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YESTERDAY WAS OUR SECOND 2ND ANNIVERSARY

Two years ago Sue reluctantly agreed to allow me to establish a yoga school in 01945 in hopes it would become a mecca for yogis the world over for generations to come because………

I was [am!] going to enlighten the world!

Here’s what I learned in the last two years trying to commercialize the intangible:

There’s a light inside you – but only you can turn it on.

I can tell you how. I’ve blogged, danced, screamed, sang, cried and bled trying to turn it on in others – but only you can turn it on – and it’s not easy.

I’m at a crossroads.

The ability to control our mind is literally invaluable – yet, like the joke about a guy with a pocket full of hundreds that can’t attract attention in a brothel – I’m struggling and frustrated!

WHAT I’m teaching isn’t the problem!

People who know how to meditate can transcend the chaos and judgment of their conscious mind at will! Think about that!

The science of meditation is empirical! We witness and experience it for ourselves!

Help spread the word!

“Meditation therapy” (aka Raja Yoga) dovetails beautifully with virtually all healthcare services aimed at relieving physical, mental and emotional pain – particularly due to trauma – for both the patients and service providers!

Do you know someone with influence at a public or private medical, counseling or rehab facility?

If so, please forward this to them! Thank you.

Spring is a perfect time of year to start a new habit. Pick one that you’ll be glad you did 10 years from now!

Blessings, Allan (Skip) Dowds

Class schedule

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WHAT’S A GURU?

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:

  1. The first time I met Milena, after listening to me vent for five minutes, she motioned me into her soundproof studio – and told me to start screaming. Short version: it was more cathartic than all the time I’d previously spent in therapy combined!
  2. Last year Milena could tell that I was hesitant about teaching my first large outdoor group yoga class (I’d been invited as part of a fundraiser) and I was making excuses. She leaned over, looked directly at me and all-but sternly said “You can’t get over there and teach for 15 minutes?!” So I did. And Milena and Damiano came! ❤

How do you find a guru? Step #1: be open to the concept!

Blessings & thanks, Skip

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THERE’S A SEASON FOR EVERYTHING (aka “Most of us grow old; not all of us grow up.”)

The picture captures the gist of this morning’s lecture about the cyclical, energetic nature of our universe and everything in it – including us.

The concepts are universal and multi-dimensional. I’d be very happy to unpack the info for the truly curious, but here’s the bottom line, in the normal course:

We’re like flowers:

we sprout, grow, bud, bloom and whither.

 

That self-awareness is both sobering and liberating!

Having trouble sleeping? Call me. I can help.

Hugs, Skip

❤😊🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

 

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BREADCRUMBS

Someone suggested that I leave a trail of breadcrumbs to find my way back out of the Cummings Center the other day.

This is me leaving breadcrumbs for the next person trying to understand Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras:

Life is mathematical.

Here’s how it works:

The centerline represents zero; everything to the left of the centerline is negative; everything to the right of the centerline is positive.

Our universe is similarly bipolar. Everything we can sense, including our own body/mind, is a unique manifestation of positively and negatively charged sub-atomic particles. The East refers to these two elemental “states of matter” as Yin and Yang. Patanjali refers to them as Rajas and Tamas. Lucas called them the Light and Dark forces.

The image of a circling tiger and dragon is commonly used to represent those two constantly moving energetic states of matter. Love it!! The oppositional polarity keeps them on the move, giving rise to the “hunger” (the fears and desires) within each of us.

Back to the graph above, half of the world’s population is generally positive. A very small subset of positive people are extremely so, though most fall within a “normal” range.

Same on the other side of the elusive perfectly balanced middle line: half of the world’s population is generally negative. A very small subset [thankfully] of negative people are extremely so.

In class this morning, Master Leone asked students why they practice and train. Here are their responses:

To:

  • avoid suffering
  • have fun
  • find tranquility
  • find love
  • find community
  • find peace of mind
  • reduce pain

The keys to smiling more for ALL of us are self-awareness and self-control; specifically, never forgetting that consciousness is NOT a mental function!

