The Four Yogas

Everyone has feelings, so everyone can be on the path of feeling. The same is true for thinking, acting, and being.

So, the vision of Yoga is simply that unity is possible for anyone, starting from wherever you happen to be. Unity is secretly present in every moment in daily life. Nothing can happen to me that is outside the one reality; nothing is wasted or random.

In the Vedic tradition, each person can choose four paths that arise from feeling, thinking, acting, and being. Each path is called a Yoga, the Sanskrit word for “union,” because unity – merging with one reality – was the goal.

Over the ages, the four Yogas have come to define specific paths that suit the kind of temperament a seeker has, although in truth you can follow several or all at once:

Bhakti Yoga leads to unity by loving.

Karma Yoga leads to unity through selfless action.

Gyana Yoga leads to unity through knowledge.

Raj Yoga leads to unity through meditation and renunciation.

It’s not necessary to think of the four paths as being Eastern. These Yogas were the original seeds, the means that brought unity within reach. Literally translated, the fourth path, Raj yoga, means “the royal way to union.”

What makes it royal is a belief that meditation transcends the other three paths. But the fourth path is also inclusive: By following it you are actually following all four at once. Your meditations go directly to the essence of your being.

That essence is what love is, selfless action, and knowledge are trying to teach.

Be One with everything. ~

Grateful Living

Do you want to live a rich, meaningful and abundant life?

The key is to have a grateful heart. It sounds so simple. Yet, it becomes challenging when we have to deal with the problems and burdens that come our way --bills, debts, annoying and seemingly cruel people, illness, death and so on. And yet when we truly begin to be grateful, it can change our lives dramatically.

THE BEAUTY OF YOU

YOU ARE ALIVE.

Life is a gift. Mornings are gifts. Every time you wake up, stretch out those arms and say, “thank you for the gift of a brand new day!”

YOU CAN SEE.

Oh to have the gift of sight! What a blessing! With your eyes, you can watch the magnificent world you live in. You can see your face in the mirror. You are able to enjoy the beauty of a leaf, a flower, a snowflake, a child, a star, a rainbow and the look of love.

YOU CAN HEAR.

The thousands of fibers found in your ears could pick up the whisper of the leaves in the trees, the waves of the ocean, the raindrops falling on the roof, the loud thunder, the laughter of children, the ringing of the phone, and hear the words “I love you.”

YOU CAN SPEAK.

You can utter words that can encourage, inspire, teach, guide, comfort, uplift, motivate and say the words “Thank you”; “I am here for you”; and “I love you.”

YOU CAN MOVE.

You are joy in motion. You have the ability to dance, walk, run, hop and skip as you travel the road of life.

YOU CAN EAT.

You can enjoy different food…the sweetness of ice cream and cakes, the crunchy veggies, mouthwatering seafood, the tender juicy chicken, pork or beef. Aren't we thankful that that the healthy food we eat gives us energy and helps us to grow?

YOU CAN DRINK.

And be merry? (Grin) You can drink and allow water and fresh juices to quench your thirst. You can drink a toast to celebrate a wedding, a romantic evening, or warm your body on cold winter nights.

YOU CAN SMELL.

Your sense of smell can enhance the taste of food. It can connect you to wonderful memories like remembering your baby cradled in your arms, the perfume of your beloved, or their sweet smelling hair. Your hands can caress and soothe a loved one. You can touch and feel the different textures- soft, rough and silky smooth. With your touch you can express your love without words.

YOU CAN READ.

When you look at the words and letters, they are not jumbled or inverted. Having the ability to read has open your doors to knowledge and wisdom found in books, magazines, newspapers and the internet.

YOU CAN SING.

Whether it be extraordinary talent or simply singing in the shower, you can sing. You can sing your favorite song. You can hum a tune. Or even a lullaby. You can sing as you cook or clean the house.

YOU CAN WRITE.

You can write and share your experiences. You can write love letters, thank you notes, and compose songs and poetry. Or write a check list of the things you need to buy in the grocery.

YOU CAN THINK.

You have the ability to think, to plan and to analyze. When problems arise, you can come up with solutions to solve them.

