Take A Break

Hello everyone - it is time to take a break from your reflections, relax and absorb all of the tarka you have done so far. It is now a time for rest. Please take some time to rest and let the teachings sink in. A part of transformation is to internalize everything you have learned about yourself and rest is a part of that transformation.

I appreciate all of your hard work on this inner journey to the self.

If you have stopped by during our break, please feel free to work your way through the past tarka exercises.


Shanti,
Swami K

A Time for Rest

Hello everyone - it is time to take a break from your reflections, relax and absorb all of the tarka you have done so far. It is now a time for rest. Please take some time to rest and let the teachings sink in. A part of transformation is to internalize everything you have learned about yourself and rest is a part of that transformation.

I appreciate all of your hard work on this inner journey to the self.

Shanti,
Swami K

Reflections

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Day 5 - The Benefits of Better Breathing

Daily Reflection
This week we will be talking about the breath. The breath or prana (life energy) plays an essential role in our lives. While we normally don't think much about our breathing and it happens automatically, in yoga, we learn to work with the breath in many ways. The practice of pranayama or controlling the breath (or life force) is vital because it helps us to live better and more harmoniously. It improves our healthy, our vitality, our creativity and our thinking. Although breathing is one of the simplest things we can do, we have often lost touch with our own breath so this week will be all about rediscovering our breath and the relationship we have to it.

Some of the benefits of better breathing are:

Reduced stress

Calm and quiet mind

Better connection to your inner self

Reduced anxiety

Improved focus

Reduced anger and irritability

More compassion

In your journal write down which of these benefits you feel you would like to work on right now in your life. What would be the most helpful to you?

Swami K

Day 4 - Let Your Body Breathe

Daily Reflection
This week we will be talking about the breath. The breath or prana (life energy) plays an essential role in our lives. While we normally don't think much about our breathing and it happens automatically, in yoga, we learn to work with the breath in many ways. The practice of pranayama or controlling the breath (or life force) is vital because it helps us to live better and more harmoniously. It improves our healthy, our vitality, our creativity and our thinking. Although breathing is one of the simplest things we can do, we have often lost touch with our own breath so this week will be all about rediscovering our breath and the relationship we have to it.

So by day 4, you should have at least a beginning understanding of the way the breath works in your body. You most likely have discovered some places that the breath gets stuck or you may have found you are a shallow breather. You may also have found that you tend to hold your breath sometimes.

The goal is to let your whole body breath - to feel the breath everywhere. We can use different pranayama techniques, like the one we tried yesterday to learn to gain greater control of the breath.

In your journal write down where you think you need to gain a greater control over the breath and why. How do you think this will help you?

Swami K

Day 3 - Alternate Nostril Breathing

Daily Reflection

This week we will be talking about the breath. The breath or prana (life energy) plays an essential role in our lives. While we normally don't think much about our breathing and it happens automatically, in yoga, we learn to work with the breath in many ways. The practice of pranayama or controlling the breath (or life force) is vital because it helps us to live better and more harmoniously. It improves our healthy, our vitality, our creativity and our thinking. Although breathing is one of the simplest things we can do, we have often lost touch with our own breath so this week will be all about rediscovering our breath and the relationship we have to it.

Today we will practice and reflect on alternate nostril breathing. This technique helps to quiet the mind as well as open up the channels on both the left and right side of the body. I have noticed that it is very helpful to use this technique with asthma and it also works well with anxiety.

Please watch this short video for the technique.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

After you have practiced the technique record your reflections in your journal. Which nostril felt blocked? How did your mind feel after practicing this technique? Did you find it easy or difficult?

Swami K

Day 2 - Breath Discovery

Daily Reflections

This week we will be talking about the breath. The breath or prana (life energy) plays an essential role in our lives. While we normally don't think much about our breathing and it happens automatically, in yoga, we learn to work with the breath in many ways. The practice of pranayama or controlling the breath (or life force) is vital because it helps us to live better and more harmoniously. It improves our healthy, our vitality, our creativity and our thinking. Although breathing is one of the simplest things we can do, we have often lost touch with our own breath so this week will be all about rediscovering our breath and the relationship we have to it.

Today, I will have you lie down in Savasana. Just rest and don't try to control the breath. Try to notice your breath pattern. Are you breathing mostly in your chest? Your abdomen? Your throat? Can you feel the breath in the limbs of your body? Your toes? Your fingers? Where do you feel the inhale? Where do you feel the exhale?

After you observe your breath in Savasana write down the answers to the above questions and reflect on the breaths movement and your breathing pattern.

Swami K

Day 1 - The Breath of Life

Daily Reflections

This week we will be talking about the breath. The breath or prana (life energy) plays an essential role in our lives. While we normally don't think much about our breathing and it happens automatically, in yoga, we learn to work with the breath in many ways. The practice of pranayama or controlling the breath (or life force) is vital because it helps us to live better and more harmoniously. It improves our healthy, our vitality, our creativity and our thinking. Although breathing is one of the simplest things we can do, we have often lost touch with our own breath so this week will be all about rediscovering our breath and the relationship we have to it.

In your journal today, I want you to begin by just simply observing your breath. Just notice it in your body. Where do you feel it? Is there anywhere in which it feels stuck or restrained? Where does it flow easily? How do you feel about your breath? Does breathing come easily to you or do you suffer from an illness or medical condition that makes it hard to breath? Write down any thoughts you have on the breath and its role in your life.

Swami K

Reflections

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Day 5 - Meditation 4 Object of Beauty

Daily Reflection

Please listen to the following short audio meditation after reviewing the post on October 6th. In your journal write down any reflections you have about this meditation and your experience with it.

Meditation 4 - Object of Beauty

Swami K

Day 4 - Meditation 3 Meadow Mountain Waterfall

Daily Reflection

Please listen to the following short audio meditation after reviewing the post on October 6th. In your journal write down any reflections you have about this meditation and your experience with it.

Meditation 3 - Meadow Mountain Waterfall

Swami K

Day 3 - Meditation 2 Sipping Breath

Daily Reflection

Please listen to the following short audio meditation after reviewing the post on October 6th. In your journal write down any reflections you have about this meditation and your experience with it.

Meditation 2 - Sipping Breath

Swami K

Day 2 - Meditation 1 Isha Mantra

Daily Reflection

Please listen to the following short audio meditation after reviewing the post on October 6th. In your journal write down any reflections you have about this meditation and your experience with it.

Meditation 1 - Isha Mantra

Swami K

Day 1 - Setting up a Meditation Practice

Daily Reflection
This week's practice will be about meditation. Today, Monday, you will read through how to set up a meditation practice (see below) and Tuesday-Friday, I will provide sample meditations that are 4-5 minutes long that you can incorporate into your practice.

While people all over the world practice meditation in a variety of ways, today I want to talk about five basic components you can use to create your own meditation practice.

1. Preparation - when you sit down to begin your meditation, it is a good idea to prepare yourself for the practice. It is here, during preparation, that you begin to shed the thoughts of the ego, the thoughts of the mind and the emotions of the day. The first step is to turn your head to the left and exhale twice. These exhalations should be short and quick rather than long and extended. This double exhalation alerts the body and the mind that it is time to begin the meditation. You then turn your head back to center and begin to watch your breath. To watch your breath, you simply breath in, hold, breath out, hold and observe yourself breathing. This whole process only takes a few seconds. If done each time you meditate, your body and mind will know that you are preparing for meditation.

