October 2008

One of the best definitions of spirituality I have come across was from Nisargadatta Maharaj, an Indian mystic who lived in Mumbai from 1897-1981. He operated a beedi (cigarette) shop and gave spiritual teachings from his apartment that was attached to the shop. His teachings are from the classic Advaita Vedanta school of non-duality. He said, “Spirituality is nothing more than understanding this play of consciousness—try to find out what this fraud is by seeking its source.” Excerpt from: Consciousness and the Absolute: The Final Talks of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj by Jean Dunn.

This definition of spirituality points to an exploration of the spiritual healing journey, that each person must personally undertake to understand the meaning of life. In investigating ourselves, we come to know the source of this illusion or play of consciousness. Nisargadatta explained, “Spiritual knowledge should not be studied; it is knowledge derived from listening. When the listener hears it, and accepts it, something clicks in him.”  This teaching is a very advanced one and yet this is essentially the path to true spirituality.

There is a glut of information available under the category of spirituality that spiritual seekers have to sift through to find answers for themselves. How  does one distinguish between what is religious dogma, what is New Age drivel, and what is Truth? As Nirsargadatta pointed out, “When the listener hears it …something clicks in him.”

What is “Knowledge derived from listening?” I believe that what is being referred to here is a listening with the heart. All the mystical teachings tell us that we already know the truth, but we are lost, we have forgotten. The spiritual path is essentially about mastering our minds so we can access our true nature once again. Nisargadatta Maharaj said, “There is nothing to seek and find, for there is nothing lost. Relax and watch the “I am.” Reality is just behind it. Keep quiet, keep silent; it will emerge, or rather, it will  take you in.”

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Being Awareness

Being In The Light

Things Are Not What They Seem

I wear a NOW Watch, which is a watch with the word NOW boldly displayed on the face. It is a dramatic reminder when I check the time, that it is always NOW. Wearing the watch has also been an interesting conversation starter on the Power Of Now, a popular book written by Eckhart Tolle. A New Earth, Mr Tolle’s most recent book has been promoted by Oprah to the masses. People I have talked to, have so many mixed opinions about Eckhart Tolle’s books. In my opinion, Eckhart Tolle and Oprah are performing a great service by bringing this information to the general public, especially at a time when people are hungering for answers. The world is ready for this information and although its form has been deeply criticized by spiritual purists, I congratulate Mr.Tolle for extracting the deep truths of the traditional mystical philosophies and presenting them to a wider audience. He does so without the isms which might be offensive for some people who adhere to a particular religious sect.

In his acclaimed book “The Power of Now” Mr Tolle writes in simple language, introducing some basic spiritual concepts to an audience who may or may not be interested in furthering their studies of the key lessons in living that are presented. If these simple truths are put into practice, its reach can be a transformational tool to shift our consciousness and begin a process of  awakening. I commend Mr Tolle’s efforts in deciphering deeper esoteric teachings and explaining them in simple terms. Many people lead busy lives; the office executive who just wants to know how to be more effective at his work; the working parents of young children who struggle to maintain a balance between the responsibilities of home and work. These people do not have the time or commitment that is involved in undertaking formal studies of an esoteric nature, such as Buddhism. It is an almost impossible challenge for parents of young children, to find the time or space, to sit for a half hour of meditation in their busy schedule. Practicing the simple exercises taught by Mr Tolle in “The Power of Now” is a way for anyone to include a spiritual practice in their daily lives, without making any changes in their routines.

