I promised Satya Murthy, who translated Krishnamacharya's Yogasanagalu ( Mysore 1941) for us (available on my Free Downloads page), another guest post on the blog, here it is on Heartfulness Meditation and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.
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Heartfulness Meditation as a Complement to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
Satya Murthy.
Four years ago, I wrote a guest post on my experiences with the Sahaj Marg meditation/spiritual system (http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2013/04/guest-post-sahaj-marg-meditation.html). In recent years, the Sahaj Marg meditation system has evolved dramatically into a much more open movement. During this time, my practice and involvement has also intensified. Therefore, I thought it is an appropriate time to provide an update. The meditation technique is now promoted as “Heartfulness” while the spiritual system is known as Sahaj Marg, meaning the natural path.
Kamlesh Patel (affectionately known as Daaji) is the current Master of the global movement after the Mahasamadhi of Chariji in December 2014. Daaji has brought a modern approach to the expansion and promotion of the system. The primary objective of this promotion is to bring awareness of this simple and direct approach to the masses. Through this worldwide effort by way of conferences, social media, webinars, and YouTube, millions of new seekers have been introduced to this meditation over the past few years.
Since beginning the Heartfulness meditation practice in 2009, my Ashtanga yoga practice has taken a back seat to the meditation practice. However, I have continued to maintain a daily routine of 40 minutes of half primary series on weekdays and an hour-long practice on weekends. Recently I have been thinking about how these two practices are comparable and complementary to one another as described in the table below.
Heartfulness meditation being a disciplined and organized practice, Ashtanga practitioners would be drawn to it. As Ashtanga yoga practitioners become attracted to higher limbs of yoga, they tend to explore various meditation/spiritual systems, just like I did. Therefore, I was inspired to write this essay to bring more awareness in the Ashtanga community of this simple and effective practice that is available globally for free with easy accessibility. I would like to emphasize that Heartfulness meditation can be practiced in conjunction with any system of yoga.
Over the past two years, the global Heartfulness organization has committed to making this system more easily available to the masses worldwide through volunteers, social media (https://www.facebook.com/kamleshdaaji), meetups, web (http://daaji.org/), YouTube, apps (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/heartfulness/id1053164680?mt=8) and e-magazine (http://www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/). The main web portal (www.heartfulness.org) will also connect one to any or all the above-mentioned avenues. It is important to point out that all these resources are available for free to anyone interested. There is never any fee charged to learn or practice the system.
One can get an introduction to the practice by going online (www.heartfulness.org) or by finding a local Heartfulness trainer or center (http://heartspots.heartfulness.org/). It is easier than ever to start a systematic practice by taking three initiatory sittings on three consecutive days. It is now offered online in the form of Masterclasses (http://en.heartfulness.org/masterclass/) where seekers can get introductory sittings into the practice right from the comfort of their homes.
The three main components of the Heartfulness practice “the morning meditation, evening cleaning meditation and a night time prayer meditation” work in tandem in facilitating progress. The morning meditation consists of sitting comfortably with eyes closed and upright either on floor or on a chair starting with a subtle thought/awareness of the presence of divine light in the heart (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wvka8pl624). There is no need to visualize the light or concentrate on it. When and if our awareness drifts into other thoughts, we can gently bring our awareness back into the presence of divine light in the heart. However, it is not meant to be repeated continuously like a mantra. The meditation is a passive activity where we relax with this initial thought and let go. This technique is essentially a meditation on the self as prescribed by Sri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita and mentioned in Upanishads.
Bhagavad Gita says: (VI, 25) Little by little through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the self; (VI, 26) Wherever the mind wanders, restless and diffuse in its search for satisfaction without, lead it within; train it to rest in the self; (XVIII, 61) the Lord is seated in the hearts of all the beings.
The Katha Upanishad (4.13) says: “The Self, the Lord of the past and the future, is like a light without smoke; he is verily the same today and tomorrow”.
The Mundaka Upanishad (III.1.5.) says: “When the impurities dwindle, the ascetics or the self-controlled, behold Him – stainless, resplendent within the body”.
The Mahanarayana Upanishad (II.7) says: ‘we meditate upon Him, the limitless, the changeless, the seer, the end aim of the ocean of existence, the source of all Bliss in the heart, which is like a lotus bud”.
The Svetasvatara Upanishad (4.17) says: “the divinity who created the universe and who pervades everything always dwells in the hearts of the creatures. Those that realize him become immortal”.
Another important concept in Heartfulness system is that of deep impressions called samskaras in Sanskrit. From our life experiences, we accumulate these impressions, which form the basis of our beliefs, attitudes and personalities. They are like layers of veils that influence our perceptions and responses to everyday situations, as well as our reactions to people and places. Most importantly, impressions impede our natural ability to experience the pure essence of self that is within. The Heartfulness practice offers a method whereby the layers of impressions are dissolved, opening the way for inner expansion along with freedom from their weight and influence.
