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Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright was a brilliant, gifted artist and architect, but he was also a prick and a thief.

We took a tour of his first home and office while we were in Chicago recently. The man was clearly a genius, but when I pulled aside the tour guide to tell her a personal story about my great grandfather providing the lumber for one of his houses she asked, “Did he get stiffed?” Yes. Wright didn’t pay for the materials for at least one of the buildings he designed and oversaw the construction of!

It used to piss off my great grandfather to no end! Well Pops, this won’t level the field, but I’m going to “borrow” the quote Mr. Wright had inscribed over the entrance to his dual purpose Unity Temple:

“for the worship of God and the service of man”

That’s the most succinct description of the intent of Raja Yoga I’ve heard yet.

Thank you Mr. Wright.

Class schedule

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Qigong and Patanjali

I had my mind blown today by Qigong Master Michael J. Leone.

Wow.

The parallels between Qigong and Raja Yoga are uncanny. Master Leone mentioned that the source of the Chinese discipline of Qigong was probably Hindi Sanskrit. Guess what language Patanjali codified the Yoga Sutras in? 😉

Like Raja Yoga, Qigong is an individual, holistic discipline intended to personally restore one’s own physical and mental imbalances. Qigong exercises include moving, breathing, and visualizing.

While the similarities in theory, practice and origin are mind blowing, there seem to be HUGE differences between the Chinese and Indian practices, including:

#1 Consciousness is the Holy Grail of Raja Yoga

Consciousness is awareness; without it we wouldn’t realize we were alive. In the Qigong tradition, consciousness is referred to as Shen.

Raja Yoga reverentially attributes some sort of holistic, energetic, visceral, mind-bending, life-transforming reaction to witnessing consciousness – not just the realization that we literally exist in three dimensions: body, mind, and consciousness – which alone can be paradigm-shifting in a “A THIRD DIMENSION?! WTF?!” kinda-way – but literally stilling the mind and body to the point of feigning death, so that without anything else to be aware of, our permanent, immutable consciousness becomes self-aware, after which apparently we’re never the same.

We are all conscious, but ironically, we’re not innately aware of that distinct aspect of ourselves or it’s permanence – at least as far as THIS body and mind are concerned! – while all the rest of our self (our energetic body and mind) is constantly changing (or more dramatically, “dying”, as Master Leone all too accurately points out!)

Shen is obviously an aspect of each of us because we realize we’re reading this – but it’s an aspect you won’t find described in ANY anatomy book – because it’s literally of a different dimension! It never changes! It literally isn’t affected by time and space. Our thoughts change constantly; however, our awareness OF those thoughts as they pass by, never does.

Coincidently (not!), another teacher of mine – from a completely different background – has been trying to get me to see consciousness or Shen the same way: without the reverence. She agrees that we should NOT think MORE of our ethereal, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, immutable consciousness than we do our miraculous, albeit dying energetic body/mind.

Sorry, but I chose to see consciousness as I was taught recently by Amma: as essentially divine.

#2 Qigong seems MORE universal – if that’s possible!

While the intent behind the two disciplines’ exercises may be similar: enhanced physical control, strength, flexibility and range of motion, the physical methodologies are very different: Raja Yoga advocates poses (emphasizing stability), while Qigong advocates slow, rhythmic, choreographed movements (emphasizing mobility).

Raja Yoga’s posture practice is intended to facilitate lengthy seated meditation. While there’s no question that practicing postures fosters strength and flexibility, and makes it easier to sit very still for long periods of time, unfortunately, without modification, not everyone can do them. However, Qigong’s “small-frame” rhythmic movements can be done to some extent by virtually everyone.

The entire premise of Master Leone’s Restorative Medical Qigong protocol is to bring one’s energetic body/mind back into balance. Sounds an awful lot like you-know-what!

#3 There’s less original evidence of the practice of Raja Yoga, simply because it predates an alphabet!

Qigong honors every teacher in its lineage, referring to “the line”: teacher to one side, student to the other – dating back to the origin of the practice.

Not surprisingly, the Indian lineage is a bit more clouded. No explanation of the practice of Raja Yoga remains from prior to Patanjali “codifying” it in his Yoga Sutras some 3,000 years ago. Patanjali is a legendary figure; there’s no specific remaining evidence of who he was, when or where he lived – because he lived before an alphabet had been invented! He constructed – in his mind – not with pen and paper – a 200-line poem that was passed from teacher to student verbally for centuries before the Sanskrit alphabet was developed. His poem is one of two universally recognized authoritative works on Raja Yoga; the other is the Bhagavad Gita.

