My first experience on Vipassana was very insightful. I loved that I was brave enough to sit in silence for 10 days. That alone was a feat in itself along with being awed by the technique and the deep realisation/understanding of True Self over the ego mind which likes to think it’s the true self.  One observes mind and matter, the rising and falling of everything in nature and how everything is in a constant flux of change.

I was curious to know what would happen if I sat a second course. I also have to admit my meditation practice had deteriorated and I could see myself slipping back into old habit patterns of the mind including stress, fear and pointless reaction to unwanted experiences.  It was time to sit in silence once again, to reset my mind and soul.

My recent experience on Vipassana was completely different.   Now I realise the first course had merely blown the dust off the surface of my true being.   I could feel a huge difference.  The technique penetrated at a deep level leading to profound awareness of how beneficial the practice is.  I could now measure against the changes I felt since the first course.

While on Vipassana I experienced moments of pure joy when a smile would spontaneously spread across my face and stay there for hours. I had moments of pure boredom, frustration and desperation to get back to normal life.  I spent a couple of days crying.  Uncontrollable tears poured down my face. I became fully aware of stored sorrow and pain that was only now coming to the surface and passing away.  It was a powerful release. For a few days on the course I felt the most peaceful I’ve ever felt. A wave of calm poured over my body and mind.  I was in a state of utmost tranquility.  It was a wonderful moment.  However the practice of Vipassana teaches that everything is constantly changing. Therefore I knew my inner state of bliss was going to change so I practiced accepting and enjoying it, without holding or attaching on to it.  How I felt throughout the course did change again and again and again .  Although there was a constant state of inner clam that enveloped every uncomfortable thought, sensation, moment.  This is Vipassana.

Vipassana is the practice of keeping the mind balanced or equanimous, (as our teacher Goenka likes to say).  Through continued effort one learns to master the mind so it remains equal to sensations in the body or to thoughts whether they are pleasant or unpleasant.  One experiences through observation of the physical body that every action, every thought, every feeling rises and passes away.. Every moment rises and passes away. Every person rises and passes away.  The universe is rising and will eventually pass away. This is the observation that one immerses into over ten days.

To understand this on a physical and emotional level brings new light to the spiritual practice of non-attachment.  Why attach to anything if nothing lasts?  That is not to say that we shouldn’t enjoy life, relationships, wealth and abundance of all kinds.  It’s the level of un-attachment that is important. (I will get more into this topic in my next blog).

The Dhamma Organisation recommends sitting* for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening.  Until now I didn’t understand why it has to be an hour, surely a half hour is enough for a daily practice.  With experience I now know it takes an hour to reach the deeper layers of body and mind through this technique. The first twenty minutes is only a warm up comparable to the sun salute on the yoga mat.  Since back from Vipassana I have been sitting for an hour in the morning and sometimes a half hour in the evening.  It’s enough for me to work with for now, a huge achievement in comparison to the half hour I used to sit a few days a week.  To be honest I’ll see how long it lasts.  I often start out new practices with great intentions that can often fall away.  Although this time I am aware it is different.  I notice a shift.  The early morning meditation is most precious to me. If I don’t get around to it, which I haven’t once or twice, I miss the calm, peaceful, centred lead into the day.  It’s worthwhile getting out of bed an hour earlier even if that means a 6.30 rise.

Its funny how people look at me sideways when I tell them about sitting in silence for 10 days.  A look of half admiration, half concern that I have reached a state of madness.  I wont pretend it’s easy… It’s not.  Every moment is challenging, every moment is rewarding. It is the climbing Mount Everest Version of meditation. Really though, in a lifetime ten days is a very short time.  The practice of Vipassana offers invaluable levels of awareness, peace and freedom. This is the art of living taught by the Enlightened One, The Bhuddha. Think about it.

Be Happy, Be Peaceful, Be Free.

Sinead.

* To Sit is the modern term used for a meditation practice.

