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Self-awareness

Your body has a natural rhythm: your heart beats, your lungs breathe, and your mind thinks: heartbeats, breaths, and thoughts: singularly, consecutively and constantly.

While it’s technically impossible to stop any one of those three (let alone all three simultaneously) and survive more than minutes, ancient Raja Yoga texts tell tales of yogis surviving being buried alive for DAYS.

While the stories are likely exaggerated for entertainment or emphasis, initially Raja Yoga was purported to enable enthusiastic practitioners to virtually still their heartbeats, breaths and thoughts to the point of feigning death.

Why would anyone want to do that?! Yogis believe that it’s only at the point of virtual stillness or cessation of bodily and mental functioning that we experience our true essence: our consciousness.

Why is THAT a big deal? There’s no stress when you identify with your eternal consciousness rather than your temporal body and mind. Nothing (no attachment, fear, emotion, or action perpetuated by you, another, or Mother Nature) affects your consciousness – unlike your body and mind which are naturally, constantly changing and subject to the vagaries of time and space.

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Rule 3: Move it or lose it

The object of this part of the game is to learn to control the parts of you that protect and propel you: primarily, your arms and legs.

The “how” is less important than the “why”: this part of the game teaches body control so you can comfortably sit still and upright for an extended period of time while meditating.

The “how” is entirely up to you and depends on your age and fitness. Pick a physical activity that you enjoy: anything from walking, bicycling, swimming (there’s a reason those activities constitute a triathlon: that’s a full body workout – but one you can adapt to YOUR pace!)  Start by just getting outside for some fresh air! Move it or lose it.

If you want to prove to yourself that you CAN change and control your outer body, start with your toes. The darned things are as strong or stronger than your fingers! – yet we rarely pay much attention to them. Start by clenching and unclenching your toes into a “fist”, then use them to grip and pick things up. Make it fun and in short order, you’ll be surprised at the changes you’ll see in just your toes!

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Rule 1: Practice kindness to others

The goal of Raja Yoga is peace. The rules of the game are intended to promote a clear, calm state of mind – and it starts by practicing kindness toward others; specifically, abstaining from:

Violence • Deceit • Theft • Promiscuity • Greed

In short, practice the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you!

www.rajamarblehead.com

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Play Raja Yoga

Play and see if you don’t feel happier and healthier!

Object of the game: mind control (to reduce stress)

Rules of the game:
1) be kind to others
2) be kind to yourself
3) control your outer body (exercise)
4) control your inner body (breathe)
5) control your thinking mind (concentrate)
6) control your sensory mind (meditate)

Player tip: learn to distinguish between your conscious mind (the part of you that’s reading this), your subconscious mind (the part of you in charge of scrolling whatever you’re reading this on), and your consciousness (the awareness that you’re reading and scrolling).

Key to success: never give up; always let go.

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Three Enemies of a Clear Mind

Monitoring the influences on your thoughts is central to the practice of Raja Yoga. The three enemies of a clear mind are:

1. Over-identification with your body/mind

Don’t forget your consciousness! Consciousness or awareness doesn’t exist in the same way that your body and thoughts do; rather, it’s the aspect of you that witnesses those physical and mental parts. Without consciousness, your mind and body would still function, but you wouldn’t realize what you were sensing, thinking or doing!

2. Ego

Ego is a symptom of over-identifying with your body/mind. When your body/mind is sick or hurt your ego thinks “I am” sick or hurt – and the closer the identification, the deeper the sense of distress. Ego reacts like a magnet, either attracted to or repelled by the focus of its attention.

3. Fear of dying

Fear of dying is instinctive. The good news is that there’s an aspect of you that doesn’t die in a physical or mental sense because it doesn’t exist in a physical or mental manner: your consciousness.  That said, until you can completely subdue your mind, you can’t experience consciousness – you can only verify its existence because without it, you wouldn’t know you’re reading this!

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Consciousness

Raja Yoga is an individual practice in self-awareness and self-control; specifically, it’s about lovingly and patiently conquering your body/mind to experience your consciousness.

Yogis believe that only two things exist: consciousness and energetic matter. The former never changes – it’s eternal. Everything else, including our unique and miraculous bodies and minds are constantly changing due to their fundamental, energetic nature.

