Awareness

[Guest guest]

I am new to the list and I haven't really said much before but today I feel

the need to. I am 18 years old and go to Northeastern University where I

take a yoga class 2 days a week. Normally my life is full of stress and

such but when I am in that class I am a different person. I love yoga and

meditation so much. I find it to be the most enjoyable thing. I love being

at peace with myself. I also love my instuctor. Her voice is so soothing.

But on Tuesday we had to take one class out to take notes for a midterm on

the different types of yoga. I really needed to do yoga on Tuesday becuse

my stress factor was higher than usual. But the fact that I was going to

have it today helped a little bit. But then the class was cancelled. It is

so silly but it nearly brought me to tears. I really need it and for some

reason I can never get the concentration and centering of spirit that I get

in class. I try to set the environment to be almost exactly the same but it

never works. Why is that??? I set the lights on low, I light a candle, I

put the music on and try to do the order of positions that she leads us.

I have loved meditation and yoga ever since I went to the Kripalu Center in

Lenox Massachusetts. I love it there so much. It makes my usual stressful

life seem so much easier to deal with.

Thank you for listening and if anyone can aid me in this please do.

Thank you so so much.

Om Om Om, peace

Joshanna

 

 

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[Guest guest]

I have a question in the form of a statement. I accidentally

deleted Tim's response to my artificial dichotomy statement

but I was pondering it further.

 

Imagine there is a picture with a frame around it. I am dull

and not aware/awake to anything. For some reason I

become aware of the picture and its contents. And I

simultaneously become aware of myself. But I am still

outside the picture on the frame. Then I "remember myself"

and I become aware of myself in the picture. At this

point I am aware of myself being aware of the picture

and its contents one of which is "me". I can also be aware

of myself in the picture being unaware. Unaware and in

the picture could be no thoughts and aware and in the

picture could be with thoughts and no attachment. :-)

 

Now Tim have I created a double dichotomy or have

I gotten it so tangled it is simple again?

 

Marcia

a.k.a. the spiritual accountant

[Guest guest]

HI Joshanna,

Welcome to the list, I hope that you will feel very comfortable here. I

was intrigued by your letter because I just returned from a three day

retreat this weekend at the Kripalu Center myself. It was so wonderful, I

am already making plans to go back. I have taken classes from a teacher who

trained at Kripalu, but the experience of Kripalu itself was way beyond

class, because of all the other things you do there as well. I especially

loved the dance kinetics, and the evening satsangs with chanting.

I know what you mean about not being able to get the same experience on

one's own at home that you get in class (or at Kripalu, for that matter). I

find it much harder to keep my mind to the matter at hand and to follow

through on the full sequence of poses. Plus, in class with other people

there is a merging and flowing of energies. I think we help to amplify and

uplift eachother's energies when we do Yoga in a group. So I have found

that I modify the routine when I do it myself to just let it flow naturally

and to not expect the same experience. It becomes a less physically

intense experience, but I guess the key is to let the experience of doing

Yoga alone become it's own thing, and to not expect it to match that of a

formal class. If you do Yoga on your own several times a week in addition

to class you'll soon develop a personal routine that can be very satisfying.

Welcome again!

And yes, as they do at the beginning and end of every session at Kripalu,

Om! Om! Om! Peace!

David

 

 

>"joshanna robinson" <joshanna

>

>I am new to the list and I haven't really said much before but today I feel

>the need to. I am 18 years old and go to Northeastern University where I

>take a yoga class 2 days a week. Normally my life is full of stress and

>such but when I am in that class I am a different person. I love yoga and

>meditation so much. I find it to be the most enjoyable thing. I love being

>at peace with myself. I also love my instuctor. Her voice is so soothing.

>But on Tuesday we had to take one class out to take notes for a midterm on

>the different types of yoga. I really needed to do yoga on Tuesday becuse

>my stress factor was higher than usual. But the fact that I was going to

>have it today helped a little bit. But then the class was cancelled. It is

>so silly but it nearly brought me to tears. I really need it and for some

>reason I can never get the concentration and centering of spirit that I get

>in class. I try to set the environment to be almost exactly the same but it

>never works. Why is that??? I set the lights on low, I light a candle, I

>put the music on and try to do the order of positions that she leads us.

