Health care

In the last article in this series, I talked about some yoga asanas, or poses, that can help us restore our focus and motivation as we work — without even getting up from our desks. In this article, I’ll speak more generally about how yoga helps us develop what I call Awareness and Allowing — two capacities that are key to giving us the efficiency and enjoyment we want in what we do.

1. Awareness. Almost immediately, when I started doing yoga, I became much more attuned to the sensations coming up in my body. I noticed all this tension, tingling, heat and so on that I hadn’t been conscious of before.

Another thing I began to notice was that certain sensations would come up right before I’d find myself procrastinating or putting off a project. I’d start getting this antsy, jittery feeling in my arms and legs, as if there were some danger I needed to run from, and then I’d find myself checking e-mail or pursuing some other distraction.

I eventually realized that I was putting off my work because I didn’t want to experience those antsy feelings. Because I found those sensations disturbing and uncomfortable, I’d fallen into the habit of checking e-mail, surfing the Web or doing something else to distract myself from them.

Understanding that those jittery feelings were what I was trying to escape helped put my procrastination in perspective. If discomfort in my body was really all I was running from, why was I running at all? Wasn’t moving forward in my projects more important to me than avoiding those sensations?

Of course, yoga isn’t the only way to develop Awareness — you don’t need to learn to contort your body into a pretzel shape to be aware of the sensations you’re feeling. A simpler approach, in my experience, is to pause whenever you find yourself about to put off a task, and just bring your awareness into your body and notice what’s coming up.

2. Allowing. If you’ve done yoga, I imagine you’ve had the experience of getting into a pose that involved a really deep stretch, and brought up intense sensations. Perhaps you stayed in the pose, despite its intensity. And when you did, you noticed the sensations becoming more comfortable and less threatening.

By Allowing, I mean just that — staying with an uncomfortable sensation that’s coming up, rather than resisting or fleeing from it. This attitude of Allowing, I think, isn’t just for the time we spend on the yoga mat or the meditation cushion — it’s also very helpful in our working lives.

Suppose, for example, you’re working on a project and you start getting bored. Most of us would react to that boredom by doing something to “take the edge off” — maybe playing a few hands of Solitaire on the computer, messing around on social media, and so on.

What if, instead, we chose to stay with that feeling — breathe, relax our bodies, and just allow the sensations to wash over us? What if we decided, instead of pushing our boredom away, to get intimate and familiar with it?

The biggest benefit of learning to Allow the discomfort that comes up as we work is that it gives us control over our own schedules. Most of us are like Pavlov’s Dogs, automatically turning away from our work whenever unpleasantness arises. Developing the ability to drop our resistance to that unpleasantness, and keep moving forward, helps put us in charge of what and how much we get done.

Chris Edgar is the author of Inner Productivity: A Mindful Path to Efficiency and Enjoyment in Your Work, which uses insights from mindfulness practice and psychology to help readers develop focus and motivation in what they do. You can find out more about the book and Chris’s work at www.InnerProductivity.com.

Of course, you already knew that yoga is good for your body—but did you know all the ways it can help you stay healthy? It is more than just a stretching activity, and more than a strength-building exercise. Yoga offers benefits for your entire body as well as your mind—things that we all need to spend some time focusing energy on improving. So, if you haven’t already gotten into yoga, consider these additional reasons to get started!

Stress Reduction
Few of us get a chance to really center ourselves and focus on what our own bodies are trying to say. Practicing yoga gives you the opportunity to set things that are bothering you aside for an hour and focus on yourself and your well-being. If you can think only about the poses and the ultimate goals of your practice, you can take a break from your regular stressors and relax your mind fully. Few things offer this respite! And perhaps, when you finish your practice and come back to your daily activities and demands, you will see a solution to a problem you couldn’t grasp before!

Management of Chronic Health Conditions
The focus and pace of yoga can dramatically affect conditions like depression, anxiety, pain and insomnia. Through its powers of stress relief, you can get away from things that are really bothering you and hopefully put them into perspective. It is this very lack of perspective that can make things seem out of your control or overwhelming, and yoga provides an escape that is part of the transformation process. Additionally, most yogis will tell you that they feel happier and more content after a class, most likely a result of boosted oxygen levels in the brain after practice. Yoga, like most exercises, can help with sleep problems as it can push you into a place of tiredness that life without exercise can’t really reach. However, the added benefit of yoga’s relaxation powers will make your sleep deeper than ever before.

