Greetings Sadhakas,
This week in class
we are considering dhyana or meditation - the 7th of the 8 limbs of Yoga.
This life of
separateness may be compared to a dream, a phantasm, a bubble, a shadow, a drop
of dew, a flash of lightning.
- The Buddha
Time runs out so
soon! In our teens and twenties, even our thirties, we have ample margin to
play with the toys life has to offer. But we should find out soon how fleeting
they are, for the tides of time can ebb away before we know it.
As we grow older
and our family and friends begin to pass away, we see how relentlessly time is
pursuing all of us. There is no time to quarrel, no time to feel resentful or
estranged. There is no time to waste on the pursuit of selfish pleasures that
are over almost before they begin.
All-devouring time
follows us always, closer than our shadow. As long as I live only for myself,
as a little fragment apart from the whole, I cannot escape being a victim of time.
It is good to bear in mind how evanescent life is so that we do not postpone
the practice of meditation.
Words to Live By:
Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is
to consider why it is said that
meditation removes stress and brings stability of mind and emotions. In the
context of the Yoga Sutras definition of dhyana (meditation)*, dhyana is only
possible when stress is already removed and the mind is still. Consider how
your asana practice can bring you closer to this elimination of stress and
stillness of mind.
* III.2 tatra
pratyaya ekatanata dhyanam
A steady, continuous flow
of attention directed towards the same point or region is meditation.
Dhyana is described
simply as meditation. However, unlike the act of meditation that we typically
understand, Dhyana comes as a result of our efforts. Instead of coming to the
mat to meditate, we come to the mat to focus our attention – on asana, on our
breath. Dhyana is achieved when we are completely absorbed in that upon which
we have focused our attention.
Dhyana is described in
Hindu scriptures as pouring oil from one pot to another. The stream of oil does
not bubble or break. It is a continuous steam. In dhyana time and space stand
still. Unaware of the external world, your attention is focused without
distraction. Your mind is steady and open. The awareness of your physical body
falls away.
A quote from BKS
Iyengar, “True meditation leads us to wisdom (jnana) and understanding
(prajna), and this specifically helps in understanding that we are more than
our ego.”
References: Light
on the Yoga Sutras, BKS Iyenger
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington
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