“When you make a vow or a decision, don’t expect it to go smoothly. If everything goes smoothly, where is the test to prove that you will stick to that vow? You should even be concerned if no tests come. If you vow not to eat sweets, soon someone will offer you the most tempting treat. If you vow to wake up every morning at 4:30 for meditation, suddenly you’ll feel so tired. If you vow to treat your spouse as divine, probably at first he or she will look and act like a god. Then all of a sudden, that same god will turn into something terrible! Don’t waver in your vow, continue to think of him or her as divine. If you pass the test, the situation has become a great instrument for your spiritual growth.”
Resharing this 2011 post from my blog, Soaring with God:
Yoga class is a spiritual (even religious) experience for me, even when I’m working as the teacher. I take it seriously and put my entire heart and soul into it.
For me, the class begins 15-30 minutes before the actual start time – when I enter the room and prepare it for class. I like the room to be a certain way: Everything neat and clean; mats and props stored in their proper places; lights on a dim setting; calming music playing in the background. Creating this kind of “yoga atmosphere” provides a pleasant space for my students to enter and prepare themselves for class.
The door to the room is kept open until the class begins. For me, the act of closing the door is a spiritual experience. It symbolizes the creation of a sacred space where people feel held, accepted, loved – where the heart, mind and soul can expand without interference.
I choose music to inspire without distracting the mind. I use a short meditation (usually a quote from a spiritual master) which is read to the class at the beginning and again in the middle of class. These are intended to help students connect with themselves (and others) on all levels – including the mental and spiritual realms.
As I teach, I have a sense that I’m accessing a universal creativity that comes from God. It’s delicate, subtle and precious. I am filled with awe.
I connect to the peace, love and joy of God and then try to share that with my students. It’s much more than a physical workout. In fact, for me, the physical part is secondary to everything else that’s going on in the class – within myself and within my students.
Toward the end of class, as students are lying in final relaxation, I often find myself spontaneously moved into prayer for them as individual souls. Within my heart, I pray for them and for the world.
We conclude class with a sense of wholeness (I even venture to call it holiness) – and a spoken prayer that as we go out into the rest of our daily lives, we may live our lives from our peaceful, loving, joyful center. For me, that center is God, always with us.
We can see the thoughts that come up in our minds the same way a mirror “sees” things. A mirror just notices. It registers whatever passes in front of it without holding on to it in any way. It just lets go. It doesn’t think about it or have a long conversation about it. Since the mirror doesn’t cling to the object that it is reflecting, when the object goes, so does the reflection. It’s the same way with your mind. We don’t hold on to the random thoughts that arise over and over again in our minds and that can take us away from the full experience of now. We want to be aware only of our breath and nothing else. The moment that we become aware that a thought has taken form, we just relax and allow it to pass. We just notice the thoughts and we return to our breath. If nothing grabs onto the thoughts as they arise, they will keep on moving on, leaving no trace that they were ever there. Let your mind be like the mirror. Clear mirror, clear mind.
(in “Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace”)
For about twelve years, I’ve been enjoying the Daily Meditations offered by the Franciscan priest, Richard Rohr, and the Center for Action and Contemplation. This week, the theme for the meditations is “The Way of Jesus.” As I read today’s message, I found myself reflecting on its similarity to the teachings of Yoga….
Here’s a quote:
I believe that we rather totally missed Jesus’ major point when we made a religion out of him instead of realizing he was giving us a message of simple humanity, vulnerability, and nonviolence that was necessary for the reform of all religions—and for the survival of humanity….
“Jesus is a person and, at the same time, a process. Jesus is the Son of God, but at the same time he is ‘the Way.’ Jesus is the goal, but he’s also the means, and the means is always the way of the cross.”
There’s so much here that meshes with the ancient teachings and practices of Yoga. For example, Yoga is built upon the foundation of simplicity, nonviolence, and compassion. We need these practices more than ever if humanity expects to survive – and if we hope to save this planet from exploitation and destruction.
And, as Jesus is described as both the goal and the means to the goal, Yoga (which ultimately means union with God), is both the goal and the means to that goal. The “way of the cross” refers to the ability to hold all the opposites of life in balance: The vertical and the horizontal aspects of life must be joined. For example, the ways of spirit and the ways of community/fellowship must be united.
I love how the deeper spiritual teachings from every religion always offer the same lessons for humanity. In this case, there’s agreement between Yoga and Christianity. These teachings have survived for thousands of years because they still offer useful information and practices. I pray that we learn the value of these teachings rather than always assuming that modern guidelines are somehow more relevant for our times. On the contrary, certain lessons are timeless and can be trusted.
Today, as we prepare to usher in the new year 2023, I share inspiring excerpts from the New Year’s message of Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887-1963):
By the command of the Indestructible Being, minutes, hours, days and nights stand apart. By the command of the Immortal Brahman, months, years, seasons and solstices stand apart. [The one] who knows this Indestructible Being is a liberated sage or Jivanmukta.
Time rolls on. New becomes old and old becomes new again. Today is the most auspicious New Year’s day. God has given you another chance this year to enable you to strive for your salvation. Today man is. Tomorrow he is not. Therefore avail yourself of this golden opportunity, struggle hard and reach the goal of life. Make the best use of every moment of this New Year. Unfold all latent faculties. Here is a chance to begin life anew, to grow and evolve and become a superhuman or a great dynamic Yogi….
Be thou a spiritual warrior of Truth. Put on the armor of [spiritual] discrimination. Wear the shield of dispassion. Hold the flag of Dharma. . . . Blow the conch of courage. Kill the enemies of doubt, ignorance, passion and egoism and enter the illimitable kingdom of blissful Brahman. Possess the imperishable wealth of Atma. Taste the divine immortal essence. Drink the nectar of Immortality.
May this bright New Year’s day and all the succeeding days of this year and all the future years also bring you all success, peace, prosperity and happiness. May you all tread the path of Truth and righteousness! May you enjoy the eternal bliss of the Absolute, leading a divine life, singing Lord’s name, sharing what you have with others, serving the poor and the sick . . . and melting the mind in silent meditation in the Supreme Self.
Holistic Yoga & Spiritual Guidance 