Blood Pressure
Yoga has long had a positive effect on blood pressure and those who suffer from heart disease. The concentration and focus slows the heart rate, which is extremely beneficial to people susceptible to all kinds of heart problems. Yoga played a huge role in Dean Ornish, MD’s heart disease program, one of the first to partly reverse heart disease through lifestyle and diet in place of surgery. Yoga has a possible anti-oxidant effect on bodies, and it has been associated with decreased cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as a boost in immune system function.

Learning and Memory
One of the newest discoveries in yoga’s benefits, some studies have suggested that yoga can positively affect learning and memory. Some researchers say that yoga can slow the aging process, increase self-acceptance, and improve energy levels in general. In general, however, yoga increases spiritual awareness.

Organ Function
Yoga practice stretches you while massaging your internal organs, which improves their ability to prevent disease. If you are a regular practitioner, you will become extremely attuned to your body’s function and you will know exactly when something is not functioning properly. By taking a real interest in your body, you will take care of it to the best of your ability.

There are so many reasons to get into yoga, it is hard to understand why there are still people who choose not to try it. Just give it one try— the way you feel will be enough to hook you! Get more interesting and useful info on wellness and general health at our Chicago chiropractic blog.

Born and raised in New York City, Dr. Rosenthal came to the Midwest to study medicine at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. A serious car accident, however, changed his mind about practicing the traditional medicine he was studying, leading him to refocus his career path on becoming a specialist in chiropractic medicine. With more than ten years of experience in chiropractic medicine, Dr. Rosenthal guides his patients through gentle protocols to allow a smooth return to optimal health. Not only does Dr. Rosenthal practice health and medicine through his Chicago chiropractic clinic, but he actively works to give patients and knowledge seekers alike meaningful content, advice, and help on helath related issues through published research. In addition to published research presented at the American Academy of Pain Management on spinal decompression, he has published numerous articles on health and nutrition and is the chief editor of a bimonthly article in the Austin Voice Newspaper called “Dr. Backs”. Most recently, Dr. Rosenthal has launched a wellness blog at advancedphysicalmedicine.wordpress.com with the vision of teaching the online audience easy-to-follow wellness techniques.

If you want to learn yoga, this is one of the best changes you can make for the rest of your life. You will find inner peace, calmness, and relaxation like never before, and will appreciate all the aspects of life. However, if you want to know and learn yoga, there is a lifestyle accompanied by this and the changes are necessary for you to be able to have a successful practice for yoga. These should incorporate in your diet; principles of humanity, physical exercise, and relaxation and you will successfully learn yoga and live a healthy lifestyle.

There are 5 simple ways you can adapt to the yogic lifestyle with the following principles:

1. Every day that you wake up, start the day with a positive frame of mind. If you are just beginning to learn yoga, this may take constant practice and dedication, but with persistence it will come naturally. Some of the things that you should think about and reflect upon waking are gratitude for your body, for health, the things around us, and do some positive affirmations. Finish off with some great stretches and you’re off to a great day ahead.

2. Learn to detach yourself from material possessions and society’s obsession with material wealth. Yoga teaches us that in order to be happy, we only need to look within ourselves, and nothing else matters. This sort of spiritual awareness will help you to advance especially when you want to learn yoga.

3. Nature is an important element for yoga, especially for those who are just starting out and want to learn yoga. Buddhist teachings often remind us to appreciate and take care of environment, and spending some time relating and communing with nature will help one find inner peace and a sense of fulfillment, especially if you are doing extra effort to preserve life. Simple actions such as just feeling the grass in your feet, looking at the bright stars above, and wallowing in all this beauty is a great start.

4. Establish the correct breathing techniques and work on this until this comes naturally to you. Most people forget to breathe the right way and are used to shallow and rapid forms of breathing. For you to learn yoga successfully, practice the right methods which are slower and deeper, and this will increase the oxygen supply to the brain and improve every single function inside your body. This will help you immediately feel better, and will also make a big difference in reaching a state of calmness and inner peace once you learn yoga.

5. Another way to advance your ways when you learn yoga, is by embracing an attitude of love, and avoiding hate at all costs. Evaluate your relationships with those close and important to you, and try to make some adjustments. If you want to learn yoga successfully, the attitudes of love shown through humility, compassion, tolerance, and calm are core to the teachings of Buddha.

