Trataka
/Trataka is a Yogic meditation practice that involves gazing at a single point to develop one-pointed concentration of the mind (ekagrata)...
Read MoreTrataka is a Yogic meditation practice that involves gazing at a single point to develop one-pointed concentration of the mind (ekagrata)...
Read MoreRecently, a friend published this quote on FB: "Chronic ecstasy is a learnable skill."
Chronic. Ecstasy. A strange juxtaposition. Chronic, often associated with a less healthy form of constancy—as in chronic pain. Andecstasy, often associated with a less healthy form of drug-induced high—as in rave culture drug of choice.
My initial response was one of both affirmation and caution. Yes, chronic ecstasy is indeed a learnable, even valuable, skill, and yet, chronic ecstasy without discerning engagement is simply self-indulgent escapism...
Read MoreThe simple truth is that we are all embodied, enlightened beings. Realizing this simple truth liberates us from a world of suffering. However, realizing this amidst perpetual distractions and coming attractions of daily life is often a bit more complicated.
Fortunately, some of the embodied, enlightened beings who realized this before us, in their infinite wisdom and compassion, composed the ultimate guide to liberating Self-realization: yoga.
Believe it or not, for thousands of years, long before modern-day mat-work was even a twinkle in a guru's third eye, yoga was (and practiced as intended, still is) the ultimate meditation practice. In fact, one of the most challenging aspects of teaching yoga today for educated teachers is the widely-held misconception that yoga is merely asana. While the ubiquitous, body-bending asana practice is indeed yoga, it is only a fraction of the much richer, mind-bending practice of yoga that includes ethics (yamas and niyamas), postures (asanas), breathwork (pranayama), sensory regulation (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), and meditation (dhyana and samadhi).
The widespread misappropriation...
Read More