Consciousness is the aspect of each of us that’s unaffected by physical or mental distress – it’s just the awareness thereof. Consciousness is not dissimilar to the notion of a soul or spirit, but awareness is an aspect of yourself that you can readily verify: the aspect without which you wouldn’t know that you’re reading this!

Consciousness doesn’t exist in the same way that our bodies and minds do. It doesn’t do anything; it doesn’t function in a material sense; it can’t change or be changed – it’s simply the awareness OF something; thus, its not subject to the laws of material physics like the perpetual cycle of cause and effect (karma). We don’t experience consciousness in the same way that we feel our arms and legs or hear our thoughts, but the ultimate goal of Raja Yoga is to achieve a state of such deep meditation – of utter physical and mental stillness – that you actually experience your consciousness (in yoga-speak, you become enlightened).

Until that happens, we can only verify the existence of consciousness by imagining what life might be like without it: our arms, legs, brain, other organs and systems would still function, but without awareness or consciousness, we wouldn’t know what we were doing!

While enlightenment eludes most, thankfully, the practical and therapeutic benefits of practicing Raja Yoga are immediate and cumulative.

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Note to a Student

Hey Pal,

Sorry for the length of this note, but here are a few thoughts on our discussion about a 20 minute workout; of course we’ll do that, but keep in mind:

Raja Yoga is a constant practice in trying to see yourself differently; specifically, trying to identify with your consciousness rather than your body/mind – and in that regard this practice doesn’t really lend itself to a 20 minute routine.

No amount of stretching, breathing or concentrating will bring about a sea-change in your life the way a change in attitude or paradigm will. That’s the endgame here: to see yourself differently.

Things to consider:

• Constantly strive to distinguish between your consciousness and thoughts. Consciousness is simply the awareness or perception OF your thoughts; it never changes. Everything else, including your thoughts and memories are subject to the vagaries of time and circumstance. Remember the “1+1=2” exercise: there are two things happening simultaneously: the counting, and the awareness of the counting. Subconscious thoughts (the consequence of interactions between your three non-cognitive mental functions: sensory, memory, and ego) percolate up into your conscious mind unless you override that natural involuntary process via concentration – just as you interrupt your involuntary breathing process when you practice controlled breathing.

• This is a simple yet difficult practice; it’s counterintuitive to identify with something you can’t see, smell, hear, taste or feel, rather than the face smiling back at you in the mirror. But think of it this way: if you were physically or mentally debilitated, that wouldn’t fundamentally change who you are, or somehow diminish you as a person – so why chose to identify with the fickle, constantly changing parts of yourself which will eventually turn to dust. Wouldn’t it make sense to identify with the part of you that’s consistent (so that how you see yourself isn’t constantly changing like your body/mind)?

• The most important general practical advice from the Yoga Sutras comes from the first chapter: don’t stop trying, and don’t beat yourself up when you slip.

• The first specific practical advice of the Yoga Sutras is introduced in chapter two: success depends on your mindset. Recognizing the difficulty of identifying with an aspect of yourself that you can’t even see, the practice promotes finding faith in something and devoting yourself and your practice to it.  Is there something in your life that you’re willing to sacrifice everything for? Draw strength and determination from that which you have faith in; in short, remain determined, discerning and devoted.

• Chapter two of the Yoga Sutras goes on to introduce an eight-step practice to prove to yourself that your consciousness is distinct from your mind. While the steps are sequential, they’re also integrated; the first five settle your body/mind, preparing you for the last three purely mental, meditative exercises. The theory is that once you’ve virtually emptied your cognitive mind of thought – and btw, you can’t do that if your physical, energetic and mental aspects aren’t settled – your consciousness, then having nothing else to be aware of, becomes aware of itself. Regardless of whether you meditate, it’s comforting to know that when you need to, you CAN calm yourself physically, energetically and mentally – and it gets easier with practice!

• The other thing to remember is the energetic nature of all matter. Your entire physical/mental being – from your memories to your toes – everything besides consciousness – by its very nature is in a constant state of flux at a cellular or elemental level.  The practice prioritizes personal conduct because physical actions generate greater energetic consequences than mental ones (actions speak louder than words). Remember, the first two preparatory steps (i.e., being a good person) get you 70% of the way to a settled mind.  And thus, while the last three preparatory steps (i.e., physical, respiratory and concentration exercises) are helpful, don’t be misled; they are NOT the focus of Raja Yoga.