Neelima Reddy is an author and publisher of many health related websites. For more information on yoga, benefits of yoga, yoga exercises, yoga techniques and yoga postures, visit his website: Online Yoga Guide

Prasara yoga is a new style of yoga that blends elements of traditional asana, or poses, along with elements of movement, or flow. Most modern forms of yoga concentrate on one of two aspects: asana, the actual poses, or inyasa, transitional breathing between poses. Prasara yoga integrates both of those aspects, and expresses them through dynamic movement.You could consider a sun salutation a flow series, the ultimate yoga flow even. Although typically yoga flows are a bit shorter and simpler than the sun salutation. Some other poses that I use in my warm up could be sunflowers and moon flowers. I also create flows from simple basic poses, such as flowing between Mountain Pose and Forward Fold.Check yourself on these, and be honest. Being in business for yourself means facing your fears on a day to day basis, making missteps, and allowing yourself to be uncomfortable. But because of that, having a your own business is the most rewarding self-growth vehicle out there.

So that we can feel our body we can move it. For myself I find that smooth, slow rhythmic and repeated ovements are best for developing sensitivity since if we move repeatedly the same sensations will continue to repeat themselves making them easier to notice.

Army Kraft is a thirty-five year yoga practitioner who teaches gentle, injury free yoga for people of all ages. In fact, she told me, one of her students is 88. But I still was skeptical I could get much benefit from a an hour session a week and a few minutes a day on my own.
Boy was I wrong.Pregnancy being a unique experience in itself,
it is representative of one of the most crucial periods in a womans’ life and hence is often viewed with great trepidation by most women. It is owing to this reason that pregnant women who have been touched by the wisdom of yoga strongly recommend this form of physical activity to other women who are usually at crossroads and confused about the changes taking place within them.

When I teach this pose to beginners usually the first step is to have them do a forward bend with one leg forwards and the other back. In this position they can then focus on using their front leg to push heir pelvis back.

Meanwhile they can reach their head and ribs forwards, away from their pelvis.Functionality is another advantage of using petite yoga pants. It is made to allow your skin to breathe out and not simply trap sweat and heat on your skin. Because of this feature, you will be able to avoid skin acnes which are common when you exercise and wear the wrong clothing.

The practice of Yoga consists of physical positions and poses called Asanas. These you hold for a little while and at the same time you try and regulate your breathing in a calm fashion. Moving from one asana to the next you maintain an even tempo and relax as much as possible. The practise should not be hurried but should flow smoothly.

Read about sentific Equipments

Yoga is definitely something everyone can do. Even children can learn poses with just a few sessions and benefit from its advantages at a very early age. If you want to start learning how to do yoga, here’s a short and simple beginner’s guide to choosing the right kind for you and everything else you need to know to begin.

You know that you want to learn how to do yoga, but there are various styles of yoga with their own benefits. Here are some of them:

• Ashtanga yoga is also known as power yoga, and is more of a fast-paced and intense style of yoga. There is constant movement involved from one pose to the next.

• If you want to lose weight and learn how to do yoga, Bikram or hot yoga is your best bet. The yoga rooms are set to 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit and focuses on intensive sweating. The poses allow you to tone loose muscles as well as helping you to detoxify through sweating.

• Iyengar is another popular style, with many persons who want to learn how to do yoga. With this type of yoga, poses are held for a longer duration than usual, allowing the students to appreciate and learn more about the subtleties involved with each pose and focusing on the musculoskeletal system. Many kinds of props are involved for those who want to learn how to do yoga for the Iyengar style, such as blankets, belts, and blocks.

• Lastly, Vinaya is another popular style of yoga which involves more aggressive stretches. Its focus is on sun salutations as well as the connection of breadth and movement.

Once you have decided which kind of yoga you want to learn, you can start taking some classes and even alternate to suit your fitness and personal needs. If you want to learn how to do yoga, this can also be easily integrated into your existing fitness program.

You should also be aware that when studying how to do yoga, there are certain props involved that you should use even if you are not practicing regularly:

• Yoga mats are thin cushions with non-slip surfaces which are crucial when you are learning how to do yoga. They are inexpensive but also come in many varieties and you will surely be able to find one that suits your needs and your budget.

• Yoga blocks or bricks are also essential when studying how to do yoga. These are important in helping you stay in form even if you are still learning how to work with your strength and flexibility. You can use these to suit various types of yoga and can adhere to 3 height requirements, which is all you will need when learning how to do yoga.

