The Seventh Limb of Yoga: Dhyana

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Julianne Victoria

The seventh of the eight limbs of yoga is Dhyana.                                                            Dhyana (Jhana in Buddhism) isYogini meditation, where the ego and the mind are at rest, and thoughts come and go in pure self-observation. Practicing Dharana, or concentration, can serve as a transition from the chattering mind state to the quieted mind state of Dhyana. With practice this self-observation meditation can lead to a completely still mind, empty of all thought.

It is not easy to get into the Silence. That is only possible by throwing out all mental-vital activities. It is easier to let the Silence descend into you, i.e., to open yourself and let it descend…It is to remain quiet at the time of meditation, not fighting with the mind or making mental efforts to pull down the power or the Silence but keeping only a silent will and aspiration for them.

– Sri Aurobindo, The Integral Yoga

However, in order to be able to practice Dhyana, in order to let thoughts and mind chatter come and go and eventually dissipate, we must learn how to relax the mind and remove stress. Meditation, complete stillness, is possible when our minds are calm and cool. The first six of the eight limbs of yoga are practices that help us to de-stress our lives so that we may reach the state of meditative stillness that is Dhyana.

True meditation leads us to wisdom (jnana) and awareness (prajna), and this specifically helps in understanding that we are more than our ego. For this, one needs the preparations of the postures and the breathing, the withdrawal of the senses and concentration…True meditation is when the knower, the knowledge, and the known become one. This is only possible when one is in a stress-less state. 

– B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life

To actualize the blessedness of meditation you should practice with pure intention and firm determination. Your meditation room should be clean and quiet. Do not dwell on thoughts good or bad. Just relax and forget that you are meditating. Do not desire realization since that thought will keep you confused. 

Sit on a cushion in a manner as comfortable as possible, wearing loose clothing. Hold you body straight without leaning to the left or right, forward or backward. Your ears should be in line with your shoulders, and your nose in a straight line with your navel. Keep your tongue at the roof of your mouth and close your lips. Keep your eyes slightly open, and breathe through your nostrils…Many thoughts will crowd your mind, ignore them, letting them go. If they persist be aware of them with the awareness which does not think. 

– from the Fukanzazengi (Zen Buddhist text)

As in the ocean’s midmost depth no wave is born, but all is still, so let the practitioners be still, be motionless, and nowhere should they swell.

– Sutta-Nipata

I felt in need of a great pilgrimage

So I sat still for three days

And God came to me.

– Kabir 15th century Indian poet

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Art For Peace

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Julianne Victoria
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Art by Peace Art Site. Click for more art!

While looking for some ideas for this month’s Bloggers for Peace Challenge: Art Thou Peaceful I came across the Global Art Project for Peace. “The mission of the Global Art Project is to joyously create a culture of peace through art. The Project celebrates diversity and multi-culturalism while expressing the idea: We Are All One.”

Anyone from any country can participate for a minimal fee or donation. “Participants create a work of art in any medium, expressing their vision of global peace and goodwill. The art is displayed locally in each participant’s community. Global Art Project then organizes an international exchange by matching participants—group-to-group and individual-to-individual resulting in thousands of people sending messages of Peace around the world at one time—visions of unity simultaneously encircle the Earth.”

The next Global Art Project exchange will be April 2014, so those who are interested have plenty of time.

GAP has another ongoing project called Let’s All Join Hands. “People are invited to send a paper outline of their hand with their name, country, and wish for global peace, love, and friendship on it to the Global Art Project. The hands may be created and sent to GAP at any time. Volunteers in Tucson string the hands together as a visual expression of the thousands of people who join their energy together to create Peace. The paper hands are exhibited as a source of inspiration and a book of paper hands The Handbook for Peace is planned for publication.”

As Kozo so wisely stated: I believe that art has the ability to transform the soul. If art can change a soul, then it can change the world.

Check out other Peaceful Bloggers

Join the Peace Movement 

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The Sixth Limb of Yoga: Dharana

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Julianne Victoria

The sixth of the eight limbs of yoga is Dharana.                                                              Dharana means concentration, but moreBlueLotus specifically it means holding the mind steady on a single focus. By focusing on an object in the mind, such as the lotus, a deity, or even the breath         (Pranayama), we take the initial step for entering into the deep state of meditation, Dhyana. In practicing Dharana, we are still meditators aware that we are meditating, sustaining the flow of our concentration to purify the mind and our intelligence (buddhi) in order to attain true awareness.

