Day 1 - Yoga Sutra 1 - Reflections on Practice

Shanti and welcome

Perhaps one of the most important parts of a strong yoga practice is the practice of tarka or reflective journaling. Reflection upon your inner and outer life is essential if you wish to progress along the path. These reflections on your life can help you see your mind more clearly. Your relationship to yourself, the world, and others is revealed in each journal entry. We can sometimes be blinded by our own beliefs or trapped in a cycle of thinking that is unhealthy for us. Tarka can help us to illumine the way before us, discard old beliefs, and change our attitudes and ways of thinking.

This blog is designed to help you reflect upon your life and examine your mind so that you may travel the path of enlightenment with greater ease and harmony.


Today's Tarka Practice
For today’s reflection, I have chosen Satchidananda’s translation of Patanjali’s first teaching in Book 1 of the Yoga Sutras.

“Now the exposition of Yoga is being made”

Here, Satchidananda’s emphasis is on the “practice”. He tells us that yoga is not something you just think about but something you do. He is not talking about only the physical practice (asan) but the entire practice of yoga (all 8 limbs – yamas, niyamas, asanas, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi).

He believes that one will not reach the goal by philosophy and words only; instead, if we wish to reach the goal of yoga, we must practice.

For today’s tarka in your journal consider the way you practice each of the eight limbs of yoga. If you are not practicing all 8 limbs, think about how you could incorporate this practice into your daily life.

Day 2 - Yoga Sutra 1 - Reflections on the Present Moment

Today's Tarka Practice
For today’s reflection, I have chosen Kriyananda’s translation of Patanjali’s first teaching in Book 1 of the Yoga Sutras.

“Now, at an auspicious moment, begins the traditional instruction in yoga”

Here, one of the main ideas of Kriyananda’s translation is his focus on “this moment”. He wants us to consider the important concept of auspiciousness. He wants us to ask “why now”? Why has yoga come into our lives right now, at this particular time?

For today’s tarka see if you can reflect on the importance of yoga in your life right now. For a deeper understanding, you may want to think about how long you have been practicing yoga, why you were called to it in the first place, and what it means to you on this particular day.

Day 3 - The Simple Life

Today's Tarka Practice
In the nineteenth century, Henry David Thoreau said that as our lives become more complex, we hunger for simplicity.

One might argue that today, in the 21^st century, our lives are much more complex than they were during Thoreau’s time. In our yoga practice, we should be working towards simplifying our lives.

When our lives are simpler, our minds are quieter. When our minds are quieter, we feel more peaceful and at ease.

For today’s journal entry, reflect on the following questions: Is this true for you? Do you feel your life is very complex and would you like it to be simpler? If so, what could you do today that would bring your life into greater simplicity?

Day 4 - Awakenings

Today's Tarka Practice
In order to experience an awakening in your life, you have to let go of your own personal lens - this is your own personal vantage point from which you see the world and the way in which you see yourself, your problems, your beliefs, and your values. An awakening or an "aha" moment takes place when we are able to step back and objectively observe our thoughts, our actions, our attitudes, and our beliefs.

Just for today, pay attention to your thoughts, your actions, your attitudes, your problems and your beliefs. As you go about your day, observe yourself and what is arising in your life. Practice objectively observing or watching yourself. In your journal, write down what you observed and how you reacted to certain things in your day. What do these thoughts and reactions tell you about yourself? Are they helpful or harmful to your own well-being?

Day 5 - Letting Go

Today's Tarka Practice
Being able to let go of things is an important part of your yoga practice. People hold very tightly to things that have happened in their past and often ask me, "how do I let go"? Letting go of something from our past is a very gradual practice that cannot be done overnight; however, there are things we can do to encourage ourselves to let go. Today, I have a practice that you can use to help you let go:

During your meditation practice, bathe yourself in light. Picture light washing over your entire being like a waterfall. Picture this light cleansing you. Every time you think about that thing which you are trying to let go, picture this light washing over you. It doesn't matter if you are standing in line for groceries or at a party; you can always take a few seconds to release your feelings by using light.

In your journal, reflect on something that you need to let go of and freewrite about it. Freewriting involves writing for 10 minutes about the experience without thinking or organizing your writing. Just write about that experience without stopping yourself for 10 minutes. Next, find a quiet place to meditate and try to let go of that experience using the light cleansing technique discussed above.

