A Grateful Heart

A grateful heart is a magnet that draws us to what is harmonious and good.... When our hearts are grateful, when we approach others and life itself with gratitude for all that is given, we generally reap more of the same.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian from her book The Jewel of Abundance.

At this time of the year the Thanksgiving holiday is wonderful reminder to take some time to reflect on what we are thankful for. We can look at our life, at the ups and downs, the good and the bad and find that there is something to be thankful for even in the bad. I realize that I would not be the person I am today without those difficult times. I can look at the mistakes I have made in my life and see how I have learned and gained strength from them. Then of course there are all of the wonderful gifts that I have been given—the gift of the people in my life, the gift of the beautiful area I live in, the gift of the birds singing in the garden, the gift the air I breathe. Life is always so much more joyful when we approach our lives each day with gratitude.

Let Go of Old Baggage

Mental impressions or conditionings are like the possessions we pack up and move from house to house. Superconscious meditation clears the mind of old baggage and frees us from the burden of the past.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

Meditation first makes us aware of the contents of the mind, and then a daily meditation practice allows us to choose what stays in the mental field. Deep mental impressions and habits provoke us to respond to external triggers and lead to ineffective choices. These mental habits or impressions are like deep ruts in a dirt road.  Our regular meditation practice can fill in those negative impressions and set us upon a smoother road of life. We can also create new and more positive impressions and habits that support us in moving forward in a positive way.  Set an intention to get rid of the old baggage that doesn't serve you anymore. Exercise the joyful discipline of daily meditation and reach freedom over past tendencies or undesirable habits.

Stillness of the Mind

Stillness of the breath is stillness of the mind.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

A foundational practice, as we sit to meditate, is to focus on the 
breath. This helps us direct attention inward and provides a single 
point of focus. It becomes easier to overcome distractions from 
thoughts, sounds and sensations when we focus on the breath. As we sit the breath slows and when our attention becomes entirely focused we move from concentration to meditation. The mind grows quiet and the breath can become very still. Stillness of our mind brings peace. We find freedom from the crazyness of our thoughts and experience the illumination of our mind and being. With stillness and peace of mind, we contribute to our own well-being and the well-being of all.

A Steady Practice

A dedicated (meditation) practice occurs over an extended period of time...It means: practiced over a long time, without interruption, with respect, and devotion. This is how our meditation practice becomes firmly grounded, how it becomes established. It becomes integrated into our daily life, not something separate from it. It becomes part of the way that we live, how we maintain our integrity and spiritual balance. Steadiness is the principal quality needed for that.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian from her online course Dharma 365 Lesson 6

Here Yogacharya O'Brian is giving us some practical advice about making our meditation practice a part of our life, not something that we think we should do, but have trouble making the time for it. When we first start to meditate we may find it difficult to create time for it. Or because we have old routines or habits we may forget or find it difficult to change those old routines. It takes time to create a new habit. Steadiness is key to that. It is helpful to remember why we want to meditate. In the teachings of Yoga we learn that we already have whatever it is that we are seeking. Peace of mind,  love, happiness or contentment are a few of the things that most of us are seeking. A steady, intentional meditation practice purifies the mind so we can experience these soul qualities and then live and act from that place of inner peace. Letting go of trying to achieve a specific result with our meditation will allow us to  just sit for the enjoyment of meditation. We will then begin to see how it positively affects us in our daily life. Yogacharya also says "In spiritual practice be steady, like a mountain stream is steady, winding its way to the ocean."
For more read Yogacharya's blog post -Three Essential Ways to Enhance and Enjoy Your Meditation Practice. 

Making Good Choices

As a rule, those on a spiritual path are advised to cultivate environments and lifestyles that are infused with sattva, uplifting qualities that contribute to clarity in body and mind. We do this by paying attention to what we surround ourselves with and what we consume or take in through all our senses—this includes food, conversation, media exposure, and so forth.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

When I exercise good judgment and participate in uplifting activities, it naturally makes me feel good and allows me to be useful to others. My mind is clearer and more peaceful and I can discern what is the next right action to take. I am able to do what I know I should do.  But the clearest lessons come to me when I don't follow this sensible advice. When I overdo it and eat food that is ill advised, I always seem to be surprised that I don't feel good later. The same thing goes for watching too much junk TV. Why am I surprised when I have trouble sleeping properly afterwards? Or have trouble meditating in the morning. Choosing those things, experiences, and environments that are uplifting supports us in sharing our best self with others and with life itself. 