• Yoga straps and belts are very helpful for beginners as this will provide an aid for those who are still less flexible. Simply hold a strap with both hands and this will be able to help you stay in a pose longer, and improve your overall form.

Neelima Reddy is an author and publisher of many health related websites. For more information on yoga, benefits of yoga, yoga exercises, yoga techniques and yoga postures, visit his website: Online Yoga Guide

The last but extremely important sheath (5 covering layers of a living being) is the Bliss Sheath. When this sheath is uncovered, not only does the living being come very close to God but that it becomes God Him self. The soul is said to be a spark of God. Its ultimate form is Satya, Shiva, Sunder and God too is called Sat (existence), Chit (wisdom), Anand (bliss). Both these states ooze with supreme bliss. The ultimate goal is to make our lives happy, contented and blissful.

When the Bliss Sheath is purified, a person awakens his soul wisdom and thus becomes God, from a good human being. Such a person’s glory is akin to that of God. This spiritual standpoint truly is nectar of immortality. On attaining it the divine glories of immortality, divine beauty, divine aura etc. gives us the nectarine taste of immortality each moment.

Ordinarily a living being experiences bondage. Its organs of knowledge give a very limited taste and via the sense organs of action, it can amass very limited material wealth. Yet in the deep recesses of the inner personality of a human being lie such infinite potentials albeit in seed form that they correspond to the powers of the entire cosmos. The gross world is its body and the subtle world is its Vital Force. The Vital Force is more powerful than the gross body. In comparison to visible material objects, the invisible energy of heat, sound, light, ether etc. is more potent. But when this invisible nature is compared to the subtle world, the latter is infinitely more powerful. When one can enter that area or establish a strong bond with it, one’s limitations/bondage is cut as under and thus manifests limitless power. We have the example of Extra Sensory Potentials. Sometimes we get rare experiences of their miracles. But if we can enter this area more deeply, if we can unearth and gain knowledge of the utility power of these divine glories, their extraordinary nature can be compared only to realized saints (Sidhas). Only then can divinity manifest in human beings and that we can perceive God in mankind. This state has to ooze with supreme bliss.

The abovementioned sentences say that both the external and the inner subtle world abound in infinite divine sensations. There is no limit to its blissful feeling. This is a fact. Of course! It is something entirely different that you did not benefit due to illusory notions. A musk deer fails to realize that the fragrance of musk is manifesting from its own body and hence in order to smell it, the deer runs about here and there. Ultimately it gets tired and keeps despairing its “plight”. Thus one cannot blame God for one’s erroneous thinking. In fact God has filled us all with untold bliss, yet if we refrain from finding it within ourselves and run about furiously in the external illusory material world, who is to blame? The fault lies entirely with the one who aims for infinite bliss, while foolishly running after transient sense objects.

The Lord sent his eldest son i.e. princely man in this divine garden called the world, to attain supreme bliss. Over here there are means and probabilities of bliss. Yet if we face hardships, know for sure that it is the result of our distorted and tainted thinking. Over here bliss is our nature and sorrow has been superimposed on it in an illusory manner. God Almighty sent man in this world to experience bliss and not pain. If only man intensely endeavors to make this world more advanced, wealthy and cultured, he can remain blissful by conjoining to divine bliss served by the Lord. For this attainment no gigantic step has to be taken. If only we shed our vile intellect and lowly activities can we attain infinite bliss. Bliss is our rightful inheritance. As true descendents of God, we already have it albeit in a covered manner. It is most required that we know the nature of these attainments and utilize them for sacred purposes. Those who fail in this endevaour will undergo strife and pain only.

The Lord is bliss manifest. Every pore of a living being is an outlet of bliss. Mother Nature possesses the quality of beauty and giving us comforts. Everywhere there is bliss and bliss only. Thus our life is called bliss incarnate. Man owns this sheath in a natural, joyous and limitless manner. We all live in the world of bliss.

Yet our ill-fate is like the lines written by Kabir (great poet-saint of India).

“A fish swimming in water is thirsty. Hence I laugh aloud.”

Suppose a man locks up his house and leaves it. When he returns he realizes he has lost the key and hence sits out in the cold, experiencing a lot of discomfort. In the same way we have lost the key of the storehouse of bliss present in our own body. Thus we cannot even lead normal lives due to hunger, thirst etc. The Bliss Sheath is very much within ourselves, yet we undergo pain and sorrow. How amazing? What an irony! Aren’t we mocking our own selves?