2. Creating your sacred space - as you are watching your breath, begin to draw all of the energy from the limbs of the body to the trunk of the body and then send that energy up the spine and out through the ajna chakra or third eye. Visualize the energy projecting out a few inches in front of your forehead and then sweep the energy around your body until you are completely encased in a circle of energy. Many people visualize themselves sitting on the inside of a golden or white ball of light. You can project this energy out as far as you need to or keep it close to yourself. You are now sitting in your own sacred space and are ready to begin the meditation.

3. Blessings - there are many different blessings you can use to begin your meditation. I begin by thanking all of the saints and sages that have come before me and I invite my Ishta Devata (my chosen form of the divine) to be present during my meditation. I thank them for giving me the courage to walk this path and I ask them to bless my meditation practice and bless my life. I then ask them to bless all sentient beings and all of life. Essentially, I am projecting loving meditative energy out into the world for all who wish to accept the blessings. During this time, I also say a prayer for any people in my life that have requested a prayer. I pray for others and I pray for myself. Sometimes, I repeat a prayer, such as the Lord's Prayer or a passage from a sacred text that is appropriate for my day.

4. Focusing the Mind - after you have said your blessings, it is time to focus the mind. During the time we are trying to focus the mind, we are attempting to let all things fall away from our minds so that we can come to an effortless, uplifted, and one-pointed state. This is meditation.

An empty mind is a clear mind. An empty mind allows us to see reality as it is, to connect to our higher sense of self, to become one with God, Self, Nature, Universe, Reality (it depends on which religion you are practicing - a form of meditation is used in all religious practices).

Because it is very difficult to let go of the things that are in our minds, there are many different techniques that can be used to focus the mind. Some people focus on the breath, some people focus on a beautiful object, some people just watch the thoughts flow through the mind in a stream of energy passing through, some people use a mantra, some use a particular watch word.

No matter what technique you use, each time your mind begins to wander, you use your chosen technique to gently remind yourself that you are not thinking about your grocery list but instead are sitting in meditation, emptying your mind. I say the Isha Upanishad Mantra. You should choose a technique that works for you.

Once your mind is clear and empty, you are meditating. Stay in this state for as long as possible. For beginners, this is only a few seconds. For more advanced practitioners, it is longer.

5. Closing - at the end of your meditation, it is good to close the meditation with a mantra. Using the same mantra each time, signals to your body and mind that you are finished with your meditation. Some people say one long "OM" or three shorter OM's. It is also common to close your practice by saying "Shanti, Shanti, Shanti". After you have finished meditating, you bring your mind back to an awareness of your earthly life. This can be done simply by beginning to become aware of the room you are sitting in. When you are ready to re-engage in the world, you open your eyes, gently, slowly and just sit for a minute while you re-orient yourself to your life. You have now finished your meditation practice.

Your assignment -

Take some time to do a little research on the web. Find one blessing or prayer that you would like to try out in your practice during the "blessing" portion of your meditation practice. Once you have found one that speaks to you, write it down in your journal and record some thoughts on why you have chosen that particular blessing or prayer.

You can get started by simply doing a google search for prayers and blessings in a particular religion. For example, Native American Prayers and Blessings, Catholic Prayers and Blessings, Hindu, Pagan, Buddhist Prayers and Blessings, etc.

Swami K

Reflections

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Day 5 - The Saturn or First Chakra

Daily Reflection
This week we will be discussing 5 of the Chakras and the goal of each Chakra. Each chakra has a message for our learning.

Today's reflection will be centered on the Saturn or first chakra. Traditionally, this chakra is associated with our community or our tribe. Here, we might reflect on our associations and the groups we belong to as well as our relationship to our families. We might also think about where we live, what culture we come from and what traditions we practice. This chakra is also associated with your emotional and mental health.

In your journal today, reflect on and write about the communities you are a part of. Make a list and write about why you belong to those communities. Why are they important and what role do they play in your life? What traditions do you practice from your culture and in your family? What traditions are important to you and why? How is your emotional and mental health? Do you feel stable and grounded?

One asana to practice to help balance this chakra is cobra pose. Try to work this pose into your practice today.

Swami K

Day 4 - The Jupiter or Navel Chakra

Daily Reflection
This week we will be discussing 5 of the Chakras and the goal of each Chakra. Each chakra has a message for our learning.

Today's reflection will be centered on the Jupiter or Navel Chakra. Traditionally, this chakra is associated with our need for relationships with other people. This chakra is all about the power of relationships in our lives. The second chakra also relates to our need for control and our personal identity.

In your journal today reflect and write about your relationships. Do you surround yourself with positive, encouraging and caring people? Are there any people in your life that you have a negative relationship with? If yes, who and what is negative about it? Also reflect on your own sense of personal identity. Who are you? Are you happy with yourself? What improvements do you feel you need to make? What about your ability to let go of control? What situations do you find that you feel the need to control?

One asana that will help you balance this chakra is triangle pose. Try to work triangle pose into your practice today.

Swami K

Day 3 - The Mars or Solar Plexus Chakra

Daily Reflection
This week we will be discussing 5 of the Chakras and the goal of each Chakra. Each chakra has a message for our learning.

Today's reflection will be centered on the Mars or Solar Plexus Chakra. Traditionally, this chakra invites us to think about our relationship to our personal power. Here, we are asked to reflect on how we understand ourselves and how we relate to ourselves. We can reflect on whether or not we feel we have personal power or have lost our sense of personal power. This chakra is all about our self-esteem and self-confidence. It is here that we can think about what we want to manifest or create and how confident we feel about doing so.

In your journal today reflect on and write about your relationship to your own sense of personal power. Are you self-confident? Do you feel worthy? How is your self-esteem? How well do you understand yourself? Is there something you have always wanted to do but are afraid to? How might you go about gaining confidence and pursuing this goal?

One good asana to practice to help balance this chakra is boat pose. You may want to work this into your asana practice today.

Swami K

Day 2 - The Venus or Heart Chakra

Daily Reflection
This week we will be discussing 5 of the Chakras and the goal of each Chakra. Each chakra has a message for our learning.

Today's reflection will be centered on the Venus or Heart Chakra. Traditionally, this chakra relates to our ability to release our emotional pain and live our lives centered on love, compassion, and caring - both for ourselves and others.

In your journal today reflect on and write about your relationship with your heart chakra. What painful experiences are you still holding on to? Is there anyone you need to forgive? Is it easy or difficult for you to love? Act compassionately? Be caring towards yourself and others?

One good asana to help you balance your Venus Chakra is child's pose. Try to work this into your practice today.

Swami K

Day 1 - Mercury or Throat Chakra

Daily Reflection
This week we will be discussing 5 of the Chakras and the goal of each Chakra. Each chakra has a message for our learning.

Today's reflection will be centered on the Mercury or Throat Chakra. The Mercury Chakra traditionally relates to the throat and our ability to find and sing our life song. It is here that aham bramasmi comes into play. Aham bramasmi means "I am the creative principle" or the artist of my life. Here we are called upon to create our lives in a way that manifests our destiny. Carolyn Myss talks about this throat chakra as being the place where we surrender to God's will for us or put another way that we let go and do what comes the most naturally to us. We use our talents and skills to create that which we are supposed to do in this lifetime.