Patanjali said:

1.12. Practice and non-attachment

1.13. Practice means NEVER giving up

1.14. By practicing continuously and earnestly over a long time, your efforts become habitual

1.15. Non-attachment means ALWAYS letting go (mastering desire)

1.16. With ultimate self-awareness, all attachments fall away

Master Leone said:

“It’s a constant struggle. It’s NEVER ‘Hey look Ma! No hands!’… EVERY MINUTE EVERY DAY.”

Blessings and gratitude, Skip

❤😊🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

I found another place where love reigns: Learn to Cope, a support group for parents of opioid addicts.

Unfortunately, it’s another story of the worst in us bringing out the best. Here’s the bottom line:

HEROIN = DEATH.

 

Heroin isn’t where the trail begins for the kids, but it’s all-too-often where it ends.

It’s the end of life as it was and NOT just for the kids.

As an addict (thankfully, I don’t wrestle with this monster) and a parent I can attest it’s MUCH worse for the families who can’t control the addict, than for the addict who can’t control the disease.

Opioid addiction is ravaging our country, one family at a time.

It’s every bit as insidious and deadly as these God-awful mass killings. [I met a recent college graduate the other day who was all excited about his new job with Big Pharma. He literally told me, “Hey, we just make the stuff.”]

Of the 50+ parents in the room:

Some have buried children.

Some never hear from their children – which is the good news.

All have had their lives changed forever, ravaged emotionally; most financially.

 

People shared their fears and experiences (like an AA meeting, though here meeting facilitators provide support and guidance) and heard from a speaker, Maureen Cavanaugh (founder of Magnolia New Beginnings) a terribly brave, strong woman whom it’s been my privilege to meet recently.

Maureen spoke candidly about her experiences and counseled and tried to console the “newbies”. Unfortunately, this is the kind of member-for-life club that no one should have to belong to.

The understanding, empathy and compassion in the room was palpable. If there was a common sentiment, Maureen may have summed it up when she said

“Are you kidding me?! I’d do ANYTHING to keep her alive!”

 

WTF has happened to us?!

You know where to find me.

❤️🕉

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Susan is a Saint

As I type this my wife Susan is driving her eighth Girls Inc. college mentee to look at a university over an hour’s drive from here.

I’ve said it for over 30 years, if it weren’t for her I’d go through life thinking I was right ALL the time.

Just now:

SUE: Did you hear how you spoke to them?

ME: Argh! [sounding like a cross between a mad pirate and a lion in pain]! I’m frustrated – though admittedly, it has nothing to do with the towel rack!!! Sorry if I embarrassed you.

SUE: I’m not embarrassed. That’s on you! But you might want to think about how you speak to others.

ME: 💔

I’ve devoted the rest of my time here in what’s left of the Garden of Eden to my two loves: Susan and Patanjali [don’t worry S&J, you come under the heading of “Susan”❤️].

Btw – if it wasn’t bloody obvious, there’s a reason I practice yoga 12 hours a day – but as one of my teacher’s teachers said: ”A zebra is always going to be a zebra” or as Popeye used to say “I yam what I yam”.

Blessing to all who read this; may you know half the bliss I’ve know in my lifetime.

Allan

😊❤️🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

 

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THE MECHANICS OF MEDITATING

The box is your mind.

The four spinning wheels represent its different energetic densities and corresponding functions according to the science underlying Patanjali’s Raja Yoga:

1. Conscious mind – the most evident, only thinks five types of thought: three original (“correct”, “incorrect” and “imagined”) plus it can “remember” previous thoughts, and wait for it……it has a “pause” or “neutral” function – although you can’t shut off your mind any more than you can stop your heart from beating or your lungs from breathing.

Thoughts are colored by emotions stemming from our sub-consciousness mind, which coordinates bodily function, stores memories and houses our vital ego: the recognition that we are unique and have needs.

2. Sub-conscious mind (third floor – 3rd because it’s the least subtle energetically, and when we meditate we experience a deepening over time) – the only evidence of this aspect of mind – since we can’t “hear” it the way we hear our conscious thoughts – are our five inbound senses and bodily functioning. This aspect of mind multi-tasks big-time!

