What's that tingling I feel on my fingers - Use of Mantras

​Dear All,

Experiencing tingling on the fingers during meditation, indicates an obstacle or 'catch' on the chakras which the fingers are related to.

Since a catch on a chakra could be both a health indication as well as reflected externally in some aspect of your life where there could be a problem or where you'd like an improvement, it's useful to know how to clear your catches.

For this we use Mantras.

Here's an example of a Sahaja Yoga mantra(sanskrit, the pronounciations are here) along with translation:

'Om twameva sakshat Shri Ganesha, sakshat Shri Adi Shakti Mataji , Shri Nirmala Devi, Namoh! Namah!'

'Om, you are, indeed Shri Ganesha(archetype of 1st chakra), indeed the primordial energy, (signature: Shri Nirmala Devi), much respect to you'

Below are two diagrams:

1. The Sahaja yoga mantra diagram(also attached) showing the different archetypes on the different chakras. This is the only part of the example mantra given above that is replaced according to which chakra you're clearing.

2. The subtle system chart relating the fingers to the different chakras, so that you know what mantra to use according to which finger is tingling, pricking or hot.

See you at group meditation on Tuesday.

Regards

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Importance of being in balance. Are you a left-sided or right-sided person?

Dear All,

Try this quick self-diagnosis of your subtle system :

1. Hold both palms out to the photo above.
2. If you're feeling warmer on the left palm than on the right, then you're likely to be a left-sided person.
3. If you're feeling warmer on the right palm than on the left , then you're likely to be a right-sided person.

Now take a look at the table below:

There's nothing to be worried about. Most of us may swing between being mildly left-sided or right-sided during the course of the day depending on what we're doing, so the extreme effects shown above won't apply.

However, from the point of view of the quality of your meditation and your general sense of well-being, it's useful to know when you're left-sided or right-sided so that you can balance yourself.

The video below (from last Tuesday's meeting) along with the suggestions in the table above should help you to start becoming your own doctor.

demo of left & right-side treatment

See you at the group meditation on Tuesday .

Regards

Italy - Milan Expo 2015

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​Dear All,

If you were wondering how to enjoy yourself over the Spring May Day holidays starting next weekend, you could catch a cheap Ryanair flight to Milan and check out the Milan Expo 2015, which Sahaja Yoga happens to be participating in (see flyer below).

The Milano Expo 2015 is one of a series of World Expos that have taken place in major world cities; starting with the famous Great Exhibition of 1851 organised in London's Hyde Park and attracting six million people from all over the world. This years Expo will include participants from 140 countries and visitor numbers are expected to exceed 20 million.

​Italy has once before been the source of major influence on the world. This was during the period of the Renaissance(14th - 17th century), when an explosion of exciting, new ideas in Arts, Science, Music and Self-awareness, sometimes represented in the person of Leonardo da Vinci, led to the beginning of the transformation of the world of the middle ages to that of modern times. Milano 2015 has the potential to move us in a similar direction.

As anyone who is seriously making the journey of self-discovery, which is sahaja yoga meditation, will know, the experience of vibrations('spanda') and vibrational awareness has many applications. We may ultimately discover that it touches on every aspect of human endeavour. Shri Mataji hinting at this potential once remarked that "anything you can do with science, you can do with sahaja yoga" (see: Theory of Everything ).

We're still taking baby steps at the moment towards exploring this further. But a good start, as you can see on the flyer below, are the breakout sessions covering implications in human health and well-being; sustainable development; art,music and culture; sustainable world food supply - agriculture.

Vediamo il Martedì ( See you on Tuesday).

Ciao!

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The Void - Achieving Self-mastery & overcoming difficulties(Kung Fu Panda)

Dear All,

According to some official research, nearly half of all adults in the UK feel stressed everyday or every few days.

 In a separate finding,  one of the most common reasons for stress is being in a situation where we have no control over the outcome.

Apparently, bosses are less stressed out than the people who report to them at work.

The fact is, we can each be our own boss, even if only in our head. This small shift can make a big difference to how we cope with stress.

So here's how to be your own boss.

When you sit down for meditation, with the left palm open on the lap towards the photograph, place the right palm over the stomach to cover the large green circle shown in the subtle system image above.

This large green circle is called 'The Void' or 'Bhavasagara', meaning 'The Ocean of illusion' . The Void represents our state of balance and self-mastery.

By placing our hand here, vibrations are directed to this area which helps to settle it. It can be helped by repeating the affirmation: 'I am my own master'.

Then go into thoughtless awareness for a few minutes.