Btw – here’s some Raja Yoga nomenclature: “Self” (with a capital “S”) refers to your consciousness (aka awareness), while “self” (lower-case “s”) refers to your material body/mind. This is a practice in cultivating Self-awareness: recognizing the distinction between cognition and consciousness, ironically by mastering “self” control (i.e., you can’t control your “Self”; it just “is”), keeping in mind that your actions have the biggest impact on your state of mind (for one thing, every action has perpetual consequences)!

While everyone has a body/mind, cellularly or elementally, there’s nothing truly unique about them; however, while everyone also has awareness – IT is what makes you unique – since no one else perceives life as you do.  In the Yoga tradition, THIS is the part of you worth celebrating, acknowledging, honoring, etc. – the unchanging enduring part of you which perceives, rather than the temporal parts of you which act but are fleeting.

So, what’s the most efficient use of your time if you’re going to set aside 20 minutes a day? My advice: exactly what you were doing when you thought, “it’s sort of like my body/mind is a car and my consciousness is a passenger” – THAT effort – to see your awareness as a distinct part of you – is the most productive way to spend any free time you have with respect to this pursuit of happiness.

That said, we’ll practice a 20 minute physical/energetic/ mental routine tomorrow that you can do daily! 😉 My best.

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Why Do I Teach?

I’ve battled addiction and OCD for most of my 58 years; however, life started getting easier about 13 years ago when my first Yoga teacher gave me her copy of “The Essence of Yoga – Reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” by Bernard Bouanchaud.

It changed my life. Practicing mental or Raja Yoga has made letting go easier; the practice is rewarding and fulfilling in a sustained way that doesn’t produce a physical or emotional hangover. Although Raja Yoga is not a cure, it provides tools and builds confidence to draw upon when the demons come – and sometimes that’s enough. Besides, it’s fun and it feels good!

The Yoga Sutras is essentially a cross between the serenity prayer and a guide to help practice it; it literally includes specific step-by-step instructions to attain serenity! Seriously, for the life of me, I don’t understand why everyone on the planet isn’t practicing this!

Raja Yoga is about inclusion (though, ironically it’s an individual practice). We all want to feel accepted, as though we’re part of something, a sense of belonging and purpose. This practice is about the interconnectivity of everything – from the common elemental building blocks that comprise all matter, to that which each of us has in common: our consciousness; accordingly, the practice promotes peace, acceptance, love, oneness, and unity.

Raja Yoga is about changing behavior (think: breaking bad habits). Ironically, this meditative practice stresses the importance of our actions because every act has perpetual consequences. That’s the essence of Karma: the natural law of cause and effect. Karma is one of two primary underlying sciences which the practice of Raja Yoga is based on.

Raja Yoga includes an eight-limbed DIY proof of its other underlying science, Sankhya: the contention that the universe consists of only two things: consciousness and matter. While the first two preparatory limbs of the practice address behavior, the remaining three preparatory limbs address controlling and settling ourselves physically, energetically, and mentally in preparation for the last three limbs: seated meditation (i.e., you can’t meditate an unsettled body/mind). The three post-behavioral, pre-seated meditation limbs of the practice are the subject of MSRY’s introductory course (think: relaxation techniques).

Raja Yoga is about finding faith. While it’s not a religious practice, Raja Yoga recognizes that faith can provide strength and determination necessary to change one’s behavior and perspective, and to cope with the human suffering aspects of life; accordingly, the practice encourages everyone to find faith in something if you aren’t already so blessed.

In short, the mantra here is “change your perspective & change your life – and btw, here’s how to do it”. Changing your perspective IS the practice of Raja Yoga (i.e., success requires consistency; this is not something that’s done once a day, or once a week). The practice is simple but not easy; however, the Yoga Sutras promise that you WILL attain serenity IF you practice consistently and diligently, and based on my experience over the past 13 years, I have no reason to doubt it.

The Yoga Sutras provide the tools; practicing provides the confidence. You CAN change your life by practicing.