#4 Qigong doesn’t seem to distinguish between our conscious and sub-conscious mind, whereas Raja Yoga makes the following distinctions:

Conscious mind is our thinking mind: the aspect we’re aware of; we either use it to make decisions or we listen to it: it’s the narrator or “monkey mind”. Interestingly, this aspect of our mind can literally only do one thing at a time (try counting and reciting the alphabet simultaneously!)

Subconscious mind is the aspect that controls bodily function and memory storage (the things we’re generally not conscious of). This aspect of our mind performs countless functions simultaneously, and can be trained to do more through repetition!

Consciousness, or Shen is the awareness OF our thoughts, or what registers between our ears, including how we feel, what we see, hear, taste, and smell.

Exercise:

Remember, conscious mind can only do one thing at a time, and we’re literally unaware of the functioning or commands of our sub-conscious mind. Do a math problem in your head. Two things just happened simultaneously: (i) your conscious mind performed the math problem, while (ii) your consciousness was aware OF your conscious mind doing the math problem – while your sub-conscious mind was otherwise occupied circulating your blood, holding you upright, breathing, and so on.

Personal notes

The above observations are based on only a few hours of moving, breathing and visualizing under the direction of Master Leone – but I’m hooked. Qigong and Raja Yoga in NO WAY contradict one another (remember: there’s only one Truth!), and compliment each other wonderfully! I’d gin up something about the similarities between the disciplines, but that would be a MUCH longer blog, and I have class in the morning!

Namaste! (Not one of Master Leone’s favorite expressions!) ;-)!

September class schedule

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No Worries

THE FIRST 500 PEOPLE TO READ THIS WILL RECEIVE $1!

Send me the time it takes you to read this blog along with your mailing address, and I’ll mail you $1 – even if you ask NOT to hear from me again!

 

Would you like to brighten your mood, have FEWER worries, increase your energy level, keep your emotions in check when you want to, and be happier and healthier in general for the rest of your life?

Learn mind control – it’s literally as easy as “A,B,C”.

Index:

  • Raja Yoga, or Mind Control
  • Identifying Conscious Mind
  • Identifying Sub-Conscious Mind
  • Experiencing Both
  • Identifying Consciousness
  • Meditating

Raja Yoga, or Mind Control

Raja Yoga is the science of mind control or meditation. It enhances one’s sense of wellbeing and intuition, and fosters one’s faith in the existence of God. The practice entails:

  • Thinking and acting in accordance with the Serenity Prayer;
  • Following the Golden Rule;
  • Physical exercise (stretching and breathing); and
  • Mental exercise (focusing and concentrating – our mind has to “sit” before it can “stay”!)

Raja Yoga is the original holistic practice. It addresses our health and wellbeing from outside-in and inside-out. The practice or discipline begins with a code of conduct, and physical and mental exercises for our outer, densest physical aspects, and concludes with meditation for our inner, subtlest, non-physical aspect: the mental energy that stimulates and colors our thoughts: our emotions!

The purpose of Raja Yoga is to reduce human suffering so that we literally smile more than we frown!

Understanding how our mind works and learning to control it is essential to living a happy and healthy life since our mind constantly generates thoughts, which precipitate our actions, which cause of most of our distress!

Raja Yoga is primarily a discipline in remaining aware of the difference between conscious mind, sub-conscious mind, and consciousness.

Identifying Conscious Mind

We’re aware of our conscious mind

This is the aspect of our mind evidenced by our thoughts.

We make decisions with it

This is our control mechanism; it’s the part of our mind that we use to decide what to wear, what to eat, how to do our job – all day long.

We recall memories with it

This part of our mind can recall memories that are stored in our sub-conscious mind.

We listen to it

Because it’s our “conscious” mind, we “hear” it. Thus, it’s also evidenced by the voice in our head that some people call their “monkey mind”; a friend refers to hers as her “crazy roommate”!

Our conscious mind communicates with words

We interact directly with this part of our mind. This is the part of our mind that we use when we talk to ourselves, whether out-loud or silently.

Our conscious mind can only do one thing at a time!

Try simultaneously counting and reciting the alphabet. Right; this part of our mind functions the same way our heart beats and our lungs breathe: single, consecutive, and hopefully constant beats, breaths and thoughts! So please don’t text and drive because we can’t CONSCIOUSLY do both simultaneously!!!

