Because Life Becomes What Life Does

Saturday, February 22, 2020

#Yoga Today – How to #Prosper

To recap: Before you can prosper you must gain punja and remove papa. This means to gain merits through good deeds while removing improper and disastrous behavior.

Each day look to create and appreciate. You will discover wealth, pleasure, harmony and liberation are not that difficult to establish. Do not get caught up in the world of material wealth. Happiness is not found in the size of your bank account. Happiness is simple and pure. However, do seek to create wealth in the world. With material wealth we can build a better world with good health care, education, art, music, shelter and food for all. It is not wealth that destroys it is greed. Seek to create and then create more. Each time you reach out make punja and remove papa and you will discover how to follow the four paths that lead to prosperity.

Enjoy the pleasures of life but remember even the so called good pleasures can turn painful if you are not careful. Enjoy everything, but never to excess.

Move in harmony with life. This means to become the observer and not the judge and jury. Discord and dissention will never bring you prosperity. Except things as they are and make peace with them. You can then reach out to change something, but do it from a place of acceptance and peace. This will bring you liberation. If you have something you are struggling with, observe it and accept it for what it is right here right now. In a moment all things may change and what might be important today will be meaningless tomorrow. Count your blessings and appreciate all of life for it is all just a great opportunity to learn, know and master life. Even anger can be a great teacher if you learn to observe it and then use it to remind yourself to be kind. Awareness is the key.

In a world full of chaos and cruelty you will need balance, strength, flexibility and peace to navigate the pathway of prosperity - Let’s get started.

Make punja and remove papa. Observe as you move through life. Are you acting from the ego or listening to your soul? The ego will always fight to win but the soul cares not about winning or losing – it just wants to learn, know and master this life. You may not do that in this lifetime and that is why you need to pay attention to karma. You are here to work out the mission of your soul and in doing so you will discover the true nature of earthly wealth, pleasure, harmony and liberation and in this you will prosper.

Next week the Nidhi.

Namaste ~ I celebrate the place where our souls meet

Doctor Lynn

Saturday, February 08, 2020

Liberation ~ the fourth aim - staying on the Soulful Path

The journey of life is not about your body or about your mind, but about your soul. But without the health of your body and your mind the journey is useless. We spend so much time fretting over the configuration of the body and either denying it or giving it pleasure that we lose sight of its purpose. We thrash about in our minds bashing our life with self-loathing, complaints and fear forgetting why we took on this body, this mind and this life. We are here to find liberation. Don’t confuse liberation with having the freedom to do whatever you choose. Liberation means to reach a level of peace with life just as it is- it means to become the observer of life free of disturbance and judgement. With liberation comes wisdom.

You are here to discover liberation and to gather wisdom; so seek it. Without the experiences of life wisdom can never be found. One thing I know for sure about wisdom is that it doesn’t come easy and experiences don’t come without living a full life.

Wisdom is sometimes defined as knowledge. But plenty of people have knowledge with little common sense or judgment. Wisdom is far more than knowledge; however it does require knowledge and experience. Wisdom is the ability to learn, know and master your life. Wisdom is in knowing the right path to walk. Integrity is walking it. This is the great challenge of soul walking.

Along the soulful path there will be many divergences and zigs and zags. There will be times when you will wander so far off the path you get lost. You may never realize the maya of life; the illusion is not in the material world, but how you perceive it. Use the world to realize your highest potential, or the world will use you. This is how you master life and prosper

Pay careful attention to energy, direction and consciousness. These three things will guide you towards prosperity. A prosperous world awaits anyone who follows the path with a balanced state of being and a clear mind. Walk, listen, look, feel, smell, taste, touch and intuit the world. Prosperity is everywhere. This will require the ability to find, understand and constructively use the treasures of life. What are the treasures? Where are the treasures of life? You can find them in the Nidhi the great container of prosperity. But first you must focus on Lakshmi’s four aims or goals; wealth, pleasure, harmony and liberation.

Remember liberation is not being able to do whatever you want. It’s the ability to accept and be at peace with things just as they are. Wisdom is in knowing you have the power to change things through your perception and attitudes.