Some of the concepts that are introduced:

• The Power of Now is none other than the power of your presence, your consciousness liberated from thought forms.
• The present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life.
• The more you are focused on the past and future, the more you miss the Now.
• The eternal present is the space within which your whole life unfolds.
• The present moment holds the key to liberation. But you cannot find the present moment as long as you are your mind.
• The greatest obstacle to experiencing the reality of your connectedness is identification with your mind.
• The moment you start watching the thinker, a higher level of consciousness becomes activated.
• The body will always give you a truthful reflection if you want to know your mind, so feel the emotions in your body.
• Discontent and tension arise within you through unnecessary judgment, resistance to what is, and denial of the Now.
• Body awareness keeps you present. It anchors you in the Now.
• The pain-body is life energy from  unresolved past experiences that are trapped in your inner space.
• Realizing your identification with the pain-body breaks the attachment to emotional pain.
• When you surrender to what is and so become fully present, the past ceases to have any power.

My main criticism of the book is the way in which Mr Tolle writes of the pain-body. It seems as if he is referring to a separate entity in some parts of the book, although that is not how he defines it. People of a religious background who are familiar with the concept of a devil, an evil force outside of themselves, can inadvertently become more fully engaged in a mind-body split . The concept of the devil in my opinion, is an externalization of the dark shadow side of our own psyches; the pain-body if perceived in a similar way as a separate entity, emphasizes a disconnect.

The book in general is well worth reading, although it is a bit repetitive and wordy in places. You may want to do what I did, first read the synopsis, Practicing the Power of Now and then if you want to, read the original text. I used the synopsis as a daily meditative reading practice. I would open the book randomly and read a page and contemplate the lesson during the rest of the day.

Practicing The Power of Now is a tool that anyone of any religious persuasion can use to experience higher consciousness and live fuller lives while accessing the joy, clarity, peace and connectedness available in being focused in the present moment.

We are well into Fall; the days are growing shorter and it is getting dark earlier. This is a dreaded time for many people in the northern hemisphere, when the sun is moving further away, making its way south. Many people plan their vacation to a sunny destination, going south to escape the long darkness of the winter days. For those who remain behind, they can find comfort in the night lights of the bright city life. In my neck of the woods, there is no city life to escape to. In fact I escaped to the country to experience the reality of nature; to behold a starry sky in total darkness; to witness the phases of the moon in a sky unhampered by the glare of city night lights.

I have always been intrigued by the night life culture of different cities. In Barcelona, Spain, I loved walking the Ramblas at night, a boulevard more than a kilometer long that runs through the heart of the city center. In the afternoon the city is quiet when everyone is having a siesta or rest time, retreating from the heat of the day. After 8 pm it all seems to come alive; the main meal of the day is eaten then, and later it is a really noisy social time as families go walking along the boulevard, enjoying the night. In India it is the same, at 2 am the cities, towns and even small villages are still alive with commerce and entertainment. Night time activity makes sense in these places where the climate is extreme in the daytime but I often wonder how it affects people’s biochemistry.

Melatonin, a mood calming hormone, is affected by the amount of darkness compared to light that we are exposed to. Our bodies can only manufacture Melatonin during periods of total darkness so there is a concern as to our emotional balance with the excessive amount of artificial light that lights up the night skies of our cities . When melatonin production increases, cortisol, the “stress hormone” decreases. Imbalances of these two hormones are associated with insomnia, depression, and mania. Is our mental health at risk in our modern culture where we are exposed to light pollution in the cities throughout the year?

Nature’s cycle of seasonal length of light and darkness are essential for the fecundity of life. Seeds and bulbs nestled in the earth, need long periods of darkness and moisture to germinate. In the Spring the young seedlings shoot up, out of the darkness in synchronicity with the light of the longer days. Perhaps we humans also need to hibernate in the Winter, to turn inwards, be more meditative, to allow our dreams to take form in the darkness of our psyches, just as babies grow cell by cell in the dark refuge of the womb. In the Spring when all of nature is clamoring with activity, maybe that is the time when we will be most competent to make our dreams come true, after a period of rest and rejuvenation. We can then offer our creative best after we have had time to gestate our projects with careful nurturing in the dream-time of the long Winter nights.