Hence spiritual practices pertaining to the Bliss Sheath are meant for demolishing our ill-fate from the very roots. On its basis the lock of bliss storehouse can be opened so that we get immersed in infinite divine joy. This is possible only when the individual soul (man) merges with the cosmic soul (God). After reaching the peak of spiritual practices pertaining to the 5 sheaths, one searches for this very key and thus makes arrangements for opening the lock. The one who achieved this, never again said that I live a life of abject despair. Never does such a person experience sorrow or pain.

One can only destroy all pain/sorrow by discovering the Bliss Sheath. Only when a living being enters this sheath, can it satiate all its thirst for supreme divine bliss. Not only is this the true goal of a human life but that all creatures, knowingly or unknowingly are yearning for it. One can also say that a living being accepted the bondage of a body with the hope of attaining eternal bliss. It is said –

“All living beings exist with the hope of attaining eternal bliss.”

- Brihadaranyak (4/3/32)

“All creatures manifest from the ocean of divine bliss and live in the ocean of bliss. Ultimately it merges into pure bliss.”

- Taitariyopanishad (3/6/1)

“I can never describe that supreme divine bliss experienced by a Yogi.”

- Yog Rasayanam (114)

“When living beings are liberated from the bondage of sorrow they enjoy the ocean of bliss experienced by a Bodhi-Sattva (enlightened saint) in his bosom and this is sufficient. What can one gain from salvation that is devoid of divine bliss?”

-Bodhicharyavatar (7/108)

“The Lord is nectar, manifest. When man attains this nectar he experiences untold bliss. Ere he was not truly the fundamental bliss principle that pervades every atom of the cosmos (like space), who would get the experience of bliss merely by living a life full of activities related to the Vital Force (Pran-Apan)? In reality this very principle is the fount of bliss eternal.”

- Taitariyopanishad (2/7/1)

The Lord is called nectar too. This nectar is spiritual and not material. It can be experienced as divine enthusiasm, contentment, satiation, peace etc. Its attainment is irrevocably united with inner greatness. The more one’s soul becomes pure and magnanimous, the more this bliss blooms forth. It depends on one’s exalted standpoint and high-levelled activities. But this eternal bliss can never be experienced if one’s thinking is lowly and activities are vile. Each individual aspiring for eternal bliss has to first enter the deep recesses of the Bliss Sheath, so as to drink that divine bliss from its mouth source.

Our material world does have taints and man also exhibits indolence (Tamas). In order to reform and change it, there is a requirement of creative action. Non-cooperation, opposition and punishment may be required under certain circumstances yet one must be extremely cautious that the underlying intention should be reformation and never should be utilized with petty attitudes of likes an dislikes. Thus while combating the distorted aspect of the world, one can also simultaneously balance one’s internal greatness. No doubt there exists a great deal of greatness in the world, because there is more light in this world when compared to darkness. In comparison to vileness, greatness exists in greater measure. Only if we search it, imbibe it and nourish it, can pure thoughts manifest in our intellect. When our individual vision of beauty augment, we shall visualize beauty pervading in every pore of the universe. One can visualize Lord Shiva (divine beauty) by contacting great qualities in material objects and all creatures of the world. It is the Almighty Lord who is the substratum of this entire cosmos. Those who understand this, attain divine truth (Satya). Those with a pious psyche visualize “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” every moment and experience heaven everywhere.

Saint Emerson said, “If you send me to hell, I will convert it to heaven.” This is a fact not worth ignoring. With the help of a sacred viewpoint,a lot of reformation can be induced in regions close by. Further we become capable enough to induce desired results from external circumstances. Heaven is nothing but divine vision and sacred thinking. Heaven is not some particular area, planet etc. in this material cosmos but is in fact, a divine standpoint at the mental level. Heaven and hell is nothing but good or bad results of our high or lowly viewpoint. Every human being like Saint Emerson has the capacity to create heaven in his life by purifying his very thinking.

Further the Bliss Sheath can give us salvation (Moksha). Salvation means overcoming bondage of this material world. Bondage means bad psychic imprints, mental taints, sins etc. There is no other power that can bind a living being to this world. The biggest obstacle that a creature faces while walking on the path of progress, is its own inner weaknesses and mental taints. A spider weaves its own net and gets entangled in it. Even silk worms create their own net (bondage). Even so man is the creator of the bondage that he experiences and has thus chained him self to this world. Like a lion cub in a herd of goats, he has taken upon him self the veil of spiritual ignorance. One faces so much sorrow when one is experiencing bondage. This can be experienced even by birds and beasts.