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Observe and remove judgement.. Everyone is doing the very best that they can. If you expect others and the world to be and do as you would like you may end up disappointed and suffer an emotional loss. But if you can accept others and things for who they are and what they are capable of giving, doing and being you will remove expectations and the issues will resolve. Soul walking is paying attention to where you are going, what you are doing and who you are being. Just remember not all souls are fully evolved, or for that matter ready, willing and able to learn, know and master. Just stay focused on you and what you are being and doing. This is liberation and his leads to prosperity.

Namaste ~ I celebrate the place where our souls meet

Doctor Lynn

Saturday, February 01, 2020

Harmony – the third direction or aim in life

Our third direction should be to dance in harmony with life. This requires a code of ethics and morals that act as beacons telling us how to behave. In yoga we would call these the Yamas and Niyamas. The opposite of harmony is disharmony or discord. When we are in discord with the world prosperity is diminished.

Cultivating harmony we develop compassion and understanding with all our relationships on earth. We move from being separate and bound by the ego to merging past the barriers that keep us apart and at odds. When we develop impartiality towards others all living things in the world become one force of energy and with this the emotions of love, caring and empathy endure under all circumstances. Impartiality does not mean to be indifferent. It means to be undisturbed by the ebb and flow of life.

According to the philosophy of Karma yoga the whole material universe consists of five everlasting, enduring substances. It is through these five substances and their relationship to each other that the whole world unfolds and evolves.

These five enduring substances are space, motion, rest, matter and soul. Space is the container of everything; motion is required for change to occur; rest is necessary for matter to accumulate. Matter exists as a finite number of points of energy that come together by resting in space. The soul is the unifying energy that gives birth to potential. Therefore you are matter occupying space with the potential to create. Create harmony and you will prosper.

For the most part relationships provide us with an opportunity to discover who we are. We relate to people, to places and to things. We relate to nature, technology, art, music, food and every aspect of life. It is the disharmony within these relationships that creates fear, anguish and disappointment. Remove the D-GAP- deceit, greed, anger and pride. Replace them with compassion and understanding and in this you prosper.

Harmony requires commitment, understanding, patience, and forgiveness, a lot of hard work, compromise, balance, flexibility, strength and respect. It means to put aside our attachment to being right, or even being wrong, and come back to the present moment and do what it takes to remove discord. Then just like in music, arrange the notes so that what we experience is melodic harmony.

Remember the whole material universe consists of five everlasting and imperishable substances; space, motion, rest, matter and soul. What’s important is how matter relates to other matter within the space it occupies. All of life is equal, but different. And that is what makes life so interesting. Harmonize with life and the obstacles that block success will be removed and you will prosper.

Namaste ~ I celebrate the place where our souls meet

Doctor Lynn

Saturday, January 25, 2020

#Yoga Today ~ #Prosperity- The second Aim in Life

As human beings we are wired for pleasure. The human drive is not simply to survive; it wants to thrive and to thrive we seek pleasure. We are programed to strive for survival and longevity and an essential part of this is the drive towards pleasure. What would the world be like if we could not enjoy the pleasures of life?

Some interpretations of yoga appear to denounce pleasure. It is thought to distract us from our karmic work. But pleasure is as essential to life as air and water. It is the engine that drives us to create and thrive. The key is to never take pleasure to excess.

Your pleasure center is located in your primitive brain also known as the limbic system which is located in the temporal lobe. The limbic system is made up of multiple parts such as the hippocampus or your memory center. The one that is responsible for basic pleasures and pain is the amygdala.

Two neurochemicals send us messages regarding pleasure and pain. These are serotonin and dopamine. Both need to be in sync if we are to be balanced. Serotonin keeps us content, relaxed and satisfied. Dopamine drives us towards pleasure. And although it can take pleasure to extreme dopamine is necessary for our survival and our ability to thrive.

As well as being necessary for your survival, pleasure has many levels and layers. It can also be destructive if we allow pleasure to control our desires to the point of addiction. But pleasure at the deeper layers of our being instills beauty and when pleasure and beauty come together we truly understand the importance of enjoying the real pleasures of life. In harmony with life pleasures are never destructive, but always uplifting. Understanding this is soul walking.

It’s not pleasure that destroys the good. It is deceit and greed. We sometimes greedily deceit ourselves into believing we need more. That is why yoga teaches us to enjoy life, but always in moderation and never to excess. It is our desire for excess that tips pleasure into pain. Just ask an addict how much pleasure there is in seeking the next fix?