The archetype of the Void is embodied in the principal of the 'primordial master' , three examples of this being in the lives of Socrates, Laozi and Confucius.

Perhaps as a result of the influence of Laozi and Confucius, the concept of 'Master' is quite strong in Chinese culture, particularly in the tradition of martial arts.

A great illustration being this 4 minute scene from the animated movie Kung Fu Panda. While watching it remember that within yourself you embody both Kung Fu Panda as well as 'Sifu' (master) who is training and testing him.

See you on Tuesday.

Regards

Power in your hands - action at a distance

​Dear All,

As a result of regularly achieving your thoughtless awareness, even for a few minutes a day, you may be surprised to learn that if you have your attention on a problem , a friend,  or a situation and give it a bandhan, it can do a power of good by helping somebody or resolving something.

The bandhan is most effective just after your meditation when the kundalini's connection at the sahasrara(crown of the head) is at it's strongest. Group bandhans are especially effective. And, extraordinarily, bandhans work at a distance, which means that you may be sitting in London but can help a sick relative in another country with a simple movement of the hands.

This may all sound mysterious but it is no more mysterious than being able to talk to somebody far away or see something happening in another place by means of a mobile phone or television. Mobile phone and television signals are carried over the air waves by means of electromagnetic(EM) energy  which is part of a spectrum that includes visible light. The rest of the EM spectrum is invisible, which is why, for example, the working of a mobile phone can't be seen.

Similarly, the body is like a very sophisticated computer which is only switched on when the kundalini is awakened, and can function like a transmitter and receiver. Whereas the mobile phone works over EM energy, the human subtle body works over the 'tanmatras', which is the subtle of the EM energy.

When you next sit down for meditation, spend a few minutes at the end giving a bandhan(see description below) to any problem worrying you - try to keep in thoughtless awareness while doing so  - and see what happens!

See you at group meditation tomorrow(Tuesday).

Regards

Note:

To give a bandhan, symbolically write down the problem, situation or person's name in the palm of the left hand . Now make a gentle circular movement of the right hand over the left palm. Do this until you can feel the left palm go cool. As much as possible, you need to be in thoughtless awareness while giving the bandhan. Also avoid the feeling that you are doing something ie. Ego. Everything is done by the universal energy which is nothing but benevolence and which you have the privilege of silently communicating with through the bandhan as a result of kundalini awakening.

Keeping Good Health. Be Fearless!- The Heart Chakra: Warrior Mothers

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Dear All,

In a recent Tuesday group meditation session, you may remember, we heard Dr Katya Rubia, in a video lecture, emphasising that the scientific research done on sahaja yoga meditation shows that the health benefit side-effects are specifically associated with 'Thoughtless Awareness' . Dr Ramesh Manocha at the University of Sydney Medical School, has made the same point.

The bulk of the research has been around psycho-somatic illnesses such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, drug abuse etc. Less easy to measure, scientifically, is the preventative effect of sahaja yoga meditation on illness. However, we know, anecdotally, from the global community of people practising sahaja yoga meditation that, on the whole, they are less prone,for example, to infections than their non-meditating friends. And even if they do catch something, then it's relatively mild and gone in a day or two. Another person might be in bed for a week, with a doctor's prescription of antibiotics(see note).

So while regularly achieving the state of thoughtless awareness in your meditation will improve your health, maintaining good health depends also on another aspect of your subtle yogic system, which is the Heart chakra.

Here's how it works.

The Heart chakra governs a small organ behind the breast bone in the upper chest area. This organ is called the Thymus and is part of our autoimmune system that produces 'killer T cells' that protect and fight against infection. The production of the T cells happens from birth till about 12years of age after which the production tails off and the Thymus begins to shrink. Meanwhile the T cells are distributed round the body to form the adult autoimmune response.

Any life event that has an effect on the Heart chakra will determine how robust a person's health is. And the Heart chakra is effected by emotions and feelings. Particularly feelings of fear and insecurity, which could be unconscious. A person's defences against infections are lowest when they may be going through a difficult time emotionally.

And that is why it is said : " Be Fearless!"

Merely deciding to be fearless, may not actually work but regular meditation builds up the Heart chakra, so does love, and taking up of some sport.

These three things seem to be combined in the image that represents the archetype (remember the Jungian archetypes discussed in a previous email), associated with the Heart chakra and that is The Warrior Mother. The Mother who, driven by love and desire to protect her children, is the fiercest fighter of all.

