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 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.