Peace of Mind

“As the mind, so the person; bondage or liberation are in your own mind. If you feel bound, you are bound. If you feel liberated, you are liberated. Things outside neither bind nor liberate you; only your attitude toward them does that.”
― Swami Satchidananda

The Yoga Sutras state that: "The only reality is the universal self, which is veiled by Maya (the illusory power). As the veils are lifted, the mind becomes clearer. Unhappiness and fear – even the fear of death – vanishes. This state of freedom, or Moksha, is the goal of Yoga. It can be reached by constant enquiry into the nature of things." Dhyana, the 7th limb of the 8 Limbed Path of the Yoga Sutras, means meditation or perfect contemplation.  Meditation allows us to meet heightened levels of awareness, to calm our mind, and to let go of our thoughts. The practice of Dharana, the 6th limb, in which we focus on a single point or task, like breathing, prepares us for Dhyana. Our thoughts cause distraction in our lives.  They disrupt our inner state of being. The fewer thoughts we have the fewer worries we have. Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle says that when we worry or have anxiety, it is the result of our mind creating stories. We are either recreating events from the past, or making up stories about the future. But when our mind becomes still and we let go of our thoughts, we experience peace of mind, balance and simplicity in our lives, and of course, happiness.

"Do not encumber your mind with useless thoughts. What good does it do to brood on the past or anticipate the future? Remain in the simplicity of the present moment." – Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

When you come to your mat, bring your attention to your breath. Do this without thinking. Simply hear the oceanic-like sound of your breathing, and feel the rhythmic flow of each breath cycle.  In this space of stillness, when our thoughts cease, even momentarily, we begin to train our mind to achieve Dhyana, allowing us to connect with ourselves, and in doing so, connecting with a higher power, a higher consciousness.

In the practice of Dhyana, we focus directly on something with the intent of knowing the truth about it. "We learn to differentiate between the mind of the perceiver, the means of perception, and the objects perceived, between words, their meanings, and ideas, and between all the levels of evolution of nature." (Yoga Sutras, xvi) In other words, the layers of perception, the labels we attach to things, our feelings towards those things, begin to fade away. A flower is more than the word. It is more than its color, its scent, its shape, and the thoughts or emotions it evokes in us. Our consciousness awakens as we peel back the veils of perception and see into the object's true nature. This practice, focused inward, on ourselves, unites us with our own true nature.
The practice of yoga is about seeking out the truth. The truth about the true nature of all things, beginning with ourselves. Dhyana is described as a path to Nirvana, a practice of "stopping and realizing" (abuddhistlivrary.com). Of stopping our thoughts and realizing that we are so much more than that. We are, at our core, energetic light; energy connected to each and every object and creature in the universe. Not only are we not our thoughts, but we are also not our body. Our body is a vehicle for housing that energy. Thus, when we connect the vehicle (the body) with the mind, we begin to find that path toward Nirvana, or enlightenment.
Each day we face a challenge: to love, enjoy, and accept our life exactly as it is. We spend a great deal of time trying to change the past or control the future. Our asana practice teaches us to let go and stay in the Present. It prepares us for meditation or Dhyana, the state where only the present exists without intrusion from our thoughts. Where we are content with things as they are, for better or worse. When things don't work out the way we want, we get upset, depressed, angry, all sorts of negative emotions that affect our well being and that of those around us.  Everything works out exactly as it is supposed to, exactly as you need it to. When you stop thinking about it, you will find peace in this.

"When you surrender to what is and become so fully present, the past ceases to have any power. The realm of Being, which had been obscured by the mind, then opens up. Suddenly, a great stillness arises within you, an unfathomable sense of peace. And within that peace there is great joy. And within that joy there is love. And at the innermost core there is the sacred, the immeasurable, That which cannot be named." – Eckhart Tolle

The Awakened Heart

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you be at peace.

This is the mantra that ends most of my yoga practices.  When we are truly at peace, we have truly come to know ourselves. When we know ourselves, our true selves, without the labels or the expectations or the past, but simply as our shared inner Being, then we have found Enlightenment.

Enlightenment comes from truly knowing oneself. It is the understanding that you are not your thoughts, your perceptions, your emotions, or your past. Each of these things are like clouds. They pass through but they are not permanent. What is permanent and eternal is your inner self. Yoga teaches us to let go of our exterior self, to let it fade away and to connect with our inner selves through our breath and our movements. The asanas, or poses, are about so much more than making us flexible and strong.  They are about preparing the mind and body for meditation. And it is in meditation where we find the stillness needed to draw inward, to awaken our heart and to recognize our Divine self as well as the Divine in others. 

This is where we come to know that we are the same. We are not separate. You are not your job, your hobbies, your past, or your thoughts.  You are an energetic life force. You can feel this energy within you at any time. In savasana, I've told my classes to find the "aliveness" in their hands.  Not with their thoughts but by simply becoming aware of their hands. When you focus completely on the feeling of your hands, you can feel a sensation. It may feel tingly, pulsing, or perhaps warm.  Whatever you feel, it is a form of energy. Eckhart Tolle refers to this feeling as "inner body awareness."  When you cease to think and you draw your attention to your inner energy you begin to awaken your heart. 

The awakened heart is a heart connected to the Divine. The awakened heart recognizes that the only thing that really matters is what can be found within, not in the material, exterior world in which we live. In order for us to survive in this world, however, we must attain certain things such as food clothing and shelter. To do this, we probably need a job or career. Yet, the awakened heart understands that these things do not define who we are.  Who we are is the energetic life force that connects each one of us. Our thoughts, words, and actions have the power to bring us together or tear us apart.

Returning to the mantra I offer at the end of my classes, I had the following heart awakening experience recently:  I heard a story on the Today Show about a woman whose health, after the age of 50, deteriorated rapidly. She eventually found out that she had emphysema. It seemed her life had taken a downward spiral. Her daughter, a yoga instructor and massage therapist, convinced her to try yoga. After her first class, she took money from her life's savings and signed up for yoga teacher training and is now a yoga instructor. At the end of her interview, she said "My mantra is 'I AM happy, I AM healthy, I AM at peace.'" Those words emphasized, to me, our connectedness. It made me realize that the words spoken within the yoga studio go beyond those walls and truly reach those in need. Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu - May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may our own thoughts, words and actions bring happiness to all beings.

"I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.”
~ Gandhi