These qualities have been  reflected in the lives of certain historical personalities. Three examples, all of whom happened to be queens, being: Boudica(first from right, above), who took on the might of Roman Britain to avenge the torture of her daughters; Yaa Asantewa (second from right) who rebelled against colonial domination in the Gold Coast and took up arms in battle when the men were afraid to; and Rani Laksmibai of Jhansi (third from right) who defying the siege of her fort, legend says, leapt from the top of the fort on horseback with her small son tied to her back.

See you tomorrow for Tuesday group meditation.

Regards

Sustaining thoughtless awareness with regular Foot spa detox (footsoak)

 Sustaining thoughtless awareness with regular Foot spa detox (footsoak)

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​Dear All,

A small reminder about the usefulness of the foot spa detox (aka. footsoak). The thoughtless awareness state can easily be experienced when you are able to feel your kundalini energy as a cool breeze above the head. You can better feel the kundalini when you can feel vibrations in general , on the palms of your hands during meditation or within your body.

If you are unable to feel vibrations after the kundalini awakening , it could be to do with the agnya or vishuddhi chakra, or with the liver. The footsoak  will help cool down the liver and make it easier to feel vibrations.

Also the footsoak is an effective and inexpensive detox.On a daily basis we're subject to a variety of atmospheric pollutants that includes traffic fumes, nicotine and even industrial effluents. It's the liver's job to try and remove these everyday toxins and the footsoak helps the liver with this.

The state of the liver can sometimes be reflected in the complexion and health of the skin, so the effects of your footsoaking will be visible on your face after sometime. So not only will you find it easier to meditate, but your  face may start shining :o)

See you at group meditation tomorrow.

Regards

What to do about money worries : You , Greece & The Global Economy

Dear All,

While it's easy to make a connection between your meditation and how much better you feel mentally and physically, the connection between your meditation/kundalini awakening and any changes in your material circumstances may not be so apparent. But it does exist and, in my experience and that of others, usually takes one of several forms.

These are (for example):

 Getting a new job(perhaps losing an old one); unexpectedly coming into some money; gaining a promotion at work or some form of autonomy;  moving house - ( it's quite easy to stop meditating at this point, because the new circumstances take over, but best is to persist)

If none of the above has happened to you, but , on the contrary you find your circumstances rather tight , then don't worry :o). In the same way that you are able to cure yourself of a physical condition by following a specific recommended sahaja yoga treatment, there's a treatment for financial ailments as well :o) .

But before we come to that, let's consider the country of Greece. In case you don't pay much attention to the financial news, Greece has a very serious debt problem, with Debt-to-GDP ratio of 175% . This means that if you were to dig a very big hole to represent Greece's debts and poured into it the total productive output of Greece's economy for a year, it would only come just a little more than half way up to covering the hole.

The world has a lot to thank the Greeks for . They invented politics ('polis' 'attica' - Athenian Democracy) and economics (agora - marketplace) and may have  contributed to the foundations of the modern computer technology era by inventing logic (Aristotelian logic ) . All this was a deviation from the original philosophy of Socrates and since Socratic 'philosophy' was exactly that : 'philo' - love of , 'sophy/sofia' - the feminine principal of wisdom, it may explain why things began going downhill after that .

That's not all. According a sahaja yoga understanding Greece represents the Nabhi/Navel chakra of the world ( Delphi ) . If there's a problem with the Nabhi Chakra, then the whole body is unwell. So if Greece is in bad shape, it's not a very good sign for where the whole global economy is headed (assuming that the 2008 global recession is behind us).

To treat your 'inner Greece'  then :o), use of an ancient mantra, called the Shri Sukta may help. Go into thoughtless awareness for a few minutes then with left palm open on the lap and right-hand placed over the navel listen and watch the clip. Repeated viewings, and on headphones is useful. The Shri Sukta is associated with 'Yagnya' (explained in notes below).

See you at group meditation tomorrow.

Regards

Notes:

