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 8 - Reflections on Your Meditation Practice

Today's Tarka Practice

Today, I want you to think about your relationship to your meditation practice. Do you find joy in your practice? How long have you been practicing? What do you wish you could improve on in your practice? What do you struggle with the most in your practice? What comes easy to you? Reflect on your answers to these questions. What insights did you gain my answering these questions? What new discoveries did you make?

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

Day 19 - Can you Control Your Suffering?

Today's Tarka Practice

Many of the great eastern religious traditions tell us that suffering is optional. Is it? Do we truly have this much control over how we feel? Both the Gita and the Sutras tell us that we do have this kind of control - that we can control our suffering and that we cause ourselves to suffer. We are told in these ancient texts that it is our thoughts and attitudes towards those thoughts that cause us to suffer. If this is so, then we can learn to control our minds, change our thoughts and change our attitudes. Is this true? What about someone who is mentally ill or someone suffering through a great illness, like cancer? Are they still in charge of their own suffering?

For today's journal entry, I want you to reflect on your attitudes towards suffering. Try to answer some of the questions that I pose above and write down how you feel about each one. Talk about how much control you feel you have over your own life. Try to think of some examples from your experience in which you were suffering and were able to change your attitude in order to allieviate that suffering. Also, write down some examples of when you were not able to change your thoughts and attitudes and continued suffering. What was different about each of the situations you wrote about?

Shanti