>I have loved meditation and yoga ever since I went to the Kripalu Center in

>Lenox Massachusetts. I love it there so much. It makes my usual stressful

>life seem so much easier to deal with.

>Thank you for listening and if anyone can aid me in this please do.

>Thank you so so much.

>Om Om Om, peace

>Joshanna

>

>

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>Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com

>

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>Get involved. Share your thoughts!

>

>Join the ONElist Weekly Survey. Go to homepage for details.

[Guest guest]

 

joshanna robinson [joshanna]

Thursday, May 13, 1999 4:44 PM

Re: Awareness

 

"joshanna robinson" <joshanna

 

I am new to the list and I haven't really said much before but today I feel

the need to. I am 18 years old and go to Northeastern University where I

take a yoga class 2 days a week. Normally my life is full of stress and

such but when I am in that class I am a different person. I love yoga and

meditation so much. I find it to be the most enjoyable thing. I love being

at peace with myself. I also love my instuctor. Her voice is so soothing.

But on Tuesday we had to take one class out to take notes for a midterm on

the different types of yoga. I really needed to do yoga on Tuesday becuse

my stress factor was higher than usual. But the fact that I was going to

have it today helped a little bit. But then the class was cancelled. It is

so silly but it nearly brought me to tears. I really need it and for some

reason I can never get the concentration and centering of spirit that I get

in class. I try to set the environment to be almost exactly the same but it

never works. Why is that??? I set the lights on low, I light a candle, I

put the music on and try to do the order of positions that she leads us.

I have loved meditation and yoga ever since I went to the Kripalu Center in

Lenox Massachusetts. I love it there so much. It makes my usual stressful

life seem so much easier to deal with.

Thank you for listening and if anyone can aid me in this please do.

Thank you so so much.

Om Om Om, peace

Joshanna

 

Harsha: Welcome to the list Joshanna. David and many others are familiar

with Kripalu. I am delighted that at such a young age, you are so motivated

to practice yoga and meditation. I bow to your enthusiasm. I remember how

much fun I used to have demonstrating yoga postures to my friends in college

when I was 18. The several years that I spent teaching yoga and meditation

for a living after I left college were a great joy. Many famous actresses

attended my classes. Not to see me or anything. They were just members of

the posh health club where I taught. People would tell me, "Your classes

are the best. The relaxation at the end of the class was so wonderful. You

are the best, the greatest, the most wonderful yogi." I always nodded and

smiled knowing all of that and more to be true. While I enjoyed the respect

and admiration given, I always encouraged the students to find their own

style and become independent. This is what you will eventually do. Although

a good yoga teacher and the right environment are wonderful for learning and

growth, the ultimate teacher is your own self and you will create the proper

mental environment for what you need to do. The Kripalu Group used to come

to Bryant every year for their annual teachers conference. A few years ago,

when they came, I happened to run into some of the major disciples of Yogi

Amrit Desai. My teacher knew Yogi Desai and told me how Amrit (as he calls

him affectionately being about 15 years older) used to teach Yoga in

Ahamdabad, India when he was very young. Well one major disciple was kind

enough to arrange a brief meeting between Amrit and myself. In the evening,

after the session, I sat in the car with him as one of the disciples drove

us to his sleeping quarters. I had a nice chat with Amrit. He told me how

long he had been in America. I asked him some questions about different

traditions, and he gave general answers. He seemed like a very nice fellow,

although I sensed that his mind was not at all at ease due to difficulties

he was having at Kripalu at the time. A few months later I read in the

papers that Yogi Amrit Desai had resigned for reasons people are now

familiar with. Many Kripalu people were devastated. For many students he was

their living Deity. Some wept and cried and consoled each other. I said nice

things to some of his disciples as well to make them feel better. Well my

point for you and others is that all teachings which point to the Divinity

anywhere outside you ultimately set you up for a fall. If God is indeed

everywhere, then He must be inside as well. That is where one should start

because that is where One Is.