The human species is a prince of God. His inner capacity is limitless. By aptly utilizing available means, he can reach such an exalted state in this very life which is akin to divinity and Almighty God. Over here the main obstacle is our mental state and not external worldly circumstances. If we truly understand and imbibe all those means which glorify our lives, we can reach that state which is close to God/divinity. This truly is salvation (Moksha).

Strange beliefs have cropped up like weeds, regarding salvation or Moksha. Some opine that it is the liberation from the repetitive cycle of birth and death. Some believe that a creature at the time of death leaves this world and enters another “world”. Some say liberation means not performing any actions and leading a very placid life. A few strange set of people imagine that God has some specific abode and that when one is liberated, one becomes a door keeper of that abode. Our scriptures talk of 4 types of Moksha or salvation viz. 1) Salokhya – entering God’s abode 2) Sameepya – living in close proximity to God 3) Sarupya – attaining the Lord’s form 4) Sayujya – merging into God. Salokya means building a flat in God’s abode. Sameepya means to become a doorkeeper, staff etc. of God’s abode. Sarupya means to become a “Xerox copy” of God’s form. Many dictators keep another man similar in name and physical looks, for security purposes. When a dangerous situation arises, the dictator’s “Xerox copy” is sent to combat that peril. Sayujya means partnership. Meaning one is an equal partner as far as God’s wealth is concerned. In short these are childish dreams full of mockery. No doubt they have a symbolic meaning, but to accept them as bare facts is a serious error.

The true meaning of Moksha or salvation or liberation is to look upon our soul as divine consciousness and not inert material i.e. we are not the gross physical body or name and form but that we are the underlying divine cosmic consciousness. This has to be experienced by each individual. One must experience that joy, happiness, success etc. are not the result of usage of external material objects (they are merely mediums/instruments) but is a result of purification of the inner soul. One must give up bad qualities of a beastly life so as to first become a good human being and then experience one’s true divine nature. Greatness is God. Close proximity to God or attaining Him means conjoining greatness to our hopes, aspirations and valid desires. A person is truly liberated from bondage when he attains that inner state wherein like a fish swimming against the ocean current, one swims against the current of common lowly trends, downfall etc. Salvation is said to be the supreme goal of human life. This is its true nature.

After death one may get the benefit of heaven or salvation. But one must strive for it while one is yet alive. In fact achieve it today itself. All this is dependent on one’s viewpoint and transformation of one’s mind. One attains liberation while yet alive. What one attains after death is merely a reaction of one’s action while yet alive. Thus one should intensely endeavor in this very life to attain soul purification and hence true salvation/Moksha. This type of salvation is called ”Jeevan-Mukti” i.e. liberated while yet alive. It is the gist of salvation. He who cuts asunder the bondage of limitations, vileness of mind etc. attains the eternal bliss of salvation. Following is what scriptural scholars have to say :-

“A Jeevan-Mukta (liberated while alive) is one who is devoid of likes/dislikes, sorrow/elation and whose intellect is divine.”

- Mahopanishad (2/57)

“There are 8 types of bondage viz. hatred, suspicion, fear, shame, secretive attitude, pride of lineage, ideals, power. He who is tied up by these, is an animal and if one is liberated from these, one is God.”

- Tantra Kaustubh

“The one who renounces his ego, who is liberated from arrogance, jealousy etc. , who performs actions without harboring likes/dislikes, is called a Jeevan – Mukta (liberated while yet alive) by wise men.”

- Mahopanishad (2/50)

“A person who equanimously shuns another person’s wealth despite living in this deadly material world is truly spiritual and because this person experiences eternal soul bliss, he is called a Jeevan-Mukta”.

- Mahopanishad (2/62)

“The space between bondage and liberation measures upto 2 feet only. Bondage says “this is mine” and liberation says “nothing is mine”.