YOU CAN FEEL.

You have the ability to feel and experience all sorts of emotions - happy, sad, angry, confused, surprised, and disappointed and so on. Your feelings add spice to your life.

YOU CAN SLEEP.

You can rest when you are tired and exhausted. Your body has been given the gift of sleep so it could recuperate and re-energize itself.

ANGELS ON EARTH

Be grateful for YOUR FAMILY.

Isn't it great to belong a family? Imperfect our families may be but here we find the opportunity to grow, share, give and receive love.

Be grateful for YOUR FRIENDS.

If we do not find love at home, sometimes we find the care and support from friends. True friends who stand by you, who knows your quirks and weird ways, but have decided to love you anyway.

Be grateful for YOUR COLLEAGUES.

There are people at work who are your inspiration and guide to help you succeed in your career.

Be grateful for YOUR TEACHERS.

People who have taught you and shared with you their knowledge and skills.

Be grateful for YOUR LIFE COACHES.

Some people in your life teaches you how to live your life to the fullest.

Be grateful for YOUR PREACHERS, PASTORS.

They have walked their talk and you have seen how their love for God have changed their lives.

Be grateful for QUIET ANGELS.

They walk into your life, often unannounced, help you in whatever way they can and just as quietly leave.

Be grateful for KIND STRANGERS.

Out of the blue, you receive unexpected help, a kind word, a message of inspiration, a smile.

Be grateful for BELIEVERS.

They are those who see the goodness in you and believe in you and what you can do.

Be grateful for the LISTENERS.

They can sit still and listen to you with all their heart as you pour out your burdens. They can empathize with you.

Be grateful for the JOY GIVERS.

They radiate sunshine and warmth. And when you feel down, a dose of their joy lifts you up!

Be grateful for the HUGGERS.

They can engulf you in a hug that makes you feel safe and secure. Their hugs tell you that you are not alone.

Be grateful for RIPPLEMAKERS.

People who make a difference in little and big ways. Perhaps its somebody at home who makes you feel good when they are around. Or its the bagger at the grocery counter who never fails to greet you and make you feel nice.

Be grateful for PEACEMAKERS.

They have chosen the path of peace. They will choose and respond to situations with love than hate.

Be grateful for LOVERS.

The words that come out of their mouth are the words that start with I LOVE...not I hate. Lovers of life. Lovers of goodness. Lovers of art. Lovers of sports. Lovers of growing. Lovers of plants. Lovers of helping people see the beauty in themselves. Be grateful for people who will lead you gently back to yourself.

THE THINGS WE ENJOY

The glory of nature. Sunrise and sunsets. Clouds and blue skies. Raindrops and rainbows. Ocean waves and soothing streams. Birds in the air. Flowers everywhere. Lovable pets. Finding joy and love in taking care and nurturing animals. I know of stories of people whose lives have been touched by these lovable and amazing creatures.

Food on the table. If you have enough food to feed your stomach and go to sleep without feeling the pangs of hunger, be grateful. Roof on top of your head. Be glad you are not sleeping out in the cold. Water to drink. Whenever you take a sip of water, be grateful that there is enough supply of water to quench your thirst. Clothes to wear. You don't have to walk around naked.

Music. The gift of music has been known to soothe, inspire and make you dance to the beat of life.
Books. For all the books from where you have gained knowledge and wisdom from all over the world.

Technology. Technology that have helped us connect and have made our lives easier and convenient. From cell phones to laptops to cameras and on and on.

Inventions. For electricity, for our cars, for wheelchairs, for roller coaster rides.

Sharing laughter and funny moments. Finding your life's purpose. Accomplishing a task. Finding a lost family member. An answered prayer. Experiencing love. Getting married. Giving birth to your child. Saving someone's life. Learning a skill. Sharing the gift of smile. Writing a poem. Making friends. Helping someone heal. Being healed. Finding hope. God's grace.

Taking family trips. Experiencing Reunions. A first bike ride. First kiss. Falling in love. Being loved in return. The day you grew up. Memories of childhood. Choosing to forgive.

I AM GRATEFUL

I am grateful for the choices that I have made.