I first heard about Vipassana 8 years ago when a friend of mine was about to embark on a meditation retreat. After he explained to me that this was a ten day silent meditation retreat my reaction was not a hope would you catch me on that. The thought of sitting with only my thoughts for 10 whole days made me feel anxious to say the least. I was scared of my own mind. However it did plant a seed in my head as I thought someday I would be ready for a Vipassana retreat. Eight years on I was ready for the very Om-bitious challenge.

Days before I was about to embark on the retreat I began to refer to it jokingly as Spiritual Gaol. I met a friend who frequently goes on Vipassana retreats and joked with her about going to gaol for new years and her response was, yes it is kind of like that. Needless to say that was not what I wanted to hear! I was nervous as I knew it was going to be more then challenging if she was still saying that after her 5th ten day Vipassana retreat. However the excitement of what I was going to experience took over from the nerves.

On the retreat the day started at 4.30am and ended at 9.30 p.m with 12 hours of meditation practice a day. Some of these hours were supervised meditation and others you did the meditation practice on your own either in the meditation hall or in your room. I suppose it’s up to you how much you meditate in the unsupervised hours. The first two days I took a sneaky nap or two but after listening to the evening discourse taught by Goenka I decided I might as well practice the technique seriously. After all there was no point in admitting myself to spiritual gaol if I didn’t give it 100%. According to Goenka one needs the 10 days of serious practice for the technique to really begin working.

For the first three days the focus is a meditation technique called Anapana. Anapana is practiced to calm the body and mind in preparation for Vipassana. Without this lead in practice it would be impossible to focus on Vipassana. The Vipassana technique began on the fourth day. I can’t explain to you the exact technique as it needs to be taught to you by a trained Vipassana teacher but I can tell you what it’s all about.

Firstly Vipassana is the meditation technique that Gautama Buddha practiced to reach enlightenment in its most authentic form. Like Christianity Buddhism is not what the Buddha himself practiced but a variation of his teachings. The meaning of Buddha is enlightened one. There were many Buddha’s before Gautama and have been many since. Buddha did not create Buddhism as Jesus didn’t create Christianity. As far as I can tell they both wanted us to be them not to worship them. Vipassana is the road to being Buddha.

While on Vipassana you have to take vows including silence and not to practice any other prayers, mantras, rituals even Reiki is not allowed. The reason for this is they want you to experience Vipasana in its most authentic form without any other outside influence. You are allowed to talk to the teacher if you have a question or difficulty related to the technique and you can talk to management if you have an issue with accommodation, illness, food or general logistics.

As I love to practice mantra I was curious as to why I couldn’t while learning Vipassana so I quizzed the teacher about this one day. I expected to hear that they don’t believe in mantra but it’s quite the opposite. The teacher told me that mantras are very powerful and they put a shield or layer over you. What Vipassana is doing is stripping away all layers to get you to your core. There is no point according to her to do both Vipassana and mantra as they counteract the effects of each other. One is stripping down while the other at the same time would be building another layer.

Vipassana is core meditation. It’s not dressed up in any fancy philosophy or spirituality. You don’t have to be spiritual or believe in anything to experience this practice although it would help to have the spiritual understanding that we are all living in the mode of Samskara (Pali* term for pain and suffering) and stuck on the cycle of birth and rebirth which causes more pain and more suffering.

It’s a wonderful technique for the person with the logical mind or even a suspicious mind as the essence of the technique is simply experiential and makes logical sense. Do it and experience it for yourself. The meditation technique is very physical. It has to do with feeling sensations in your body. As you practice this meditation one becomes aware of “Anicca” (the Pali* term for impermanence). Because of Anicca one has to remain equanimous (evenness of mind) to all that is happening in your body as you meditate. You do not judge what is happening as the law of Anicca is the law of impermanence. As nothing is permanent you begin to understand the fickleness of life and all we attach ourselves to. The practice of Vipassana is the road to nonattachment to all worldly mater even our own body mater.