As instructed by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita:

Those who aspire to the state of yoga should seek the Self in inner solitude through meditation. With body and mind controlled they should constantly practice one-pointedness, free from expectations and attachment to material possessions. 

Select a clean spot, neither too high nor too low, and seat yourself firmly on a cloth, a deerskin, and kusha grass. Then, once seated, strive to still your thoughts. Make your mind one-pointed in meditation, and your heart will be purified. Hold your body, head, and neck firmly in a straight line, and keep your eyes from wandering. With all fears dissolved in the peace of the Self and all desires dedicated to Brahman, controlling the mind and fixing it on me, sit in meditation with me as your only goal.

And as Buddha explained in the Anguttara Nikaya:

Thus (referring to attachments) concentration is not yet properly calm or refined; it has not attained full tranquility, nor has it achieved mental unification. But there comes a time when the practitioner’s mind gains firmness within, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated. With such a concentration the practitioner is able to direct the mind to states of higher insight.

True concentration is an unbroken thread of awareness. – B.K.S. Iyengar

In my travels I spent time with a great yogi. Once he said to me,

“Become so still you hear the blood flowing through your veins.”

One night as I sat in quiet, I seemed on the verge of entering a world inside so vast

I know it is the source of all of us.

-Mirabai, 15th century Indian saint

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Butterfly Poem

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Julianne Victoria

Butterfly…Photo0066

there she goes

she glides

upon the earth

flowing through life

existing in peace

in this realm

of pain

and suffering

she brings smiles

and laughter

upon the sullen faces

of all those

who do not

yet understand

that they are

already

where they need

to be

her aura

radiates light

invisible

yet perceived

by all those

who have not

yet chosen

to see

how beautiful

she is

her love

pours forth

from the inside

out

to be

in her presence

to be

in her light

the joy

of which few

are aware

she is

all that

everyone seeks

to be

free

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Butterfly Journal

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Julianne Victoria

I am very pleased to announce my next                                                                               publication: Butterfly Journal: MonthlyButterfly_Journal_Cover_for_Kindle Contemplations for Spiritual Metamorphosis!

Butterfly Journal is an interactive journal for personal growth and spiritual transformation. Inspired by the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into the butterfly, this journal, with its inspirational prompts, will encourage its readers to grow from the inside out, transforming themselves into more compassionate and joyful beings.

Here is the Introduction to Butterfly Journal:

Butterflies are one of Nature’s most beautiful and amazing creatures. They flutter about like free spirits, but only after having gone through a long metamorphic process of growth and change. They are the only known living being capable of changing its DNA entirely during its metamorphosis from caterpillar, or larva, to the adult butterfly. That is, they go through a total transformation. You could even call it a rebirth.

Spiritual transformation, like the physical metamorphosis of the butterfly, is a very difficult and often painful process. Transformation requires growth and change, and so for our souls to fly free, we must embrace the growing pains. Many of us fear change. Change is scary because the outcome is usually unknown, but it is only by stepping into this darkness, like a caterpillar inside the cocoon, that we can in time grow, change, and emerge to fly into the light. Living, healing, and growing physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually require change and transformation.

To be reborn like the beautiful butterfly emerging from its burial shroud-like cocoon, our souls need to break free from the illusions of the ego and free ourselves from attachment to the physical body and the material world. When we break free of this mental cocoon, we can spread our beautiful wings and fly free.

The Ancient Greeks’ word for butterfly was ψυχη, psyche. They equated these free spirits with life, breath, and the soul itself. Across Shamanistic cultures the butterfly represents:

  • Growth
  • Change
  • Transformation
  • Reincarnation
  • Courage to make change
  • Mental clarity
  • Freedom of the Soul from the Ego

These small delicate creatures have inspired people across the globe to face their own challenges and obstacles and to have the faith and courage to take on the growing pains of spiritually transforming from the inside out. May the butterfly be an inspiration for personal and spiritual growth for all!

To order Butterfly Journal, click here.

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Book Review: A Beautiful Medicine

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Julianne Victoria

After reading the post, The Universe Is All of Us,                                                               Licensed Acupuncturist and author David water-lilyMercier asked me if I would be interested in writing a book review for him since this post and his book presented similar ideas. I happily obliged.