You Can Do Your Part to Change the World

Change yourself and you have done your part in changing the world. Every individual must change his own life if he wants to live in a peaceful world.
Paramahansa Yogananda

Sometimes when I look out on the world and feel it full of anger, anxiety and conflict, I am encouraged by the knowledge that I can change this perspective in my own mind. At the beginning of my time of sitting I set an intention to be more at peace. After meditation, things always seem more encouraging. A regular daily meditation practice really helps. Just as importantly, when I stand back and act in a way that is in alignment with what I know is the right thing, life just gets more pleasant and supportive. My perspective of the world and my relationships feel more peaceful. It is amazing to think that we can contribute to changing the world just by changing our own thoughts. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change we want to see in the world."

The Difference You Make

Every single one of us makes a difference every day – it is up to us as to the kind of difference we make.
Jane Goodall

This week we honor of the passing of the great environmentalist, ethologist and humanitarian, Jane Goodall. Making a difference was her life's work. This quote came from her obituary on her website, JaneGoodall.org  
Through her work she came to understand how, as humans, we are deeply interconnected with nature, we are not separate. All of our actions affect the world, whether we are aware of it or not. This awareness she speaks of is in alignment with the teachings of Yoga. We are One with all of life. The spiritual teachers tell us that we can choose how we are in the world. Even the little things we do, affect this manifest world, the physical environment and all beings in small ways and profound ways. We each bring our unique gifts. Our meditation practice teaches us to slow down, observe ourselves, listen to our inner wisdom and act in a way that benefits all.

Our Highest Happiness

Self-discipline is action that is taken in harmony with one's deepest wisdom. Rather than an imposed external structure, true self-discipline is learning to follow soul-guidance. The practice of self-discipline therefore supports soul realization and our highest happiness.... The combination of dispassion and self-discipline provide the necessary environment in consciousness for realization to occur.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

Self-discipline on the spiritual path is about our ability to control the whims of the ego, that aspect of ourselves that identifies uniquely with body, mind and personality and is predominanly self-centered. The ego enables us interact with the world, but needs to be properly guided. It wants short term gratification and is basically never satisfied for long. Kriya Yoga meditation practice makes us very aware of our own mental state and trains us to recognize short term desires as opposed to our real goal of lasting inner peace and harmony with the world around us. We can experience the freedom from suffering when we practice dispassion when we do our best and let go of attachment to the results of our actions. Our steady meditation practice slowly frees up the path of higher intuition, our soul's deepest wisdom. Following the soul's guidance slowly purifies our default mental state and opens us up to the appreciation of grace all around us.

Our Thoughts Influence How We Thrive

We arrange conditions in our mind conductive to success by changing any thought patterns that are not consistent with thriving. When we notice negativity pervading our thoughts, we can pause, consider what the opposite would be, and then introduce that opposite as a new, more useful thought into the mental field.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

This method of opposites is one of the most powerful tools articulated in the classic Yoga text, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The verse states that "when the mind is disturbed by negative thoughts, one should dwell on their opposites." Our daily meditation practice brings awareness of the quality of thoughts in the mind and gives us the opportunity to change them. If we can move from the heat of anger for example and cultivate loving kindness, we can avoid the unhealthy effects of anger. This practice not only helps all those around us but also opens the path to our own mental, emotional and spiritual freedom.

Love and Compassion

The depth of realization attained in meditation is measured by the acts 
of love and compassion it inspires.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

For those of us who have a regular meditation practice, how are we to 
judge its effectiveness? The first level answer is not by what happens 
during meditation. Even on those days when the mind seems as restless as 
the wind, our constant returning to a point of focus brings many 
benefits: an improved ability to concentrate, increased awareness of 
what is occurring in the mind, and an ability to be present as we go 
about our daily activities. Often others notice the real benefits of our 
meditation practice before we do: an abiding calm peacefulness and a 
pleasant disposition despite outer circumstances. However the greatest 
blessing of meditation is that natural compassion with all those we come 
in contact with because we realize that we are not really separate from 
each other at all.