While the essence of the practice is quite simple one has to be careful that they are getting it right. When practicing Vipassana we experience moments of ease and moments of unease. As the technique is delivering us from cravings and aversions one has to be careful that they are not creating more cravings and aversions while doing the technique. This is where one has to be very careful of the mind and watch the mind. While being aware of what’s going on in the body or mind one has to remain equanimous to this and not judging, not wanting the sensations to last or go away. It doesn’t matter if the mind is off daydreaming about nonsense as long as one is still practicing the technique and not creating cravings and aversions.

The first day was by far the most difficult for me. I found the situation quite depressing as it did remind me of a concentration camp or gaol. The women are split from the men for the entire 10 days. There was no heating in the building on the first day and being the coldest winter I couldn’t put enough clothes on me to keep me warm. We queued in silence for food that was served in massive saucepans. The dining room was dim and dull. Every moment of that day I considered leaving but I knew that if I left I might not ever give it another go. I had got myself there and was determined to stay. I kept singing in my mind The Doors “Break on Through to The Other Side” to encourage me and I did break through to the other side. The other side was when I stopped considering leaving and found ease within what I was doing. It was constant hard work and never easy but I did find moments of ease and I felt more uplifted at the fact that I was there doing it.

Sitting in meditation for hours a day was both taxing on the body and on the mind. After years of yoga practice and 9 alone of teaching behind me I thought I had build up some credits and would be able to sit in comfort as I meditated. My upper back ached most of the time and my left leg was in a lot of pain most of the time. I think I was lucky in the sense that the pain I experienced was in the same area. I did experience Anicca (impermanence) with the pain as sometimes is subsided and more so toward the end of the ten days.

As you have nothing to distract you from your thoughts, no books, no t.v., no conversation one becomes really aware of what’s going on in the mind. You realize the thinking mind, which I refer to as the ego mind, is full of nonsense. Not only that but it is constantly jumping around. The monkey mind is one moment thinking about breakfast, the next a conversation that happened a year ago, the next where you are going on holidays. It jumps around thinking about one thing and then another while rarely being in the present moment. Sometimes it attaches itself to something you’re not happy with and goes on and on and on until you are so fed up of listening to it.

I found myself one day being really frustrated with my mind and really wanting it to simply shut up. So off I went to the teacher again. She told me to try to think of the constant thoughts as the rain outside the window but it is not who I am. So I went away thinking about that. Later on that evening when my mind was still going and going I had a moment of realization. This realization alone made the entire ten days worthwhile for me. I was, for the first time, able to detach myself from my thoughts. I had connected to my inner awareness, my true self. While I had known this from reading and studying yoga philosophy I had never experienced the awareness of it to that level. I realized the constant thinking is the mind simply doing what it needs to do so I should therefore just let it at it instead of trying to fight it. I realized and fully experienced the awareness behind thought. I experienced that this awareness behind the thought is actually who I am which ultimately is what spiritual authors and leaders are trying to get us to understand. As Ekhart Tolle explains in his book A New Earth that Decartes famous quote “ I think so therefore I am” no longer has any value. If one is aware of thinking then you are not what you think you are the awareness behind what you think.

I suddenly understood all the different layers to my mind and hence the layers of whom I am. I realized three layers alone of my conscious mind. Firstly The thinking ego mind, secondly the mind that is still able to focus on the meditation technique as the ego mind goes on and on and thirdly the awareness that lies underneath all of that. The ego mind had become much weaker to the awareness mind. It also made me wonder that if I am experiencing three layers of my conscious mind how many layers of my subconscious mind exist and what do I hold in these layers.

Often people think that meditating is about stopping the mind from thinking when in actual fact meditating is about experiencing all that is happening at that time. The thinking mind is always going to be there because that is what is does, it thinks. With the practice of meditation one becomes more aware of what one is thinking and how one is thinking. The part of the ego mind that wants to sabotage your life with drama’s, cravings and aversions becomes quiet but only because you learn not to feed it. The less you feed it the less it has to live on. The rain of thought outside the window moves further away while the subtle awareness becomes your inner sound. You get to know your true self.

