Finding One’s Centre by Swami Gyan Dharma

Finding One’s Centre by Swami Gyan Dharma
Taken from the MYA Newsletter 2013

In the last few years, as I have been moving around different parts of the world introducing people to yoga and meditation, I began to notice the lack of a real centre in most people’s lives. Yes, of course, we have our family, our work and our possessions which give us some kind of a framework for the lives we live, but as to a real centre from which to experience our lives, no, we don’t really have that. Most of our security is based on external things, and external things by their very nature are transient and not very reliable. 

Up to a point, family life fulfils us and can make us feel secure. Yet it can also throw us into turmoil. Money and possessions come and go, creating their own insecurities and fears. Work has a beginning and an end, and cannot shield us from our mental and emotional anxieties. In order to feel secure we build walls, even fortifications, around ourselves to keep a scary and unpredictable world at arm’s length. Paradoxically, however, instead of making us feel secure, this compounds our fears and anxieties; we withdraw further into our self-created defensive shells, feeling even more exposed and vulnerable. Such a false sense of security, without any real foundation, will inevitably crumble at some point. I think that we all need to realize that this vision of who we are is far too small and limiting. We do not need to define ourselves so narrowly. Life is not our enemy but part and parcel of who we are.

We have inherited, created and compounded a lot of unhelpful habits in ourselves and, if we aspire to live happier and more fulfilling lives, we need to begin to correct these patterns that we have embraced. We need to begin re-educating ourselves and an effective place to do that is an ashram. Not that we need to go and live there for the rest of our lives, but we need to begin making some inroads towards our re-education. This can consist of small visits, or short to medium length stays. Every little effort we make has some imperceptible, positive effect on our inner being, and regular practice helps our self-confidence and inner resources and strength to grow.



An ashram is a good place to start connecting with the unshakeable anchor that already exists deep inside you. The whole way of life of the ashram will begin by helping to anchor you to your centre, and then little by little the inner jewel will begin to shine forth from deep inside you. Ashram life helps you to open up to life and all within it: to become inclusive rather than exclusive, and to trust in love instead of being bound by fear. We begin to learn to meet life as it comes, with less expectation and more openness of heart and mind. We begin to judge life less and stay more present. Ashram living helps us step out of our defensive shells, open up, expand our sense of self and thus illumine new perspectives on who we essentially are. Life itself becomes our teacher and we begin to see that life is not ‘out to get us’ but is continually presenting us with new opportunities to grow, develop and learn. A greater inner sense of ease arises out of such a respectful, loving and aware relationship with life. 

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Swami Gyan Dharma will be a resident teacher in the ashram during May and June. He will teach two programmes – a 10-day Chanting and Meditation Retreat from May 23-June 2 (see page 39), and Living in Awareness from June 20-23 (see page 40). In addition he will give regular meditations and satsangs (question and answer), sharing his profound and practical understanding, based on his 40 years of personal practice and teaching experience. 

Photos by Dave Feb 2013

Downloads, Jaya Shiva & more

Hari Om! 

Just a very quick blog from us at the ashram as we re-open for 2013 to announce that we are in the process of uploading the catalogue of ashram CD's - Chants, Yoga Nidra, Guided Meditations and more - to the Bandcamp website. Some are available to purchase as download already so please take a look and the rest will follow in due course. Any requests for particular CD's please email us at the ashram. We have been getting a few requests for the Yoga Nidra in the Pyramid CD by Swamiji so that went up today. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE ASHRAM BANDCAMP PAGE

In other online news, we recently uploaded a lovely Kirtan rendition of Jaya Shiva by Rama & the Kriya Yoga course participants from the last course. It was recorded in February 2012 at Mandala Yoga Ashram. Thanks to you ALL for your beautiful singing & instrument playing!

Finally, if you missed it you can listen here to Swamiji's detailed explanation & guided chanting of Brahmaparnam & the Mrityun Jaya mantra from one of the YTTC weekends last year... 

May you all be well. 

Photo by Dave

Swami Atma Dec 22nd 2012 ...

Happy New Year to you all from the ashram! 
This to start the year off from Swami Atma, written towards the end of last year ...

"Yesterday it was the Winter Solstice, and also the end of the Mayan Calendar. There has, of course, been a lot of speculation about what the end of the Mayan calendar would mean. Would it mean the end of the world as we know it? We now know this did not happen. In fact, time passed without anything obvious happening. Even the turning point where the days start to become longer and the nights shorter, probably happened without most of us being sensitive enough to feel it. (Though I know some people do feel the changes of energy around these times). But just because we may not be aware does not mean there is no change. For life is always changing. Nothing is static on the level of our everyday experience. 