3. Sub-conscious mind (second floor) – memory storage; memories are less energetically dense than sensations, but denser than ego.

4. Sub-conscious mind (bottom floor) – root or vital ego: the most subtle aspect of our tangible, temporal body/mind.

The flashlight is consciousness.

When it’s on, it represents the eternal immutable awareness OF our thoughts, and thus by definition, is NOT itself a mental function!!

Patanjali’s eight-limbed practice proves that beyond doubt. As Amma says, consciousness is essentially divine. Without it, you don’t realize you’re alive!!

Meditating…

… (i.e., simply observing without emotion, analyzing or judging) indirectly exposes your otherwise sub-conscious fears and desires to the soothing effects of consciousness – diminishing their potential to influence future thoughts and actions.

…with intent…

The self-induced holistically [physically, energetically & mentally] calming and restorative effects lasts LONG after your time on the mat – and becomes turbocharged when practiced as it was originally intended: as a form of self-sacrifice, an expression of gratitude and humility directed toward the Source of everything, whatever that means to you!

Meditating is about trying to connect with God via consciousness, the intangible aspect of each of us without which we don’t know we’re alive – the aspect of us that’s not subject to time and space!

But you don’t have to adapt an old-school devotional mindset to benefit from meditating. Meditation is a free and holistic practice!! Patanjali memorialized the Yoga Sutras for all mankind forever. ❤

All you have to do to get started is close your eyes and smile!

…as outlined by Patanjali…

Once you’ve progressed in the second and third limbs of Patanjali’s eight-limbed Raja Yoga, the science of mind control or meditation (i.e., having developed some degree of physical self-control over your body internally and externally), the last four limbs are mental exercises in which we a) learn to focus our conscious mind correctly without emotion – a prerequisite for holding it in neutral, and b) eventually settle through three VERY deep sub-conscious mental states – beneath which lies the awareness of life itself: consciousness. ❤

…proves it to yourself.

The next time you have five minutes, sit still. While you’re sitting there, just watch your body breathe. Relax. And just watch. You CAN’T do it wrong! When you become distracted bring your attention back to your breath. Eventually, the distractions become less frequent.

The longer you can hold your conscious mind in neutral – just observing – mimicking consciousness – the deeper your experience will be.

It’s sort of like holding the door open to a butterfly garden: eventually, all the butterflies (the beautiful and butt-ugly) find their way out energetically – because when fears and desires are exposed to divine consciousness they lose their potential to influence thoughts and actions.

The trick to smiling more often is realizing there’s a LOT more to you than you see in the mirror!

Practice self-awareness and self-control. Read Patanjali’s prehistoric, 200-line poem and meditate! 😉

Hugs, Skip
January class schedule

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THANK GOD FOR FAMILY

If you’re a parent you know there are few things in life that bring more joy and sorrow than our children and parents. Obviously, spouses are in a separate category altogether!

Of course, that means the people WE are most capable of hurting or bringing joy to are our parents and children.

Cleaning up my desk and just reread John’s most recent note to me. Personal notes have become something of a family holiday tradition at the Dowds house.

I’m leaving out the soupy bitts at the end, but otherwise proudly sharing it with you verbatim.

Sue, Sarah & I were blessed 26 years ago when this young man came into our lives. Love you Buddy [Can’t wait to hear Sarah’s reaction 😉 particularly to my choice of picture! Love you guys!!!]

Dad,

 Even on my worst days I like to think and believe that there is some point to all that we do, some goal we’ve been working towards on our own throughout the years, and that with every step we take, no matter how trying, or stressful, or traumatic – we are that much closer to some greater achievement or understanding. My perceptions have shifted and evolved over the years, and my views, values, and ideals have been challenged and in some cases been rewritten – but not this.

 My belief that we have some goal, some great achievement awaiting us years ahead, that remains unchanged, though I understand it a bit more now. That achievement we clinch isn’t some plaque on a wall, a statue in a courtyard, a string of publications, or fans that herald our words; the achievement that each of us reaches is the legacy that we pass on, and the mark we leave upon the world.