My Fall musings continue as the weather remains conducive to strolling through the garden. I am taking stock as I wander here and there, poking into every nook and cranny, reminiscing about how each set of vegetables and flowers performed this summer. I have compiled a list of what worked, what didn’t work and what I want to do in the next planting season. Some of the things I want to have happen next year would mean that I have to start preparing new beds and start new plantings this Fall. There is a lot of planning and organizing now, for the next planting season.

Taking stock of what happened in the past year in the garden, is an essential  part of the cycle in a gardener’s life. It helps us to stay in tune with nature’s schedule and to have a better harvest the following year. Come to think of it, there are a lot of parallels in this list for my garden as for my own life. Taking stock of  my garden is like taking stock of my own life. Here is a summary of  my list:

• Plant more seeds of the vegetables and flowers I prefer and less of the ones I am not as fond of.
• Plant companion plantings that are compatible to encourage happy, healthy plants.
• Plant vegetables amongst the flowers; a little diversity makes the garden more interesting to look at and maximizes food production.
• Next season, plan better for optimum growth by planting at the right time for each particular species of vegetable and flower.
• Build up the soil to replenish spent nutrients after the season’s harvest.

I am in the midst of reading an interesting book: Food Security for the Faint of Heart, by Robin Wheeler. She talked about how “putting up” food affects SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder.) She noticed that she was less depressed in the Winter when she started storing up food. She read somewhere that when we hear the geese flying  south for the Winter, it stimulates an ancient part of our brains that understands the need to start preparing for the cold weather. She said, “The cells in our bodies know what needs doing when the geese leave, that we need to find a warm place to prepare for the new season, to either follow our clever goose friends, or hoard some food and nestle in for the long haul. Only then will our souls quiet down.” Perhaps working at the feeling of abundance in Winter, can help to lessen SAD.

For those of us who are not gardeners we can still have that experience by stocking up on canned food we buy, or canning food from our local farmers’ market. I think the most important aspect of this practice is  the feeling of abundance and security; the feelings of satisfaction and gratitude that we get when the cupboards are full.

To take stock of our lives is an important habit to cultivate, to be able to appreciate what we have. It gives us an overview of where we have been in the last year and where we want to go. It is customary for a lot of people to do this in the last week at the end of the year and to make their new year’s resolutions based on this overview. We don’t have to wait until the end of the year when we are recuperating from overextending ourselves during the hectic holiday season. It makes a lot more sense to engage in this process of stockpiling and taking stock of our lives, when the geese are leaving for the warmer weather in the south. Then we will be in tune with nature, aligning with the correct timing, synchronizing with that ancient coding in our brain to hunker down for Winter’s rest and recuperation.

Fall is the season when Mother Nature prepares for her deep sleep, shedding her garments of the seasons past. In our own lives, if we can observe nature’s pattern and follow suit, we will be healthier and happier.  In Chinese Medicine philosophy, all phenomena is classified into five different categories according to its nature. These five categories are designations according to the elements of Earth, Water, Wood, Fire and Metal. Fall is related to the metal element and one of its positive attributes is the ability to let go.

When the metal element is in balance in our own bodies, we are open to the environment and are inspired. We are able to let in fresh new energy and are able to let go of the past that no longer serves us. We are open to giving of ourselves and to receiving. We are able to experience all facets of life, embracing its impermanence and are flexible to change with circumstances. When our metal element is in disharmony, we are rigid in our thinking and unable to forgive and let go of the past. We hold on to sadness, unable to grieve and honor change.

Fall is a good time for us to take stock of what we need to store up and what we need to let go of, just as nature does. The trees are beginning the process of storing their vital nutrients, sending their sap down into their roots for storage. When that process is over, the leaves, having spent their vitality, are let go of and allowed to fall. This process makes space for a new cycle of growth and fruition to begin again after a long winter’s rest and rejuvenation. Come spring, when nature sends out the awakening call, all trees, scrubs, tubers and seeds heed to the call of nature and begin the cycle once more.