Vipassana is probably the hardest thing I have ever done yet very doable. I’ve been referring to it as the climbing Mount Everest version of meditation. While reaching the top of the ten days is incredibly rewarding it’s the lessons on the journey that are the most valuable. It is the best thing that anyone can do for themselves. It’s a lesson on mind, matter and meditation. You do the practice and you experience it on a physical, mental and emotional level. You leave the benefits up to Dhamma. Dhamma is the law of nature that leads us to liberation. We begin to trust in that law of nature and move in flow with life instead of fighting against it. We move out of our pain and suffering caused by cravings and aversion. We become present and find true happiness and knowledge of the Truth.

I highly recommend learning this technique and hope that this article has encouraged a few to embark on the journey. Or maybe it has planted a seed in your mind as it did for me eight years ago. It may not be right for you now but you know some day you’ll be ready for the challenge and ready to get to know your true self.

Bhavatu Saba Mangalam

May all beings be happy, may all beings be peaceful, may all beings be free.

Vipassan Worldwide, visit www.Dhamma.org

Vipassana Ireland e.mail: info@ie.dhamma.org

* Pali is a forgotten language that was spoken by Gautama Buddha. It is similar to Sanskrit in sound and when written.

Often I go for a walk in Herbert Park in Ballsbridge early in the morning. Sometimes I see a man I guess to be in his late 60′s and homeless. He has long and wild grey hair, a chubby red and friendly but distant face. Because he always wears football shorts I know one of his legs is not fully developed and he drags it a little. He has an old racing bicycle that he sometimes cycles with his good leg doing all the work and sometimes he walks with it using it lean on. His young little brown dog follows him loyally, it looks like a cross between a collie and a terrier.

Last Wednesday, the 1st of February, you might remember it was a very cold night and morning, the frost never really thawed all day. I was a little late arriving in the park, it was about 08:30 and the old man appeared and I saw him walking in his bare feet, as always, across the frozen solid grass wheeling his bike as the dog played with anything he could find and barked at the less wild dogs out for their morning walk.

The sun was coming up over the trees lighting the frosty grass as he walked towards one of the cherry blossom trees that you find in Herbert Park, I wondered where he was going. He took of his old coat and put it on the grass under the small tree and after a short pause put his head on the coat and raised himself to a perfectly still handstand. I looked on amazed as I’ve been trying to do that for a while without too much success. I continued my walk keeping an eye on this calm man holding himself upside down in his shorts, I guess it was still minus one or two degrees. I watched and watched and after half an hour I though I should take a photo to remind me of what I’d seen. I walked over to him and his dog who was sitting peacefully beside his master but as I got closer the dog came to me growling, I was only allowed to get so close. That’s when I took this photo…

I usually would have left at this stage but I wanted to see how long he was going to stay in the handstand position. After 45 minutes he dropped his legs, sat on his coat for about 5 minutes and then continued on his way, leaning on the bike as he wheeled it with the dog running in circles around him.

(Andrew only began yoga mid summer last year and is already hooked to this ancient art.  He is a valuable participant in the  Wednesday evening class.  His own goal is to be able to hold headstand comfortably.  He’s very close.! Impressive for a yoga beginner.)

Intentions fo the Heart

At the beginning of a yoga class we often set intentions.  The physical practice on the mat can be considered a creative expression of these intentions.  The themes I work with in class are broadly related to non-attachment, gratitude, giving and receiving, creative action, conscious living, conscious practice, loving kindness, open body-open mind… and many others.   As we begin the New Year I offer “setting intentions” as the intention itself.  To set intention is an important practice, whether or not you are a yoga practitioner.  It is important to tune to your body, your breath, and your heart in order to connect with your true desires, rather than the mind’s deceptions.  One must stay grounded in intentions to move forward both spiritually and emotionally.