 Every moment of our lives, every choice we make, every word we speak, every thought we share becomes a part of that legacy; most importantly of all the contributing factors though is the way that we treat others. We are remembered more for our compassion or our indifference than we are for wealth or fame. Anyone can achieve such fame to be immortalized in a statue but it takes someone truly in tune with themselves to leave such an impression that people would WANT to learn about who such a statue was cast of.

 Though, for all of us there ARE instances in our lives where we’ve done wrong to others. We can’t undo those moments, however we can promise ourselves to never repeat that, and to do better, and treat others with respect and compassion.

 John Dowds 

 

Hey God – it’s Allan again. Thank you for Sue, Sarah and John. <3

AUM, the original AMEN          #BringBackPatanjali

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BATTLING ADDICTION – INSIGHTS FROM A 60 YEAR-OLD ADDICT

I’ve battled three demons since I was 15. Here’s a clue: the third one isn’t rock ‘n roll, though in hindsight, perhaps my parents should have let me go to Woodstock with my friends (I was 12)!

Habits

As long as I can remember, my life has been a series of various obsessions – driven by some intangible deep-rooted need or desire. As a kid they were arguably age-appropriate, but one thing about obsessions or habits (consequences of time + ability + desire) is they are very difficult to break – some more so than others.

Trust me, you don’t want to wrestle with 45 year-old habits.

Here’s another thing about habits: like antibiotics, the more we rely on them, the less effective they become, further fueling our misery. So we double down, move on – or both – until we can’t.

Dancing with the Devil

Borrowing an expression from my Pentecostal friends, we dance with the Devil until our behavior catches up with us and we hit our personal bottom (where unfortunately things get truly ugly) and we essentially give up and turn to God…

-OR-

…if we’re particularly pigheaded, we keep searching for some THING (or some one) new to provide more than just temporary relief.

Ironically, sooner or later the cycle of karma – the cumulative consequences of our behavior over time – catches up with us and we end up in the same place – just more battle weary: desperate and ready to “try God”, whatever that means to you.

Me personally…..

The pigheaded addict in me, fueled by an enormous ego, kept upping the ante and doubling down over the years.

What’s the theoretical extension of how that plays out? Right: I’m either dead or I find the ultimate high.

Ironically, guess where you’ll find the most powerful high in the universe? Right. So meditate! Try to “touch God” for yourself!

Never give up….

If you never stop trying, you’ll eventually find your way there. This practice has survived since prehistoric times for a reason. 😉

Although Patanjali’s science of mind control or meditation is simple it’s not easy. It takes practice, practice, practice.

Unfortunately, It’s not possible to get it by reading about someone else’s experiences. You have to get there yourself. YOU HAVE TO DO THE WORK!

How?

Thankfully, several millennia ago someone named Patanjali left mankind a 200-line poem, outlining a practice to literally prove (to yourself) THE EXISTENCE OF GOD!

The bottom line – so you know what to look for – is that the awareness OF your thoughts is as distinct from your thoughts as they are from your body.

Mic drop.

Re-read that. Again. The awareness OF your thoughts is DIFFERENT THAN YOUR THOUGHTS!

Patanjali’s science of Raja Yoga is based on the understanding that unlike EVERYTHING else, our consciousness or awareness isn’t subject to time and space. As Amma says, it’s essentially divine.

THAT realization…

…..that part of YOU isn’t subject to time and space – i.e., is not “of-this-world”?!….that you DO have a soul?!… wtf?!

THAT realization trumps desire and sets you free. Until then meditation is an invaluable FREE resource to add to your arsenal in your struggle with whatever temporal demons distract you from living to your full potential!

Meditate. IT’s what’s good for you!

Public service announcement: if Patanjali’s practice of seated meditation is like trying to TOUCH God, the more recent Chinese practice of medical Qigong (think Tai Chi) is akin to trying to DANCE with God. After all, they had a couple more millennia to work on it! Stay tuned! <3

Hugs & love, Allan

January class schedule