Initially, enlightenment is living in the present moment and accepting your situation as it is. That is a pretty heavy task for anyone in any time. It is often said that an enlightened person cannot be angered by small talk or negative energy.
Many people are humble and believe that they will never be enlightened in this life. They also believe: The goal of enlightenment is too vast for the average person to achieve. However, should you just give up?
What can you do to attain enlightenment?
You should meditate daily: This will help you connect to the world around you. This is an awareness of plants, animals, people and many things around you that are often not appreciated or overlooked.
Meditation will enhance awareness of yourself, everything around you, and the connection between the two. This will bring out the ability to see reality as it is - with the ultimate goal of reaching a state of ?pure consciousness.?
Understand the value of prayer, mantras, and singing. Even if you only practice in your mind, this will strengthen positive energy within you. Many people resort to theses practices; to gain comfort in times of need. This is a shame because you can gain the positive benefits of prayer, mantras, and singing, any time.
Remember, enlightenment is not a race: You would be shocked at the number of people who put pressure on themselves to be ?instantly enlightened.?
It is good to have goals in life, so creating a log to track your progress is a beneficial practice. Your log may track your meditation sessions, your ability to deal with, or diffuse, negative situations, your ability to create positive energy and project it to others, and your ability to see reality.
If you continue the process of keeping and maintaining a log, your results will be encouraging. You may also want to join a group with compatible religious beliefs, search for a teacher, or share your practice with a friend on the same path.
Lastly, do not be frustrated by uncertainty and learn to accept what you cannot control. If all humans could maintain enlightenment, we would experience world peace. We could all accept each other, despite differences of culture, nationality, color, sex, religious beliefs, or any other thing humans can find to develop a pre-conceived notion about each other.
My first taste of Yoga was over 40 years ago, at the age of 7, in a martial arts school setting. I have continued to study martial arts until this day and I have four teaching certificates in four different martial arts. Now I teach both Martial Arts and Yoga.
I began to seriously practice Yoga (under Laura Foster) over twenty years ago due to martial arts competition related injuries.
Laura was a skilled & knowledgeable teacher of Restorative Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Laya Yoga. After training with her for 3 years, she certified me as a teacher in 1987.
I became certified as a Master Teacher (Guru) on September 15, 1995, after teaching over 5,000 hours under her wing. Shortly afterward, Laura retired at age 90.
Since that time, I started organizing Yoga Teacher Training camps. As time went on, we began getting requests from everywhere in the U.S. and Canada for a comprehensive Yoga Teacher Training correspondence course.
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
Showing posts with label Living In The Present Moment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Living In The Present Moment. Show all posts
March 1, 2009
February 23, 2009
Yoga in Practice: Train Your Mind for Empowerment, Part 2
Let's look a little deeper into training your mind for empowerment and success. The mind spends much of its time evaluating and categorizing everything. This is an automatic early warning system to react to daily situations and potential emergencies.
However, the mind should be ?wired? to automatically find solutions in all situations, instead of ?freezing up.? One method is to realize when you should engage in facets of Yoga for more productive use of your time. For example: When you are too busy for Pranayama, Asana, and meditation, this is the point where you need to practice Yoga the most.
The most productive people I know make an appointment for themselves. You could write an appointment down on your daily schedule to make ?solo? time for yourself. This is time that you set aside for yourself - just like an appointment for your hair stylist. That is also why some people have a personal coach, life coach, personal trainer, or Yoga teacher.
However, this time should be used wisely, and you should be living in the present moment when you practice any facet of Yoga. After a few days, you will see your productivity increase and your sleep patterns will improve. This is possible because you are now in control of your own schedule. You will not accomplish as much - if you spend most of your time running around in circles.
Therefore, your Yoga practice should be performed on a daily basis. If you cannot do it alone, you should seek out Yoga classes or a competent Yoga teacher. Be honest with yourself and do not postpone a change of lifestyle that is in your best interest.
With reference to training your mind - you should also take the time for self analysis. How much time do you spend ?second guessing? yourself? Researching a situation is one thing, but giving up due to obstacles, is quite another. Learn to recognize, and expect obstacles, as they are on every path of life, including the Yogic path.
Affirm the positive aspects of your life every day. Let your family know that you love them. Appreciate what you have, and give thanks to God for your existence. There is always someone who has a harder life than we do. Appreciate this fact, and show loving kindness to every person you meet, regardless of their status.
Do not draw comparisons about material wealth. Most of the materially affluent people I know are very unhappy and worry about money all the time. The sad fact is material wealth does not equate to empowerment.
? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
However, the mind should be ?wired? to automatically find solutions in all situations, instead of ?freezing up.? One method is to realize when you should engage in facets of Yoga for more productive use of your time. For example: When you are too busy for Pranayama, Asana, and meditation, this is the point where you need to practice Yoga the most.
The most productive people I know make an appointment for themselves. You could write an appointment down on your daily schedule to make ?solo? time for yourself. This is time that you set aside for yourself - just like an appointment for your hair stylist. That is also why some people have a personal coach, life coach, personal trainer, or Yoga teacher.
However, this time should be used wisely, and you should be living in the present moment when you practice any facet of Yoga. After a few days, you will see your productivity increase and your sleep patterns will improve. This is possible because you are now in control of your own schedule. You will not accomplish as much - if you spend most of your time running around in circles.
