Marblehead School of Raja Yoga
Self-awareness and meditation – group, private and online classes
Since last Fall, a few thousand people have spent half a minute on the school’s website.
I suspect a large part of that time was spent looking at the class schedule, rather than reading these “streams of consciousness” (said a friend recently).
However, the spike in site visits noted in the picture coincides with a blog about opioid abuse and a survivor’s tale – so here it is again.
I teach Raja Yoga as outlined by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras (a prehistoric 200-line poem, the origin & practice behind the universal Serenity Prayer).
In short, meditation is about mind control. It’s a dual practice in self-awareness & self-control.
FYI – here are links to a rough translation of the first half Patanjali’s poem:
Blessings. Hope to see you soon, Skip
[link to the interview with Ms. D]
For my female friends and students:
Regardless of your politics, is there one of you who – in your heart – thinks she’s lying?
Poor Ivanka. I hope she’s got close friends.
For the guys:
Sorry, but the female of our species is naturally more intuitive than we are. As if to underscore that point, here’s a little locker room humor (literally):
I used to work for an exclusive investment firm. I had access to perks that only 1% of us ever do. [FYI – they have their own problems!]
The place had a private gym with separate men’s and women’s locker rooms. One morning one of the female employees inadvertently walked in on one of the male employees buck-naked.
All day she kept saying, “I didn’t see anything!”
Just like a few minutes ago when I was listening to Ms. Daniels, all I could think was, “How embarrassing! That’s not what I’d want her to say about me!”
Daniels was honest. She genuinely smiled – just not when you’d want her to if you’re Trump!
I’d say poor Trump, but I’ll go with a classic: “She’s a bitch.”
Skip
Milena Origgi, founder of Inborn Voice, is my guru.
What’s a guru?
A guru is a cross between a teacher, a parent and a best friend.
The student/guru relationship transcends the payee/payor service provided; it’s mutually caring and supportive.
Corny? Perhaps, but I think of Milena as an experienced gardner and I’m one of the flowers in her garden! I literally stand taller and grow more aware (open?) every day, in large part because she nurtures, and encourages me to nurture, my personal “inborn voice”: the naturally unique aspects of my self.
Milena markets herself simply as a vocal coach. I get it; it’s the bread and butter, the practical aspect, of what she does (helping people who rely on their voice to make a living – teachers, singers, corporate officers and politicians)
BUT SHE’S SO MUCH MORE!
Something she said recently particularly resonated (pun intended) with me: We ALL rely on our voice to appeal, convince, motivate – but my favorite verb was “caress”.
How often have you thought of using your voice to caress your partner?
OK – I’m slow!!
Two quick personal stories:
How do you find a guru? Step #1: be open to the concept!
Blessings & thanks, Skip
[that’s Buddha watching over our winter garden]
I’m proud to hail from this neck of the woods.
I grew up in Vermont; went to school & met Sue in New York; and we moved here with two kids & a dog in ‘95.
Our 01945 neighborhood (2 rows of 7 houses) received more than a foot of rather heavy late-season snow today.
I just walked Penny around the block; virtually all of us are dug out; sidewalks cleared, cars dusted off – ready to go.
Not a pretty analogy, but it’s as if a giant foot kicked sand on our anthill and within a few minutes we were out and going about our business as usual.
#RespectNature
Do you know where I can find out what time of day I was born?
It’s a Zen thing. Apparently, not only the day, month and year we’re born – but
Sounds bananas, but it’s as if humans grow and whither seasonally like everything else on the planet. Go figure.
Apparently after thousands of years of observing nature (including us), ancient Chinese scientists figured out that – just like flowers planted and blooming in different seasons have different characteristics –
Friggin’ fascinating. They’ve got it down to such a precise science that the time of day we’re born has a distinct effect on:
The “charting” gives the “doctor” (in this case a Zen Master I’m fortunate enough to have access to) another piece of information to work with when prescribing a personal “restoration protocol” for the student (i.e., so I can adjust my personal practice to make the most of it holistically).
Thanks Bud – for the time of day info and listening. Love you.
I think it’s great to encourage men to honor both their yin and yang attributes but yoga and other Eastern mind/body disciplines train us to control our emotions rather than remaining vulnerable to them.
Strength over emotions is essential; they color our thoughts and precipitate our actions which account for 70% of what bothers us!!
That said, stuffing, ignoring or distracting ourselves from emotions isn’t a long term solution. The solution is a lifelong discipline of self-awareness and self-control.
That includes daily physical and mental exercise, specifically meditation.
That’s where Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras come in!
(please arrive early)
211 Essex Street #5 – Swampscott, MA
*** suggested donation: $5 ***
to benefit:
to fight local opioid abuse
My grandfather used to tell me not to worry about a bad haircut. It grows back!
Ever go to a dental or hairdressing school to get fixed up at lower, student-teacher rates?
It’s USUALLY a win-win-win: you get a hair cut or a tooth pulled and the good doctor or stylist gets a little better at his/her job – benefiting the next client or patient.
Same concept – only in this case, here’s how it works:
QIGONG = ENERGY WORK
Namaste, Skip
Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!
$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes
Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)
#BringBackPatanjali
[Remember to engage your senses as part of the visualization experience!]
While seated meditating, work up to a rhythmic breath cycle: inhale – pause – exhale – pause, with each of the four quarters of the cycle lasting an equal four counts.
Here’s the visual:
Imagine you’re actually standing comfortably, boyantly in thigh-deep water as part of some luxurious spa treatment – as if you were bathing a newborn – but it’s happening to you:
Inhale – as water is being drawn up your cool back;
Pause – as the water pours gently over the top of your head;
Exhale – as water washes down the warm front of your body; and
Pause – as the water drops off the bottom of your torso back into the water below.
Meditate. It’s what’s good for you!
Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!
$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes
Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)
#BringBackPatanjali