Day 6 - Wherever you go, there you are

Today's Tarka Practice

Wherever you go, there you are. You are stuck with yourself and so you might as well practice the art of loving yourself. In order to grow along this path, you need to forgive yourself, stop criticizing yourself, and be gentle with yourself. We usually tend to be very hard on ourselves and fairly over critical. We get angry at ourselves easily and then we stew in this anger. These negative thoughts can harm you and your practice. Instead, you need to step outside of this habit and be more kind to yourself.

In your journal, reflect on a time in which you were angry with yourself. It could be for something you did or the way you treated someone else. It could be for something you wanted to accomplish but didn't because you were too afraid to try it. It could be something you regreted not doing in your life.

Remember this time and record it in your journal. Think about why it made you angry. Think about what hot buttons it pressed for you. Think about how this anger hindered rather than helped you. Now, every time you think of this event in your life, replace it with something you like about yourself, something more positive. Be compassionate towards yourself like you are to others in need of compassion.

Day 7 - The Chandogya Upanishad

Today's Tarka Practice
I want you to reflect on this passage from the Chandogya Upanishad...

Brahman is all. From Brahman come appearances, sensations, desires, deeds. But all these are merely name and form. To know Brahman one must experience the identity between him and the Self, or Brahman dwelling within the lotus of the heart. Only by so doing can man escape from sorow and death, and become on with the subtle essence beyond all knowledge.

To get started on your reflection, think of Brahman as meaning "the totality of reality". That is everything in reality both physical and non-physical.

The Atman or Self is one thing in that total reality.

How does this Upanishad help you to understand the relationship between yourself and the total reality? If you are having trouble, think of yourself as one ripple in an entire pond or one wave in an entire ocean. The ripple or the wave is the Self and the pond or Ocean is Brahman.

Day 10 - Once Upon A Yogi Time

Today's Tarka Practice
Today, I wish to share one of my favorite stories. Before making any decisions in my life, I think about this story to see whether or not I really wish to generate the karma from the thought and action that would occur from the decision. It goes like this...

"Once upon a yogi time, a disciple went into a restaurant and sat down. He was thinking. 'My Guru says that the mind can cause great havoc. I don't understand.' His eye caught the glistening of a little drop of honey that had splashed on the wall. He then saw a bee come to taste the honey. Soon a lizard rushed at the bee with its long, quivering tongue. The manager's pet cat leaped for the lizard. A little dog hidden in the coat of a customer jumped up and wounded the cat...the owner of the little dog pounced upon the dog...the waiter spilled a large tray of hot soup...and the cook came screaming from the kitchen wondering what was going on! The disciple sat calmly and reflected. Is that too mystical"? Taken from Goswami Kriyananda's Beginner's Guide to Meditation

What is the moral of this story? Sometimes we should leave the honey alone, or sometimes we should not take any action.

In your journal today, think about a situation that got out of your control very quickly. Think about the very beginning of the situation - the thought that made you take action. How might your life be different if you had not acted on that thought?

Day 12 - The River of Life

Today’s Tarka Practice
I have one more story to share with you this week. This story is taken from Goswami Kriyananda's Beginner's Guide to Meditation.

"Once upon a yogi time there was a man who owned a little donkey. For many years, the donkey carried huge baskets of salt that weighed him down and made him tired. One day, by accident, the donkey slipped at the edge of the river and fell in. When he emerged, he realized that his burden was greatly lightened because most of the salt dissolved in the river. The man was angry but accepted the loss of the salt as an accident. The next day the donkey passed the same river and remembered how light his burden had been made the previous day. So he threw himself into the water and came back out, his load greatly lightened. This went on for a few days until the man realized what his donkey was doing. But he said nothing. Some days later, the man stacked huge piles of cotton on the donkey and together they started their trek. Coming to the river, the donkey thought himself very clever and again fell in. But this time the light cotton quickly soaked up the water, and when the little donkey emerged from the stream his legs buckled under him, and he understood the ways of the river of life."

While there are many different levels to this story and many things to reflect upon, today we will focus on only one of those themes.