In your journal today reflect and write about your destiny or purpose. Do you have a sense that your life has a purpose? What are your specific talents and skills? Do you need to find more time to reflect on the specific destiny laid out for your life? Are you living your purpose?

One good asana to help balance the Mercury Chakra is shoulder stand. Try to work this asana into your practice today.

Swami K

Reflections

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Try Something New

Daily Reflection
Have you ever read "The Myth of Sisyphus"? If you have not, you can find the story and commentary here: http://www.nyu.edu/classes/keefer/hell/camus.html

The piece of the story I want to focus on today is the point about how Sisyphus does the same thing over and over and over. Our lives become like this as we fall into our own patterns. Each day we wake up, we go to work or clean our house, we speak with our friends and family; in short, we, like Sisyphus, do the same thing over and over and over. The problem is that when we do not make a space in our lives for new experiences, we risk repeating the same patterns, having the same thoughts, and keeping ourselves stuck in the same situation.

If we try something new, we grow, expand, learn, change our patterns, and change our thinking.

In your journal today make a list of 12 things you would like to try. Now, open your calendar and schedule one new thing for each month of the year. As you try and experience each new thing record this experience in your journal.

Swami K

Schedule A Day Off

Daily Reflection
It is very important to take time for yourself and to take time to rest. Resting is an essential part of your spiritual practice. Resting helps to rejuvenate you and it also helps you be more kind and compassionate to others. Many of us do not work regular rest periods into our lives. Many of us feel that we cannot take a break or do not deserve a break. Your life will expand and improve if you take regular breaks.

In your journal today reflect on the last time you took a break. What did you do? How did it make you feel? What were the positive results? What did you think as you were taking this break?

I also want you to take out your calendar and schedule a day off just for yourself. Schedule some time for reflection, perhaps take a walk or do whatever you most enjoy doing. Take your journal with you on your day of rest and record the experience.

Swami K

The Value of Reading

Daily Reflection
Today, I want to talk about the value of reading. We should strive to read something new every day. Why? Because reading exposes the mind to new, different, and diverse thoughts. One goal of yoga is to change the way we think, to get us thinking differently. One way to achieve this goal is to read a variety of different books, essays, and articles from a variety of writers from all over the world. Reading will expose us to new thoughts, thoughts we can use to grow and expand our consciousness. Through reading, we come to understand the way others think. We can examine their thoughts and compare their thoughts to ours. We can step into their shoes, if only for a moment, and think outside of our normal thinking patterns.

In your journal, I want you to reflect on one book, essay or article that changed your thinking. What was your thinking like before you read this material? What was your thinking like after you read it? What changed? How did it expand and help you grow? What shift in consciousness did you see?

Swami K

The Thoughts that Bind Us

Daily Reflection
Our thoughts are very powerful. They create our lives. Some of the thoughts that we have hold us in one position and we feel stuck. Our thoughts tell us that we can't do the things we wish to do. The tricky thing about thoughts is that if you think that you cannot do something than you cannot do that thing. The thoughts you have create your reality. Today, I want you to move beyond those thoughts that are sticky and gluey and holding you in one place. Just for a moment, I want you to believe instead that you can do that thing you have been longing to do. Set aside your usual thoughts and think differently.

In your journal, record 3 things that your thoughts normally tell you that you can't do. For example, your thoughts might say, "You are too old to go back to school or you can't find the love of your life." Now, take the 3 thoughts that you wrote in your journal and switch them around to read "I can go back to school or I can find the love of my life, etc". Take these "I can" thoughts and repeat them over and over as if they are a mantra. Watch what happens in your life. Record what changes over this next week.

Swami K

Connecting to Your Heart

Daily Reflection
Sometimes it is difficult to hear what our hearts want because our minds are so busy talking to us. Today, I want you to get in touch with and connect more with your heart. The first step will be to do a short meditation in order to quiet our thoughts. Sit in a comfortable position and begin breathing deeply connecting with your breath. Watch your thoughts flow in and out of your mind. Stay distant from the thoughts. Do not engage with the thoughts flowing through your mind. Instead, just return to your breath. Breathing in and out gently, connect with your breath. Do this practice for 5-10 minutes.

Now that you are feeling more relaxed and centered focus your energy in your heart's center. Tune in to this energy and listen. What is your heart trying to tell you? What does it long for? What would it like you to do?

Reflect on these questions and answer them in your journal. What new things did you discover about what your heart wants as opposed to what your head wants? Begin to listen to your heart more and put your heart's desires into practice.

Swami K

Reflections

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Your Reactions

Daily Reflection
Today, I want you to reflect on how you react when someone is irritated or angry with you or if they criticize or judge you in a way that is bothersome to you. Do you leave and try to get out of the situation? Do you shut down and turn inward? Do you pull away and ignore the person or shut them out in some way? Do you criticize them back or say angry, unpleasant things? What is your reaction when someone has hurt you?

Today in your journal I want you to reflect on the questions above and think about the following: Is this reaction helpful - perhaps some of it is and some of it is not. Consider all sides. Where did this reaction originate? For example, do your parents react in this same way? The goal is find out when this type of reaction started, where it came from. Would you like to continue to have this reaction or would you like to make a change? If you want to make a change, what would you like to change and how could you go about it?

Swami K

I Appreciate You

Daily Reflection
On most days we think more about how we want people to change. This or that irritates us about the person's personality. We think, "if only you would do...my life would be better."

Today, I want you to observe your interactions with others and I want you to notice what you are thinking. Are you thinking critical thoughts or harmonious thoughts? Are you irritated or frustrated with something that person is doing?

Today, instead of speaking up about your frustration, I want you to think about one thing that you appreciate about that person and then I want you to tell them about it. Each time you have a negative thought about someone discard it and replace it with appreciation. Continue this practice throughout your day and write about these experiences in your journal.

Swami K

Be in Harmony

Daily Reflection
Today, I was listening to a couple that has been married for 25 years talk about how they approach their relationship. The discussion was about how they communicate with each other during challenging times. What really struck a cord with me is when the man of the couple said "I want to be in harmony with you". I thought what a wonderful approach. He went on to say that even though they were arguing, he didn't want to do anything that might further irritate his spouse, so he took a step back from the situation and thought about how he could approach her in the most harmonious way.

I think the lesson here is that we can do this in all of our relationships. In any given moment, we can ask ourselves "am I in harmony with you, right now, in this moment." I encourage you to pause as you interact with others today. To pause and ask yourself this question - am I in harmony with you? If you feel the exchange is not harmonious ask yourself - what might I do to turn this around and make it harmonious? How can I leave this conversation feeling good about our exchange? Record these experiences in your journal and reflect on this harmonious practice.

Swami K

Be Gentle

Daily Reflection
Today I want you to be gentle with everyone you encounter. It is easy to be gentle with people when we hear about a challenge they are experiencing or an illness or a tragedy. We often take a step back and say to ourselves "no matter how this person behaves today, I am going to be gentle with her because today she is struggling." We give our friends, our family a pass during a difficult time. However, we should do this every day. We should try to be gentle every day, in every moment. Rather than criticize and judge just be gentle.

In your journal today reflect on what happens when you are gentle with someone. When you listen and respond compassionately what happens between you and that person? What is different? Does your relationship grow and become deeper? Bring this practice into your life and reflect on those moments when you are gentle and when you are not. Record your experience in your journal.