Our conscious mind has a neutral gear

Our conscious mind has a pause, observation, meditation or mindfulness “mode” or “gear” in which this part of our mind quietly (though often impatiently!) observes or witnesses – rather than “speaks over” – our sub-conscious mind. When we hear words in our head, we’re not in neutral! When there are no words and we’re ONLY aware of sensations and images, we’re in the realm of our sub-conscious mind.

Our conscious mind thinks 3 types of original thought

There are only three types of original thought: correct, incorrect and imagined.

Our thoughts are affected by 4 “emotions”

Aside from “ignorance” – which in this context means not realizing the distinction between mind and consciousness – our thoughts may be influenced by up to four types of mental stimulation, energy or “emotion”; specifically, ego, attraction, aversion and fear. Those four energetic emotions range from virtually non-existent to very strong.

Identifying Sub-Conscious Mind

While our conscious mind controls our thoughts or what we “think”, our sub-conscious mind controls our actions or what we “do”.

We’re unaware of our sub-conscious mind – other than by watching it in action

This is the aspect of our mind we’re generally unaware of; it’s only evidenced by our senses, movement and memory storage. We don’t hear the internal commands issued by our sub-conscious mind to move our fingers, walk, talk or chew – and thankfully, we’re not conscious of ALL of our memories ALL the time!!

We don’t hear our sub-conscious mind – we feel it!

Our sub-conscious mind communicates in sensations and images. We “feel” or sense – rather than “think” – when we’re anxious, nervous, hungry, tired, aroused, or have to go to the bathroom!

Our sub-conscious mind stores our memories

Our sub-conscious mind stores a mental image of EVERY thought and sensation we’ve ever had! In short, our sub-conscious mind is the source of the info that – under pressure – percolates up into our conscious mind as images and sensations, giving rise to our then-conscious fears and desires, consciously manifesting as the voice in our head.

Our sub-conscious mind is not the problem!

As long as our CONSCIOUS mind is free of emotion and thinking correctly, our SUB-CONSCIOUS mind performs it’s storage and execution functions optimally – regardless of what it knows. However, when sub-conscious mind becomes overworked, it vents its most immediate concerns to its counterpart, our conscious mind – which then becomes nervous, distracted, etc.

Our sub-conscious mind executes bodily functioning

This part of our mind processes information retrieved by internal and external sensations, and instructs corresponding body parts to perform their specific tasks (e.g., to process movements like walking, talking, chewing, gripping, waving).

Our sub-conscious mind houses our sense of “I am”

This part of our mind is the source of our deeply rooted, instinctive sense of self-preservation; it’s our uber-subtle sense of being, of wanting and needing; it’s the awareness that we are unique, living beings requiring sustenance and care.

Our sub-conscious mind is trainable!

Unlike our conscious mind which can literally only process one cognitive thought at a time, we can train our sub-conscious mind to perform multiple actions simultaneously by repeating those actions until they become habits that no longer require our conscious attention.

Experiencing Both

Since your conscious mind can only perform one function at a time, to get a sense of the distinction between your conscious and sub-conscious mind, the next time you’re showering, folding laundry, washing dishes, walking down the street, or any other routine task, try not to “think” while you’re doing it; specifically, try not to hear words in your head; rather, just watch your fingers, hands, arms, legs and feet move – seemingly on their own! Every move you make is evidence of your sub-conscious mind functioning.

Or try dancing (slowly!) while reading something aloud. Literally everything you’re doing in that moment other than reading is evidence of your sub-conscious mind directing your actions.

Discovering that you don’t directly control your own movements – realizing that there’s no direct connection between your conscious mind and actions – can be a bit unsettling at first, but in order to override the otherwise involuntary way your mind works you must first learn to recognize, and then re-train the aspect you CAN control directly: your conscious mind.

The next time you eat, be mindful and thankful(!) that there’s no voice in your head telling you to loosen and contract the four muscles in your face that move your lower jaw up and down!

Identifying Consciousness

Consciousness is the awareness OF our thoughts

Consciousness is intangible. We can’t physically or mentally experience it (and thus, we can’t adequately describe it!!); however, without it, we wouldn’t know we were alive, let alone reading this!

Consciousness is “ethereal”

  • This aspect of us is neither physical nor mental;
  • It’s literally of a different dimension than everything else! THAT is the scientific premise (“Sankya”) upon which the personal, experiential discipline of Raja Yoga (mind control) is based: that only two things exist: consciousness and everything else; further, consciousness doesn’t “do” anything per se; yet it somehow supports, nurtures and sustains everything else – simply by its nature.