Yagnya  - according to ancient Indian philosophy, the whole universe is born out of yagnya,  is sustained by yagnya and is continuously engaged in performing yagnya. When you perform any work, this is yagnya. All organisations/institutions/

companies are doing yagnya of one sort or another.  The yagnya within the human body is the digestive process, by which we take in food to sustain our continued existence. The essence of the digestive process is the digestive 'fire'  which breaks the food down and turns it into nutrients that nourish the body.  The action of the digestive 'fire' is to 'consume' , so yagnya can be viewed as the process of consumption. In consumption there is something that is consumed and there is the consumer. From these two come the concept of supply and demand. An ideal example of the working of the system of supply and demand might be in ecology or an environmental system , where supply meets demand in a continuous self-sustaining cycle. Such a system can be said to be in a balanced state of  equilibrium. It is kept in a state of equilibrium by an inherent intelligence within the system (Mother Nature/Ritambhara Prajna).  Compare this to the human system ie the economy. The 'inherent intelligence' of the ecological system is replaced in the human system by the 'market' - which is generally in state of dis-equilibrium.  From the idea of the market comes 'money'. The first money had an intrinsic value: eg. cowrie shells and gold. Later on we started using bits of paper which were promissory notes/ IOUs ie ' I promise to give you one cow for the ten chickens you gave me'. And this is how the idea of debt came into existence  So whether you have a mortgage, a loan or use credit cards, it easy to see how the whole global economy is based on credit or debt. And debt is the gremlin in the system. Which means that there's always going to be a problem.  Unless, somehow, the economic system can converge into the ecological one. And this may be happening. In recent years there seems to be a collective unconscious push in this direction with increasing interest in 'Green' issues, Environmentalism, Sustainability, Business Ethics, Ethical Investments, Social Enterprises, Recycling, CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility) etc. Which all makes sense : If we're all evolving into a better version of ourselves part of that must be about living in a better and more harmonious relationship with the earth and with each other.

Visual aid to Thoughtless awareness - your easy path to progress

Dear All,

There's an ancient tradition of the use of visual imagery to achieve meditative states. The photo provided at the meeting (shown above) fits into this tradition .  You don't have to make use of the photo to meditate, but if you do, here's why it can not only  make your path to achieving your thoughtless awareness much easier, but also help you with your progress.

In the tradition of the use of visual imagery for meditation, the  images are usually complex, abstract patterns such as the first image above. Perhaps the most complex development of this is in the Lama tradition of  Tibetan Buddhism. Incidentally, in Zen Buddhism, aural imagery, called koans eg. "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" is used to try and achieve a similar effect.

The three images shown above can be classified , as meditative aids, as 'complete but non-simple' , 'simple but non-complete' and 'simple and complete' .

The first image (Shri Yantra) is complete but non-simple because it is said to represent the universe of the totality of phenomenological experience. The meditation consists in progressively contemplating the layers in the image, starting from the border to a single point at the centre, which represents a kind of zero-point identification with the universe.

The second image (laughing baby) is simple but non-complete because it is easy  to relate to without the mental gymnastics required in the first image. It is also easy to internalise the obvious depiction of being in the moment, non-mind and joy. But it can't encompass the different life states you may be in at any point in time.

The  third image is simple and complete because it's easy to relate to and can encompass the different life states you may be in at any point in time. But the photo is enigmatic and only starts to 'work' when we can overcome the inherent 'great doubt' which it is natural to have about any 'strange concept'. Approach it with an open-mind.

The way I use the photo is to watch first the right-hand for a moment and then the left-hand. This usually centers me . I then watch for a moment the dot on Shri Mataji's forehead which makes my mental activity subside. I then close my eyes and keep my attention at the crown of head until I can feel the cool sensation of the kundalini energy. Every encounter with the photo becomes like a slow peeling away of the layers of ego and super-ego which keeps us away from reality.

Try it!

See you at group meditation tomorrow.

Regards

Keeping it Real or Getting a better perspective on situations

Dear All,

Two more group meditations sessions before Christmas, which could set you up nicely for 2015.

Have you watched the Matrix films? If you get a chance try and  re-watch the first one in the series. It has some deep concepts of the nature of reality which is borrowed from Eastern philosophy.

Below is a simplification of that philosophy.

See you tomorrow.

Regards

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Have you ever been in a tight spot and didn't know how you were going to get out of a difficult situation? Well, your meditation can help with that. Here's how.

First a dream scenario:

You suddenly find yourself at the Pamplona Bull Run in Spain (see photo above), running for your life(apparently) from an angry bull. You're boxed in by the group of other runners close to you and you can see that the bull, with it's horns lowered, is about to catch you in a soft spot. In panic what do you do ? Is the answer a). leap onto the wall of the building on your immediate right and hope that the people on the balcony can pull you out of the danger  or b). take a dive to the left out of the direct path of the bull immediately behind you?

The correct answer is c). Wake up!

There are many situations in life where the correct answer is c). but where we choose either a). or b). as the solution. Neither a). or b). gets us out of the dream-state and so can only be very temporary solutions. The c). usually doesn't occur to us at all  - why? Because the dream has become the reality, our individual reality.