I am grateful for life's abundance.

I am grateful for the freedom I have to be ME.

I am grateful for the gift that I can share to the world.

I am grateful for all the experiences,

that have made me into the kind of person I am today.

I am grateful for the joy and peace in my heart.

I am grateful for the people who are journeying with me.

I am grateful for knowing that I am where I need to be.

I am grateful for opportunities to grow and learn.

I am grateful for all of life and what it brings.

This is just the beginning. I know there are still a thousand of things to be grateful for. Smile and embrace life with all its imperfections. Gratitude will bring a change of perception and with it comes the wisdom and truth of the ages.

I thank you for the gift of you.
Blessings

Remembrance, Unity

You are whomever you choose to be. Whatever aspect you wish to be, that's who you are. That can change at any given moment. Yet if you want your life to settle down, to stop bringing you such a wide variety of experiences, there's a way to do that. Simply stop changing your mind so often about who you are, and who you choose to be. Power without inner strength is an illusion. Inner strength without Unity is a lie. A lie that has not served the race, but that has deeply embedded itself into your race. For you think that inner strength comes from individuality and from separateness, and that is not so. Separation from each other is the cause of all your dysfunction and suffering. Still, separation continues to masquerade as strength, and your politics, your economics, and even your religions have perpetuated the lie.

Don't stop the symphony which you are playing because you think you hear a sour note. Simply change your tune.

Love is the greatest power in the world, but it requires continual circulation to stay strong and vital. It was designed to be expressed. If we open ourselves to love, we see that it most certainly has to be the strongest attracting power in creation. It binds us all together in one great and beautiful union. We are all part of one. This love pulls each of us toward our selves, making us more and more aware. In the long run, love is stronger than hatred and wars, the personal battles as well as international ones.

Love is everywhere. But sometimes we attach strings to our love. We love only at certain times and we love only certain people. Maybe we feel we can love only the people who we feel love us or who are the same as we are. But this is not using our wonderful power of love in the correct way. The fact is that everyone is like us because we are all part of each other. You are the same as every other person, no matter how it may seem.

Our attention has to stay focused on the nature of each person and not on outer appearances. We're not all cut from the same cookie cutter, so there will always be superficial differences. But we are all from the same batch of dough. When we let the warmth of our love flow out from us in a complete circle, we touch everyone within it, and the entire world, especially our own immediate world becomes a better place. We meet all people, and we automatically fall across their paths.

To love in a way is to let it flow freely, not withholding it from anyone. This is the ideal and, as with most of these universal principles, we may not be there yet. But when we realize that everyone wants to love and be loved and that everything people do is their way of crying out for that love, we begin to feel our own moving in their direction.

Whatever we do, we attract into our lives, we will attract blessings. Eventually each of us will realize that he or she is part of everyone else, and our love will touch everyone, because we are all one.

Thoughts

Part I

The entire world is made up of thoughts, yet for something so integral to our lives, thought isn't very well understood. When most people think about thoughts, it is only limited to thought. “Grass is green”. The thoughts are bound to words which separate experience into this and that. Grass itself isn't a second thought, nor is the grass being green. The actual experience of the grass expressing it's greenness is a multi thought, yet the thought “Grass is green” inside of most people's minds is only a dualistic idea. It's this and not that. Part of the problem is the words, people think in words. The reality of the thought is what lies behind the words, yet in most minds, the words are focused upon while the reality is discarded. Grass and green are only concepts in a mind. People fail to see the metaphor for what it is and the words become their reality. Now green isn't green. Green is a feeling, a vibration, an experience, but not a word. The feeling and the experience, the vibration of light that connects with your eyes, that's the multi-dimensional thought of green. The word is just a dualistic idea, a way to condense a multi thought into something it isn't.