Consciousness is “eternal”

  • It never changes; it’s literally immutable;
  • It’s not subject to the natural laws of time and space;
  • It isn’t born, and doesn’t exist or die in a material sense;
  • Our awareness OF our thoughts is exactly the same this moment as it was the first time we opened our eyes (though obviously, WHAT we’re aware of changes all the time).

Consciousness is “universal”

Yours is exactly like mine – and everyone else’s!

Consciousness also evidences itself as bliss & truth

Although intangible, consciousness clearly affects and influences us. As we draw closer to it in meditation – descending deeper into our sub-conscious mind –we experience a deepened sense of intuition and calm.

Meditating

Meditation settles our sub-conscious mind

Unlike concentration, a preparatory Raja Yoga exercise which focuses our conscious mind, meditation settles our sub-conscious mind.

Calm your inner child

Our sub-conscious mind acts like a demanding child, relentlessly pestering until it feels heard. By learning to control our CONSCIOUS mind, we can keep the monkey locked in our sub-conscious mind when we need to, as long as we let it have its say the next time we meditate – at a time and place of our choosing (the most practical benefit of meditation is learning to control our chattering mind)!

Think about what comes up later

Our sub-conscious mind communicates in images and sensations that we can consciously analyze after we meditate if the meanings aren’t readily intuited at the time they arise.

Meditation calms the source of our emotions

As we train and learn to hold our conscious mind in “observation mode” for longer periods (i.e., without hearing words in our head; simply experiencing the images and sensations that percolate up from our sub-conscious mind), we relieve the pressure on – and stress it causes – our conscious mind.

Meditation engenders compassion

The more we meditate the more we experience an oddly-subtle yet comforting sense of connectivity, union, inclusion, acceptance and belonging with – and compassion for – our self, others and the world in general: the state of yoga.

Listen to your inner voice

Your sub-conscious mind is a BIG part of who you are, and – particularly because it IS literally part of your mind – its understandably very concerned about you, and naturally wants to share its concerns – though it has a limited capacity to do so (via sensations and images) – with the one person who really cares and is in a position to do something about its concerns: YOU!

Off the mat

Like training our physical muscles at the gym, the affects of training our mind outlast the time we spend on the mat. Since meditation opens our sub-conscious mind, we literally begin to perceive things differently, somehow more intuitively, off the mat. We begin to sense the nature or essence of our self and the world around us – rather than taking things at face value – as we start to see things from our heart (our sub-conscious mind) instead of our head (our conscious mind).

Think correctly and without emotion and you will hear your inner voice. Consciousness reveals itself as awareness, intuition and bliss. If you meditate, you’ll experience all three.

 

Allan A. Dowds 9-5-17

September class schedule

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Favorite Teacher Quotes

Swamij.com:

“Consciousness is the supporting reality of existence.”

Swami Turiyamritananda Puri (Amma devotee):

“Divinity is the essence of our consciousness, infilling everything, pervading everywhere, impelling all, revealing itself as truth (“sat”), awareness (“chi”), and bliss (“dananda”).”

Sri Swami Satchidananda (He addressed the crowd at Woodstock! – and authored the introductory textbook used by The Marblehead School of Raja Yoga!):

“It is not only saints but everything in nature – trees, birds, animals – they all live for the sake of others. Why does a candle burn and melt away? To give light. Why does an incense stick burn to ash? To give fragrance. Why does a tree grow? To give fruit and flowers. Is there anything, sentient or insentient, in this world that lives for its own sake? No. When all of nature sacrifices, why should we human beings alone lead selfish lives? We are here to give and give and give. What is due to us will come without our worrying about it.

Of course, even here we can wonder, “If I am to lead a sacrificial life, how can I eat, how can I clothe myself or have a house of my own?” You can have all these things to equip yourself to serve others. You must eat to have enough energy to serve others. So you do everything with the idea that you are preparing yourself to serve others. Even the practice of meditation is not done just for your own sake but is done because with a peaceful mind you can go out into the world and serve well. With that very idea you can meditate. So even your Yogic meditation becomes a selfless action. That is what is meant by “Even with God do not have attachment.” Non-attachment alone is enough to change your entire life into a joyful one.”

Edwin F. Bryant, Rutgers University Professor, Religions of India

“It’s been argued that the purpose of Raja Yoga is to engender faith.”