The Katha Upanishad, from an ancient Hindu Text, is about overcoming death by understanding it. We cannot bargain with it. Death reminds us not to take our life for granted. Our dreams and our desires are part of life. So enjoy the pleasures of life for life is short. A wise person however will always choose to do what is good over sheer pleasure. This can be interpreted a number of ways. One way is that a wise person will choose what is good over the pleasure of comfort, or a wise person will choose to seek pleasure through effort and depth over laziness and superficiality.

The greatest pleasure comes from the greatest depth of our soul. When we truly experience something with full involvement by tapping into its essence we will discover the true nature of pleasure. Whether it is eating chocolate, sipping a great wine, buying a gift, making love, or spending tons of money it’s not the pleasure that should be avoided, but the greedy deceitful self-serving nature of the ego. The ego always wants and thinks it deserves more! Practice moderation in all things and in all things be moderate.

Pleasure has both a physical and emotional aspect. Pleasure is comprised of five layers; it is sensual, loving, has a purpose, is creative and exercises free will. All of these layers are important to humans. They bring us pleasure, but can equally bring us pain if we are not careful in how we think, speak and act. Just remember all things in moderation.

Sensually connecting with someone you intimately love for the purpose of creating is the closest two souls can get to willful pleasure. The more aware you are of the nature of pleasure the more likely you are to discover it and use it wisely.

Namaste ~ I celebrate the place where our souls meet

Doctor Lynn

Saturday, January 18, 2020

#Yoga Today ~The Four #Directions or Aims in #Life

The first direction or aim in life is the accumulation of wealth. Don’t confuse wealth for money. Money in and of itself is valueless. It is only what we can purchase in exchange for money that gives it value. Wealth is abundant potential energy.

The Kama Sutra, a Hindi Sanskrit text, makes it clear that health, love and pleasure, as well as music, art and education can only flourish in a prosperous society. Poverty therefore is not a virtue. It can actually be an obstacle toward creating harmony. Poverty can also be an obstacle when it comes to morals and ethics. It is somewhat difficult to be moral and ethical when you are starving and struggling to survive. Material wealth allows for the refinement of society and this refinement allows us to partake of pleasure, be kinder and more generous. Wealth is not just about the accumulation of money or material goods, although both have the power to make the world a better place. Wealth comes in many forms such as good health, love, happiness and rewarding work. Many people get lost in the illusion of material wealth and confuse the earthly symbols of wealth for success. Success is measured by the degree of your happiness and not the size of your bank account.

In this world no one would argue that it is better to be poor than rich. Wealthy people have greater access to the necessities and the luxuries of life. Wealth affords more options and choices. But just remember this - it is not wealth that destroys. It is greed.

Problems arise when wealth is used to control other people and to abuse society. In a world such as ours, with so much wealth, no person should ever go without or be abused. So if you want to prosper, find a way to make the world a better place and you will become a wealthy person.

Just remember the difference between wealth and material possessions. Wealth can mean having beauty, love and good health, and these can never be replaced with gold, money or material possessions. Your true wealth comes from within. It is the source of your abundant energy and this energy has the power to create. Draw from it and create. Once found it can never be depleted. Money may come and go, or slip past your outstretched hand, but if you use your abundant energy wisely you will always create wealth and with this you prosper.

Namaste ~ I celebrate the place where our souls meet

Doctor Lynn

Saturday, January 11, 2020

#Yoga Today ~ The Energy of #Prosperity

Lakshmi is the Goddess energy of the yoga of prosperity. Her name means, “aim” or “goal”. She has four arms which signify her power to grant the four goals or directions towards a successful and prosperous life. These four goals grant us a fulfilling life. The aim of the goals is to direct your highest potential into creating prosperity.

Lakshmi reminds us that affluence should be respected because in reality affluence is a forceful stream of energy that has great power. It can create or destroy, depending upon how we use it.

Although many people have the determination to create wealth, their attitudes in doing so can greatly influence the outcome. Inert symbols of affluence are not wealth; wealth is the byproduct of the energy of prosperity. As you think, speak and act so you become.

Be forewarned many sacred texts mention Alakshimi the evil sister of Lakshmi. With Disregard for order, disrespect of nature and poor hygiene she will bestow poverty and misfortune upon your house.

If you want to bring prosperity into your life, let the energy of prosperity flow out towards others. Apply the Golden Rule of prosperity; do not take without giving back. Those who lookout for ways to help other and ways to contribute to the betterment of life, without expecting anything in return are sure to receive prosperity. They have found a need and are fulfilling it. This brings us wealth.