The evening cleaning is performed for not more than half an hour at the end of the day (for e.g., after coming back home from work or school) by sitting comfortably in the same posture as in meditation. Also, imagine that the day’s accumulation of impressions, impurities, complexities, grossness etc. are melting away from the whole system and going out of the back in the form of smoke or vapor. The vacuum thus created is filled by the sacred current of Divine entering your heart. Unlike the meditation, cleaning is a very active process in which we are supposed to use our will power in a gentle way to remove our impressions. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiorIbEuNCQ) The greatest advantage in this path is that, the guru or the Master facilitates the transformation of an individual into an evolved human being. This is made possible through the unique method adopted by the Master, which is termed ‘Pranahuti’ in Sahaj Marg. Pranahuti means ‘offering one’s life energy’. The Master, offers his own life-energy, directs it to the heart of the disciple through his will power, and awakens the Soul which is dormant. In addition to daily self-cleaning of impressions, the practitioner is recommended to take periodic sittings with Heartfulness trainers. By invoking the presence of the Master, the heartfulness trainer acts as a conduit for the yogic transmission of divine energy into practitioner’s heart. These sittings enable removal of deep seated samskaras (mental impressions) and facilitate practitioners to experience deeper states of meditation. The practitioners are actively assisted in their spiritual journey. One can feel the difference when they mediate on their own compared to when they meditate with a trainer. Meditation with a trainer is analogous to the adjustments given by a teacher in the Ashtanga class to help make progress. The trainer can be viewed as holding the mental space and meditating in resonance with the practitioner.
Have I continued to evolve under the Heartfulness spiritual practice? This is a question one must ask periodically with any spiritual practice to keep it honest and prevent it from becoming yet another mundane ritual. In my previous posting in 2013, I wrote about how the meditation practice had helped me overcome fears and simplify my life by letting go of identification and labels.
How we react to life situations can reveal a lot about our state of consciousness. In 2015, I was impacted by a company reorganization and lost my job. My experience during this uncertain time is captured in this Linkedin post: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-does-meditation-practice-have-do-corporate-merger-satya-murthy. Around this same time, I developed an intense desire to share this meditation practice with others in my town and therefore, started a local meetup group. I was looking for a suitable facility to conduct Heartfulness sessions on a more regular basis and had become acquainted with the founder of a local yoga studio. I was planning to ask him if I could conduct Heartfulness sessions at the yoga studio. Serendipitously or by design, before I got a chance to ask, I received an e-mail from the founder asking me if I was interested in offering Heartfulness meditation classes under the auspices of the yoga studio! I immediately accepted and started organizing meditation sessions with the help of a Heartfulness trainer.
In mid-2016, I volunteered and was selected to become an authorized trainer. The preparatory process consisted of taking daily sittings with my preceptor for over three weeks culminating in three final sittings with the Master (Daaji). Several experiences during these daily sittings were astonishingly blissful. In one of the remarkable experience that has stuck with me, I was peering into a state of clarity and stillness it seemed that I could simply stay in that condition effortlessly for as long as I wanted. My trainer who was sitting at his home in another town was also able to sense this and had texted me “sitting ended. Felt very blissful today and so don’t want to disturb you by calling” so that I could continue to experience the blissful state for some more time. From these powerful experiences including three final sittings from the Master, I intuitively understood the power of thoughts and will power. I also gained self-confidence that I would be able to perform the functions of a trainer along with continuing with my Ashtanga practice, personal and professional responsibilities.
In addition to some of the practical life benefits of the spiritual practice described earlier, are there other indicators of progress? Stages of spiritual progress are well described in the vast amount of Heartfulness literature that is shared with practitioners and frequently referred to in training materials. A self-referral guide with energy sub points can be a useful tool on a spiritual journey. Depending on the sensitivity of the person he or she may feel awareness or pressure at these points (shown in the picture below) during sittings. More literature can be found at: http://www.sahajmarg.org/abhyasi
Figure taken from https://www.sahajmarg.org/publications/ebook/towards-infinity
In conclusion, a meditation practice that reinforces that we are not our body but are the awareness wherein our thoughts and sense perceptions are illuminated is highly beneficial to an Ashtanga yoga practitioner. This awareness can help check the ego identification with the body and attachment to seeking more postures that can occur from an Ashtanga practice. A blend of Ashtanga and Heartfulness practice can provide an optimal balance for the fitness of the body and regulation of the mind in the modern age. As we age, we may want to listen to the body and modify the physical practice appropriately (e.g., switching to a slower Ashtanga or Vinyasakrama style) while giving more prominence to the meditation practice.
See too perhaps this post on A Korean Zen monk's encounter with Ashtanga Vinyasa.
Ashtanga and Zen 2 - Mirror of Zen /// A Day in the Moment of a Modern Zen Monk
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See too perhaps this post on A Korean Zen monk's encounter with Ashtanga Vinyasa.
Ashtanga and Zen 2 - Mirror of Zen /// A Day in the Moment of a Modern Zen Monk