Swami K

Your Sacred Self

Daily Reflection
Today, I thought it would be nice to remind everyone what we are trying to achieve during the practice of meditation and doing these daily reflections. We are trying to get to know our sacred self. The sacred self is that self that is beyond thought, beyond our moods and emotions, beyond our physical bodies. The sacred self is that self that is the objective observer. The one who can watch the thoughts and observe them without attachment to them. We need to remind ourselves everyday to return to this sacred self. Peace, bliss, connection to our own version of the divine both within us and without us can be found here. This is the place from which you can act compassionately, from which you can see clearly, from which happiness arises. Take some time today to connect with your sacred self.

In your journal today I want you to reflect on your sacred self. Who is this self? What techniques do you use to get in touch with this sacred self? How can you act from this sacred self?

Swami K

Reflection

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Approval

Daily Reflection
Today, I want you to examine the people in your life that you seek approval from. Perhaps you seek approval from your parents, your partner, your children, your friends, your work colleagues. Let's start our journaling practice today by making a list of all of the people in our lives that we want approval from. After you have made yourself this list ask yourself why you want his or her approval? Why is it important to you?

The funny thing about seeking approval is that it can influence our life choices. What I mean here is that we actually make choices in our own lives dependent on whether or not someone will approve. I am not here to tell you that this is good or bad or neutral. I am just here to make you aware of this particular tendency that humans have. I want you to see how this may affect your life and your choices.

Take a look at your list and write about each of the people and how he/she has affected your choices. Do you feel you made good choices? Bad choices? Neutral Choices? Do you feel you might have made a different choice if you were not seeking approval? Just be aware and be objective. It may be difficult but try to detach yourself from the idea of approval. Just try it for one day and see what happens. Write about the experience in your journal.

Swami K

Control

Daily Reflection
Today, I want to talk about how we try to control our lives by controlling other people's lives. Today, I want you to notice how you try to control others. I think it is most beneficial if we start by reflecting on how we try to control our primary partner. Think about those tasks you have taken on and why. For example, are you in charge of the finances? Are you in charge of the household tasks? Are you in charge of planning social events? Are you in charge of the calendar? What is your primary partner in control of and why? Is your partner in charge of things that you don't want to do? Have you set up a life that is the most natural for both of you?

It is interesting to look at and examine those tasks we have chosen for ourselves and why we have chosen them. For example, have you chosen to take control of the finances because you are better with money? Because you don't trust your partner's spending? Because you are afraid certain financial goals won't be met if you are not the one in control?

We should really ask ourselves these questions when it comes to all of those tasks we take on in a relationship because the key here is that we want to be in control and by being in control we control someone else. For example, I handle the finances in our household so I tell my husband when we can spend money, how much can be spent and what we can spend money on. While this seems like a perfectly natural situation and happens in many households, we need to be aware of the control portion of this situation. This essentially means that my husband has very little freedom of choice about his own finances. While my husband initially asked me to do this and does not mind that I do this, it is important to keep checking in with him to make sure this is still the most harmonious choice for our relationship.

In your journal today, reflect on the things that you have control over and how that control might affect someone else's life. Discuss this reflection with those to whom it matters and see if this is the most harmonious choice for both of you.

Swami K

Just Talking About the Weather

Daily Reflection
Today's topic is a little different and it is about something that we may not think about all that often. But, I think it is an important topic to reflect on because it affects us perhaps more than we realize. The purpose of this practice is to know ourselves more intimately and to know our minds so it is important to understand how the weather affects your state of mind. Have you ever woken up and felt happy and peaceful only to look outside and discover it was raining and that changed your state of mind?

For many people September is a time of change in the weather. It signals cooler weather and leaves changing as autumn approaches. For many fall and winter bring times of solace, being trapped in doors, and some take this time to meditate more and reflect more deeply on their lives before the spring approaches.

I found an interesting article in "The Huffington Post" about how weather affects our health and well being. You can find it here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/14/climate-health_n_4568505.html

In your journal today reflect on how the weather affects your mood. How do you feel when it is sunny vs when it is raining? How do you feel when it is cooler or cold vs when it is warm? What kind of weather makes you feel peaceful? What kind of weather irritates your mind? How can you live harmoniously through all types of weather?

Swami K

Twelfth House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on our twelfth house, the house of the hidden. The unexpected, the unseen, the subconscious, the secrets, the self-help or self-undoing.

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

Today you should ask yourself the following questions in relation to your twelfth house:

What have your most difficult battles been, your hardest tasks? How have you approached them?

What do you most worry about? What secrets do you carry?

Do you tend to help yourself or do things to undo what you are trying to accomplish?

What symbols are present in your life?

In what areas do you feel confined or stuck?

Swami K

Eleventh House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on our eleventh house, the house of friends, hopes and aspirations.

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

Today, you should begin your reflections with an investigation of the role that friends play in your life. Do you have a lot of friends or only a few? Do you prefer deep relationships with a few people or do you like to get to know a lot of people? How much time in your life do you make for friends? Do you have trouble making friends?

After you have explored the role of friendships in your life, you should reflect on your hopes, dreams and aspirations. What do you most want to do in this lifetime? Are you doing it now? What would you like to accomplish or achieve? What do you hope for? What is your attitude towards hope? What are your dreams? Are you fulfilling your dreams?

Swami K

Reflection

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Tenth House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on our tenth house, the house of career, father, destiny, and government

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

There are many different key areas to reflect on in this house, so please ask yourself the following questions:

Career or profession - what career or profession are you currently in? Are you happy with it? Are there any changes you would like to make? Does it tie into your destiny? What types of relationship are present in your career and how do you get along with your bosses, managers, and others that are in authority in your profession? Would you like to be the one in charge?

Father - What role did your father play in your life? If he has passed on what do you most miss about him? How is your relationship with your father now? Is it everything you would like it to be?

Destiny - do you feel you have a particular destiny? If yes, what is it? If no, why not? Do you feel there is something you are meant to do in this lifetime? Are you doing it? Do you feel a longing to do it?

Government - what is your attitude towards government? Are you a part of a particular political party? What political views do you hold? Is activism important to you?

Swami K

Ninth House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on our ninth house, the house of education and travel.

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

Let's begin your reflection today with an evaluation of your education and the traveling you have one in your life. Note down any significant educational milestones you have reached. How do you feel about the role of education in your life? Would you like more education? What subjects interest you? How could you expand your education? What role does education play in your spiritual unfoldment?

Now, let's move on to travel. Have you traveled? Where have you gone? Why? Do you enjoy travel? Where would you like to go? Do you dislike travel? Why?

Swami K

Eighth House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on our eighth house, the house of other people's money and legacies.

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

Today, you should begin your reflections by investigating the role of other people's money in your life. Are you receiving any money from others? Should you be? Are you involved in any lawsuits because someone owes you money? Do you find it easy to receive money from others? Difficult? Do you have any obstacles to financing or is anyone denying you money? How do you feel about it? Have you received monetary gains or losses through marriages, partnerships or businesses? How do you feel about them?

You should also reflect on your legacy. What will you leave for others? Why is this legacy important to you?

Swami K

Seventh House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on our seventh house, the house of marriage.

