Yoga in the West

Yoga in the West has two faces a secular and a spiritual. Its secular aligns itself with physical culture and the development of a healthy body free from illness and disease. The spiritual sees beyond the limitations of the body into the eternal from which we came, and will eventually return. No two aspects of yoga live in isolation from each other as there is a strong psychological element that draws both aspects together, until eventually they are able to walk hand in hand toward enlightenment.

The psychological recognises that for some it is possible to transcend the limitations of herd consciousness, and to stand on their own two feet and become self-determined. This dawning of a new consciousness arises from understanding what makes the body tick, and uses the physical challenges to bring Mind, Feeling and Will into relationship. The fact that we can examine our thoughts, and watch as one thought chases another means that there is another level, usually experienced as if we were on the outside looking in.

There is something in all of us that knows we stand between the world of time and the infinite possibilities of the eternal. It is when we dare to “Let Go”, and release ourselves from the chains of time, that we discover our original nature. A simple meditation helps to prove this, by releasing yourself from every phenomena, every thought that appears in consciousness. One thing that you will discover is that no matter how hard you try, you cannot get rid of yourself. As the Self (Atman) is ‘not this, not this’, the Sanskrit equivalent is Neti-neti.

Ultimate Reality cannot be described by any positive means, we can only step beyond all names and definitions and experience the reality of the eternal in perfect stillness. Interestingly space is not empty and contains all possibilities of form whatever, as like a cosmic mirror it reveals distortions that occur in time. It’s not unlike what happens when we go to bed at night with a worrying problem on the mind, fall asleep, and in the morning find that the solution and way forward has become much clearer.

The yogi who has developed the ability to be ‘Self Reliant’, does not usually jump to conclusions, but relies on his inner intuitive sense as a guide to the way forward. This reflexive technique, which takes no time at all, presents whatever problems occur to the wider vision of the eternal. The guidance which arises from centre is none urgent and not unlike sunlight glancing on water or the warmth of a smile, arises from your most subtle level of feeling.

Self Healing thru! Yoga becomes a possibility when we understand the nature of the Self. The Self or Soul is essentially divine and encompasses the blueprint or pattern that God has laid down for us as our vehicle or experience. The self or soul written with a small‘s’, is the isolated or ego self, which has distorted the true Self with narrow personalised decisions. No man is an is an island as there are innumerable selves, each part of a divine play, which with each individual’s action, like the tremors of an earthquake reach out to affect all to some degree. The yogi is like a cork that rises and falls in an ocean swell; still remaining serenely afloat once the waves and turbulence have passed. There are many levels at which spirit expresses itself, some detrimental to our well being, others positive and life enhancing. We all have a choice as to which circles we move in and can once we have refined our awareness orientate ourselves towards those energies which help fulfil our life’s purpose.

We have all experienced the benefits of absorbing the soothing peace of a quiet glade or restful garden and merged with the surrounding peace; or sit quietly and absorb the subtle energies of a healing meditation. Every thought in the mind has an emotional charge and by clear visualisation and directed thought it is possible to contact energy levels associated with spiritual beings. For example, to reinforce and awaken your healing potential, try to attune to your ‘Healing Angel’; your Healing Angel  can be the highest aspect of your ‘Self’, that you hope to become. This type of meditation cannot be rushed or hurried as we have to be receptive to changes in levels of consciousness. This may be presaged by changes in feeling which can be directed to where it is needed. Healing is rarely spontaneous, requires patience and a gradual absorption of the healing energy as it comes to you.

Focus is important and the ability to direct the healing energies into the cellular structure of the area. Clear visualisation of your body strengthening and returning to balanced good health (see yourself as you really Will to be). Natural intuition will then inform you of the actions to take toward the healing process.                                                         Gordon and Pam