From one moment to the next there are an infinity of changes occurring, externally and internally. We may, for example, become aware of this through nature with the changing of the seasons. We may know that within our own body, cells are dying and being born all the time, and can see we look different in the mirror. Yet most of us try to hang on the illusion that things are constant. Probably because we often feel secure within the illusion of the known. We can become thrown off balance when change occurs, rather than expecting this to be the normal way of life. Change will happen whether we want it or not, and rather than fighting this natural process there is another way. To go with the flow of life. To see how things unfold and then take the route which is being offered, as your path.  To know that this is just how it is. 

Amazingly when we release the struggling with how things should be, we open to the now and our true Self, and then find support. The paradox is that whilst everything on our perceived plane of existence is change this is not so for our true Self, which is not part of time or space.  It just IS. Connecting with our true Self brings bliss (ananda), which is not dependent on events, which are time and space bound. Some of you may say, this is all very well but what about when terrible events occur or in dire situations. Well, I remember years ago saying this to someone. That these concepts are fine but what about if some has cancer or what about the people who experienced the holocaust,  what then. I was advised to read a book called Etty. For those who have not read this book, it is like the diary of Ann Frank, only was written by a woman in her twenties. She also lived near Ann Frank. She found this bliss even within the concentration camps. An amazing and inspirational book. As you may know our dear friend and previous resident, Tattwa Bodha, has cancer.  Her communications to us are not just inspirational but also a gift. She tells of her bliss. She is deeply connected to all and, she emanates beauty. She proves this is possible even when the body is deteriorating. 

So how do we make this connection? The good news is there is no connection to be made. You already are your true Self. You just are not aware of it. Awareness can be facilitated by yoga and especially meditational practices. (Meditation being a state which happens and cannot be controlled by the mind).  But it can also be experienced when we look at a sunset, or be with a flower. To listen to a Childs laughter or be fully present with taste of an orange. Anything where we stop and just Be. It may only happen for a moment but this proves it is possible. It is not just a concept but can be experienced by all.  So with the changes of the season, planets, time and space. Perhaps accept the paradox. Within the movement of time, live in such a way that brings you into the timeless. Within all the rushing around at this time of year, stop when you can and just listen, and feel and Be. Within this stillness you will find You.  

Wishing you peace and love from my heart for the Year ahead.  

Swami Atma''

* * * 

Recommended course:

Spring Silent Retreat with Swami Atma


March 9-16, 7 days (Saturday-Saturday)

Come and join us amongst the spring time daffodils for a retreat will start with the celebration of Shiva Ratri (on Sunday 10th), the annual festival of the dark night dedicated to Shiva (Consciousness). From Monday onwards there will be the daily chanting of Saundarya Lahari (Waves of Beauty), which was composed by Adi Shankaracharya and is associated with the Sri Yantra.

Each day will also include hatha yoga, karma yoga, kirtan and meditation.  There will also be time for personal practice, walking in nature, reflection and study in the ashram’s wonderful library. The mouna (silence) starting Monday will give you quality time and space for personal contemplation and sharing with others on a deeper level. If you’re unable to attend for the 7 days, you are welcome to participate in the Shiva Ratri celebrations during the first weekend (Sat-Mon).

Cost: £270; deposit £75. (Initial Sat-Mon wkd £108; deposit £75)
Starts: 8 p.m. Saturday (please arrive before supper at 6.30 p.m.)
Ends: with lunch on Saturday.

2013 schedule confirmed - guest tutor news!

Hari Om dear blog readers! Below is confirmation of ashram courses for 2013. Warmest Om's from the ashram ... please feel free to share this with your community and encourage them to add their email address as we continue to build our community! The 2013 newsletter is almost ready to go ... 

Karma Yoga weekend (Swami Atma)

1-3 March

For some interesting background reading on this subject see Swamiji's essay on the subject in his book 'The Edge Of Infinity'

Spring Silent Retreat  (Swami Atma)

9-16 March

Vigyana Bhairava Tantra - Going Deeper into Meditation (Swami Nishchalananda and Swami Atma)

27 March - 1 April

Hatha Yoga Retreat - Creating Space (Tara Rupa)

3-6 May

Introduction to Ashram Life (Swami Krishnapremananda)

10-12 May

10 Day Meditation & Chanting Retreat (Swami Gyana Dharma)

23 May - 2 June

Swami Nishchalananda says "I am pleased to announce that Swami Gyana Dharma will be leading some courses at the Ashram in 2013. He is a great teacher and I know that he will inspire all participants to go deeper in their practice and understanding. I first met him when I was living in Munger in India in the mid 1970s and we have remained firm friends since then. We have spent time together in India, Spain and in Wales and we have shared many experiences. I was always touched by the obvious depth of his wisdom. Just being in his presence can catalyse transformation. His life and actions are based on a meditative connection with his inner being. It is therefore with great pleasure that the Ashram will be hosting programmes with him in 2013."

