Yoga breathing

Here are some Hatha yoga videos, from beginners to advanced stages. Yoga is one of the best ways to cultivate your mind and body union. It tones muscles, increases flexibility, calms the mind and can improve overall health. You can notice results from your very first practice, and as you become familiar with the postures, both your yoga practice and your body will evolve in an enriching and truly powerful way. Read more »

asanas, demonstration classes, dhyana, energy enhancement, hatha yoga, mind and body, path to enlightenment, postures, pranayama, raja yoga, swami, word yoga, yoga asana, yoga posture, yoga practice

Hatha Yoga builds on the lesson of the two aspects that we consist of: consciousness and energy. Read more »

body tension, consciousness, dealing with stress, emotions, nervous diseases, nervous systems, psyche, psychosomatic diseases, soma, sun and the moon, ulcers, yoga

If you want a mirror, Look at this moment - respectfully. When you have learned to experience, not to try to hold on to events, thoughts and emotions, but to let them come and go with their own force. . . . Read more »

consciousness, contradictory attitudes, durga, emotions, fruitfulness, inner silence, karma yoga, meditation, tantra, two ways

The karma yoga for the Karma yogi is a more thrilling way to solve a problem, accomplish a task, rid his own self and others of physical or psychic distress, than to entertain himself - if you throw yourself into a task then there is not much time left over. What looks from the outside like a struggling person involved only with work, is in reality someone very inspired and attentive, absolutely clear-headed about what he is doing. Read more »

anger, emotions, happiness, inner thoughts, karma yoga, karma yogi, liberation, meaning of life, meditation, mindfulness

Not only do the Indian systems agree as to the cause of the inequalities in the share of sufferings and enjoyments in the case of different persons, and the manner in which the cycle of births and rebirths has been kept going from beginningless time, on the basis of the mysterious connection of one’s actions with the happenings of the world, but they also agree in believing that this beginningless chain of karma and its fruits, of births and rebirths, this running on from beginningless time has somewhere its end. Read more »

births, endless cycle, final achievement, karma, mysterious connection, nirvana, rebirth, transcendent, true nature

Though the belief that the world is full of sorrow has not been equally prominently emphasized in all systems, yet it may be considered as being shared by all of them. It finds its strongest utterance in Samkhya, Yoga, and Buddhism. Read more »

dissatisfaction, greatness, life of sorrow, painful experiences, suicide, true knowledge, wise person, worldly experiences, world experiences

The world is said to be false - a mere product of maya. The falsehood of this world-appearance has been explained as involved in the category of the indefinite which is neither sat “is” nor asat “is not.” Here the opposition of the “is” and “is not” is solved by the category of time. The world-appearance is “is not,” since it does not continue to manifest itself in all times, and has its manifestation up to the moment that the right knowledge dawns. It is not therefore “is not” in the sense that a “castle in the air” or a hare’s horn is “is not,” for these are called tuccha, the absolutely non-existent. Read more »

appearance, asat, brahman, castle in the air, conch shell, expression, manifestation, maya, perception, right knowledge

Then you must give up wishing, for you cannot both wish and will. The two things are utterly incompatible. I have already explained this by reference to the will to pick up or not pick up a pen. It should be understood that indulgence in wishing is not only a waste of time, but also an invitation to harmful emotions. It is like slouching along the road instead of walking erect. Read more »

general purpose, impressions, indulgence, judgment, misunderstanding, perfectly clear, poise, polarization, proper attitude, strong feeling, telepathy, waste of time

Many people do not realize that it is the nature of man to modify his environment, not to submit to it except in so far as his own judgment advises him to do so. He has the combinative and constructive power of mind which, acting through his hands, alters and adapts old forms and makes new ones by rearranging and combining them. Read more »

acting, constructive power, happiness, nature of man, proper attention, senses, state of consciousness, true state

It is said in an old Indian book that there are four great enemies to human success: (I) a sleepy heart, (2) human passions, (3) a confused mind, and (4) attachment to anything but Brahman. [Each student has to attach his own meaning to this word, keeping it always flexible, so that it may expand and become illumined. Literally: the Evolutioner, Grower or Expander, not creator] Read more »

appetites, brahman, confused mind, emotions, enhancement, exercise, heart, human passions, ordered life, physical culture, pleasure and pain, suppression, vigor, vigorous life

1. The Standing Exercise.
With your watch in sight try to stand perfectly still (except for breathing and blinking) in front of a mirror for three to five minutes. Make no response to any twitching, tickling, itching, creeping, aching or creaking feelings that may arise. Think “stillness”, not “not-moving-ness”. Read more »

continence, exercise, feelings, hands and feet, intuition, muscles, practise, sensations