September group class schedule

 

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Mr. Consciousness

I’m the Johnny Appleseed of consciousness. I introduce people to an aspect of themselves they rarely pay attention to: the difference between their thoughts and the awareness OF their thoughts – the latter being their consciousness.

Consciousness is as distinct from our thoughts as our thoughts are from our bodies!

We have 4 Moving Parts…..

Three that perform a single function in sequence:

We all have four perpetually moving “parts”: two physical and two mental. The energetically densest three: our heartbeats, breaths, and thoughts all “function” similarly: singly, consecutively and hopefully constantly!

And one that does a myriad of things simultaneously:

Our second mental part is our sub-conscious mind: it runs silently in the background; it’s the part that runs the ship, and is responsible for sensory processing, bodily function, memory and the root or “I am” level of our ego. It takes care of the walking, talking, and chewing so that we don’t have to! Be thankful we can’t “hear” our sub-conscious mind because it’s doing countless things simultaneously – the cacophony of mental commands would literally dive us insane!

Recognizing the difference between Conscious and Sub-Conscious mind:

The initial phase of practicing mindfulness or Raja Yoga is learning to recognize – and experience – conscious and sub-conscious mind separately. The former we interact with; the latter is only verifiable by its actions. In other words, everything other than the thought in our head is evidence of our sub-conscious mind functioning.

For example, we know our sub-conscious mind is functioning when we see our fingers move as we type: our conscious mind thinks a word, and our subconscious mind – the silent part responsible for bodily function – receives and relays the message to our fingers. That energetic communication and processing is generally done largely without our awareness!

….And One Intangible Part

Consciousness is the awareness OF what we’re thinking – period.

Consciousness NEVER changes, though obviously, WHAT we’re aware of changes constantly. For all intents and purposes our individual consciousness is eternal (it’s the origin of what’s commonly referred to as our spirit or soul; however, the existence of consciousness is readily verifiable: without it, you wouldn’t know that you’re alive, let alone reading this!)

Raja Yoga – an Alternative View of Sacrifice

Raja Yoga predates religion as we know it. It developed at a point in human history when it was common to sacrifice living things to appease a litany of gods. We eventually we figured out that such “external” sacrifice only works 50% of the time (think flipping a penny). However, true “internal” sacrifice or literally giving of ourselves: our time, effort, blood, sweat and tears – is rewarding in a deeply meaningful way 100% of the time. Selfless givers gain.

At the end of the day, the biggest benefit to practicing Raja Yoga – living mindfully or consciously – is that with time, we begin to see ourselves differently. Accepting the reality of the distinction between thoughts and the awareness OF thoughts literally changes our paradigm of life: we realize the existence of another dimension – and that it’s a part of us!! Life seems more miraculous and deeply spiritual. As we meditate, we draw closer to our immutable essence experiencing a deepened sense of contentment, understanding and acceptance.

A New Way of Seeing Ourselves

As consciousness becomes a bigger part of our self-image, the reflection in the mirror and voice in our head occupy less of our attention – dropping stress levels precipitously!

Perhaps most importantly, realizing the intangible nature of our own consciousness engenders faith its source, and faith begets serenity, courage and wisdom!

Meditating isn’t easy, but neither is suffering.

Blessings, Allan

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Raja Yoga = Self-Awareness + Self-Control

I’m aware that since my mom died three months ago I haven’t been practicing what I preach: peace of mind.

I AM quicker to anger. I AM drinking and smoking more – moderated somewhat by more exercise and meditation. Worse, I have to remind myself more often what’s really important.

Well-intended friends have offered hugs, practical advice, pseudo-counseling – even hypnosis – to help nullify my recent moodiness and impatience.

Here’s the thing: we ALL suffer, and clearly sometimes more than others. Suffering is a natural consequence of our ever-changing universe and body/mind.

No matter how enlightened we like to think we are, we all experience physical and mental pain and pleasure in equal measure. One of my teacher’s teachers – a Master Raja Yogi (think Buddha meets Hercules) physically collapsed when he received news that his daughter was missing and presumed dead in an earthquake.

At times it does take Herculean or godlike effort to subdue desire and emotion – which ignite thoughts – which trigger actions. But the fight is worth it because our behavior is what worries us most!

After 60 years of often desperate searching, I attest that NOTHING I’ve encountered comes close to relieving stress better than the combination of Raja Yoga and time.

If I live long enough, mom’s passing won’t be my last life-altering blow. My current short temper will subside and my already broken heart will mend again. In the meantime, to anyone I’ve been less than kind to of late, I’m sorry.