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

Today you can begin your reflections by describing your attitude towards marriage and if marriage is not available to you due to your sexual orientation then you should reflect on your relationship with your primary partner. Is marriage an important part of your life now? Was it in the past? Would you like to get married? What does marriage mean to you? How would you define marriage? How does your culture or society define marriage? What types of conflicts are present in your marriage? What parts of your marriage do you find to be the most harmonious?

Swami K

Sixth House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on our sixth house, the house of health and work.

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

Today you should examine your health and the work you do by asking yourself the following questions: In general, are you healthy? What problems have you experienced with your health in the past? Are you experiencing any health problems now? Would you like to be more healthy than you are now? If so, how might you achieve this goal?

What type of work is present in your life? Do you enjoy the work you do? Would you like to work more? Less? Would you like to do different work than you are doing now? If yes, how could you change what you do? What do you spend most of your day doing? What is your attitude towards work?

Swami K

Reflection

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Fifth House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on our fifth house, the house of creativity, love affairs, and children

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

Today I want you to reflect on the role of creativity in your life. How important is creativity to you? What are some of your creative outlets? Do you belong to a creative community? How do you go about creating your life? What parts of your life would you still like to design?

You should also reflect on love affairs either past or present. Who have you had love affairs with or who did you wish you had? What role do these affairs have in your life now? In the past? What are your attitudes towards love?

Finally, you should reflect on children. Are there children in your life? What are your attitudes towards children? Do you want children or want more children? Have you decided not to have children? Are you young at heart? Do you still feel the child alive within yourself?

Swami K

Fourth House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on our forth house, the house of home and mother.

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

Today you should reflect on your attitudes and relationship towards your mother. How well do you know your mother? How did you feel about her as a child? What is your relationship with your mother like now? If your mother has passed on what do you most miss about her? What similar personality traits do you share? How are you different?

You should also reflect on your home environment. What is your home environment like now? Is it similar or different to your home environment as a child? Is your home life satisfying? Are there any changes you would make? Do you like where you live? Would you prefer to live in a different structure or place? What are some of your family traditions? How have you kept them alive?

Swami K

Third House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on our third house, the house of communication.

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

The main feature of the third house is our communications with others, so today you will reflect on how you communicate. What is your primary communication style? Do you tend to be confrontational? Do you like conflict? Do you hate conflict? Do you try to mediate or synthesize? Do you find your communications with others to be mostly positive? Negative? Easy? Hard? How receptive are you to the ideas of others?

You should also reflect on how you communicate with yourself? What approach do you take? Do you tend to lie to yourself or are you truthful?

Swami K

Second House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on our second house, the house of wealth.

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

Today, you will be reflecting on the wealth that is present in your life. You should first examine your financial situation. Are you in a good financial place right now? Do you wish it was different? Most people could all use more money but how much money is enough, in your opinion?

Our house of wealth is not only about how wealthy we are financially, so you should also examine other areas of your life in which you feel wealthy. Do you feel wealthy in love? Wealthy in children? Wealthy in knowledge? Wealthy in career pursuits? Make a list of all of those areas that bring wealth and blessings to your life.

Swami K

First House

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting upon the first house, the house of our personality.

If you enjoy astrology and wish to learn more about which planets and sun signs affect your personality, feel free to do so. For the purpose of our reflections today, we are just going to take a look at our lives as they are in this current moment and observe the main features we see. This is only a preliminary investigation of each of the 12 houses. We are only familiarizing ourselves with the basics.

What I would like you to reflect on today are the main features of your personality. What characteristics describe you? What is your natural disposition? Your outlook on the world? Your personal interests? This will tell you more about your own personal lens. This is the filter through which you see the world, so it is a good idea to begin investigating the main features of your personality. In the words of Socrates "know thyself". Smiles.

Swami K

Reflection

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Day 5 - Major Life Events

Daily Reflection
If you have come to this post on Day 5, go back and take a look at Day 1 first and work your way up to this day. We are going to be spending the next 5 days reflecting on the major events of our lives. This is going to take some time and is a practice you may want to continue because it will give you many details about who you are, how you handle things, what the patterns are in your life, what your strengths are, what your challenges are, etc. This practice can be very helpful to you, particularly if you have questions about yourself, your life, what you want to do next, what your problem areas are, etc.

In your journal you have been exploring each of your life events. Please continue this process today.

Make your way through as many of these as possible and continue this process for as long as you wish. You may want to go back to it at various point in your life. Think about what you discovered about yourself this week. What you found challenging, where your strengths lie, what events really affected who you are today.

Swami K

Day 4 - Major Life Events

Daily Reflection
If you have come to this post on Day 4, go back and take a look at Day 1 first and work your way up to this day. We are going to be spending the next 5 days reflecting on the major events of our lives. This is going to take some time and is a practice you may want to continue because it will give you many details about who you are, how you handle things, what the patterns are in your life, what your strengths are, what your challenges are, etc. This practice can be very helpful to you, particularly if you have questions about yourself, your life, what you want to do next, what your problem areas are, etc.

In your journal yesterday you began exploring each of your life events. Please continue this process today.

Make your way through as many of these as possible and continue this process on day 5.

Swami K

Day 3 - Major Life Events

Daily Reflection
If you have come to this post on Day 3, go back and take a look at Day 1 first and work your way up to this day. We are going to be spending the next 5 days reflecting on the major events of our lives. This is going to take some time and is a practice you may want to continue because it will give you many details about who you are, how you handle things, what the patterns are in your life, what your strengths are, what your challenges are, etc. This practice can be very helpful to you, particularly if you have questions about yourself, your life, what you want to do next, what your problem areas are, etc.

In your journal yesterday you wrote down one overall feeling next to each life event you recorded. For example:

Birth of 1st child - fear
Marriage to second husband - great joy
Separation of pelvis - opportunity
Move in 3rd grade - relief

Today and for the rest of the week you will be describing the experience and why you felt the way you did as well as discussing how it currently affects your life. For example:

Separation of pelvis - I saw this as an opportunity because it gave me time with my new daughter. I couldn't do anything but sit in a chair and so I just held my infant all day long. If my pelvis had not separated, I would probably not have taken this time to just hold my daughter. How this has affected my life today - I still have challenges with my pelvis and go through periods of time in which I have trouble walking but it reminds me of this special time I had with my daughter. It still brings feelings of opportunity and joy. My daughter and I share a very close bond. Spiritually, it reminds me to take a break, slow things down, live more in the present moment and look at challenges positively - see them as opportunities rather than hindering.

Make your way through as many of these as possible and continue this process on days 4 and 5.

Swami K

Day 2 - Major Life Events

Daily Reflection
If you have come to this post on Day 2, go back and take a look at Day 1 first. We are going to be spending the next 5 days reflecting on the major events of our lives. This is going to take some time and is a practice you may want to continue because it will give you many details about who you are, how you handle things, what the patterns are in your life, what your strengths are, what your challenges are, etc. This practice can be very helpful to you, particularly if you have questions about yourself, your life, what you want to do next, what your problem areas are, etc.

In your journal today write down one overall feeling next to each life event you recorded yesterday. For example:

Birth of 1st child - fear
Marriage to second husband - great joy
Separation of pelvis - opportunity
Move in 3rd grade - relief

We will be moving on to the next step on day 3.