Open Day (All)

9 June

Living in Awareness (Swami Gyana Dharma)

20-23 June

Yoga and the Spirit of Nature (Rama)

28-30 June

Guru Purnima

22 July (Monday)

Wisdom of the Heart (Swami Nishchalananda)

31 July -4 August

Kundalini Yoga - Discovering and Awakening the Chakras (Swami Nishchalananda)

7-20 August

Summer in the Ashram (Swami Krishnapremananda)

23-29 August

Vedanta - the Heart of Spiritual Life (Swami Anubhavananda)

20-23 September

Sadhana Chanting Retreat (Swami Krishnapremananda and Swami Nishchalananda)

3-9 October

Ongoing Training for MYA- Graduate Yoga Teachers (Swami Nishchalananda and Swami Krishnapremananda)

11-14 October

Pranayama: Gateway to Stillness (Swami Krishnapremananda)

17-20 October

Meditation - Going Deeper (Swami Nishchalananda)

14-17 November

Autumnal Ashram Life (Swami Nishchalananda)

19-22 November

We look forward to welcoming you. Om!
2013 course booking form

Daily Ashram life by Swami Nishchalananda plus Book review...

The Ashram should be constructed along simple lines by the labour of members and devotees. It should be situated in an out-of-the-way-place, where there are many difficulties. At times, there should be a cyclone, typhoon, floods, extreme heat or cold. Sometimes it should be pleasant and at other times very suffocating. This is my concept of an ashram. (Swami Satyananda Saraswati; 1923-2009).

In India, ashrams have existed for thousands of years. They are widely mentioned with veneration in the ancient texts such as the Bhagavat Purana, Ramayana, Mahabharata as well as many of the Upanishads. They have always been the guardians of mystical teachings such as Yoga, Tantra and Advaita. Though there are very few ashrams in the western world, my feeling is that in the future ashrams will become an integral part of western culture, just as they have been in India, and still are. The reason is simple: Yoga has become popular throughout the world over the last forty years; a natural bye-product of this movement will be the establishment of ashrams to support serious Yoga practitioners.

A Typical Day at Mandala Yoga Ashram

Every day in an ashram has unexpected surprises and sometimes even disappointments for us to cope with. In this way we start to see clearly the quirks of the ego and our conditioned reflexes to daily situations. While there is a daily timetable, it can change from day to day. Each day however usually starts between five-thirty and six o’clock. Early morning is spent doing Hatha Yoga, Mantra Yoga (chanting mantras) and Meditation until breakfast at eight-thirty. Karma Yoga is an important part of ashram life with a great variety of things to be done: gardening, cooking, housework, office work, maintenance jobs and working in the library. Often in the early morning there are periods of cleaning in silence, which encourages us to become more aware, both internally and externally.
 

Lunch is at one o’clock and typically consists of rice, lentils and vegetables, many of which are grown in the ashram gardens. Despite, expectations, most people find the ashram food not only nourishing, but also very tasty. In the afternoon there is more Karma Yoga which may be followed by the practice of Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation). Evening meal is at six-thirty, after which, at eight o’clock, there may be some chanting, satsang (discourse or questions and answers), or discussion and reflection on one of the yogic texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita, culminating in a short meditation. 

After this, there is time to do whatever we want before going to bed, which is usually before ten o’clock. Without distractions such as television and newspapers to obstruct reality, this is the ideal time for reflection. Some people read or write; others prefer to do some more sadhana (yogic practice), finish off some Karma Yoga task, or go for a walk. People who come to an ashram bring with them a variety of creative talents. If they don’t bring them, there is a good chance that their dormant creativity will surface while they are here, and they will discover talents and skills that they did not know they had.

Each day in the ashram is different. We learn to cope with change and the unexpected. Ashram life brings out the worst in us (recognition of our negative mental traits and emotional blockages) and the best – deep joy and a glimmer, or even a realisation of what we are beyond the body and mind.
If you want to find out more, come and join us!