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The Gist of Raja Yoga

The Yoga Sutras include a series of physical and mental practices to achieve lasting serenity (not surprisingly, the longer and more diligently it’s practiced, the better it works).

The practice is based on the belief that a) your consciousness is NOT a mental function; rather, it’s an entirely distinct part of you, and b) that the rest of you – from your thoughts to your toes – is constantly changing based on its energetic nature.

The Yoga Sutras include an integrated eight-limbed meditative practice to prove the discrete existence of your intangible consciousness; specifically, by completely quieting your mind. The theory is that because your consciousness never changes (remember: it’s your consciousness – aka your awareness or perception OF something – it’s the intangible part of you which objectively witnesses whatever is reflected in your tangible brain) – so, if there’s nothing on your mind to be conscious of, your consciousness becomes self-aware. Again, the purpose of the eight limbs is to learn to distinguish between your body/mind and your consciousness – and ultimately identify with the latter. In essence, the practice is about seeing and acting from a point of objectivity and balance. THAT will change your life.

The eight-fold path to identify with the intangible part of you includes two indirect and three direct preparatory steps, and three actual seated meditation practices to refine and ultimately empty your mind:

• Indirect preparation (~70% of preparatory text): two limbs addressing personal conduct

• Direct preparation (each ~10% of the preparatory text): three limbs addressing posture, breathing, and concentration, respectively

• Actual meditation: three limbs on meditation, or refining the content of your mind

MSRY’s intro course focuses on the three direct preparatory steps as these physically and mentally settling steps offer the greatest immediate reward for the least effort – think: “tricks” you can use for a lifetime to reduce stress!

While our conduct has the greatest effect on our state of mind, the initial two most important, indirect preparatory steps aren’t covered in MSRY’s intro course because it’s assumed that we all know right from wrong (these two indirect steps were a precursor to the Ten Commandments: don’t harm, lie, steal, etc.) – in short, Karma’s a bitch so act accordingly!

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About Raja Yoga

Raja Yoga is the pursuit of happiness through the disciplined ability to direct and focus mental activity.  This pursuit has great rewards.

3,000 years ago, having largely achieved the basics of clothing, shelter, and food, human beings began asking the higher questions of, “How do I find lasting peace in the face of life’s pains and sorrows?” And, “How do I deal with life’s all-too-often tragic events?”

In Yoga’s long tradition, there are four paths to true inner peace: action, devotion, study, and controlling our minds. Further, there are two basic types of Yoga: Raja, which emphasizes meditation, and Hatha which emphasizes discipline as different means to the same end: peace of mind.

The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali is a 3,000 year-old, 200-line poem codifying the essence of the practice. This historic work is widely recognized as the original and authoritative text on Raja Yoga.  This poem serves as an outline for teachers and students of the practice of Yoga everywhere in the world.YogaSymbol

Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras is a universal text. If you can read and understand this, then the sutras were intended for you. Raja Yoga is a highly individualized practice. You are the only one who knows what you are thinking.

Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras was compiled in Sanskrit: a rich, ancient, phonetic language whose symbols and words often have multiple meanings.  The initial detailed explanation of Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras wasn’t written until 100 years after he died; thus, it isn’t surprising that there are as many interpretations of his original text as there are Yoga teachers and students!

Raja Yoga is a dual practice in self-awareness and self-control.  It’s based on Karma and the significance of our own actions due to their perpetual affects; Sankya, which is the distinction between consciousness and thought; and the perpetual energetic nature of all matter.

Yoga, loosely translated, means “union,” in the sense that all things are connected; indeed, the practice promotes inclusion, acceptance (of oneself and others), a sense of belonging, fulfillment, and happiness.

Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras include general advice (never give up; always let things go); advice on attitude (be discerning, determined and devoted); and a set of eight, simple, yet not easy, step-by-step instructions to achieve bliss (essentially: be a good person, learn physical and mental self-control, and meditate).

While Patañjali promises nothing less than total bliss, that state of mind isn’t attained overnight; it’s achieved over time through diligent, constant practice – but have faith, every journey begins with an initial step.  Take the first step toward finding your own inner peace today – call us for an introduction to the wonderfully rich world of Raja Yoga.