Ashtanga - Steps to Bliss

8 Steps to Bliss

Stuck in a Pattern of Monotony?

Are you longing for a holiday ? Sick of the weather? What about your relationship, has it lost its spark ? Perhaps you aren’t even in a relationship and want to be.

You will be pleased to know; that answering yes to any of the above questions means that you are human and change is just around the corner.

These symptoms are common in the ebb and flow of life and may be because you are clinging to the past. You may not be aware of how to change things. but, the good news is you can – AND FAST!

Ashtanga (8) Steps to Bliss are as follows 1. Celebrate your Mind 2. Celebrate your Body 3. Welcome Life 4. Nurture your Energy 5. Have Faith 6. Develop Acceptance 7. Right Action 8. Live Morally

Those who practice meditation for long periods of time, report of going into a ‘sublime state of purpose ’. It is as if they receive a new lease of life. Somehow they think of something, and then it just happens - like instantaneous magic. But how can YOU keep this feeling of purpose and presence with you all the time?

In his book ‘The Power of Now’ Eckhart Tolle encourages the reader to ‘live in the moment’, all of the time. The mastery of this seemingly easy task offers the state of unsurpassable bliss. Here we radiate presence, and the magic of manifestation occurs spontaneously.

You truly can have anything any way you want. The next question therefore, is how to live in the moment?

It’s all about your

Thoughts, Beliefs and Actions, which are equal to our RESULTS!

If your belief is that you can’t afford a holiday or have the relationship you want, then this is what you’ll get. The first step here is to change your thoughts. Why, because thoughts become beliefs that later command our actions and ultimately the results we will get.

With this in mind, let’s get started Find a quiet space and mentally jog down these eight steps and revisit them regularly.

You must only do this IF you are prepared for lasting change!

1. Meditate on your breath daily, even if only for a short period. Start where feels comfortable, even if this is just five minutes or so. Soon you will notice improved sleep, feeling more alive and having more energy. The ‘head space’ meditation offers will allow you to see what and where your priorities lay.

2. Practice or begin yoga asana (postures), again start where you feel comfortable. Practicing yoga is not a new phenomenon, but less than an hour’s daily practice will add valuable years to your life and bring harmony to your interpersonal relationships.

Yoga will leave you feeling relaxed, momentary aware and more comfortable in your skin. Yoga not only makes the physical body more flexible and full of life; it also brings focus and wisdom to the mind. With practice, you will slowly become more flexible in your approach towards others and situations that arise.

3. Take a Tantric approach to life. Say yes to everything being offered and see what happens. Tantra is a life-long, fulfilling journey into relationships, firstly with your ‘self’ and then with others. Find out what it feels like to love yourself, and then surrender to complete love for everyone. Here, love will replace any anger, fear, resentment or grief you carry. Believe it or not, every experience can be one of Divine love.

4. Spend more time in nature. When possible, walk barefoot, feel the soil or grass beneath your toes. Here your body will align itself with the telluric gravity of the earth and the cosmic energy of the universe.

This, you will find, brings harmony and a state of gratitude for being alive and part of mother nature. This is often called grounding.

5. Make courageous decisions and follow them through. Everyone has dreams, but not many bring them to life. Those living fulfilling lives, identify their dreams and find ways to manifest them.

Taking a leap of faith is perhaps the biggest step you will ever make.

Fear not what others think of you, simply ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. If you don’t know how to make dreams happen, take baby steps; break down your goals into bite size chunks.

But remember, where intention goes, energy flows, so be careful what you wish for. If you don’t know what direction to go in or which decision to make, you can always ask your heart for clarity – it usually knows best.

6. Take a look at your fears, and visualize what would happen if they came true. This process can be extremely liberating, as well as serving as a clearing exercise. Here you can work with the grace of acceptance, and living a life with full consciousness, fully awake.

Allow the fear to simply be there, even welcome it into your awareness on occasions.

7. When conflict arises, see it as merely ‘vibration’ which can be cleansed with the right approach. You can sublimate any stagnant energy by shifting your breath/awareness upwards from the ground.

You may wish to learn some stronger yoga practices such as uddiyana bandha (upward abdominal lock with breath retention) or simply visualize the higher chakras (from the heart and above) spinning free. These practices release heavy energy and will leave you feeling much lighter in both body and mind.

8. Make a decision to choose moral reasoning over reactivity that may leave you feeling tainted and insecure.

Sure you are human, and you have your needs, but when neediness arises you must learn to expand into its energy instead of fighting it.

With an attitude of none attachment, you will soon find that life becomes more fruitful and rewarding. The people around you will thank you for this

Finally and most important Give yourself the gift of love, by practicing these steps daily,. Self love is perhaps the most rewarding act you will ever do. The more you cultivate love, the more fulfilled yours and the lives of those around you will become. Be well X

By Glen Monks