Translated into Sahaja yoga meditation terms, this is what's going on:

In human psychology, there are two features of  the mind that form the personality and creates for each one of us a virtual reality through which we view life and the world in general. These two are the Ego and the Super-Ego. The Ego is the forward-marching part of the personality and the Super-Ego is the one that retreats. The Ego caters to our future and the Super-Ego to our past, which are also represented by the right channel and left channel in the subtle body.

With regular meditation the sushumna or central channel is opened out. The central channel represents the present and travels through the agnya chakra in the forehead and opens out at the fontanelle at the crown of the head connecting you with Reality.

So when you find yourself in a situation and submit it to meditation, rather than mentally trying to work it out, you've chosen answer c) Wake up!

Effort & Reward - investing in yourself

Dear All,

We all know that things don't change for the better unless we make some concerted effort in the right direction. This can apply to small things as well as large ones. If we don't know what effort to make and in which direction, then ......Meditate . It's an investment in yourself .

See you tomorrow!

Regards

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If you've managed to be first in the queue at any of the Christmas shopping sales  in Oxford Street , then you'll know the feeling. It's the feeling of happy satisfaction at the guaranteed bargain purchase. But TVs, shoes and other purchases give only temporary satisfaction - lasting apparently till just after Christmas :o) . If you want a more long-lasting and worthwhile satisfaction then, as you already know, you can achieve this  better by investing in yourself.

Everytime you make some time to Meditate - 5 minutes in the morning/10 minutes in the evening - and your Kundalini energy goes up,  you are investing in yourself.

According to ancient Indian philosophy, there are four aims of life: 'Artha' (wealth), 'Dharma' (fulfilling your purpose in life/innate sustenance/morality), 'Kama' (pleasure & enjoyment) and 'Moksha' (spiritual freedom). The Kundalini is described in 'Lalita Sahasranama' (ancient text) as 'Purusartha Pradayini' , which means the one that grants these four aims of life.

So any time spent meditating, is effort that will reap reward.

Getting things done already - 'Fire in the Belly' and the wonders of Ginger Tea

Dear All,

Did you know we've providing you with Ginger tea at the end of our meditation sessions. Here's why it's good for you.

See you tomorrow.

Regards

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One of the things often reported as a result of the daily meditation, is how much more dynamic and energetic you feel, with an increased ability to quickly get things done, whether at work or at home. How does this come about and what simple thing can you do to help it?

In several previous emails, the Nabhi Chakra(energy centre) in the stomach has been mentioned (see: Your strength & clarity - 22/09/14) . The Nabhi Chakra is very much the 'quality of life' chakra. As the Kundalini energy works on the Nabhi, the powers of digestion and the digestive system are improved.

The powers of digestion, according to the science of Ayurveda, depends on the strength of 'Agni' (digestive fire) within an individual. With strong Agni a person has good appetite and good metabolism and can pretty much eat anything and never get any problems. The person also has a lot of mental and physical energy and with this 'Fire in the Belly' is able to get a lot of work done.

A good example of this type was a work colleague from some years ago, who, every lunch time in the staff restaurant, used to pile a small mountain of food on his plate, which as far as I could see was all 'stodge' - mashed potatoes, gravy, boiled cabbage, grease etc. - food guaranteed to put most other people into a light afternoon coma, and yet for this chap the food used to quickly vanish from the plate, making you wonder where he put it, given how slim he was. Anyway, he was a cross-country runner, was likely to be found in a T-shirt in winter and was a highly productive research biochemist.

The opposite of that is a person with weak Agni.

To help the strength of your own Agni, here are two things you can try:

During meditation, with your attention at the crown of the head, hold left palm open towards photograph and press the fingers of the right hand into the navel. Hold the right hand there until you can feel a radiating sensation of vibrations flowing from the stomach to the rest of the body.

Also try taking ginger tea regularly. Below are to short clips showing you how to make ginger tea and the benefits of ginger in general.

Overcoming your Inertia & Scientific American benefits of meditation

Dear All,

Group meditation is great for getting out of inertia . Also take a look at this Scientific American article ...

See you tomorrow.

Regards

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One of the things daily meditation can help you with is 'Inertia' - the tendency for the routines that you are used to, sucking out the spontaneity and creativity that keeps things fun and fresh and contributes to your energy of life.

This is why the group meditation is so useful, once a week - because when we come into the space of the group meditation, we are bathing in a charged field of vibrations that can stimulate positive change for us.

An indication of this is how the rest of the week seems to work out better when you've re-charged yourself at group meditation on Tuesday.