Swami K

Day 1 - Major Life Events

Daily Reflection
We are going to be spending the next 5 days reflecting on the major events of our lives. This is going to take some time and is a practice you may want to continue because it will give you many details about who you are, how you handle things, what the patterns are in your life, what your strengths are, what your challenges are, etc. This practice can be very helpful to you, particularly if you have questions about yourself, your life, what you want to do next, what your problem areas are, etc.

In your journal today you are simply going to list out all of the major things that have happened in your life - your birth, any major childhood events that were significant, young adulthood, adulthood, marriages, deaths, births, health issues, divorces, etc. Make sure to include the things that you saw as positive as well as negative experiences and everything in between. We will begin working with these on day 2.

Swami K

Reflection

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Working with Change

Daily Reflection
Life is about change. Change is all around us and is continually reoccurring. Today I want you to think about how you respond to change. Do you embrace change? Do you struggle against it? Do you lie to yourself and say, "oh, things have not really changed." Do you mourn the change? How does change affect you?

In your journal today, reflect on some of the major changes in your life - a move, a birth, a death, etc and think about how you responded to this change. Try to answer some of the questions I ask above and also think about these questions - did I handle this change harmoniously or did I cause myself suffering? How can I best work with change in my life?

Swami K

What Would You Teach?

Daily Reflection
During the ethics class that I teach I often ask the students to tell me what they would teach to others? What often develops out of our conversations is that they find a purpose, a drive or a passion within themselves that arises as the result of the discussion. While the exercise for them is meant as a process to discover a topic for a persuasive research paper, what they actually discover is so much more. Just by answering the question what would you teach to others, they sometimes find their own life song and go on to share these ideas with others. The question acts as a catalyst to find meaning in one's life.

In your journal entry for today, reflect on this question for yourself. What would you teach to others? How might you go about bringing this practice into your daily life?


Swami K

What Did You Expect

Daily Reflection
The choice lies in front of you. What do you decide? What are the results of that choice? They are often very different from what we expect. Let's take an example. Let's say you decide you want a new job. There are some problems at your old job and they begin to be intolerable so you decide that a new job is the answer. You begin searching for a new job and you apply to 50 companies. You go on some interviews and finally you are hired. You are very excited and maintain that excitement for a few months. Then, you begin to see that this new job was not quite what you were expecting and that some of the features of the old job no longer seem as annoying as they once were. The environment of the new job is very toxic and after 6 months you begin longing to be back at your old place of work. You start planning a way to leave and to approach your old boss. Your old boss is happy to take you back and addresses some of the previous problems you had. You are back at your old job and some of the old tensions have been resolved.

Our expectations of what is happening and how something might happen in the future are usually different than what actually happens. It can be very helpful to your spiritual practice if you let go of your expectations and just let things unfold. The more tightly we cling to our expectations, the more dissatisfied we become.

In your journal today reflect on a situation similar to the example I gave above. Discuss a particular situation in which you became dissatisfied with something and thought you might be more satisfied if you made a change. Look at your expectations. What did you expect to happen? What actually happened? What might have happened if you never had any expectations in the first place?

Swami K

The Nature of My Life

Daily Reflection
Today we will be reflecting on the nature of your life. We want to evaluate what activities you are most focused on at this time.

In your journal today make a list of everything you did today. For example:

4am - 6am worked on reflection posts for my blog
6am - 8am teaching work
8am - 8pm went grocery shopping, spent time with kids, did house chores

Once you have your list you will be able to see what the main focus is of your life and how much time you are spending on each activity. If you were to look at my list above, you would notice that most of my time and energy goes to being a wife and mother. I spend the majority of my time attending to my children, spouse, and the daily maintenance of the home. What this tells me about myself is that I find my home life extremely important and that I also find it rewarding. This exercise can also help you evaluate whether or not you want to be spending this amount of time focused on one particular thing. It could be the case that I am spending all of this time and energy on my family life but I don't find it rewarding. It is important to note down the feelings and emotions associated with where you are spending your energy particularly if you wish to make a change. You can use this as a starting point to evaluate your time, how you spend it and whether or not you would like to be spending it in a different way.

Swami K

Change Your Lens

Daily Reflection
We all view life from our own personal lens. We see life through the filters we have. It can be very challenging to see someone else's point of view or why that person made a particular choice because of the lenses we are looking through. It can be helpful to us if we change our glasses. If we put on a new set of lenses from time to time to try to experience life in a different way. For example, if I am experiencing difficulty in a particular area of my life, instead of continuing to struggle, I need to change my lenses. I need to look at life through a different pair of glasses. This can be very powerful and can help you get unstuck from those places where you are stuck.

In your journal today talk about one area of your life in which you feel stuck. Now, try on a different pair of glasses and look at the problem again. Try looking at the problem through the eyes of your partner, your friend, your mother, a child. How would each of these people see the problem? Now, try looking at the problem through the eyes of The Buddha, Jesus, Gandhi, Oprah, or any other mentor or teacher you find powerful. Record all of these thoughts in your journal. Choose the lens that best suits your needs to work with the problem.

Swami K

Reflections

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

The Teachers Around Us

Daily Reflection
The universe has sent you many teachers over the years. These teachers are all those people you come into contact with in any given moment. Some teachers have a very brief lesson - perhaps you smile at someone at the grocery store to learn more compassion or help him if he is having a bad day. Other teachers are those friends that we met in our childhood but are no longer in our lives because we learned their lessons. Some teachers stay in our lives for a long time. Our partners of 20 years, our long term friendships, our children, our parents they are all our teachers too.

In your journal today make a list of all of the current teachers in your life. Write down each name and reflect on what they have to teach you. For example, my daughter is always content and joyful in almost every moment. She teaches me how to be more joyful and content. My mother often discusses her struggles in life and teaches me how to become a better listener, how to act compassionately and she has also been my role model. She has been a wonderful mother and has taught me how to be a mother to my children. Who are your teachers and what are they teaching you?

Swami K

The Lesson of the Universe

Daily Reflection
We might not notice it but every day the universe is sending us a lesson to learn. How do we find out what this lesson is? Through our daily journaling practice and observations of where our lives are right now. All you need to do is take a look at your life and the activities you find yourself doing and you can find out what the universe is trying to teach you. For example, my daily life consists of teaching and being a wife and mother. So, right now, I am learning the lesson of how to teach and how to be a wife and mother. But, let's get more specific. If I look back at the last 10 years of my life, I have largely (with some slight variations) been doing the same thing. This means that I am still learning these lessons or that I have more to learn.

A good place to look for what else you might need to learn in your life as it is right now is to examine your frustrations. What do you get frustrated about over and over again? Perhaps you find that you are always angry with your partner for the same thing (boy, I wish he would pay more attention to me, work less, or whatever your usual thinking patterns are). What this tells you is that you need to learn how to let this go and work more harmoniously with the situation or circumstance. Your partner is not going to change but you can change. This is part of the lesson. Once you no longer get upset or frustrated with this same problem, you have learned this particular lesson and have moved on to the next.

In your journal today, reflect on what you think the universe is trying to teach you? What thought patterns are constantly challenging you? What frustrations do you have with yourself or with others? Have you learned the lesson or are you in the middle of this journey? Just observe where you are right now. Be gentle with yourself.