David’s book A Beautiful Medicine: A Radical Look at the Essence of Health and Healing is “the integration of all that we know of love, healing, and health in a blended singularity.” Through his own journey of healing from a hippie teenager to a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka to a family man and healer, David has learned and understands health and healing as an integrated process and transformative journey of growth for body, mind, and soul.

The healing process has many layers – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. All these aspects of ourselves must be addressed and cared for for healing to be complete. To do this, David explains that our symptoms, our aches and pains, are signs and messages from our bodies that healing is in order. Instead of just ignoring or numbing these signs, we should listen to them. Our symptoms urge us to look at ourselves – body, mind, and soul – and to give our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health the self-care and self-love it deserves. Our bodies are Alchemists. They know how to heal when given the chance.

David also wonderfully addresses the power of our minds on our health. Our beliefs and expectations, whether distorted by our fears or driven by love, can greatly determine our health. Negative beliefs and expectations change our blood and brain chemistry, creating physical challenges for healing. Old emotional pains and wounds that have been stuffed away can also cause ill health, or inhibit healing. Addressing these pains and releasing them will clear the way for healing to take place.

The integrated process of healing goes beyond the individual physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects and becomes even more complete when we see that we are all interconnected beings, not just between humans, but between all beings and all things in the Universe. Our bodies and our planet are made of ancient stardust. The cells in our bodies are like the galaxies in the Universe. When we begin to see that the Universe is one great being, of which we are a part of, we begin to understand how taking care of our own health also means caring for the health of the planet and the Universe.

Taking care of and loving ourselves and all others makes us beautiful from the inside out. Health radiates beauty, and the beauty of the interconnectedness of all is what is truth. A Beautiful Medicine is a key that opens us up to radiate health, beauty, love, and truth.

To order David Mercier’s book, or to receive the free Beautiful Medicine Discovery Guide in PDF form sign up for David’s newsletter at www.abeautifulmedicine.com. The Discovery Guide is a workbook that includes reflections and exercises exploring the ideas in the book in greater depth.

Related Articles:

Having Faith in the Body’s Messages and Its Ability to Heal

Healing From the Inside Out

Creating the Space to Heal

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A Poetic Duet: Shamanic Energy

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Julianne Victoria

My totem animal chants deep to my soulArt by Josephine Wall

Filling me with light, dispelling shadows

Energy is magical, neither good nor bad

Dedicate your life to healing those you can

Animal spirits and guides there be

Bears looking for me in my dreams I see

These guides for healers showing me

A new path to take, a healer to be

Drawing power from earth’s molten core

Feel the wind under my soaring wings

Warming my heart on the cleansing fire

Flowing like water, I can always begin again

Nourishment from Gaia brings new vitality

Movement from Aeolus lifts my heart

Hephaestus welds my strength renewed

As the Sirens call me into the depths of the sea

Sadness cannot corrupt or cloud my judgement

Anger can be controlled, powerfully channeled

No path or question that cannot be mastered

Destiny can be tamed, tailored, sculptured

Moirai tell only the fate of the limits of the mind

As Clotho I spin my own web, as Lachesis I measure my life

I can choose how the web of life is spun and

Like Atropos I can choose when the spinning is done

Limbo not an option, my purpose is now defined

Embracing shamanic energy, an infinite supply

Where once there were elements of indecision

I can conquer anything now, nothing is forbidden

Gods, goddesses, spirits, and animal guides

Earth, air, fire, water, and ether so sublime

All forms of energy with homage I put to use

To bring healing to all beings of this universe

Thank you to TooFullToWrite for another enjoyable poetry duet experience! Check out his blog for other great poetry duets as well as his own poetry, short stories, and fiction.

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Book Publication

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Julianne Victoria

I’m happy to announce my first book publication! This book was a collaborative effort with one of my cats, Zoe, or Shri Swami Sattvapurrrrrananda, as she is officially known in the yogicat world:

Daily Yoga for a Happy and Healthy Cat, by                                                                 Shri Swami Sattvapurrrrrananda, is anBookCoverImage essential guide for yoga for the world’s most natural yogi, the yogicat. All Asana (postures) and Pranayama (breathing exercises) can be easily mastered by all felines, big and small. This book is a funny and insightful yoga book for felines, but even us humans could gain from her wisdom! Undoubtedly, the best cat yoga guide in print! Shri Swami Sattvapurrrrrananda beautifully demonstrates all the poses and practices blissfully.