Life can be so simple if we are in tune with nature and follow her lead. What can we be doing now to follow in the footsteps of Mother Nature? For a gardener like myself, the natural process of storing the summer’s harvest, “putting up” food is what takes up a large portion of this season, in preparation for the lean times of the winter months, when nature is at rest. Of course with modern technology and abundant fossil fuel, we have fallen out of that natural cycle of living. It is a good idea to return to these practices to keep in step with the changing times. We will feel more secure if we know that we have food stocked up in case of crisis.

The natural process of putting up food, has a psychological advantage. When we experience nature’s abundance and the miracle of life, the practice of gratitude is natural and we are able to appreciate what we have and feel satisfied and full. Our perspective is one of richness in body and soul. We drop the insatiable consumer mentality of our modern culture.

In the Fall, we begin to wind down physically, mentally and emotionally to join in winter’s rest and rejuvenation, until the cycle begins again in the spring. In Canada we call the people who go to a warmer climate in the winter, the snowbirds. Nothing is wrong with that, if you can afford to. If we can’t, maybe getting in tune with nature’s cycle is a good idea. We do what we can to wind down the activity in our lives, so we can rest and recuperate during the Winter. Then we will be prepared for a new cycle of rebirth, growth and maturity and so it  goes.

image credit: angela7dreams

We clasp the hands of those that go before us,
And the hands of those who come after us.
We enter the little circle of each other’s arms
And the larger circle of lovers,
Whose hands are joined in a dance,
And the larger circle of all creatures,
Passing in and out of life,
Who move also in a dance,
To a music so subtle and vast that no ear hears it
Except in fragments
by Wendell Berry

Community

In challenging times, the power of community is our strength and support. When we share the gifts that we have, we become aware of our capacity to love and are nurtured by it. We discover our own strength that we were not even aware of previously.

Here is an excerpt from a speech by the Dalai Lama: The Nobel Lecture, December 11, 1989

“Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each of us individually. Peace, for example, starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us. When our community is in a state of peace, it can share that peace with neighboring communities, and so on. When we feel love and kindness towards others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace. And there are ways in which we can consciously work to develop feelings of love and kindness. For some of us, the most effective way to do so is through religious practice. For others it may be non-religious practices. What is important is that we each make a sincere effort to take our responsibility for each other and for the natural environment we live in seriously.”

Chanting

One of my favorite memories of chanting was when I went to a Hatha Yoga weekend retreat at a Benedictine Monastery. Our small group sat in meditation as we listened to the brothers chant their morning liturgy. I experienced a deep peace as the sounds of the melodious voices drifted in, over the distance from the chapel where they chanted. By the time we started our own chanting of the OM mantra, I was already immersed deep within. The sound of the mantra vibrated throughout my body and energy field. It was as if  I was becoming squeaky clean and I felt like my cells were humming. After the chanting was over, it was time for a tea break. I remember sitting overlooking the meadows in the cool morning air; everything was shimmering! I was shimmering inside, so were
the blades of grass, the leaves on the trees and the rays of the early morning sun that cast a golden glow over the land. I was so open to the intense beauty of the morning and every cell of my body was dancing in ecstasy! That was my first experience of chanting, I was hooked!

Image credit: Pixelsior

A mantra is described as an inherent sound-power that can produce a specific effect, physically or psychologically. The most popular mantra is OM. It is believed to be the primordial sound of the universe from which all phenomena is created. Could it be the equivalent of the Big Bang that scientists refer to in regard to the cosmos?

Like meditation, Om chanting can be practiced by anyone of any religious persuasion. You do not have to be a  Hindu, a Buddhist or a Jain. It is believed that the vibrations of this sound has the quality of harmonizing all energy to its vibration, just as a tuning fork harmonizes all instruments in its vicinity to its key. An interesting practice is to notice if you can detect the sound vibration of OM in all sounds you hear. It is the basis of all sound. Here is a link to a beautiful recording of the OM mantra that I like. It is helpful to chant along with a recording, it is the next best thing to chanting in a group. The sound vibrations of a group of people chanting at their own pace is magical and to be immersed in that sound vibration is very healing. The sounds have a purifying effect on the physical, the emotional and the spiritual levels.