The goddess Lakshmi tells us that prosperity has far more to offer us than a beautiful home and a large bank account. You are the source of your wealth. Whatever you have increase it. Instead of saying it could be less; say it could be more. Say I would like to have this, but do it from a place of consciousness contentment. Be content with what you have and then reach out for more. Lakshmi gives wealth and success to those who ask with sincerity and are willing to do the work. The work involves developing conscious awareness of how to use the dynamics of potential energy in complete harmony with the soul’s path. When you combine the infinite force of the soul with the finite source of the material world to create good anything and everything is possible. This is the pathway to prosperity.

Remember this – the most abundant thing in the universe is energy. Use it wisely. The punja or merits we accumulate as we travel through life are with us from lifetime to lifetime. They define us and are by far our most valuable assets. Money can’t buy you happiness, but prosperity can!

“Although you may gather a million gold coins upon death you cannot take with you even one copper penny.” (Chinese Proverb)

Namaste ~ I celebrate the place where our souls meet

Doctor Lynn

http://doctorlynnanderson.blogspot.com/

Saturday, January 04, 2020

#Yoga Today ~ # The Pathway to Prosperity

The pathway to prosperity is about learning how to walk through life in a soulfully conscious way while discovering the real treasures of life. Use them wisely and you will prosper. These treasures are available to everyone who has the desire to discover and use them constructively. I have found these treasures to be of great value and so it behooves me to share them with you. Sometimes they come covered with rust, but if you look deep enough beneath the surface you’ll find gold. You just need to know where to find them, how to polish them and how to use them to prosper.

Remember this; poverty is not a virtue, but it can be a tremendous inspiration. All relationships matter; we are the mirror and the reflection of life. Enjoy everything; just remove excess. And stay connected to your true self.

Before you can prosper you must gain punja and remove papa. This means to gain merits through good deeds while removing improper and disastrous behavior.

The practice of yoga fully acknowledges the realities of living in a material world. It encourages us to incorporate the four important goals of; soulful growth, meaningful work, pleasure and wealth into living a fulfilling and meaningful life. These fall in line with the four aims or goals of Lakshmi the goddess of prosperity. More on this in future classes.

The primary goal of yoga is expansion of consciousness into your highest potential. To access your inner potential you need to harness the energy of the ego. This will remove papa or obstacles and enhances punja or merits. With the expansion of potential comes a greater ability to deal with the concerns of everyday life. And this opens the door to prosperity.

To control this energy requires the ability to flow with life. Gratitude for what you have rather than desire for what you don’t have is the first step. Put your attention on what you have and be grateful. When you are grateful you appreciate, and when you appreciate you find grace and with this you gracefully move with refinement through this life. Prosperity is a stream of consciousness. This stream of energy can reshape your life in either positive or negative ways depending upon how you use it. Wealth can bestow great power while misuse will surely make a person suffer. The universe has a perfect accounting system.

As well as the stream of consciousness we also need punya which means merits earned through our action in this life and our past lives. When we see people who are wealthy and successful the Buddhist and the Hindis would call this punya that was earned from a past life. We in the western world might call it luck. Karma yoga calls it the “good” karma you have earned from your past lives, as well as the merits you are earning in this life.

Punja is not necessarily in the form of money. It might appear as talent, integrity, virtue, value, beauty, status, worthiness, assets, honor or goodness.

If we want to create punya we must exhaust papa, which means demerit or bad karma. Remember karma attaches itself to our actions, our thoughts and our speech. So we need to be consciously aware of how our actions, thoughts and speech affect our life. Papa might appear as dishonesty, disturbance, evil, worthlessness, demerit, fault or weakness.

To prosper requires strength, flexibility, balance and finding peace no matter what life brings to you. Let’s get started

The three basic methods of developing merit or punya are: giving without expecting a return, live a virtuous life, and spreading good will. These fall in line with the ten ways to make merits. They are: give, observe virtue, concentration and focus, honoring others, be of service, dedication, be happy for others good fortune, listen to and practice virtuous teaching and instruct other in being virtuous.

Yogananda was quoted to have said when asked if the spiritual path had an end,” No end, you go on until you achieve endlessness.” This is the path to endless prosperity.

Namaste ~ I celebrate the place where our souls meet

Doctor Lynn