SOMETIMES when we are engaged in study or writing a visitor arrives; he may be a welcome friend at any other time, but at the moment he is a trouble. So also when we are engaged in an attempt at concentration, “visitors” throng in upon us, some welcome and others unwelcome. What is it that brings them here so inopportunely, and by what means can we persuade them to take their leave? Read more »

camel, companions, concentration, considerations, emotion, emotions, feelings, particles, resentment, tendency

There is another class of intruders, which appear to come telepathically from other minds and from the objects around us. In these days of radio communications there need be no difficulty in believing that thoughts coming from other minds influence ours; that our own habitual thoughts hang about us when we are busily engaged, and discharge themselves upon us in our moments of quiet is a matter of common experience. Read more »

anxiety, concentration, intelligible, intruders, personal emotions, personal interest, radio communications, telepathically

I hope it has become clear that meditation is no retreat from the world but is one pole of our terrestrial conscious activity which is all creative. Not by meditation alone will anyone reach to the greatest heights; the limitations of external life contain the divine teaching in equal measure. Read more »

blossoms, conscious activity, consistency, laws of nature, meditation

The following diagram is intended to give a rough idea of the changes which occur in man in the course of his development. The first figure indicates the condition of an undeveloped man, in whom the physical nature is dominant and the will is weak, the second that of one very advanced in whom the balance is reversed, other people lie between the two. Read more »

desire nature, emotions, fulfilment, intellect, meditation, physical nature

MEDITATION is a complete flow of thought about an object which you have successfully concentrated upon. It is not a flow past, like a procession in the street, but a flow into, a filling-up. It is like a thread of thoughts closely wound into a ball, such that every part of the thread is intimate with every other part. In meditation you enfold yourself in a cocoon of your thoughts; you go in a grub and come out a butterfly. Read more »

butterfly, emotions, gentle manner, inspiration, intuition, meditation

It is worth while to spare a little time to meditate quietly upon material and spiritual laws. There is, for example, the law of gravity. Knowing it, we should be fools indeed to jump downstairs instead of walking, or to attempt to cross a river on our feet. There are the laws of health, governing sleep and work and food and many other things, and here again we know that disobedience is foolishness, ruinous to health and happiness. Read more »

foolishness, health and happiness, social relations, spiritual basis, spiritual law, spiritual voyage, time to meditate, voice of conscience

Many people who are devotional by nature prefer to meditate on the ideal human being, instead of on the virtues. Sometimes they choose for this (I) a real historical person and sometimes (2) a symbolic figure. Thought here is two-fold — one group finds delight in self-abandonment or adoration, the other in service of the ideal person. The latter, however, is like the former for purposes of meditation, for without the knowledge and nearness that meditation brings one is not likely to perform true service, that is, act with intelligent love. Read more »

adoration, benefit, devotees, devotion, devotional meditation, hindu, schools of thought, symbolic figure

Contemplation is always to be seen to some extent in true worship. Worship is a faculty different from thought, different even from love; it is the little self finding itself within the greater self, as though the sun reflected in a pool of water should look up at the sun in heaven and feel a sudden liberation into that greater life. It has not lost itself; it has gained itself. This is the experience of a man suddenly confronted with a realization of that which is utterly greater than he had thought. Thus he occasionally forgets that which he used to call himself, and this more and more frequently, so that it becomes only a sub-conscious element, as it were, in the new life. Read more »

conscious, contemplation, devotion, duality, emotions, liberation, material things, mentality, realization, true worship

This, then, is the brief outline of the Story of Man’s Physical Evolution, as stated by Western Science, and compared with the Yogi Teachings. The student should compare the two ideas, that he may harmonize and reconcile them. It must be remembered, however, that Darwin did not teach that Man descended from the monkeys, or apes, as we know them now. Read more »

ancestor, apes, brain structure, chimpanzee, civilized man, convolutions, darwin, domesticated animal, hindu, hottentot, human reason, physical evolution, savage, western science

Another startling evidence of the proof of Metempsychosis is afforded us in the cases of “infant prodigies,” etc., which defy any other explanation. Take the cases of the manifestation of musical talent in certain children at an early age, for instance. Take the case of Mozart who at the age of four was able to not only perform difficult pieces on the piano, but actually composed original works of merit. Read more »

children at school, genius, heredity, instinctive ability, metempsychosis, obscure origin, physical attributes, previous life, prodigies, startling evidence

One of the things that repel many persons who have had their attention directed to the subject of Metempsychosis for the first time, is the idea that they have evolved as a soul from individual lowly forms, for instance that they have at one time been an individual plant, and then an individual animal form, and then an individual higher animal form, and so on until now they are the particular individual human form contemplating the subject. This idea, which has been taught by many teachers, is repellent to the average mind, for obvious reasons, and naturally so, for it has no foundation in truth. Read more »

contemplating, individuality, many generations, metempsychosis, misconception, predecessors, principle, spiritual evolution