The mantra is most effective when chanted out aloud but can also be very beneficial when intoned silently to oneself or inwardly. In the beginning you can chant for just five minutes and as you become accustomed to chanting you can slowly build up to a half hour or more.

• It is best to sit in an upright manner in a chair or on the floor on a cushion and adopt a comfortable meditation posture.
• Take a few deep breaths to become centered and focused within.
• Om should be intoned giving full value to both the O and the M. It should be intoned with equal time on both sounds: Oooommmm.
• Chant in a relaxed manner without strain.
• If you find yourself getting restless, distracted, anxious or tense, just take a deep breath and let it out fully, feeling that you are releasing and breathing out all tensions, and continue as before.
• Thoughts, impressions, memories, inner sensations, may arise during chanting. It is best to witness these and keep your attention centered on the sound vibrations, in time with your breathing.
• Feelings of peace, awareness, joy, as well as soothing radiations of energy well up in the physical and subtle bodies.
• At the end of your chanting time, keep on intoning Om in time with your breathing, as you go about your daily activities.

If you are self-conscious of chanting out aloud, it is also very effective to listen to OM inwardly, imagining the sound within. It is said that the mantra is alway vibrating within, so starting out acting as if you can hear it, you may be able to tune into the actual experience! Playing a recording of the OM mantra is a great support to create a peaceful atmosphere in your home and to stay centered.

To be continued.

Going With The Flow

In this series on Coping With Difficult Times we have been looking at ways we can care for ourselves so we can stay grounded and remember what is true and valuable in our lives. As a health practitioner, I have been exploring ways to teach people how to keep their equanimity and how to care for themselves when they are faced with difficult emotions. The modality I work with is related to the Chinese Medicine concept of Chi or life force. When Chi is flowing smoothly, there is a feeling of physical and emotional well-being. When Chi is stagnant or inharmonious due to physical, emotional or environmental disturbances, diseases of the body-mind occur. There are many ways to work with the body-mind to enhance the smooth flowing of Chi and to optimize physical and emotional well-being. We have already discussed Mindfulness Meditation, Tai Chi, Yoga, and Laughter Therapy, which are all great ways to harmonize the body-mind. In this post we will look at a self-help acupressure technique developed by Tapas Fleming, an acupuncturist. The technique was first discovered to help people with allergy symptoms and has since become a very effective technique for dealing with post traumatic stress symptoms, phobias and other difficult emotions.

TAT(Tapas Acupressure Technique)®

TAT® has been widely taught to victims of physical disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis with successful results in relieving or avoiding post traumatic stress symptoms. It is easy to do and can be taught to anyone, even young children within a few minutes. It consists of holding a posture with your hands, one on your forehead and the other at the base of your skull, while you go through a series of statements or affirmations. The technique has been simplified to just using three statements, whereas the original used a minimum of five statements. I subscribe to the free newsletter which gives updates on new developments and technique refinements. It is not recommended  to practice TAT® for more than 20 minutes a day, as it is a powerful releasing technique. Drinking lots of water is recommended after practicing TAT®, to release toxins. You can download the free instructions here by clicking here. From that page there are two ways to get the instructions. You can log in as a customer and order it through the store, or you can go to the tatlife home page and click on the free download link. Either way, it is free.