The physical yoga practice can help us develop this process.  Setting strong foundations on the yoga mat could be viewed as a metaphor for setting strong intentions in how we live.  In standing postures we ground the feet down to the mat, we fortify the legs, and draw that power to our core centre.  The core centre is considered the emotional area of the body, so this action helps to develop a strong connection to deep emotions.  In postures such as downward dog and plank pose, we press the hands into the mat and draw energetically from both hands and feet to our spiritual heart between our shoulder blades.  This action not only softens and opens the heart, it also develops stability, strength, and confidence in the action of listening to your heart.  From the heart we extend back along the torso, out through the limbs, all the way to the foundation in the hands and feet – or metaphorically, from our heart we extend back out to the world.  The heart is where our intuition, compassion, and wisdom live, together making up the True Self.

So as the New Year begins, I encourage you to listen to your heart and begin to set strong intentions based on your true heart’s desires.  Instead of making lists of New Year’s resolutions of physical actions, make lists of how you would like to feel, how you would like to be, in the coming year.  Maybe you want to laugh more, to love more, to be stress free, to be healthier, to let go of worries.  Maybe you need to work with trusting in life more (this is a good one as we could all do with trusting in life!).

Sit in silence focusing on the flow of your breath.  Place your attention at the spiritual heart, at the centre of your chest, and set your intentions there.  The more time you can spend focusing on the heart centre, the more tuned-in you will become with the steps you could take to have a more fulfilling life.

The year ahead is the dawning of a time, according to the Myans.  An age where we begin to move from a place of truth, wisdom, and compassion, instead of a place of self centred power and self gain.  A powerful global shift in consciousness is already happening.  As long as you are being true to yourself and others, you will be fully supported in the realisation of your heart’s desires.  You don’t have to worry about how it will all manifest.  Simply trust, allowing the force of nature to carry you along the way.

The entire universe wants you to realise your True Self and will support you in doing so.  Setting the intention to work with your heart’s desires throughout 2012 is worthwhile.  It is living with the awareness of the rising of a New Age and a very positive start to the New Year.

Be Happy, Be Peaceful, Be Free.

Sinead.

While going with the flow of this temporary low I found myself grieving for the yoga studio I closed last year, realising I hadn’t allowed myself to do so at the time.  To deal with closing down my dream and vision I kept going, taking up yoga classes immediately in other local studios.  It just goes to show you how life catches up with you eventually.  Now I wonder if the minor personal challenge was a catalyst to let go and release the running of a yoga studio and other career goals I have not been able to achieve.

During this down period other parts of my life suffered.  I didn’t feel inspired to write blogs; my yoga teaching and own personal practice lacked enthusiasm.  Only yoga teachers can understand what it’s like to go through these phases.  On the outside, to everyone who comes to yoga, most classes are exactly like any normal class.  For the yoga teacher, there is concern that if one isn’t feeling inspired on their own yoga mat how can you benefit your yoga students?  Therefore the job is not being done well.  I can’t say every yoga teacher feels this way.  I certainly do and it can weigh on my mind, which doesn’t help matters.

Thankfully, a few weeks ago I felt myself come back to life.  While deep in thought one day I found myself saying in my mind “I am looking forward to being back to myself”.   As I caught myself thinking this I corrected that thought – giving recognition to the ‘not myself period’ as a very full and vital part of me.   This train of thought reminded me of a blog I had posted a few months ago: Lila’s Lotus Flower, describing the metaphoric significance of the lotus flower according to tantra philosophy. The lotus flower dips its head under water at night to travel through the murky waters of materialism, through the waters of experience, before it can once again become a thousand petals that signify the light of enlightenment.

I realised my down time had been a temporary and crucial dive underwater.  The minute I reflected on this everything shifted.  I suddenly felt excited knowing that my petals are about to appear in all their glory once again.  What was even more rewarding was the joy I felt to be back to my positive, motivated and ambitious self with new founded appreciation.  I would almost say I had a level of acknowledgment I had not previously felt.