Your third experience is constructed of thought, just think about it. The way you see it isn't the way it really is, it's something assembled by your mind so you can make sense of it. Are the colors you see what the colors really are? Or are they just varying vibrational frequencies assigned a certain look? Your smells and tastes are really just certain shapes of molecules that bind on the tongue and nose. Yet you experience this shape as a smell or a taste. Think of butter, you can taste it can't you? So is the taste itself anything more than a thought? For most, the physical seems so real it's hard to see it as nothing but thoughts, but that's all it is. When you dream do you realize you are dreaming? Most people do not, the dream is so similar to their waking that while they're dreaming they can't tell the difference. Though when they wake up, it's clear it was a dream. What was the dream other than thoughts? And if the dream is so similar to our waking experience that we can't tell the difference, is it so hard to believe that the waking experience is constructed of thought. Although thoughts seem like static things.

Dualistic thoughts become “irrefutable” laws, governments, religions, and third thoughts become “solid” physical objects. Yet the thoughts themselves are made of energy. Something that couldn't be static even if it wanted to. Even things that appear so unchanging as rocks are constantly vibrating, constantly moving, alike sand. Trying to force these thoughts to stay put is the very essence of attachment. Try as you like, but you're going to wear out long before energy ever does. In fact, energy, being energy, is never going to wear out, it just changes form. Trying to hold on to it, is just going to exhaust you. This is what desire and attachment are, trying to bind something that can't be bound.

The thoughts don't belong to you, in fact every thought you've ever had has been around since the dawn of Creation. They may stick around for a while, but you never really own them. Believing otherwise only keeps people stuck in illusion.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Where is the mind? Is it in the brain? Well science has looked there, but can't seem to find a mind among all that gray matter. There's someone observing the thoughts. There's someplace the thoughts exist. And there's the thoughts themselves. Yet where among these is the mind? There's a cloud of thoughts drifting across your Consciousness, one's you're trying to hold on to. One's you believe define who you are, and these you call the mind. Which are truly called your thoughts.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A rich man once believed he owned a large piece of property and on that was a forest. One day a lumberjack came along and chopped down a tree. The rich man came up and asked, “What are you doing to my forest?” and the logger replied, “Is this tree your forest?” “Of course the tree isn't the forest” the rich man answered and allowed the lumberjack to take the tree. This continued day after day until a year later the rich man looked out and realized his whole forest was gone. Yet the logger didn't take away the forest, he just removed the trees. There never really was a forest, just a group of trees. People fail to see the forest for the trees. People fail to see the mind for the thoughts. What makes a forest? Trees. Yet are the trees the forest? Citizens make up a country, yet where is the country apart from a thought in it's citizen's minds?


Part II

Consciousness is like a clear blue sky, the thoughts are the clouds. The clouds drift across the sky, but they leave no mark upon the sky. They're temporary, fleeting. They move, they change shape, there's more one day and less the next, yet the blue sky remains. Consciousness is the sky, thoughts are the clouds. You are the Consciousness, that which observes the thoughts yet remains unblemished by them. If you forget this, the clouds start building up. Soon they obscure the sky altogether and Consciousness is forgotten. The clouds, the thoughts, are all you see and you believe you are these thoughts. The mind is like a storm that covers the sky, yet the sky is still there. You may forget the truth of your Being, but it's still there. You are still this Consciousness and if you don't believe me, then tell me who's the one observing the thoughts?

The sky is Being, it simply Is. The clouds are always in action, always doing. If you're a Human Being, you're Pure Consciousness. If you're a human doing, you are the mind.

Thoughts aren't a bad thing, there's nothing wrong with thoughts, but it is in one's best interest to stay conscious of what one is thinking. Only when one is ignorant is one bound by thoughts. If you believe you are the thoughts, then the thoughts own you. The only ignorance is being ignorant of the Consciousness, the Love, and of who you are.

The thoughts make up everything, they are all expressed, but separately they're nothing. They don't exist separately. The energy that makes up the thoughts exists as Oneness. It's Consciousness being aware of Itself.

The clouds are the Sky. You can't separate the two, but the attempt to do so creates the illusion. The thoughts exist as One and though we experience them as individual thoughts, it's a paradox. The thoughts appear different, but they drift across as One with them. It's a paradox, but it's how one experiences their own.

Don't worry about thoughts and don't try to force them out. Resistance is what keeps them from moving on. Simply kiss them as they pass. Love them, bless them, be grateful for them.