For today's journal, think about your misconceptions about life. It is easy to think that once we take care of the problem, life will run smoothly. However, this is not the way of life. Life can be easy sometimes and challenging sometimes. We can solve one problem, have a break, only for another new set of problems to begin. Write down your expectations about life. What you expect to happen and what actually happens may be completely different things, so it is good to be aware of the nature of life, particularly, the nature of your life.
Shanti

Day 13 - Your Conversation with Life

Today's Tarka Practice
Life is a dialogue with the self, others, and the world. Each of these entries in your journal is your conversation with life. These conversations are not complete, and they will never be complete. All they can do is to give you a snapshot of what you are thinking during one moment. Just as a photograph represents an exact slice of time so do your writings and reflections. Therefore, each entry will build on another entry. As you write, you will find that your thoughts change. When you engage in conversations with others, your thoughts change. As you have new experiences, your thoughts change. Your thoughts breathe with each passing moment, and you will often end up somewhere completely different from where you started. The message here is really this - don’t get too attached to your thoughts or to your conversation with life, for everything is impermanent and will change.

In your journal today, write about impermanence and how each moment passes. Reflect on old thoughts that you don't believe in anymore. For example, maybe last year you ate meat and this year you don't or maybe you were a vegetarian last year and this year you are not. Notice how you feel when you discover that thoughts are fleeting and are of little importance. Does this make you happy, distressed, peaceful?

Day 14 - The Power of Mantra

Today’s Tarka Practice
This week we will be discussing and practicing several mantras.

Mantras are used during meditation because they can help us change our thoughts. Whatever we think, we say and whatever we say, we act and whatever we act, we become. If we constantly think and tell ourselves that we are afraid, we will be afraid. If we constantly think and tell ourselves we are happy, we are happy. If you tell yourself you are a teacher then that is what you will become.
Because our thoughts control who we become, we want to be careful about what we think. The practice of using mantras can help us to focus on living in a love filled, positive environment in which we are in harmony with ourselves.

In a practical way, we can use mantra to change our thinking patterns. We can use mantra to replace bad habits of thinking and/or negative thinking into thinking patterns that are much more useful to us. Because it can change our thinking, it can change our actions. When we think more peacefully about ourselves and the world around us, we act more peacefully. Instead of acting from a place of anger, we can act from a place of contentment. In other words, you can think of it in this way. When you are angry, this manifests itself in an irritation with others. When you are feeling good and having a good day, your interactions with others are more positive.

For today's journal entry, please reflect on some of the thoughts you think that are not helpful to you. Write them down. Pick one that stands out to you and see if you can evaluate how this thought manifests itself negatively in your mind and in your actions.
Shanti

Day 15 - The Om Mantra

Today’s Tarka Practice

This week we will be discussing and practicing several mantras.

Om is the symbol of the absolute and the sound of the absolute. It is used at the beginning of almost every mantra because it symbolizes the Brahman. Because it is impossible for us to know the absolute completely when we are manifested beings, this symbol can help us realize the unknowable on many levels. It represents both the manifest and the unmanifest. All that exists – past, present and future – is a part of this symbol, so it represents not only this lifetime but all lifetimes.

When we practice this mantra, we often just repeat the sound over and over and listen to it as it resonates within both our internal and external sacred space. It penetrates our soul and brings us great joy and peace.

On a practical level, this mantra can be repeated silently during any time you are feeling uneasy. It will help remind you that you are a part of this sacred life. It can relax you and bring you an extreme calm. The sound that is produced when you recite this mantra creates a cosmic vibration that helps you to see the big picture. The silence that comes after the sound lets you rest with peace and tranquility because there is no thought. This mantra helps the mind go still, helps quell the thoughts, and leaves us feeling refreshed.

For today’s journal entry, record how you are feeling right now. Are you feeling irritated, joyful, sad, happy, fearful, content? Now, find a quiet space and meditate using the Om mantra in your practice. After your meditation, write down how you are feeling now. Have those feelings changed? What is different? Record those changes in your journal.

Day 16 - The Isha Mantra

Today’s Tarka Practice

This week we will be discussing and practicing several mantras.