These words are extracted from an article which i have written and which will appear in the ashram newsletter 2013.
OM, Prem and Best wishes,
Swami Nishchal

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In case you missed this through our Ashram Newsletter. If your email address is missing from our list & you wish to receive the approximately quarterly newsletter please enter your email address HERE

 'Insight Into Reality - The Tantric teachings of the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra' book review
Audio introduction by Swamij

The following is an excellent review by Yagnamurti:
''A decade or so ago I came across a slim book called Zen Flesh, Zen Bones by the American author Paul Reps. The book contained a collection of zen and pre-zen stories and a chapter entitled Centering, which is a translation of the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra. Written in about 800 AD, this Tantric text from the Kashmir Shaivism has 112 dharanas, or practices, designed to transform our awareness and bring us to the present moment. However, that concise chapter, beautiful as it is, did not provide me with enough clues as how to use the ancient Tantric teachings effectively. Fortunately, for us, in the 21st century, Swami Nishchalananda has produced an outstanding book which will inspire seasoned practitioners of yoga and meditation to explore these teachings further. It presents a new, clear translation from the Sanskrit – the translator both has a deep understanding of the original language and has worked with these practices for many years.

Swami Nishchalananda is the founder and director of the Mandala Yoga Ashram in Wales. He has edited many of the well-known books of the Bihar School of Yoga, including Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, Meditations from the Tantras and A systematic course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Kriya Yoga. Also, he has written many books published by the Mandala Yoga Ashram. In 2004, during Swami Niranjan’s programme in Majorca, Swami Nishchalananda introduced some of the practices of the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra. He explained the main principles of this valuable text, and throughout the programme taught a few of the dharanas. As I was staying in the same hotel as Swami Nishchalananda, I had the opportunity to talk with him about these teachings and particularly about the lack of a practical book on the subject. He told me he was going to write such a book and Insight into Reality is the result. Central to the teachings of the Vigyana Bhairava is the fact that every situation in life can be used for find our centre, by watching any emotion we may be experiencing, and to remain centred.
 
Don’t live your life buffeted by likes and dislikes. Instead, blossom by remaining centred in Awareness.        (Dharana 101)

A key concept in the Vigyana Bhairava is ‘spaciousness’, understood as the sense or feeling of space, which we tend to neglect when we are so involved in daily life that we forget ourselves or become too self-centred. As Swami Nishchalananda points out, ‘spaciousness implies that we are receptive to the transformative potential and experience of the present moment’. Another central concept, also related to spaciousness, is the dwadashanta (the energy body surrounding our physical body at a distance of 12 finger widths from its surface). Being aware of this ‘energy body’ calms the mind and opens up our awareness to a deeper reality, to a sense of space and a more profound understanding and insight.

Insight into Reality is an eminently practical book which goes beyond the practice, as there is great depth and breadth to the wisdom contained in its pages. Apart from the actual text of the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra, there is a very informative introduction and background to the practices, which is essential to our comprehension of the dharanas. It explains in detail the philosophy underlying the tantric system of Kashmir Shaivism, including its ‘principles of creation’ (tattwas). Further chapters provide us with other fundamental concepts that form the rich and intricate fabric of Tantra and Yoga, i.e., koshas, chakras, Kundalini and Nada (primal cosmic vibration). There is also a fine chapter devoted to yogic practices –including asanas, mudras and bandhas– which can be used to enhance some of the dharanas described. The final chapter provides us 58 additional practices to live in the present moment, and gain insight and understanding of reality even through mundane and day-to-day activities. Insight into Reality is a manual for living consciously, moment to moment, a highly recommended book for the serious seeker.''

Insight Into Reality by Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati ISBN 0-9544662-2-5 (626pp, Mandala Yoga Ashram)
The double CD which accompanies this book is also available through the ashram

Teacher Training course 2012-14 beginnings!

Some words about the MYA Teacher Training Course 2012-14 which began in earnest at the end of September last week at the ashram…

* Swami Nishchalananda (Course Director)
Please click here for his audio message to all participants

* Sue Blanch (Student-Teacher)
''One of the wonderful aspects of the start of the course this week was meeting and getting to know like-minded people. We're from all walks of life & all parts of the UK but here with a passion for yoga and a strong desire for self-development in common. I expected to learn how to teach yoga but I didn't expect the added bonus of 22 new friends!''

* Dave Twomey (Student-teacher)

''Ah, if you could have seen us on the final night - our initial retreat last night Kirtan with Swami-ji & guests. Its only 1 week since some of us met, so its clear that the mold of so many promising friendships have already been made. So up we went onto our feet on the first cue to do so, singing and dancing like we were born to do it - welcoming very much with wide arms and 22 open hearts this 2 year course - ''of transformation'' as Swami-ji said.