gene expression following meditation. The changes were the exact opposite of what occurs during flight, fight or freeze: genes associated with energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, insulin secretion, and telomere maintenance were turned on, while those involved in inflammation were turned off.
HERBERT BENSON, M.D. is an American cardiologist and founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Benson is Mind/Body Medical Institute Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute. Benson is a pioneer in mind/body medicine, one of the first Western physicians to bring spirituality and healing into medicine, and continues to lead teaching and research into its efficacy in counteracting the harmful effects of stress.
IMPLICATIONS: People who practice simple meditation aren't "just relaxing," explained the study's senior author, Dr. Herbert Benson. Instead, they're experiencing "a specific genomic response that counteracts the harmful genomic effects of stress." While this study only looked at one way of reaching this state, people have been figuring this out for themselves for thousands of years, through yoga, prayer, and other forms of meditation. Yet this is the first time researchers have been able to use basic science to show that these practices actually have an observable, biological effect. CONCLUSION: These results also showed that the effects of the relaxation response become stronger with practice, typically twice a day for 10 to 20 minutes. “Do it for years,” said Benson, “and these effects are quite powerful in how they change your gene activity.” Reprinted from an article by Lindsay Abrams published in The Atlantic magazine.
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