Week Nine-Chakras and The Energy Body

Meditators and mystics have long understood that in addition to our physical bodies, we all posses an energetic anatomy. Our energy body serves many functions. It animates us, allows us to move our limbs, to speak, to think. It also moves our fluids, our blood, our lymph, etc. It supports our immune system, and keeps the body its appropriate temperature. Our energy body does some more esoteric jobs as well. It supports our psychological health, enables us to have healthy boundaries, a healthy self image, and highly effective cognitive abilities. And just as our physical body has various organs, so does our energy body. These energetic organs are called Chakras.

Chakra Fun Facts:

• Chakras exist at seven locations at the center line of our body, slighly in front of the spinal column. Some models put the seventh chakra slightly above the top of the head.
• The chakras are depicted as rainbow colored lotus flowers. The Chakra just in front of the tailbone is red, and they raise in vibration until they get to the forehead, which is violet. The Chakra above the head is usually said to be golden, or white.
• The Chakras have the same number of petals as the sanskrit alphabet. Each Petal houses a letter.
• Our Chakras are vortexes that collect, transform, and emit energy as it flows through our body.
• Chakras are each associated with different metal states, emotions, life challanges and competencies.
• Chakras also have symbolic associations with colors, Sanskrit letters (Bija Mantras), Musical Notes,Numbers, Gods and Goddesses, Animals, Elements, Sense Organs, etc...
• When a person shows competency in an area that corresponds to a particular chakra, we say that that Chakra is 'open'. When somone struggles in a particular area, we would say that the corresponding chakra is 'closed'.
• People usually have a 'chakra constitution'. Certain centers have a tendecy towards being open, and certain centers have a tendency to being closed. Through sadhana (spiritual work) one can of course make progress. Many people need to dedicate their lives to finding proper balance.

Week Eight - Yoga Nidra

Week Seven - Mantra and Sound Meditation

Mantra and Meditation

This week we will focus on sound meditation. This will include an introduction to sanskrit, the use of mantra, and also silent meditation on subtle sound.

• Sanskrit = Language designed and used for kirtan, and vedic and mantric chanting.
• Bija = a seed syllable, the root of a mantra, the root of sound
• Mantra = literally, ‘mind protection’
• Nada Yoga = meditation on subtle sound
• Kirtan = chanting practice to awaken devotion, love, and a sense of unity

Class begins with chanting of the vowels of the sanskrit alphabet.

Important Sanskrit Facts:

• Sanskrit is possibly the oldest language on the earth, and certainly the oldest consistently used language
• Sanskrit was created (heard)by master meditators, called rishis
• Sanskrit is considered to be an expression of Great Divine Cosmic Vibration
• Many common modern english words have sanskrit roots.
• Sanskrit has largest collection of literature of any language
• Sanskrit has precise pronunciation, with five basic sounds ( gutteral, palatal, labial, cerebral, and dental) derived from five basic vowel sounds ( a, i, u, r, l)

We continue with chanting 108 repitions of a mantra

Important Mantra Facts:

• The most important function of a mantra is to clear, cleanse, energize and organize the mind.
• the effect of the mantra is more important than the meaning.
• Devotional types can chant mantra to develop a relationship with a particular diety, and less devotional types can hant the same mantra to develop particular qualities inherent in the mantra
• Mantra is said to collect Shakti (Power) the more that it is repeated.

Om = The supreme, primordial essence of all mantras. The sound of the infinite, and the universal. It encompasses all things. Pronounced A-U-M.

Other Mantras and their effects: (Please do your own research for mythological associations)

• Om Gum Ganapataye Namaha - for removal of obstacles
• Om Namah Shivaya - for expansion of consciousness
• Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya - for peace and prosperity
• Jai Kali Ma - for heavy karma busting
• Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare - for love and devotion
• Om Shring Hring Kleem MahaLakshmi Namaha - For wealth and abundance
• Om Dum Durgaye Namaha - For Protection
• Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Rama - For Strength in completing tasks
  

We will be working with the mantra ‘So Ham’. It is associated with the natural sound of the breath. We chant ‘So’ as we inhale, and Ham’ as we exhale. This creates a very balanced, calm, and alert mind state. It also relates to the unification of the individual soul (So) with the universal soul (ham).


Much of this information is taken from the book “From the River of Heaven” by David Frawley.

Week Six - Mindfulness of the Dharmas

Week Five - Mindfulness of the Mind

Week Four - Mindfulness of the Emotions

Week Four - Mindfulness of the emotions

Unacceptable Emotions vs. Acceptable Emotions
Coping Mechanisms and the Battering Cycle
The problems with aggression and repression
Skillful use of emotion


Unacceptable Emotions vs. Acceptable Emotions
we all have a complete range of emotions. Every emotion that exists, we each have a capacity to feel. However, due to whatever experiences we may have had throughout our life, we may have certain opinions regarding which emotions we find acceptable parts of our selves.