Swami K

Back To Balance

Daily Reflection
One morning many years ago I woke up one morning and thought, "how did I get to this point in my life"? This happens to all of us from time to time. It was as if I had awakened after a very long slumber and suddenly noticed that the life I was leading and who I was no longer matched. My life was out of balance. I set an intention and I asked the universe for transformation. This question, which seemed so simple at the time, set into motion a series of huge changes to my life. Divorce, split custody, single motherhood, meditation and yoga practice, seminary, teaching, and later on a new man, a new daughter, a move to another state, and the changes keep coming as I keep unfolding. The transformation the universe offered me was not what I thought it would be but much, much bigger. The transformation was not a new job or a different career. Instead, the transformation has been a quest to bring my life back into balance. Every day, over the last 9 years, I have moved into greater and greater harmony. Notice that I said 9 years. This is not a quick process and it continues and does not stop. The practice takes place one day at a time.

I am thinking that you have found yourself on my website because you too are experiencing a transformation, because you too are seeking to realign your life and put it into greater harmony.

In your journal today, write about when your transformation began, how you got here and where you are now? Reflect on what you have learned so far. Reflect on how balanced you feel right now, in this moment.

Swami K

Where is Paradise?

Daily Reflection
We have heard the question before - where is paradise? We look for paradise in external places - the sandy beaches of Florida, Pike's Peak in Colorado, the ashrams of India, the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower. We travel the world in search of paradise. We hold on to that moment of peace and beauty when we see these beautiful sites, and just for a moment, we are content; we are happy. People have been searching for paradise for centuries. They have been setting out on a journey - a journey to find bliss. What we come to find as we practice yoga is that we don't need to leave, set out on a journey or travel to find paradise, to find peace, to find contentment, to find happiness. Paradise is found within. Paradise is a state of consciousness.

In your journal today, write about all of those places you have gone to in order to find your version of paradise. Maybe you didn't travel but instead associated paradise with a job, career, relationship, etc. What is your own definition of paradise? If you lived in paradise, what would that look like to you? Ask yourself why? Why have I chosen these things to define my paradise? Slowly begin to shift your thinking from external things to your internal spirit. Go within. Perhaps do a short meditation. What shifts do you need to make to your state of consciousness to create that type of paradise that is your very core, your very foundation, that paradise you carry with you everywhere?

Swami K

The Order of Life

Daily Reflection
Everything that happens outside of me is happening within me. We often think our lives are chaotic and we have trouble understanding what will happen next in our lives. Life can look completely disorderly. However, this is only a misunderstanding of the patterns of our lives. What I mean here is that what we think, we do. This might be very obvious when we think, "I'm hungry" and then you go and get some food, but it is less obvious, when your spouse becomes angry with you out of the blue. What has happened is that the way you have been responding to your spouse (or best friend, or child, etc) has changed slightly and that person has become aware of the changes on a subtle level and is responding.

Our minds wax and wane as does the cycle of the moon but we are often unaware of these changes. Our job here is to keep this journal as a way to identify these patterns. If we know what is going on internally then we can control what happens externally. We can make some order out of the chaos.

In your journal I would like you to reflect on your life as it was yesterday. What kind of mood were you in? How did this affect the day you had? What were your responses to others as a result of that mood?

Swami K

Reflections

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Holding Grudges

Daily Reflection
A grudge or a feeling of resentment towards someone else that has hurt you can block us along the spiritual path. When we hang on to this feeling in our hearts, we create a state of thinking or a state of consciousness that irritates the mind and blocks us from our own happiness and feelings of joy and contentment. While it is natural to have an immediate response of hurtful feelings when somebody does something to hurt us, it becomes a problem if we hang on to that feeling. Some of us can hold a grudge for years. A grudge can control us if it is a powerful one.

Today, in your journal, think of someone you have been holding a grudge against. Explore what happened, write it all down, explain the exact experience and how it hurt you. Think about how heavy this experience has made your heart. Think about how holding this grudge has controlled you. For your own sake of peace, do something nice for yourself and let it go.

Swami K

Habits of Mind

Daily Reflection
Our minds seem to have this bad habit of making immediate judgments. We see a mother shouting at a small child in a store and we think, "wow, she really shouldn't shout at her child like that; she isn't a very good mother." Or, my neighbor is always banging around in his garage at 11:30pm when I am trying to get to sleep and he should really be more mindful of others. He should change his habits. He is inconsiderate. Notice how the mind is assigning a meaning to another person's actions. This happens very quickly, and most of the time, we are unaware of it. This is why yoga is such an important practice. The practice of yoga can help us slow down our thinking, notice our thinking and become more aware of these automatic habits of our minds. Yoga can help us to stop making assumptions about others and to stop judging their actions so quickly. It can make our thoughts more neutral. For example, "isn't it interesting that the mother is shouting or isn't it interesting that my neighbor is doing something in the garage at 11:30pm. I wonder what it is?" Helping our minds react in a more neutral way can lead to greater compassion with others and better relationships. No one wants to be judged.

In your journal today write down 3 examples of situations in which you judged another's behavior very quickly, without thinking about it. As you go throughout your day, notice this habit of mind as you encounter each experience. Write down the results. What was the experience? What did your mind tell you? Now, take a step back and change this to a more neutral event. Replace what your mind tells you with, "isn't it interesting that...." What has this exercise told you about yourself and your habits of mind?

Swami K

Karma

Daily Reflection
Many people in western culture misunderstand the word karma and the role it plays in their lives. Karma is not ethically charged. This means that it is not good or bad. It is neutral. In the west, we tend to think of karma as "what goes around comes around" or if we do something bad, bad will come to us, just as if we do something good, good will come to us. However, this is not the correct understanding of karma. Karma is the law of cause and effect. All this means is that if you do an action there will be an effect of that action. Our minds misunderstand this concept and assign meaning to the results. Yes, there are consequences to the actions we take. These just happen naturally as a result of the action. Your mind falsely tells you whether or not these consequences are good or bad.

In your journal today, I want you to think about 3 actions that you took and the results that came of those actions. For example,

Action = moved to a new town
Action = went shopping on Thursday morning
Action = smiled at my neighbor this morning

Record the results of each action and notice what the mind tells you about the results.

Result of moving to a new town  = had to make new friends
Result of going shopping on Thursday = was able to read a book on Friday
Result of smiling at neighbor = was invited to dinner

Notice as you read through the example that you are assigning meaning to each of the results and that this meaning could go either way. Perhaps you like to make new friends and welcome the opportunity (positive association) or maybe you find it hard to make new friends and are having trouble (negative association). The important thing to notice during this exercise is your mind is making the associations and is creating the meaning.

This means that you can change the meaning at any time.

Swami K

Ask Yourself Why

Daily Reflection
Sometimes we get very caught up in our lives without stopping to ask ourselves, "why"? Why am I working at this job? Why do I make the choices that I do? Why am I where I am today? This is a very important part of our spiritual practice. We need to know why we have chosen to do something. Knowing why can help us focus, can help us observe if we are making a choice for the right reasons, and knowing why can help us to live more harmoniously. For example, recently a student of mine failed to pass my class for a third time. I asked her to ask herself why. Why did she keep failing the class? Her response surprised her. It was her last class and she wasn't ready to graduate. She was afraid to move forward. Another student of mine moved to another state and her license to practice nursing was declined. For months, she was angry, wanted revenge, felt unworthy and felt the need to prove herself. I asked her why was she caught up in this problem when other very exciting opportunities were arising in her life. She said it was her ego. She needed this license only to satisfy her ego. She recognized that this was causing her problems and her eyes finally opened to the other possibilities available to her in her life.