Here is an excerpt of a testimonial given by a US Army veteran who took a weekend workshop of TAT®:

“I am 65 years in age, and a retired 31-year veteran of the U.S. Army,…..When I began this TAT work, I knew I still harbored sights, images, sounds, feelings, and emotions from my two years in combat in Vietnam. I have always, since returning from combat, had some difficulties communicating with my wife, and with developing close friendships. My senses have been super sensitive, I have been a light sleeper, and am always assessing my surroundings, as if I face an immediate security threat……I find that I can now recount details much more clearly, look at photos and not get tightened up, and see both years of combat like chapters in a book. I can now recall all of this without the emotions that I have harbored inside over the years….. My doctor asked how the medication was making me feel for me to achieve such a return to the healthy normal level recorded. I hadn’t started the medication yet, so I explained that I had been going through a trauma healing process and a stress reduction process, and that is the only way I can explain my blood pressure measurement. Since going through this workshop, I sleep deeper than I have for years and wake up more rested. I feel significantly less stressed and more at ease than I can ever remember. It is my intent to go through this TAT process at least once a week for the rest of my life.”

TAT® can be practiced when necessary, although you may want to use it as a self healing technique to work on several issues to support your physical and emotional well-being.

To be continued.

Related post:

Let All Things Pass Away

The body-mind connection

Do you ever notice how you walk tall with shoulders back, head held high and confidence in your stride when you feel good about yourself? When you feel like you want to hide from the world, do you notice that your posture droops and you look like you are caving in on yourself? It is true that our psychological state affects our physiology and it is also true that you can affect your psychological state by paying attention to your physiology. Working on the body-mind connection is one of the best ways to have clarity in these difficult times. We can choose to make the best of a depressing situation by keeping our bodies fit and our minds free of negativity. Research suggests that physical activity increases mood-enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain, raises endorphins, reduces stress, and relieves muscle tension which all helps to relieve depression and increase emotional well-being.

Yoga and Tai Chi

Yoga and Tai Chi are two forms of exercise that strengthen our bodies and enhances the smooth flowing of our energy. These exercises consist of slow movements and holding postures that unblock stuck energy caused by stress and difficult emotions. Practicing Yoga and Tai Chi focuses our minds, slows down our hyperactive physiology and immerses us in a deep serenity. Engaging in these practices helps us to stay grounded and to have clarity when all else is chaotic and disturbing. If you have access to classes in your area, that is the best way to learn. It is possible to learn from a DVD but is easier if you are guided by a teacher in a class, otherwise, there are several beginners DVDs available online that have good reviews that you might want to try.

Enjoying Exercise

The key is to pick an activity you enjoy, so you’re more likely to keep up with it. In the Pacific Northwest where I live, the weather is gray, wet and overcast, especially in the winter months. It is easy to feel depressed when the barometer drops outside and to get all wrapped up in a heavy gray mood. I have found that the best way to get out of a rut is to get dressed for the weather and to go out walking in the rain. The cool fresh air, walking in the puddles, and the feeling of expansion being out in the open, invigorates my body, my mind and spirit and I soon begin to feel alive again. I often go walking without the distraction of listening to music on my mp3 player. I like using my time in Mindfulness Meditation, being aware of the rhythm of my feet touching the ground and of my breathing. I notice the textures and colors of the foliage and tree trunks, the sounds of the birds, the smells in the air and the shapes of the houses. When I focus in this way, my mind is not chattering, worrying, and criticizing; I am present and happy taking in what is around me. When my mind is quiet, I sense the beauty of my surroundings as an inner experience; my own beauty; I am one with my environment.

Getting outdoors and connecting with nature is the most enjoyable way to exercise. I am an avid gardener and that takes up most of my summer. In the winter, I enjoy beach combing, and hiking on the great beaches and hiking trails available here on the coast of British Columbia. When I am in the great outdoors, time stops for me, I feel phsically invigorated, my mind is clear and I feel so grateful for the beauty and serenity of this part of the earth where I live. I am in touch with who I am and I know that no matter what goes on in the world around me, the essence of who I am is not affected. It is a great gift to be able to experience peace on the inside even if the outer world is in chaos. The value of that gift can never diminish.

To be continued.