When the Tuesday boost to your system is supported by your own daily meditation, then the effect of inertia can be overcome and things do work out for the better in every area of your life.

On another note, how is this for timing? In last week's email focusing on some of the scientific evidence for the benefits of meditation, 'Scientific American' magazine published in their November issue a cover article (pdf attached), about mental and physical benefits from Meditation.

You could ask the question: "If other forms of meditation, give the same benefits as sahaja yoga meditation, then what's so unique about sahaja yoga meditation?"

The answer is : one is a life-style choice, the other is evolutionary imperative (nature's way)

Getting ahead - your morning mood and days achievements + Rod of Asclepius

Dear All,

What some people try and do with seven cups of coffee, you can do by just closing your eyes for a few minutes. If you're stuck in rut at work or socially, this may be your way of bustin' loose: improve your mood with daily meditation and then go out and do stuff. The evidence is below.

Also, who was the Greek god of Medicine and what is the link between the Greek mythology and the experience you're gaining every Tuesday?

Read On.

See you tomorrow at group Meditation.

Regards

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Last week at the group meditation, one of you asked me whether it was better to meditate in the morning or the evening. The answer is: at both times.

For many people it's easier to be in a relaxed state, and therefore to meditate, at the end of the day, when you know you don't have to rush out the house to catch a bus or train. However, you may have discovered that meditation in the morning improves your mood and sets you up for a great day ahead.

A Wall Street Journal article a couple of years ago ("Put on a Happy Face" - 24/10/11) made this exact point : That, if you start the day in a good mood, you'll get more done during the day. While the suggestions given for getting into a good mood,may not appeal to everybody eg.eating a free cookie, Meditation is the preferred method for an increasing number of busy people.

On the subject of mood-enhancement, Dr Katya Rubia, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at King's College,London and a long-term practitioner of meditation, has helpfully put together this website that backs up with hard scientific evidence the improvements to your brain chemistry ie your mood from regular meditation.

If you click in the left column of the website, you can also view the evidence of how the meditation can help with a wide range of conditions, including Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, Drug Abuse, Epilepsy and Asthma.

As the wise ancients said: "Cura te ipsum" ('cure yourself') as if they had some knowledge of the self-healing effect of kundalini awakening. Here's why that is a possibility: The emblem below (snake ascending a staff) is widely used internationally to represent the medical profession.


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Remember that the Kundalini energy is a 'coiled' energy and when she is awakened moves up the central axis of the body, travelling in a spiral. That could very well be the image shown, which is called the Rod of Asclepius, Asclepius being the ancient Greek god of Medicine.

Making progress and enjoying the fruits

Dear All,

On your smartphone there are little icons representing the different apps. If you click on one of these icons it opens up the app and you can work with it. In the same way within the subtle body , the chakras can be thought of as apps and the icons representing them can be compared to Jungian archetypes of the collective human psyche. If can access the archetype in your meditation, then you've learnt how to open the app.

Attached is a doc giving archetypes and chakras. Below is exercise for clicking your icon.

Read on..

See you at group meditation tomorrow.

Regards

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In order to keep your daily meditation practice fresh as well as grow in confidence and mastery,  it's rewarding to focus on specific chakras during meditation, whenever you can make a little extra time to do this.

As previously mentioned, the chakras are the subtle form of the nerve plexi along the spinal column, and when the kundalini energy rises to the top of the head during your daily meditation, she sends back a stream of 'Elixir' which bathes and nourishes the chakras and soothes the nerves. This is how you begin to look and feel younger and get cured if suffering from an illness.

In the same way that we sometimes hold our attention on the chakras during group meditation on Tuesday's, you can try the same at home but by holding the attention on the chakra for a little longer. See what knowledge or information the chakra begins to send back to you or reveal about itself. This is how you begin to learn about yourself in a way that is  much more useful to you than merely reading about it.

When you've done this exercise for a while, see whether you can pay attention to the crown of the head and the chakra at the same time and begin to feel the connection between the crown chakra and the chakra in the body. The roots of all the chakras are in the crown. When the root is nourished the chakra is nourished too.

When the chakra is nourished it blossoms like a flower, the scent of which are all the best qualities that human beings have in them. From this some people have become musicians and artists, some people have become wealthy, some people have achieved a settled family life, some people have achieved position.

The fruits you can get are numerous and various. But ...they can be a temptation as well :o) ; instead enjoy and move on!

The Body is a Temple - Looking after yourself

Dear All,

It's not all about meditation, the body has to be looked after as well. Here are a few simple tips.

