Meditate on peace. When the body and mind are overworked their efficiency diminishes. Modern social life, food, work, and even entertainment makes it difficult for people to rest. When the average person tries to rest they often expend a large amount of energy on physical and mental tension. The muscles are always ready for work, using much more energy than what is used in actual work done. The mind and body work balance needs to be organized such that the energy produced by the body is economized. This can be achieved through relaxation. It should be remembered that the body produces all energy and nutritional substances for the next day in the current day. However, bad moods, anger, injury, and intense irritation consumes much if not all of these precious stores. If irruption and suppression of violent emotions becomes habit, the results for the mind and body become disastrous. The movement toward complete relaxation thins these damaging tendencies out, conserving and storing more resources for life enhancing activities. “Yogis know this science well. They are perfect masters of this useful science. Those who practice relaxation will never experience fatigue. They close their eyes for a few minutes even while standing and get themselves ready for further work. Energy flows in their nerves when they relax just as water flows when the tap is open.” (Swami Sivananda 5.5 Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Manual) Yogis use three methods of relaxation; physical, mental, and spiritual to effectively achieve complete relaxation. Only the most advance aspirants know the secret of spiritual relaxation. As Swami Sivananda mentions, as a master of this science one can relax completely in a matter of minutes even while standing. We can see examples in great figures of history like Albert Einstein and Napoleon who achieved this seemingly instantaneous recharging through relaxation. When we practice the asana postures, we can observe physical relaxation from motion to stillness. Some postures stretch a muscle and then relax it, others contract and relax muscles. All the while the nervous system is being trained to recognize this advantage of relaxation. Not only is the mind and body rejuvenated during savasana in-between asanas, the nervous system is more fully integrating relaxation into its normal state. Once we get to the final savasana, we can easily relax through visualization in auto suggestion. Once the nervous system has been trained physically to relax, mental relaxation can more easily be achieved. Positive thinking and meditation such as remembering affirmations like “I am getting better and better everyday in every way” and the Dhyana Slokas or Meditation Hymn support mental purification. Ganesha removes our obstacles. Subramanya leads are more virtuous self to victory over our negative tenancies. Swaraswati gives use knowledge and skill to create a positive uplifting experience. Swami Sivananda and Swami Visnudevananda demonstrate human potential for divine living. Narayani provides us with opportunities to prosper. Now the mind is light and full like a gentle cloud on a spring day. The thoughts, imagination, memory, and mind can be seen within oneself more easily. We can more ready step back from them as if we were watching them drift by like clouds in a tranquil blue sky. We invite the mental faculties to relax, to dissolve away into that ocean of consciousness that supports them. From the mental relaxation we can touch the spiritual depths of our true Selves. Calm and tranquil as the sky we drift on the ocean of consciousness and let go of all that binds us. We merge with that which is, the stillness of eternity.
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AuthorMy name is Aaron Szczurek, and I am making this blog to connect to other people so that we can create a place where we can learn how to be better lovers of our selves. I have been inspired by my Catholic faith, thought leaders, and many wonderful wise people in my life to learn to be a better lover of myself, so that I can be a better lover of those closest to me and the world. The golden rule from the new testament is, "Love your neighbor as yourself." This is the secret to happiness and success in the world. The most powerful message given by God. But how many of us truly love and accept ourselves for just who we are right now, the good and the bad behavior. Louse Hay said it very well, "Love is never outside yourself, it is within. As you love yourself more, you will be more able to love." And the more love that you are able to give, the more that you will be able to receive. Let's help each other on our journey of self love and self fulfillment. Because as Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, and other great men and women have indicated, separation is an illusion, everyone is connected through each other in love as one. Archives
February 2020
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