- Mahopanishad (4/72)

In this manner when one’s viewpoint is purified, when one understands the nature, basis and area of bliss, one’s belief becomes steadfast. What does one achieve by doing what? When this becomes definite, one’s spiritual ignorance is overcome and the wisdom of this reality is called spiritual philosophy. This biggest problem of this world pertains to the soul. Thus one can truly solve worldly problems only if this problem is solved. This knowledge is also called Brahmajnana, Tattvajnana, Sadjnana etc. In order to attain eternal bliss, one must endeavor to solve inner (mental) problems and give a proper direction to one’s thinking. This is also called Samadhi (trance). This is the first step towards attainment of eternal bliss (God). No doubt Samadhi is a very elevated Yogic state yet its beginning step is as mentioned above.

When one persists with experience of Samadhi (trance), the scattered mind gets focused and thus one gets benefits of pure thinking and actions. Thus the first leg of spiritual practices pertaining to the Bliss Sheath, is based on Samadhi experience. This is a Samadhi in the waking state. Over here there is no need to become unconscious and that cravings and agitations have to be calmed down totally. When the storm of desires are silenced totally, man clearly visualizes his goal. Without this it is impossible to walk in a desired direction. Spiritual seekers of the Bliss Sheath are asked to concentrate and focus their minds. But this is not a mental exercise where one thinks about one particular thought exclusively so as to concentrate the mind. In fact it means walking in a desired and definite direction. Such a mental state is called Samadhi (trance).

“Samadhi is that state wherein the mental agitations are overcome so as to get focused on divine truth.”

- Bhoj

“Samadhi is that inner state wherein after renouncing craving/aversion towards fleeting material objects, one steadies the mind and thus attains soul force.”

- Dakshasmriti (7/21)

“Just as when salt mixes with water, it takes up the form of water, in the same way Samadhi (trance) means the mind merging into the cosmic soul (God)”.

- Saubhagyalakshmyupanishad (14)

“When the will power of a living being and God marches ahead in one direction, it dispels the sense of separation from one another. This state is called Samadhi.”

- Yajnavalkya

“When a living being’s material desires come to an end, and the living being and God march in one direction, that state is called Samadhi (trance). Samadhi is that balanced state of the soul wherein one’s agitations are nullified.”

-Saubhagya Upanishad (2/16-18)

The inner Divine Powers are destroyed if mental agitations augment. But if this mental turbulence is nullified, if the mind gets focused in one desired direction, one’s soul force augments as a result of obstruction of scattering of the mind. Thus many Divine Powers manifest in our soul. These Divine Powers have been described as follows –

“Due to continuous practice of Samadhi (meditative trance) the mind merges into the cosmic soul (i.e. God) and thus, one gets enlightenment.”

- Yog Rasayan

“Objects seen in a dream are illusory whereas experiences of Samadhi (meditative trance) are the absolute reality. Further one gets greater benefits apart from those attained during Samadhi.”

- Yog Rasayan

The nature of the spiritual practice pertaining to the Bliss Sheath is the state of union of a living being/creature and God. Generally we know God as His name only. We no doubt chant His name and perform worship rites. Yet we never endeavor to merge our individual soul into the cosmic soul (i.e. God). We can never imagine with our limited material minds, the experience of this super blissful state. Ordinarily God is thought to be that individual who is appeased by a few prayers, eulogies, rites etc. Thus we try to satisfy our desires with God’s blessings. Thus vain worship rites are carried out which is nothing but mockery. Where can one find a true devotee of God who willingly desires disciplining by God? Where is that devotee who will surrender his all (mind) to God? In fact this is true devotion (Bhakti). Under such circumstances nectar will definitely manifest. Heavenly joys can be experienced. There will be zeal and zest for life everywhere along with true contentment and peace.

God is not an individual but is a cosmic divine force. He can never be pleased with gifts, presents etc. just as we please others. In order to fully utilize electricity, its utility limits have to be studies carefully. The Lord can only be pleased by imbibing greatness of character. It is also called faith in the arena of sentiments, spirituality in the field of thinking and righteous qualities in the arena of actions.

The true nature of devotion/meditation is unification. The supreme goal of devotion is unification, oneness and surrender. Duality is replaced with non-duality (oneness). This can be called marriage of a puppet doll with the fingers of a magician. It is the bond between a husband and wife. This is establishment of discipline. By destroying one’s selfish/egocentric desires, one imbibes divine discipline and this is called surrender. This sort of self-surrender has been prescribed by the Lord on the part of a devotee in the Bhagwad Geeta. Wood and other types of fuel become fire itself when thrown in fire. When water is added to milk it becomes milk. The Lord should not be looked upon as a tool (means) of satiating our lowly desires but that we should become one with His great qualities. This state is called Brahma Nirvan, vision of God or attaining God. This is the non-dual spiritual practice of divine sciences (Brahma-Vidya). It is on this basis that a human being ( Nara) can become God (Narayana), a Purusha can become Purushottama, a living being can become Brahman (all-pervading soul) and individual soul can merge into the cosmic soul (God).