See you tomorrow for group meditation.

Regards

The practice of daily meditation improves our ability to cope with stress, solve our problems and generally lead a more balanced and satisfying life, but the machinery of the body has to be taken care of. The reason this is important is firstly because how feel physically has a big effect on how feel about life , the universe and everything; and secondly we need resilience for the long haul: The body is a temple - if you're sick, it's no fun.

Here a few things that I've found useful.

Detoxify : Water, water, everywhere

The Footsoak is a very effect way to detoxify through the feet at the end of the day. It's almost like watching the tensions and troubles of the day get sucked out through the feet. Excellent if you have trouble sleeping. You sleep like a baby and wake up ready to meditate.

Drink 'vibrated' water. You vibrate the water by holding your fingers in the glass of water a few seconds before drinking it . The theory is that vibrations that flow through your hands as a result of the daily meditation is transferred to water and has a beneficial effect internally. Especially good for stomach complaints and alcohol problems.

Crown of the head - anoint yourself with oil

In Medieval art, the sanctity of the head was sometimes shown with a halo drawn around it. At the top of the head is the 'Brahmarandra' meaning 'hole that connects with an all-pervading power' through which the kundalini energy flows to give the sensation of the cool breeze. Regularly massage the head, especially the crown with a natural oil - Sweet Almond oil is very good. Benefits include calmer temperament, easier meditation, prevention of hair loss.

Honey & Ghee (clarified butter) - 'Amrit', nectar of life

Natural or raw honey contains a range of health-giving ingredients if a spoonful is taken daily, by itself. You don't have pay the high price(£10 or more) charged for Manuka Honey, which is over-hyped and in some cases is not the real thing. Holland and Barratt sell Tropical Forest Honey at less than £4 a jar which is harvested from hives in Africa and tastes great.

Along with Honey , ghee(described in a previous email ) is highly recommended in Ayurvedic medicine, which is about health through correct eating. Both honey and ghee are said to be Amrita - the nectar of life.

Finally some exercise is recommended. A daily 20 minute walk through the park helps the cardio-vascular system and joints.

Did you rub my lamp? - Your Genie, The "Paramachaitanya"

Dear All,

This week, it's Serendipity revisted, with a story from Jim (if you have your own personal example, please email me back with it, I'd love to read it) and your 'genie' , the Paramachaitanya.

Read on and see you in Chelsea tomorrow for group meditation.

Regards

One of the movie roles that the late great Robin Williams was acclaimed for, was as the Genie of the lamp in Disney's 1992 animation, Aladdin - here's a 1 min clip from the film : "Did you rub my lamp" . You may have noticed this interesting thing, that with your daily meditation, you feel much more tuned in and connected and things seem to work out or solve themselves in a way that perhaps they didn't before. It's like having a genie. What's going on ?

Well, in a previous email we mentioned the phenomenon of Serendipity, that a number of you had mentioned experiencing in the ordinary course of your day to day. An example of which came from, Jim , a London Black taxi driver, who said that after a long and tiring day at the Ideal Home Show in Earl's Court he was walking back to his taxi, just wanting to get home as soon as possible and hoping that his next passenger would be heading in his home direction. Jim gets into his parked taxi and as he is pulling out into the traffic, there's a tap on his window from a passenger wanting to be taken to Euston. Jim lives in Euston!

So the thing about Serendipitious events like that one and generally getting what you wish for, is that they fit into the concept of "Paramchaitanya", which is a sanskrit word roughly translated as "All-pervading energy(or field of vibrations)".

When your kundalini rises and her connection at the crown of your head is made stronger through your daily meditation practice, it's like getting your computer connected to the internet: it opens up limitless resources, which is particularly noticeable when you need something, or have a problem that needs solving and get a result with little or no effort.

When you experience this repeatedly, you find that you never have to worry about anything and you're moving into the Chinese Taoist philosophy concept of "Wu wei" - Non-action or flow.
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Clarity & Freedom from worry - your third eye/agnya chakra

Many forms of meditation suggest that you can enter meditation by focusing on a point at the centre of the forehead, the agnya chakra/third eye, but this is like loitering at the gate rather than going through the gate and entering the garden.

If you tend to worry about things eg bills, work , relationship then you are probably a loiterer at the gate. Worry never worked anything out or solve any problem. But meditation does.

In Sahaja Yoga meditation the focus of the attention is placed at the top of the head( sahasrara chakra/ thousand petal lotus - the garden). When the kundalini energy rises, she passes through the gate of the agnya chakra and takes your awareness to the crown of your head.