Week Three - Mindfulness of the body

Mindfulness of the Body

continuum of pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant
Reactions of attraction, aversion, and ignorance
Training our ability to stay centered
Moving from good/bad to descriptive (long, hot, sharp, red)
Practice time (intention, Anapana Sati, open to mindfulness of the body)

Intro
We are not the body. The conscious "I" self lives in the body. It is our home. This is important to remember, and even more important to realize and understand. We often identify with the body, and we usually feel that the events that happen to the body (root canal, hunger, thirst) happen to 'us'. Although this is our experience most of the time, it is fundamentally untrue. We, as pure awareness, exist independently of the body. Many of us have glimpses of this, but find that it is not our standard day to day experience.
Our standard experience is, that what happens to our body, happens to us. If the body is in pain, we are unhappy, afraid, or angry, if the body experiences pleasure, then we are happy. It doesn't have to be this way, but most of us have our emotions and our sensations all wrapped up together. The result is that we get stung twice. First by the unpleasant sensation, and then by the suffering that we add by wanting it to be different. We end up living with constant, low level suffering. Sometimes its a little worse, and sometimes its a little better. However, this subtle dissatisfaction with the way things are is almost always with us. Of course, mindfulness meditation practice is one of the best ways to investigate the subtle expectations which perpetuate our unhappiness.

The continuum of sensation and our reactions to them
The mind usually places the sensations in one of three categories. These three categories are pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral. These three categories lie on a continuum, starting at very pleasant, moving through mildly pleasant, to neutral, and then on towards increasing level of unpleasant. Of course we react to each of these categories in a different way. We feel greed in relation to the pleasant, hatred in relation to the unpleasant, and ignorance in relation to the neutral. Of course, most of life has a messy melange of sensations, and the untrained mind ends up confused.


Learning to observe the body
Observing the body objectively takes practice. It is not something that we are well practiced in. We are very good at quickly interpreting bodily signals and reacting in such a way as to assure survival. This is useful for survival, but, as noted before, not very good for living a happy life. The practice which we undertake in order to learn this objectivity is called Scanning The Body.

*The body scan takes place in a seated position, or while lying on the back.
*We begin at either the top of the head, or at the soles of the feet. Starting at the head is easier, and recommended for beginners.
*Ground yourself with intention setting and mindful breathing.
*Direct your attention to the top of your head, and notice the sensations
*Observe equally the pleasant, unpleasant and neutral sensations.
*Allow you attention to flow down the entire head, face, neck and shoulders.
*Work you way down the arms, attend to everything.
*Spend enough time with the hands and fingers to notice everything.
*Come back to the shoulders, and work your way down the torso.
*Make sure to fully notice the sex and eliminative organs.
*Stay present to the legs, and take enough time with the both feet, noticing each toe.
*Upon finishing, center your attention with your breath in your belly.

If you notice your mind wandering, simply bring it back, and continue from the last place that you remember scanning. If you notice yourself forming opinions, or interrupting in any other way, (judgement, storytelling) bring yourself back and continue.

Tuesday September 30th

this week is the Jewish New Year, and technically we are not meeting (according to the School Night catalog)

However, I will be here, and I invite you to join me for an extra class.

I think that we will practice Tratak.
In case I don't get a chance to write about it, there is tons of info here

Vocaublary, and a good quote

Shradda = Faith
Not blind faith, or faith in anything 'other' or 'divine' or 'metaphysical', but faith in the practice, and faith in your own inner goodness.

I got this from the website of a cranial sacral practitioner named charles ridley. his website is here

During the session, while resting in your heart stillness, you may encounter memories, emotional issues, thoughts, feelings, and spiritual insights. When they arise, understand that these are the exact aspects of yourself that consciousness has chosen to bring to your awareness and by remaining neutrally present to them these separated parts will rejoin the wholeness that you are. See if you can allow whatever arises just to be here as it is.

He describes the inner process very well. You have an inner wisdom. This wisdom is guiding your experience of meditation. Its intention is to guide you towards deeper wholeness, love, clarity, insight, and freedom. This much is clear. It is not useful to try to understand or second guess or control this wisdom. Simply be present, and notice where it takes you. What you think and feel and remember is exactly what you are supposed to be thinking and feeling and remembering. Simply breathe, and find acceptance.

mistakes meditators make

don't think that the discomfort of your body is a distraction on your journey towards mindfulness, instead realize that these sensations, and your relationship to them, are the journey itself.

Week Two - moving into mindfullness

Week Two

Moving into mindfulness

• The difference between Shamata and Vipassana
• The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
• Start with one pointed awareness, and slowly expand to hold more
• Practice time (intention, Anapana Sati, open to mindfulness of moment)

Some Definitions

Sati (Pali) = Smritti (Sanskrit) = to remember

sati bhavana = the mood of remembrance

Shamata - Calm Abiding
Concentration Practice, Learning to stay
Begins with selcetive attention (anapana sati) and begins to expand and include

Anapana Sati -> Mindfulness of inbreath and outbreath, forerunner to meditation

Sati Patthana Four Foundations of mindfulness

4 Foundations of Mindfulness

• Mindfulness of the Body
• Mindfulness of the Emotions
• Mindfulness of the Mind
• Mindfulness of The Objects of The Mind

Mindfulness is the moment to moment registry of our experience without interfence.
This means that we notice our life in real time without judging what we notice, or comparing it to another moment, or trying to figure out why it is this way, or any kind of mental gymnastics.