My down time reminded me that in order to experience joy we have to experience challenging moments.   There is no light without darkness, there is no pleasure without pain.   All we can hope for is the ability to move through difficult times with relative ease, knowing there is always light at the end of the tunnel and learning in it all.   I am more reassured in this philosophy and fully believe the more we can accept life as it comes the happier we will be.  The continued practice of yoga, meditation and reflection supports and develops this very valuable peace of mind.

Be happy, Be peaceful, Be Free!

Sinead.

Juice Time!

A diet rich in antioxidants and chlorophyll is especially necessary while detoxing. Antioxidants include vitamins A, C & E, which can be taken as supplements, but are more readily absorbed from consuming a variety of colourful fruit and vegetables. Leafy vegetables are a great choice and tend to have the highest source of chlorophyll, one of the main substances in super-green foods such as spirulina and chlorella.

Juicing fruit and vegetables has a powerful anti-oxidizing effect. Admittedly, in today’s economical environment, juicing can be expensive, costing as much as €20 for fruit and vegetebables that may only last for two days. On a ten day detox it can add up!  Thankfully, there are plenty of other affordable ways to use foods. Here are some good tips:

1. Hot water with a squeeze of lemon juice is one of the most powerful anti-oxidizing drinks. Even though lemons are considered an acidic fruit, the constitution of the fruit changes when it hits the digestive system becoming alkaline. It is the best thing you can do for your digestive system first thing in the morning.

2. Green tea, rich in chlorophyll. There are many green teas now available on the market. Some can be very expensive, such as Macha, however more affordable brands are widely available. Sencha is very popular.

3. Make salads, soups or steam with these chlorophyll rich foods including chard, kale, collard, mustard, spinach, alfalfa, sea vegetables, leaf lettuce, broccoli and green beans. Use these instead of spending money on expensive supplements such as spirulina, chlorella, and green algae.

4. Add herbs and spices to your diet that have powerful anti-oxidizing benefits such as tumeric, ginger root, oregano, cyan pepper, parsley and rosemary.

5. Brown rice is powerful liver cleanser so make sure you add lots to your diet. Try brown basmati rice.

6. Oat is a powerful colon cleanser. Along with porridge in the morning time, oatcakes are great to have on your side to snack throughout your day.

Benefits Include:

• Eliminates/reduces toxins and pollutants in the body
• Purifies Blood
• Promotes healthy eating
• Cleanses mucus congestion
• Improves digestion
• Promotes weight loss.
• Increased energy
• Reforms lifestyle addictions to sugar, caffeine, alcohol
• Increases Metabolism
• Promotes clarity of mind and sharp focus
• Improves Concentration
• Improves skins complexion
• Improves general sense well-being
• Improves flexibility
• Deepens yoga practice
• Promotes ease in meditation.

Next week I’ll post a 20 minute detox yoga practice.

Hope to see you soon on the yoga mat.

Peace,

Sinead.

Sri Dharma Mittra

It is widely acknowledged that one of the best ways to keep the body looking young and toxic free is a yoga practice, be that daily or weekly.  For some inspiration, take a look at Sri Dharma Mittra, who is approaching 75.  While the picture can only illustrate the physical benefits of yoga, his mind is just as sharp, his words resonate with students worldwide who are fortunate enough to participate in one of his fully booked workshops.

Spinal Twist

Spinal twists and inversions are the two types of postures that increase the body’s natural capacity for detoxifying, which you can do from the comfort of your own living space.  A spinal twist is just that: twisting the body around the spine.  This action squeezes the liver and spleen and massages abdominal organs.  Inversions, such as headstand and shoulder-stand, turn the body upside down.  This is like a pushing the fast-forward button on how blood flows to the heart.  Here, blood is purified,  this triggers a rush of blood to the face, aiding complexion and yielding a youthful glow. Any posture that holds the hips higher than the heart is considered an inversion.  The basic yoga pose, “downward dog,” has detoxing benefits, for example.