Love is full of magnetic attraction. One adores the proximity of love and each individual yearns for it intensely. The very nature of divine love which is a result of devotion to God, demands that the wall between the individual soul and cosmic soul (God) be warded off. There should be eternal oneness between the two. Under such circumstances, either God acts as per the desires of an individual or that an individual acts according to the Lord’s wishes. It is very clear that a river cannot merge into a pond because a pond is not wide or deep enough to imbibe a huge river. Even so the Lord can never act according to an individual’s desire. Thus individual souls will have to give up selfish/egocentric desires and act according to divine (God) will. This is true faith and devotion. Thus one can enjoy eternal bliss of devotion.

Divine love can never be limited. The river Ganges emanating from the lofty Himalayan mountains (in India) can never be obstructed when it is flowing. Instead it satiates everyone’s thirst and by merging itself in the ocean, it gives up its limitations. Devotion means divine love. Love is a result of sensitivity in the form of oneness of soul, compassion, generosity, science and good-will. When these sacred sensations go beyond the arenas of imagination and emotions so as to manifest in our day to day activities, it can be seen in the form of self-creation and world creation. One yearns to surrender and help others to surrender at the Lord’s feet by imbibing faith and divine energy. One continuously reflects on this aspect and then starts acting thus too.

This is that very state which can be called awakening of the Bliss Sheath. This is the supreme state of devotion to the 5-sheathed Gayatri. One continuously experiences divinity. The Lord is subtler than the subtlest and thus one realizes/experiences Him as divine sentiments. It is indeed very childish to try and visualize God as a toy in front of our eyes. When it is a fact that we cannot see air, cold, friendship, anger, joy, sorrow etc. with our eyes, how is it possible to “see” God with our material eyes when He is beyond human thought and intelligence? Those who do not visualize such images, merely give us a glimpse of the intensity of their meditative consciousness. Apart from day-dreaming, it cannot be called anything else. True vision (Darshan) of God is an experience of divinity within our consciousness. For that, one has to go on a long journey with the 2 legs of faith and devotion.

The Bliss Sheath is the fount of faith and devotion. Over here one experiences the blissful union with God. Thus in order to fulfil the goal of meeting God, Indian Rishis laid down the path of a high leveled 5-sheathed Gayatri based spiritual practice. In the emotional area, the result of this divine union is experienced as bliss or zest. Bliss means experiencing intense joy on seeing the divine aspect of this world. Zest means the valor and daring with which we overcome the vile, demonic aspect of this world. That vow of God that He will incarnate in this world so as to establish righteousness after destroying unrighteousness, can be seen fulfilled by a spiritual seeker in his own psyche. Such a seeker feels that the Lord has incarnated in his psyche as bliss/zest and faith/devotion. This is the sensitive aspect of the Bliss Sheath.

AUTHOR: Shriram Sharma Acharya founder of the International Gayatri Family was a great Yogi seer and incarnation of God who wrote volumes of scientific literature mainly on spiritual subjects for world welfare and peace. For more scientific e-books visit: http://www.shriramsharma.com/ and http://www.awgp.org/ KEYWORDS: Kundalini Yoga Gayatri e-books biography Guru world peace mind psyche god nerve subtle consciousness soul divine trance endocrine glands ESP Chakras plexus meditation concentration intellect prophecy thought thinking Cheiro Nostradamus Aurobindo bliss brain Vedas solar sun energy sacred pure sense organs Prana Avatar Upanishad light cell hypothalamus pituitary transformation futurist prediction serpent power life human ethics integrity character vagus Tantra Mooladhar atom neutron proton DESCRIPTION: Free e-books on Future Scientific Religion, Gayatri Science & Kundalini Yoga correlated to Neurosciences-ESP, Endocrinology, Anatomy, Psychology & Sociology for 1) material & spiritual prosperity & 2) uniting the world peacefully as a family. Ours is a strictly non-commercial website which aims at realizing the age old dream of great leaders and thinkers of the world: A beautiful borderless world.