Above the ajna-cakra there is another secret cakra called manas-cakra. It is a lotus of six petals, on which are sabda-jnana, sparsa-jnana, rupa-jnana, aghranopalabhi, rasopabhoga, and svapna, or the faculties of hearing, touch, sight, smell, taste, and sleep, or the absence of these. Above this, again, there is another secret cakra, called Soma-cakra. Read more »

ajna, bindu, cakra, dhyana meditation, feet of the guru, hamsa, jnana, kala, kalas, nada, nectar, nirvana, sabda, soma, thousand petalled lotus, vinaya

Man, the highest manifestation of the Absolute, as far as this planet is concerned, is a wonderfully organized being–although the average man understands but little of his real nature. Read more »

higher faculties, higher nature, mental faculties, physical desires, real nature, stage of development

In the First Lesson we gave instruction and exercises designed to awaken the consciousness of the Candidate to a realization of the real “I.” We confined our instructions to the preliminary teachings of the reality of the “I,” and the means whereby the Candidate might be brought to a realization of his real Self, and its independence from the body and the things of the flesh. We tried to show you how you might awaken to a consciousness of the reality of the “I”; its real nature; its independence of the body; its immortality; its invincibility and invulnerability. How well we have succeeded may be determined only by the experience of each Candidate, for we can but point out the way, and the Candidate must do the real work himself. Read more »

consciousness, ego, metaphysical features, planes, realization, real nature, self analysis, yogi

It is only by the mind that the teachings we are now giving you may be grasped and understood, and used to your advantage and benefit. We are talking direct to your mind now, and are making appeals to it, that it may be interested and may open itself to what is ready to come into it from its own higher regions. We are appealing to the Intellect to direct its attention to this great matter, that it may interpose less resistance to the truths that are waiting to be projected from the Spiritual Mind, which knows the Truth. Read more »

feelings, intellect, mental attitude, mental conditions, mental impressions, perception, physical desires, spiritual mind, willingness

After you have satisfied yourself that about everything that you are capable of thinking about is a “not I” thing–a tool and instrument for your use–you will ask, “And now, what is there left that should not be thrown in the “not I” collection.” To this question we answer “THE ‘I’ ITSELF.” And when you demand a proof we say, “Try to set aside the ‘I’ for consideration!” You may try from now until the passing away of infinities of infinities, and you will never be able to set aside the real “I” for consideration. Read more »

consciousness, great spirit, mental qualities, reflection, sacred flame, true self

Many of us have supposed that our minds were the masters of ourselves, and we have allowed ourselves to be tormented and worried by thoughts “running away” with us, and presenting themselves at inopportune moments. The Initiate is relieved from this annoyance, for he learns to assert his mastery over the different parts of the mind, and controls and regulates his mental processes, just as one would a fine piece of machinery. He is able to control his conscious thinking faculties, and direct their work to the best advantage, and he also learns how to pass on orders to the subconscious mental region and bid it work for him while he sleeps, or even when he is using his conscious mind in other matters. These subjects will be considered by us in due time, during the course of lessons. Read more »

conscious mind, inner thoughts, mental processes, subconscious, thoughts and feelings, yogi

In our first three lessons of this series, we have endeavored to bring into realization within your mind (1) the consciousness of the “I”; its independence from the body; its immortality; its invincibility and invulnerability; (2) the superiority of the “I” over the mind, as well as over the body; the fact that the mind is not the “I,” but is merely an instrument for the expression of the “I”; the fact that the “I” is master of the mind, as well as of the body; that the “I” is behind all thought; that the “I” can set aside for consideration the sensations, emotions, passions, desires, and the rest of the mental phenomena, and still realize that it, the “I,” is apart from these mental manifestations, and remains unchanged, real and fully existent; that the “I” can set aside any and all of its mental tools and instruments, as “not I” things, and still consciously realize that after so setting them aside there remains something–itself–the “I” which cannot be set aside or taken from; that the “I” is the master of the mind, and not its slave; (3) that the “I” is a much greater thing than the little personal “I” we have been considering it to be; that the “I” is a part of that great One Reality which pervades all the Universe; that it is connected with all other forms of life by countless ties, mental and spiritual filaments and relations; that the “I” is a Centre of Consciousness in that great One Reality or Spirit, which is behind and back of all Life and Existence, the Centre of which Reality or Existence, is the Absolute or God; that the sense of Reality that is inherent in the “I,” is really the reflection of the sense of Reality inherent in the Whole–the Great “I” of the Universe. Read more »

consciousness, mental phenomena, mental tools, realization, reflection, sensations, sense of reality