Downward Dog

Just like beginning a new exercise regime, a substantial detox can be challenging and difficult particularly at the beginning.  A three-day detox will be powerful enough to help recharge the system, and remember that even one day is better than none.  A ten-day detox is optimum.  The first three days are generally the most difficult on both body and mind.  During this phase it is important to understand these feelings subside and make way for some of the benefits such as clarity of mind and spritely energy.

A detox sharpens mentality.  It is amazing how a simple “spring cleaning” works for the mind, allowing it to be light and present.   With this clarity of mind and ability to be present, it is easier and more enjoyable to as work, do yoga, and meditate.   For this reason, detoxing once every five months is ideal.

The body has its own, natural, detoxifying process, a robust system that works well and includes the circulatory, digestive and the lymphatic systems.  However, the demands on this intelligent, anatomical system can wear and become exhausted due to an overload of pesticides and chemicals in food, water, the atmosphere, environmental pollutants, and consumption of saturated fat.  Top this off with an increased use of toxic substances such as sugar, caffeine and alcohol, and our bodies can be put under an abnormal amount of pressure.

Committing to a 10-day detox can be of utmost benefit to aid the body’s natural detoxifying process.  Not only will a well-rounded detox give the body a chance to eliminate the excess build up of toxins, it will also recharge the natural system to once again work at its optimum level.

More next week including a detox yoga practice.

Om Shanti,

Sinead.

Wealth is often referred to only as a monetary unit, and many consider money the most important asset.  Some go to extreme lengths to gain financially, using corruption, dishonesty, and bullying to make a financial gain out of every situation.

Today’s modern world has been so driven by financial success and achievement; it has brought about stress, anxiety, and a deep sense of fear.  These initials affects all too often lead to more serious problems such as ill health.  The fear of loosing all you have is felt deeply, and the constant worry about not having enough can be soul destroying.  When we sit back and comprehend the motivation behind wealth it’s actually quite a sad way to live.  Indeed, how many times do we here songs, poems, spiritual scripts point out the opposite.  Money does not buy happiness.  In the words of Johnny Cash, “It’s hard to find one rich man in ten with a satisfied mind.”

Naturally, I am not concluding that all wealthy people are unhappy.  That would be a ridiculous statement.  Of course, there are the wealthy who are extremely happy people with a true sense of inner contentment and joy.  I think these people go about creating their wealth in a significantly different way, generated first by being rich in mind.

While in the past few hundred years we have been obsessed with creating more money, it’s now time to change the way we perceive wealth.  With the collapse of banking around the world, it seems we are now being forced to look in a different direction, in a different light.  Paradoxically, our obsession with money has made many less well off, financially and otherwise.

From my point of view, a wealthy life comes down to attitude.  While my annual income is well within the norm, I feel I have an extremely wealthy life.  My wealth is an abundance of health, friends, happiness, work, peace of mind, contentment, laughter, and joy.  When I focus on creating more abundance in my life, these are all the things I focus on.  Financial abundance comes after the long list above; however, I believe if you are completely content in all areas of your life, then money will more readily flow.

To create a life full of abundance one needs to begin from a mind that is rich.  To achieve this state, the first most important attitude is trust.  To trust we need to let go of fear and know that money is only another form of energy.  Scientifically speaking, energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another. Therefore in knowing this, we should be able to let go of the fear of not having enough.  Then, we can focus on what we have, even if you consider this to be very little.  For example out of a tiny seed grows an abundance of flowers.  If we trust in all we have and let go of fear, I am confident more abundance – in all its many forms – will enrich our lives.

The second most important attitude to creating an abundant life is gratitude.  Being grateful for all one has creates a positive mind and body.  Being grateful energetically signals a message that you are open to more, and thankful for what you receive.  Gratitude is a way of offering a gesture and showing you are aware of abundance.  Being grateful for all you have is satisfying and inevitably stirs a smile.  When we are aware of abundance, we create more abundance.