What the kundalini is doing is taking you beyond your ego and super-ego which are continually pressing the agnya chakra and sometimes blocking it. This activity of the ego and super-ego is what creates the feeling of worrying about something . The ego projects into a future that is not here yet and the super-ego dwells on a past that is gone.

If you have a worry about anything try this experiment : Sit down for  5 minutes meditation. When you can feel the cool breeze of kundalini above your head, bring to mind the thing that is worrying you and symbolically let it go at the crown of the head. The worry will stop and when you've forgotten about it you'll find that things work out.

The agyna chakra can be cleansed with a candle as demonstrated in this video clip

Your Strength & Clarity - The Nabhi

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Daily meditation helps to develop your inner awareness about yourself, which you can use to improve your relationship with your surroundings and your quality of  life.

Although all our chakras(energy centres) work in an integrated way within the subtle body, there are two chakras in particular that directly influence our daily experiences and by cumulative effect determine the pattern of the lives we're leading.

These two chakras are the Nabhi chakra, the gross expression of which is the solar plexus; and the agnya chakra, sometimes associated with the third eye, and related to the pineal body and optic thalamus .

First the Nabhi Chakra.

Did you know we consume more than food ? When you watch TV, you're consuming; when you read a book, you're consuming; when you go socialising you're consuming. In fact all interactions with the outside world can be viewed as a form of consumption and like food, where are all these experiences digested? In the stomach of course.

The stomach is the most instinctual part of ourselves, because right from our evolutionary beginnings as single cell amoeba, one of the two most important functions was eating. How did we know we were alive? Because we were eating! The other main activity was reproduction.

So important is the stomach for mediating our life experiences that in the scientific community it has been referred to as the 'second brain' - see this 2010 Scientific American article - "Think Twice: How the Gut's 'Second Brain' influences Mood and Well-being"  . What science hasn't yet caught up with is that this can be a two-way process: ie what you consume may determine what you feel (your gut) but the state of your gut can determine your experience of the outside as well.

The stomach is governed by the Nabhi chakra, so meditating for a 5 minutes daily on your Nabhi chakra, gives you a back-stage pass for changing what's happening on the outside. Try it and see.

Thoughtless awareness & Looking after yourself.

Dear All,

A key verse from an ancient book on yoga - The yoga sutras of Patanjali , is : " yogaś-citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ" - which means that Yoga is the arresting/stopping of the continuous flactuations of the attention/awareness; notice the connection between yoga and meditation. How is this realised in practice?

The reason you don't need to spend a long time seated in meditation is because all the benefits come, not from how long you can sit, but from whether or not you achieve, even for a few seconds, the state of thoughtless awareness ('Nirvichar Samadhi') - the ripple-less lake

The thoughtless awareness state can be achieved anywhere for a few seconds , for example, while queuing at the supermarket checkout, while walking to the tube station, while eating lunch etc. etc.

A tangible description of thoughtless awareness is : do you feel a gentle  cool breeze blowing at the top of your head when you pay attention there? If so just be absorbed in it for a moment. After a moment all your awareness is that cool breeze, and nothing else. It may last for a few seconds, but that is it , that is your thoughtless awareness.

If you can go into this state, during 'non-productive' moments of the day, you'll find it easier to meditate when you actually do your twice daily meditation practice.

Your secret resource is thoughtless awareness. If undergoing any immediate difficulty, problem or challenge at work or in your personal life, just go into thoughtless awareness and marvel at what happens next.


The first wealth anyone can have is their health. It's also been said that this body is a temple, so the least we can do is look after it. The vibratory awareness developed through meditation gives you an early-warning sign about your state and if there is an imbalance somewhere you can very easily correct this using the techniques demonstrated in class. So you have the means to understand and look after yourself that you didn't before.

Related to health, there's a whole branch of knowledge concerning 'food as medicine' (' you are what you eat'), called 'Ayurveda' . Without needing to go too deeply into the subject, there are certain principals of Ayurveda consistent with our own experience of sahaja yoga, which are easy to adopt and can have some beneficial effect to how you feel.
Here are a few:

1. If you tend to be lethargic/introverted then try more protein in the diet eg . chicken/fish

2. Look after your liver ('the seat of the attention') by moderating your intake of coffee (&tea) , and alcohol

3. Drink more water. Within the body water acts as a coolant, emolient, dissolvent, cleanser, lubricant. If we don't drink enough water, no wonder we don't feel so well - it could be low-level dehydration that's the cause.