The Isha Mantra
Om Purnam Adaha Purnam Idam
Purnat Purnam Udacyate
Purnasya Purnam Adaya
Purnam Eva-vasi-syate

This mantra is an expression of the ideas set forth in the Isha Upanishad. It speaks to the relationship between the Atman (Self) and the Brahman (Absolute Reality). The message here is that the Brahman is perfect, whole and complete and because we come from the Brahman or the absolute, unmanifested reality, that we are also perfect, whole and complete.

We can use this mantra in our own lives to help us understand that the Atman and the Brahman are the same. We are a part of the absolute. We have come out of the absolute. We are a part of the manifested reality that comes out of the unmanifested reality.

This mantra is used to harmonize ourselves with the universe or to yoke together our earth life and spiritual life. It is one of the most important mantras because of this yoking. It is this yoking that is the goal of yoga – complete Self-realization.

On a practical level, one could use this mantra when one is feeling confused about life and one’s purpose in it. One could use this mantra if one is feeling disconnected from one’s spiritual nature and/or spiritual life. There are really an infinite number of uses for this mantra. It is, perhaps, one of the most powerful mantras to use in our daily practice.

For today's journal entry, think about the times that you feel most disconnected from your own life's purpose. If you are struggling to find your life's purpose, write down those thoughts as well. Repeat this mantra over and over for 5 minutes. Write about your experience.

Day 17 - The Sarveshaam Shanti Mantra

Today’s Tarka Practice
Today we will discuss the Sarveshaam Shanti Mantra. In my tradition, we only practice the first part of the mantra, which is...

Om sarveshaam svastir bhavatu, sarveshaam shaantir bhavatu
sarveshaam poornam bhavatu, sarveshaam mangalam bhavatu

The Sarvasham mantra is a blessing mantra or prayer for all people and can be interpreted in the following way:
Sarveshaam – means all people
Svastir – means well being
Shaantir – means peace
Poornam – means completeness
Mangalam – means auspiciousness
Bhavatu – let it be ordained

Hence, this mantra means…let it be ordained that all people experience well-being, peace, completeness and auspiciousness.

This mantra can be used in your practice in many ways. It can be said daily as a part of your meditation practice. It can be used when you are having trouble with forgiveness. It can be used in a temple at the beginning or end of a service.

For today, let’s talk about using it when you are having trouble with forgiveness. Sometimes we are not ready to forgive someone and we need some help moving into that place. In order to help us move towards forgiveness, we can say this mantra daily in our meditation practice as we picture the person we wish to forgive. Saying this mantra will allow us to send good wishes towards the person we are feeling angry about (without actually forgiving them yet), which will eventually help us to feel more positive and less angry. As we begin to feel more positive and less angry, this moves our thoughts gradually, slowly towards forgiveness. Eventually, our thoughts will become softer and we will be ready to forgive and let go of the feelings we once held.

In your journal, think of someone you wish to forgive (this could also be yourself). Write down the story of what happened between you and the person. Write down what made you upset, sad, angry, jealous, etc. Get the whole story down on paper. After you have written everything down, set some time aside for meditation and practice this mantra. See what happens and write down what you experience.
Shanti

Day 18 - The Om Namah Shivaya Mantra

Today’s Tarka Practice

Today we will discuss the Om Namah Shivaya mantra.

This mantra is known as a 5 syllable mantra and means “I bow to Shiva or I bow to my Self”. Shiva is one of the Hindu Gods that is part of the creation story and is associated with the destruction of all creation. Shiva is known as the destroyer but can also be interpreted in a way that means things can be dissolved or we can let go of them. Shiva can also symbolize the Self (with a capital S) or spirit / soul – that part of us that remains after everything else is destroyed - our true Self rather than just our physical self.

This mantra is repeated during meditation. As you repeat this mantra you feel a sense of being released from those things that are troubling you. Your troubles are being dissolved and you are being freed. Most often, what you are really freeing yourself from are your thoughts, attitudes, patterns of self-destruction, etc. Repeating this mantra brings forth clarity and wisdom as you begin to see those things which have been holding you back or those patterns in which you are stuck. This mantra will lead you to your own self-realization and you will see yourself and reality as they really are. For this reason, it is a very powerful mantra.

For today’s journal entry, you should write down something that has been an obstacle for you or something you wish to let go of. Set aside some time for meditation and repeat this mantra in your meditation. Write about your experience of this mantra after your meditation.
Shanti