Namaste, Allan

August class schedule

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The Samurai’s Last Steps

universal consciousness

There’s a scene in a novel I read recently [it may be in Clavell’s Shogun] where a Samurai is minutes away from publicly committing suicide – an honorable way to die for a Samurai: the ultimate sacrifice made willingly for his liege.

In his last moments of consciousness, the Samurai turned his attention away from his conscious thoughts to his typically subconscious actions, heightening the experience of his body/mind’s last sights, sounds, smells, and physical sensations.

The truth is we’re all traveling our own version of the Samurai’s path – and have been since birth. Yes, our own end is coming. That’s a Truth: something we know with absolute certainty in the pit of our stomach, intuitively, instinctively without engaging our mind.

Controlling your thoughts

The message here is, don’t ignore the fact that you’re dying – albeit, hopefully not in the next few minutes! For God’s sake, embrace it: knowingly, willfully and consciously live every moment as if you were that Samurai taking his last few steps in this body/mind.

Raja Yoga is the science of meditation, a practice in quieting your thoughts to experience a heightened sense of awareness and ultimately attain a deep intuitive understanding of the nature of the universe – and, in the process, heightening your appreciation of self and others!

Post body/mind

Some people believe that consciousness – the awareness OF our thoughts – survives the death of our body/mind. The theory is that:

  • consciousness never changes – the penultimate goal of Raja Yoga is to prove to the individual student beyond a shadow of a doubt that unlike your body and mind which can be controlled at a sub-cellular level – consciousness can’t be affected at all. It’s of a different, subtler dimension or energetic frequency. Yours is the same today as it was the first time you opened your eyes, though obviously WHAT you’re aware OF changes constantly!
  • consciousness exists – but it never changes, it doesn’t “do” anything; thus, it’s NOT a mental “function”; however, without it you wouldn’t know you were alive, let alone reading this!
  • consciousness is individual and universal – consciousness OF our thoughts is IDENTICAL, although our thoughts are different!

Bottom line – and here’s where FAITH comes in: what happens to our individual, unique consciousness when our body/mind dies?

THAT’s the $50 question folks! Raja Yoga leaves it to each of us to contemplate and decide for ourselves. That entirely individual aspect of the practice is what makes it universal: Raja Yoga is NOT a religion; however, recognizing a) there’s only one Truth, and it doesn’t matter how you get to it – and b) that faith is a source of tremendous personal strength and courage, Raja Yoga promotes faith: encouraging us to devote our love and lives to something other than ourselves.

This is part of the philosophy or spirituality behind the science of meditation: the act of literally trying to draw closer to consciousness, or in practical terms, to realize the miracle, unity and interconnectedness of all life, thereby honoring yourself, and all that have come before, and will come after you.

In short, “Love all. Serve all.”

Namaste, Allan

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Stretching Classes

stretching classes

A friend asked if I offered “just stretching” classes – “without all that other stuff”. I laughed and said “Of course!” I refrained from saying that’s a bit like going to a restaurant and ordering bread and water!

My grandfather once told me to sell what people want to buy, so for small groups of up to eight colleagues, friends or family members (my inquisitive friend is part of a running club) who literally just want to stretch, I’m happy to offer the same pricing as regular group lessons: $15 pp. Please contact me to schedule a convenient time.

Raja Yoga helps people live less stressfully physically, mentally, and OR spiritually!

Regular group class schedule

Allan A. Dowds 😉

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Your Brain

A friend recently made the case for regular physical exercise by highlighting its many benefits to our brain: increased blood flow, etc.

While important, physical exercise is a small part of the practice of Raja Yoga (a holistic self-care practice focused on mind control) which is literally based on brain functionality; specifically, recognizing:

  • the distinction between our NON-PHYSICAL conscious and subconscious mind;
  • that our conscious mind functions the same way our heart and lungs do (single, consecutive, and hopefully constant beats, breaths, and thoughts);
  • that our conscious mind has a “neutral” as well as volume, directional, and zooming functionality;
  • that all conscious thoughts can be categorized into one of five types, only three of which are original;
  • that the five types of conscious thought all fall into one of two broad categories: helpful or not! and
  • that there are five things that affect our conscious thoughts, categorized by their strength of influence.

Yes, Raja Yoga is a mental science and practice in which you literally learn to control your mind. Yes, it’s difficult, but like everything else, you get better at it the longer you do it.

Let your conscience be your guide. Allan