Sacred Temple/Questions?

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

 

A few people have been mentioning "addictive" behavior in connection

with the earlier posting I made...so quickly from a yogic

standpoint, I'll share what I understand about the addictive cycle

and some ways to work with it yogically.

 

Be careful not to beat yourself up and start labelling some actions

good and some bad...just ask yourself...will this action take me in

a soulward direction? and leave it at that. Be kind to yourself.

 

The first thing that I would point out is that "desire" is stirred

constantly. We experience a ton of stimulus in our culture to get

our desire revved right up. For instance...I know if I am fasting,

I will never turn the TV on...because every commercial is designed

to stir your desire....even watching sitcoms...they are always

eating etc. Sitting down to watch an hour of TV, while fasting, is

like being prodded with a hot poker for an hour straight!!

 

So the idea that at some point, these desires will vanish

completely.. the desire to eat pizza or whatever activity your

involved in...may not be realistic, due to the culture we live in??

 

My experience so far has been that they calm down if I withdraw

from sensory stimulus that feeds the desire present at that

moment...but return as soon as I watch TV again or what ever kind of

sensory stimulus you expose yourself to that doesn't have a soul

affirming affect on you...

 

I would also note that I am not making a judgment on what is and

isn't negative stimulus, for all individuals..I am only speaking

about my own experience. Everyone can decide for themselves what

does and doesn't serve them.

 

So I think the question is what do we do with desire when it arises?

 

The energy of desire begins in the 2nd chakra..if it stays there, we

get the expression of addictive behavior or maybe unsatiated desire

is a better term. I think Yogi Bhajan says something like, (not a

direct quote), "the distant between heaven and hell is about 6

inches"...or 8 breaths... Meaning it's the distance between the 2nd

and 4th chakra, literally.

 

We need to pull the energy up into the heart. When we do that...it

becomes expressed as the Soul's desire (aligning with the will of

God) and we all know that things flow in this mode and happen as

they should.

 

So I think the key is to catch the moment, the desire becomes

stirred, before you act on it, and redirect it to the heart center

or upper chakras.

 

We need a strong navel center. This is our strength to carry

through. So any exercises that work on the navel and lower three

chakras.

 

We need to develope a strong neutral mind through meditation and

practicing awareness and allowing/being. So we have the ability to

make Soulward choices for ourselves. Also in combo with a strong

navel center do heart opening kriyas. (Transitions to a Heart

centered World)

 

Do things to strengthen your aura...so that when you walk into a

room of chip eating and Tv watching people (my own personal

nightmare Ha ha!) you hold your center and your committement,

without falling in line with what everyone else is doing.

 

And there are probably other things to do as well, yogically, that

I'm not thinking of right now. These are just a few suggestions to

start with.

 

I think being clear about what your intention is and then choosing

actions which support it is the bottom line. Opening your awareness

in every moment of your life,not taking action when you are in a

state of fear and asking God to help you in that moment..give me

clarity to see the whole picture in this moment...surrender.

 

The cycle of unsatiated desire begins with a moment of fear. In

that moment, we experience a disconnection from our higher self or

God...we've lost sight of the light for the moment. If we act in

this moment...we create actions that will not be soulward directed

and guilt will be the outcome. Guilt and Shame eat you alive. Then

the cycle of fear continues, with repeating more and more of the

same offending action in an attempt to ease the unsatiated desire

that we have...which is, not wanting to be having the experience, we

are now having! What a cycle!

 

And in the end, all we are looking for is to feel connected to the

One. So the cure is always the same...in a moment of fear, choose a

soul connecting activity. It may differ from person to person what

they truly need to connect, but we can pretty much bet yoga and

mantra/meditation will do the job!

 

I find creative expression, in that moment, helps me to experience

that connection once again as well. The action that will help you

the most..is usaully the last thing in the world you really want to

be doing in that moment. For example..who feels like singing! When

they are in the grip of a chip attack??

 

So I think it's a process of understanding the pattern...being aware

of it when you fall into it and then choosing an action that

supports your true identity.

 

I believe we all falter and muddle through...I would guess very few

live this in their moment to moment consciousness...but we have the

intention to keep trying...that's called "Keep up and you will be

kept up".

 

Now I realize this has not been a quick e-mail as I said it would

be..but someone took the time to teach me this..so I share it with

anybody out there who doesn't currently understand the cycle and how

to begin to break it, because it is something that has been

extremely beneficial for me, in working with strong desires and

actions, that have lead me away from, where in my heart, I truly

want to go. ( That may be the longest run on sentence I've ever

written!)

 

Please...if you want to comment further on this topic to me, unless

it's about the yoga/meditation part of it, contact me off line.. as

I am really consciously trying to keep my comments on the topic of

KY. And I know this one might be considered on "The hairy edge"!!

 

Many blessings,

Sat Sangeet