Positive focus is the third most important attitude, or as I like to say P.M.A. – Positive, Mental, Attitude.  We are all aware that being positive creates more positivity; being negative can act like a bad virus in the body, multiplying at a fast and rapid pace.  Being positive is a high road to true inward and outward success.  When we move from a place of positivity, we realise the good in everything and all beings.  Mother nature will respond in offering more positive outcomes to you.  In doing this we find peace of mind, inner contentment, and joy.

The fourth most important attitude is to always move from a place of truth.  Being true to yourself and those around you offers respect towards self and others.  Living in your own truth will guide you on a path that will serve your higher purpose.  You may experience a deep connection to your inner self and a centeredness of inner peace.

Practicing the four attitudes above will help achieve a rich mind and abundant life.  From there, the possibilities for all kinds of abundance are endless.  However, you may realise that you are truly content just as you are, having no need or want for more.

For now, I’ll leave you with one of my favourite songs, “A Satisfied Mind” by Johnny Cash.

I’d love to know your thoughts on a wealthy life so feel free to post comments or get in touch.

Om Shanti,

Sinead

Ollie in Virabhandrasana ii

Without doubt my favourite yoga pose is one of the Warrior, or Virabhadrasana, poses. These poses challenge the body’s strength and flexibility, and extend the body into striking geometric forms. I find warrior 2 particularly energizing. It demands stretch, strength and stability – legs and arms are extended yet a strong sense of grounding derives from the wide and sure stance. I guess I also can’t help but enjoy the feeling of majesty invoked by the warrior’s stance. Sinead often invites the class to hold the pose for long periods and to drop deaper at the hips, challenging us each time in the pose. I’m still working to achieve correct body alignment and especially more openess at the hips, in this and all the warrior poses.

This weeks favourite yoga pose has been chosen by Zonja Bailey.  Bakasana has been chosen before by Stephen which will show you how the challenge of this pose actually motivates people to achieve it, instead of scaring them off.  Zonja holds this posture perfectly, with strength, grace and ease.  She has now moved to the second phase which is dropping her head to the floor and moving into tripod headstand.!  When she gets back from holidaying I’ll video her doing this beautiful  sequence so keep an eye out for more.  Read her inspiring words about Bakasana below.

“I think my favorite posture changes every couple of weeks. My favorites usually mark a milestone in my personal yoga practice. The accomplishment of new poses, and improved strength & flexibility give a feeling of constant improvement.  The poses I come to love usually first present themselves to me as a big challenge -  both physically and mentally.
The first time you kick up in headstand, the first time you lift up in wheel. Your first thought is often ‘How the hell am i going to be able to ever do that?’

Having weedy little girl arms, with not much upper body strength, the idea of arm balancing my body weight on my arms seems an unobtainable feat!  Bakasana (Crow Pose) is a hands down and tail feather in the air pose. It’s a mental adventure to tell yourself go into a pose where your precious face is in danger of slamming into the ground. The first hard part of going into Bakasana is getting over our fear of falling on our face. getting over the fear of falling forward, by placing a blanket in front is a useful tip. Once you’ve fallen once or twice, you realise you’re not going to do too much damage.

Arm balances are hard because we bear our body weight on the arms, which makes them buckle. By pulling into the midline, and grounding the hands (all four corners!) you create strength to create height and balance.The first time I was able to hold it for a few seconds I felt elated! Up in the pose my mind is usually quiet and serene for those few seconds. A feeling of Wow!- check me out! usually reigns.

Arm balances are still a challenge, I have yet still to master Bakasana by trying to move into a straightened arm balance.  I’m hoping with practice of this pose, all the other balances will begin to make sense and blossom. I’m hoping it will lead to accomplishing other poses I find trouble with;  Parsva Bakasana, Astavakrasana, Tolasana and maybe even someday I will even be able to do Koundinyasana.

New and changing favorites in my personal yoga journey excite me, and keep me challenged.  With progress we feel great accomplishment.  For now, whenever I do Crow Pose, I feel like I can do anything!

Zonja”