We Are One

Images of earth from space show us a planet free of boundaries. What will it be like for us to live as one—the truth that we have seen and know in our hearts? When a new vision arises, the old way fights to maintain the status quo. See through appearances to embrace the highest truth.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

Many of the astronauts who saw the earth for the first time from space came back to say that it was a life changing experience for them. When we see those images we are reminded that the boundaries that have been created are really just an illusion. In this day and age we are constantly reminded of the perceived boundaries between us—boundaries of race, of nationality, of gender, of politics, of religion, we could go on and on. As John Lennon said "Imagine all the people living life in peace." We can live as one. While honoring each other's differences we can live our lives in the continual remembrance that we are One. Our intentional meditation practice supports us in that remembrance.

Our Thoughts Influence How We Thrive

We arrange conditions in our mind conductive to success by changing any thought patterns that are not consistent with thriving. When we notice negativity pervading our thoughts, we can pause, consider what the opposite would be, and then introduce that opposite as a new, more useful thought into the mental field.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

This method of opposites is one of the most powerful tools articulated in the classic Yoga text, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The verse states that "when the mind is disturbed by negative thoughts, one should dwell on their opposites." Our daily meditation practice brings awareness of the quality of thoughts in the mind and gives us the opportunity to change them. If we can move from the heat of anger for example and cultivate loving kindness, we can avoid the unhealthy effects of anger. This practice not only helps all those around us but also opens the path to our own mental, emotional and spiritual freedom.

Be Happy for No Reason

Our amazing soul power to “just be present” with whatever is at hand, is the highway to happiness. It is an assertion that what we are as Spirit, is greater than any situation or circumstance. We stand back, anchored in spiritual awareness. And then, there it is: we are whole. Contentment, even in the face of difficulty, arises. We discover we can be happy for no reason.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

In the teachings of Kriya Yoga, cultivating contentment is one of the ten lifestyle practices taught to bring peace to the mind and heart. Recently, while working on a project that had its times of difficulty, one of the leaders asked if I was happy. I replied, “Yes, I am.” But then I paused and clarified: I wasn’t just happy—I felt contentment with the work we were doing, how it was unfolding and how it was being received.

Contentment is a deeper, steadier peace, something we’ve all experienced at one time or another. Yet, when we face challenges—or witness others going through them—it isn’t always easy to accept things as they are. In those moments, our regular meditation practice can support us. It allows us to pause, breathe, notice our feelings, and accept what is, so we can discern the next right step to take.

These are the moments when we can truly cultivate contentment—and discover the quiet happiness already present in our lives.

Serenity Comes From Nonattachment

Serenity and freedom from attachment are linked. When you are upset, look to see where the attachment lies. Let it go and experience serenity.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

Roy Eugene Davis translates the core teaching on non-attachment from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as "dispassionate non-attachment enables one to consciously control urges, cravings and instinctual drives."  We can live fully attached to outcomes or use the enhanced self-awareness from our meditation practice to make rightly guided choices in life, even after disappointment. When we are selfishly attached to the results of our actions, we squander the opportunity to learn something new and we suffer. As Yogacharya O'Brian has written "with non-attachment, one cares about their work because it is an offering to God... The core of non-attachment is the realization that God is the doer." We care about the results of our actions but are humbly ready to serve.

Plant Positive Seeds for The Future

The law of karma is perfect. Harming harms us. Acts of love return to bless us.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

Karma is a Sanskrit word that literally means the results of actions. The Bhagavad Gita reminds us that we cannot refrain from acting. Everything we do is an action, even breathing. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali tell us that actions have consequences: good, bad or a mixture of the two. Even our thoughts have karmic consequences. We can get caught up in what happened in the past and think there's no hope but through our thoughts, words and actions we can plant positive seeds for the future. Even the seed for the sunflower in the photo brought the gift of beauty, even through a crack in the concrete. Daily meditation practice nurtures our witness consciousness which enables us to observe and modify our actions in real time. We are fully responsible for our own karma.  Especially in these difficult times it can be very liberating to act out of love. Let go of the past and move forward, making the commitment to plant positive seeds for our and the world's future.