If you, your cat, or someone you know would like to be inspired by Swami’s great wisdom, you can order her book here. Namaste!

A portion of the proceeds from Swami’s book sales will be donated to animal rescue. Me-Ommmmm!

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Om Mani Padme Hum: The Bodhisattva Mantra

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Julianne Victoria

Om Mani Padme Hum is a mantra associated with                                                                 the Bodhisattva of Compassion, alsoOmManiPadmeHum called Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit), Quan Yin (Chinese), and Chenrezig (Tibetan). Recitation of Om Mani Padme Hum is said to purify one of the sufferings of the ego: pride, jealousy, desire, ignorance, clinging, and anger.

Om Mani Padme Hum means: The Jewel in (the Heart of) the Lotus. Adding “in the heart of” to the translation adds a depth of understanding. As a meditation to the Bodhisattva of Compassion, this is a prayer to fill our hearts with Love and compassion for the benefit of all beings. Om Mani Padme Hum is a prayer for Peace.

The six syllables of this mantra also represent the Six Realms of Samsara and the Six Paramitas, or the Six Perfections of Tibetan Buddhism. The Six Paramitas are virtues that, when practiced, will help purify past karma and free us from suffering (samsara) so that we may attain awareness and enlightenment.

The Six Realms of Samsara and Six Paramitas according to the Lotus Sutra:  

1) Dana – Devas; Generosity which purifies Pride

2) Shila – Asuras; Moral Conduct which purifies Jealously

3) Kshanti – Humans; Patience which purifies Desire

4) Virya – Animals; Diligence/Joyous Effort which purifies Ignorance

5) Dhyana – Hungry Ghosts; Contemplation which purifies Clinging

6) Prajna – Hell Beings; Wisdom/Insight which purifies Anger

To listen to Om Mani Padme Hum sung by Buddhist monks, click here.

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The Way of the Bodhisattva, the Way of Peace

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Julianne Victoria

Bodhisattvas, wisdom or enlightenment beings, are                                                            those who wish to be awakened sophoto-2 that with the supreme wisdom they may sufficiently guide others on their paths, and through compassion they may help others understand, deal with, and overcome their suffering. Rather than seeking enlightenment to free themselves from samsara, this realm of suffering, Bodhisattvas choose to be reborn, to continue existence in samsara in service for other beings. Samsara is the realm of continuous or wandering existence within the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Bodhisattvas continuously work to be self-aware of all their actions, thoughts, and intentions so that they may never cause harm to any sentient being, living creature, and even the environment in any way – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The way of the Bodhisattva is the way of love and peace.

Whether Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Atheist, etc. incorporating the way of the Bodhisattva into our lives can open the way for more loving, compassionate, and peaceful interactions, and lessen suffering, cruelty, and violence within ourselves, towards others, and throughout the world. To do this we must first find peace and love within and for ourselves so that we can then radiate our inner peace and love to all others. May we all seek, find, vow to, and follow the way of the Bodhisattva, the way of peace.

The Bodhisattva comes where an all-embracing love abides, because he desires to discipline all beings; he comes where there is a great compassionate heart, because he desires to protect all beings from suffering; he comes where there are deeds of morality, because he desires to be born wherever he can be agreeable; he comes wherever there are great vows to fulfill because of the power of the original vows…

– The Flower Ornament Sutra

May beings everywhere who suffer

Torment in their minds and bodies

Have, by virtue of my merit,

Joy and happiness in boundless measure.

As long as they may linger in samsara,

May their joy be undiminished;

May they taste of unsurpassed beatitude

In constant and unbroken continuity…

May those caught in the freezing ice be warmed,

And from great clouds of Bodhisattvas

Torrents rain in boundless streams

To cool those burning in infernal fires…

And may the stooping animals be freed

From fear of being preyed upon, 

And may the famished spirits have such joy

As those who dwell in [heaven]…

May those who go in dread have no more fear.

May captives be unchained and set free.

And may the weak receive their strength.

May living beings help each other in kindness. 

– Shantideva, Bodhicharyavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva)

Check out other Bloggers for Peace or join the Peace Movement.

 
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