Shamata: Purpose, Method, and Results

The first practice that we will work with is called Shamata. We will translate shamata to mean 'calm abiding'. It trains us in this very capacity, it trains us to calmly abide. It gives a firm foundation from which to practice gaining deeper insight into the nature of our mind. So, this is its purpose; to train us to sit still, and be calm, to concentrate. It prepares us for deeper meditation adn insight. It is important to have this in mind. This practice has a purpose. All practices have purposes, it is good to know what it is, so that you know why you are doing it. This can be helpful when your motivation ebbs.
The next thing that you will need to know is the method. All practices have methods. Piano players run scales, basketball players take layups, actors say their lines in front of the mirror. These are methods that lead to mastery.

Our method is quite simple:
We sit comfortably, preferably with the spine straight and vertical and relaxed.
Then we turn our attention to the breath moving in the belly.
We watch the breath move in and out, and we watch the belly rise and fall.
When we notice that our minds have become distracted, and that we are thinking instead of watching, we use a label (dukha, thinking, doubt, judgement) to remind ourselves, and we return back to the breath.
We continue like this for the predetermined period of time.

There are short term and long term results. The short term results might include an experience of distractability, an awareness of the inability to concentrate, and sense of mental wandering and frustration. This can lead to doubt in the efficacy of the practice. This is normal. This practice reveals the ineeficiency and unrulyness of our mind, which is something we must come to terms with if we are ever to experience the longer term results of the practice. The longer term results include experiences of concentration, mental clarity, alert relaxation, greater sensory awareness, and inner peace.

I recommend setting a timer. When we don't set a timer, we have a tendency to pop up as soon as we feel a slight bit of restlessness.

Week Five

I really like this video. Dr. Levy teaches graduate level courses with Titles like "Information and Contemplation". He stresses the importance of having quiet time to think. He discusses the different types of thinking and the need for leisure and mental sanctuary. It reminds me of something I read in a Robert Anton Wilson book once. Something to the effect of 'employ the machine, so the human has more free time'. Levy seems to be on the same page, but his discussion is a little more serious, and a little more comprehensive.

Syllabus

This meditation class is a ten week course. It is recommended that You come to all of them, as they will build on what was learned the previous week.

This Course will focus on traditional meditation techniques from the far east. Many of the practices will have origins in Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, or Pre-Buddhist/Hindu Tantrism. This class will not require any particular belief system. You can be whatever religion you like and still derive benefit. This class will focus on the practical and transformative aspects of these traditions, and not the dogmatic or philosophic. Some stories and mythology from these traditions may be utilized, as they seem to have been designed specifically to illustrate points useful to the meditator. Keeping an open mind will help you to derive the greatest benefit.

Please keep a meditation journal (notebook) and bring it with you to class each session.
Please silence cellphones, or just leave them in the car.
Please don't wear strong perfumes.
Please be on time, (5-10 minutes early is on time), and refrain from excessive talking.

Topics for each class will be posted at least 24 hours before the class. You are welcome to print out the class topics and make notes on the printouts. Note taking is recommended.

This Syllabus is a work in progress and may be updated at any time to better serve you.

Week One

Covering the Basics

• Introductions, "Hi, I'm Daniel"
  
• How to get the most out of this class
• What is meditation? What is not meditation?
• This is an Inside Job
  
• The necessity of motivation, interest, and curiosity
• Creating 'intentions' to cement our motivations
• Grounding into the body
• How to sit and use cushions. No, your legs won't stay asleep forever.
  
• The Basics of Shamata and Anapana Sati Practice
• Practice Time (Anapana Sati)

Week Two

The Inside Job Discussed, dealing with the tension within.

• You must do your own work
• Noone else can do your work
• You can't do anyone else's work
• What is meant by 'work'?

1. dealing with your inner tensions
2. letting go of/facing your fears
3. letting go of/living without your addictive patterns
   
4. getting comfortable being inside your body in the present moment.

• What happens when we meditate?

1. we must collect our attention, this takes loving patience, puppy story
   
2. finally there is some quiet
3. we begin to notice tension, sometimes physical, sometimes psychic
4. our unlived life comes forward for attention
5. practice holding a loving space to witness
   
6. housecleaning

Week Three

Sound Meditation

This week we will focus on sound meditation. This will include an introduction to sanskrit, the use of mantra, and also silent meditation on subtle sound.

• The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
• Start with one pointed awareness, and slowly expand to hold more
  
• Practice time (intention, Anapana Sati, open to mindfulness of moment)

Mindfulness of the Body

• continuum of pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant
• Reactions of attraction, aversion, and ignorance
• Training our ability to stay centered
• Moving from good/bad to descriptive (long, hot, sharp, red)
• Practice time (intention, Anapana Sati, open to mindfulness of the body)

Week Four

Mindfulness of the Emotions

• Unacceptable Emotions vs. Acceptable Emotions
• Coping Mechanisms and the Battering Cycle
• The problems with aggression and repression
• Skillful use of emotion

Week Five

Mindfulness of the mind