Mantra—A Spiritual Tool for the Mind

The Sanskrit term mantra means a spiritual tool for the mind, a formula for reaching higher states of consciousness... Mantra practice liberates the mind from the confining structure of thought form. It frees the mind from the constraint of concepts and allows it to be a vehicle or conduit for higher understanding and insight.
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian   From her book The Jewel of Abundance

We can use a mantra from a sacred language such as the So Hum mantra in Sanskrit (So - That / Hum - I am, meaning I am that which I seek) or an English word like 'peace' or a phrase such as 'I am peace.' Silent repetition of the mantra at the beginning of our practice can captivate the mind and make it easier to reach a single point of focus. The normal chatter of random thoughts can fall away and leave us in that state of deep peacefulness which is our true nature and which we call meditation. Try using mantra at the beginning of your practice and you may find it a very valuable tool.

Let Your Life Open In Beauty

LET YOUR LIFE OPEN IN BEAUTY

To meditate is to be
like the flower at dawn
turning toward the sun.
Doing what it is naturally
inclined to do, the flower is

energized into opening.
This flower opening
is the fulfillment of life's
intention. Its beauty
is effortless.

The flower fulfills its destiny;
its beauty speaks to those
who pass by, saying:
Creator! Love! Possibility!

Each day, turn within
to the Source of life.
Be energized, be fulfilled,
let your life open in beauty.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

Make Wise Decisions

To wisely decide on a course of action, first take time to become established in the awareness of the presence of God. Let divine peace fill your mind. Then inwardly inquire: what is in harmony with the highest good?
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

Some decisions can be made on the simple basis of cost comparison. Other decisions can be more complicated and require that we use a broader range of possible resources. When making major life decisions we can utilize the higher resources of inner guidance. Patience and the practice of meditation is key to access our powerful intuition. When we concentrate on a single point of focus such as the breath or a mantra, the mind becomes quiet and  free of thoughts that distract so that we can access deeper intuition. The ego is our lower drive that wants I, me mine rather than the deeper universal consciousness. How do we recognize the difference between decisions based on ego versus those in touch with the presence of God, (or however you conceptualize the ground source of being)? The key is the abiding sense of peacefulness about the decision. How does this benefit myself and others? If you feel in a hurry to proceed, perhaps this is the mark of ego. And of course we can notice who and what benefits as a result. What is your process for making important decisions and has meditation helped with this?

Choosing Joy In The Midst of Challenge

Joy is innate to the soul. We have it always. The secret of knowing joy even during challenges is refusing to let anyone or anything take it away.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian

There are so many times in our life when we have some kind of challenge. It may be as simple as being late for an appointment but we get stuck in traffic and every stoplight is red. It could be a relationship or work challenge or it may be the loss of someone that we love or loss of a job. It is our human situation to have difficulties in our life. But how do we handle these challenges? Yogacharya O'Brian reminds us that joy is an inherent part of who we are, it can't be taken away unless we allow it. We can let an external situation disturb our peace or we can look at the situation and discern what is really bothering us and then figure out the best way to deal with that, remembering that everything is subject to change except our deep abiding joy, contentment and wisdom. This is where our meditation practice supports us. In the stillness of meditation, we learn to pause, observe, and create space between stimulus and response. It offers us a moment of clarity—an opportunity to return to our center and respond from a place of calm rather than reactivity. 

We can decide to live in that place of joy rather than allow anyone or anything to take it away. It's not that we ignore the issue but we remember that our joy is ours. We have the power to choose it.

Success Begins With Meditation

Success is either hastened or delay by one's habits.  It is not you passing inspirations or brilliant ideas so much as your everyday mental habits that control your life.
~Paramahansa Yogananda

A consistent daily meditation practice gives us the mental self awareness to judge our thoughts and speech as they arise and to make necessary adjustments. When we let less useful thoughts and speech fall away we avoid negative consequences and attract only the support that positive speech and actions naturally acquire. What we experience as success comes from the harmony of our actions with a supportive universe. Success begins with meditation. Meditation helps us to judge our thoughts and actions and to evaluate our habits. What habits would you like to acquire? Which would you like to drop?