Therefore, your Yoga practice should be performed on a daily basis. If you cannot do it alone, you should seek out Yoga classes or a competent Yoga teacher. Be honest with yourself and do not postpone a change of lifestyle that is in your best interest.
With reference to training your mind - you should also take the time for self analysis. How much time do you spend ?second guessing? yourself? Researching a situation is one thing, but giving up due to obstacles, is quite another. Learn to recognize, and expect obstacles, as they are on every path of life, including the Yogic path.
Affirm the positive aspects of your life every day. Let your family know that you love them. Appreciate what you have, and give thanks to God for your existence. There is always someone who has a harder life than we do. Appreciate this fact, and show loving kindness to every person you meet, regardless of their status.
Do not draw comparisons about material wealth. Most of the materially affluent people I know are very unhappy and worry about money all the time. The sad fact is material wealth does not equate to empowerment.
? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
Yoga in Practice: Living in the Present Moment
When one of us decides to pursue the study of Yoga, we find ourselves living and learning Yoga every day. On or off the mat, Yoga students can apply their practice to the many lessons life has to offer. The result of all this learning, and applying Yogic principles to life, is a major leap in self-improvement.
You can learn from your past, live the present moment in harmony, and plan your future, with an improved perspective of each. Past, present, and future are valuable, but each is important in a different way.
Let?s first address the past. Many people are ?prisoners? to their past. When you look at past lessons, mistakes, and set-backs, each is as valuable as any form of higher education. This becomes life experience, and you should make the most of any form of education; otherwise you are wasting your life experiences, twice - first by learning them, and then later by regretting, blaming, and second guessing yourself. On top of this, you can create poor mental, physical, and spiritual health.
This is the exact opposite from what you are taught in a Yoga class. Yoga teaches you to unify these components of health, and this will enable you to improve your entire being. Put past worries, adversity, and pains behind you.
You can save them in a ?mental file,? much like a valuable book. This teaches you not to repeat the same mistake twice. Remember that the past is filled with accomplishments, too. If you can read these words, you must be accomplishing quite a bit.
Be fair with yourself and try not to be so critical. Let go of guilt and forgive yourself for being human. If you start to sink into deep dark past regrets, practice pranayama; breath awareness is the key to bringing you into the present.
This is much similar to what you might do when holding an asana for an extended time during your Yoga practice. This will also allow you to focus on the most important time of all ? the present moment.
The present is the time for action, and you must be proactive in order to succeed in life. Good reactions will save your life, but proactive behavior requires planning, innovation, vision, and perseverance. You must focus on the present to see opportunities which are right in front of you.
Life is filled with many obstacles and you have to be ready for the daily challenge. You cannot change the past, but you can change the present and future. Every successful person has faced criticism, failure, and self-doubt.
When you let negative thoughts into your heart and mind, you cannot think clearly. You cannot act now, and this affects your ability to plan for the future. How can you visualize success, if you are letting fear and self-doubt control your life?
Fill your mind with passion that motivates you to step forward and plan your future. When you meditate, take the time to visualize your success, achievements, and goals as vividly as possible. When you practice meditation and Yoga in this way, you will find yourself enjoying life, helping others, and on your path to success.
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
You can learn from your past, live the present moment in harmony, and plan your future, with an improved perspective of each. Past, present, and future are valuable, but each is important in a different way.
Let?s first address the past. Many people are ?prisoners? to their past. When you look at past lessons, mistakes, and set-backs, each is as valuable as any form of higher education. This becomes life experience, and you should make the most of any form of education; otherwise you are wasting your life experiences, twice - first by learning them, and then later by regretting, blaming, and second guessing yourself. On top of this, you can create poor mental, physical, and spiritual health.
This is the exact opposite from what you are taught in a Yoga class. Yoga teaches you to unify these components of health, and this will enable you to improve your entire being. Put past worries, adversity, and pains behind you.
You can save them in a ?mental file,? much like a valuable book. This teaches you not to repeat the same mistake twice. Remember that the past is filled with accomplishments, too. If you can read these words, you must be accomplishing quite a bit.
Be fair with yourself and try not to be so critical. Let go of guilt and forgive yourself for being human. If you start to sink into deep dark past regrets, practice pranayama; breath awareness is the key to bringing you into the present.
This is much similar to what you might do when holding an asana for an extended time during your Yoga practice. This will also allow you to focus on the most important time of all ? the present moment.
The present is the time for action, and you must be proactive in order to succeed in life. Good reactions will save your life, but proactive behavior requires planning, innovation, vision, and perseverance. You must focus on the present to see opportunities which are right in front of you.
Life is filled with many obstacles and you have to be ready for the daily challenge. You cannot change the past, but you can change the present and future. Every successful person has faced criticism, failure, and self-doubt.
When you let negative thoughts into your heart and mind, you cannot think clearly. You cannot act now, and this affects your ability to plan for the future. How can you visualize success, if you are letting fear and self-doubt control your life?
Fill your mind with passion that motivates you to step forward and plan your future. When you meditate, take the time to visualize your success, achievements, and goals as vividly as possible. When you practice meditation and Yoga in this way, you will find yourself enjoying life, helping others, and on your path to success.
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
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