In your journal today, ask yourself why. Why are you doing what you are doing? Begin at the beginning of your day and record all of the things you did and ask yourself why. For example, why do I get up at 4am and not at 6am? Why do I work in an office rather than at home? Keep going and you will discover some very important insights into who you are and what you want in your life.


Swami K

Fear is Greater Than the Reality

Daily Reflection
Every day we live with our own fear. There are so many things that are out of our control that we feel fearful. We can be afraid of failure, afraid of success, afraid our partner will leave, afraid our partner will stay, afraid someone we love will die, afraid to work on our goals, afraid to question, the list goes on and is as unique as each individual. However, we should be aware that our fears often go unrealized. Those things we fear, those things we worry about never happen. We cause fear within ourselves and the fear is often greater than what actually happens. We can let go of this tendency towards fear by not focusing on the past, not focusing on the future, but instead, focusing on the present moment.

In your journal today reflect on what you fear. Ask yourself why you fear those things. What happened in your life, perhaps in a past experience that led to the fear? How many of the things you fear have actually come true? Would you agree with the statement that fear is often greater than the reality?

Swami K

Reflections

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Acknowledge Yourself

Daily Reflections
Oftentimes we are focused on the future and how we will move forward in our lives. We think about what we want to achieve rather than what we have achieved. It can be very difficult to take an objective look at our lives and give ourselves praise for all that we have already done. We are caught up in our own lives as they are right now. Accomplishments happen over a long period of time, in little baby steps, and often go unnoticed.

In your journal today, I want you to reflect back on your last 5-10 years and record all that you have done, how you have changed, what goals you have met, what you have achieved and accomplished. Think about who you were and what you were doing 5 years ago, 10 years ago. Who were you then, what has changed and how are you now? I also want you to reflect on some of the things that are a little more abstract. What I mean here is that it is easy to see things like - "well, I have my degree now" then it is to see "ah, I am much kinder now than I was 10 years ago." Acknowledge how far you have come. Celebrate who you are.

Swami K

This Month

Daily Reflection
Most of us are goal setters. We set big goals at the beginning of the year but often find we lose sight of them. Not only do we lose sight of them but we become unfocused on what we really want. I constantly hear people say, "I'm really not sure what I want to do with my life." I hear this from those who are 15 and those who are 80. It is an ongoing experience that we all have in our lives. As our lives change so do our needs and wants and this change is constant. It can be very overwhelming to try to decide what we want to do with our lives. This goal is too big and we are unlikely to be able to decide.

One technique I use to combat this problem is that I ask myself at the beginning of each month, "what do I want to do this month? What do I want to accomplish?" I try to choose just one thing rather than several so that I can really dive deep and focus. I find that if I choose several things, I lose focus and end up doing nothing.

In your journal today, reflect on what you would like to accomplish during the month of August. What one goal can you work on? Put it on your calendar for August 1st and track your progress.

Swami K

Focus on You

Daily Reflection
Today, I want you to focus on you. We need to set aside time in our lives to nurture ourselves, reconnect to our spirit, and soothe our souls. To live a life of happiness we need to do things that make us happy. It is just too easy to lose ourselves in the lives of others, to focus on helping others, and sacrifice our own needs.

In your journal today, I want you to make a list of those things that bring you joy, that make you feel peaceful, that fill your soul. For example, on my list would be taking a walk on the beach, taking an asana class, meeting with friends for dinner, etc. After you have your list, open your calendar and schedule time to do these things. Continue this practice. Every Sunday, revisit this list and make time to focus on you each week.

Swami K

Painting Thoughts

Daily Reflection
Our thoughts rise and fall. We habitually think the same thoughts and it is difficult to change our thoughts. For this reason, we draw thoughts to us. The problem is that we do not often observe these thoughts or participate in the situation. We let our thoughts control us and our actions reflect these thoughts. If this is the case, perhaps we should draw (or paint) our thoughts. What I mean here is that as a painter paints on her canvass so too can we. Paint the thoughts you want to have (instead of the thoughts you do have) onto your canvass today.

In your journal today reflect on what thoughts you are always thinking. For example, do you often think of your partner? Do you often think of work? What are your thought patterns? What thoughts are you drawing to you and how does this shape your life? If you could change one thought that would help you live more harmoniously what would it be?

Swami K

Forgetfulness

Daily Reflection
The subject of today's reflection is forgetfulness. Oftentimes, we may experience pain in our lives because we are forgetful. What do we forget that causes this problem? We forget that we are not our thoughts and that we are not our bodies. We are spirit. Most of the time, we identify with what our thoughts are telling us and we attach ourselves to these thoughts. We think that the thoughts are us. We also cling very tightly to the way the body is feeling and lose our focus. For example, I am hungry. Have you ever been so hungry that you are consumed with this hunger and can't think of anything else? We are not our bodies. We need to let go of the thoughts and let go of the physical sensations and remember that we are spirit.

In your journal today write down one example of when you were caught up in your thoughts and discuss how these thoughts brought pain into your life. How might taking a few minutes to center yourself and returning to your spirit help you?


Swami K

Reflections

Please take the weekend to reflect on your journal entries this week. Look for patterns in thinking, explore ideas in more detail, and summarize what you learned about yourself this week.

Swami K

Tracking Your Life Path

Daily Reflection
Today, I'm going to share a practice that I find truly helps me in my life. I keep an excel spreadsheet to track the things in my life that I find important. I started this practice in January and have been reviewing it monthly. Across the top of the spreadsheet, I have the month and then I break the month out into days so that I have an entry for each day. In the rest of the columns, I have listed out things that I want to make sure I incorporate into my life. For example, my columns read time with my husband and children, asana/spiritual practice and study, and what things I focused on during the day (my thought patterns). Each day, at the end of the day, I record a simple "yes or no" if I spent time with my husband and children, did yoga, etc. I find that this practice provides a nice record of what I find important as well as what I am focused on. It also points out to me if I have strayed from the path or lost focus.

In your journal today reflect on whether or not this practice might help you. If you believe it would, open up a spreadsheet and get started. If you aren't quite sure what to do, send me an email and I will help you get started.

Swami K

Look Around

Daily Reflection
Today, I want you to look around at the people that you have in your life. Are they kind, friendly, warm, compassionate? Are they greedy, mean, selfish, angry? The people we are surrounded by often help us to create what we see in life. If we are surrounded by kind people, we see kindness. If we are surrounded by angry people, we see anger. If we are surrounded by anxious people, we see anxiety.

In your journal today think about the people in your life and the characteristics they have. Choose several people to write about and try to pick people in which you see positive qualities as well as negative. How do you feel and what do you think when you are with those people you feel have positive qualities? How do you feel and what do you think when you are with those people you feel have negative qualities? Who do you want to be?

Swami K

Rooting Down

Daily Reflection
We need to gain a firm footing in our lives. During our asana practice in order to successfully balance in any pose we have to root down or build a solid foundation. We need to ground our feet to the earth and build upwards. Life is like this. We need to root down in our lives. We need to build a solid foundation in order to reach up, stretch and grow. If our footing is weak, we will fall over.

In your journal record your thoughts on how strong your own footing is. Are you approaching each day from a firm foundation? What do you feel creates a firm foundation? How could you best put this into practice?


Swami K