by Paramahansa Yogananda
The Kriya Yoga meditation technique of pranayama, life-force control that transmutes breath into subtle lifetronic energy, brings positive realization that the composition of the body is pure cosmic energy. In the adept practice of Kriya, the body is oxygenated and its atoms etherealized until it becomes light as a feather.
Man has no idea how much power comes into the body when he has mastered the mystery of the breath. Kriya practice brings a regulated, continuous inflow of oxygen into the body, the atoms of which, by the process of pranayama, are transmuted into life force, reinforcing the subtle currents in the spine. In turn these currents awaken the astral cerebrospinal centers and spiritualize the entire body.
After years of successful practice, the body of the advanced Kriya Yogi becomes so spiritualized that in exalted states he can hardly feel it touch the ground. The suffusion of life force becomes so powerful that the whole body loses its delusive solidity and actually levitates. I can testify to that from my own experience. But the beginner should not expect to jump weightless tomorrow!
Modern man is accustomed to getting results quickly; his industry and technology manufactures products so rapidly that he thinks there should be a convenience package of concise spiritual progress as well. A presumption of instant spiritual achievement is perhaps more than a bit audacious considering the innumerable lifetimes already spent in making oneself an unspiritual being. Even a lifelong practice is little to be required. Nevertheless, the Kriya Yoga science and art of meditation are not drudgery, because gradual transforming results are felt from the very beginning.
From Lahiri Mahasaya’s teachings
• Consider yourself very humble. This means one should do service, prayers, and maintain a feeling of being a servant of all.
• Always do satsanga – associate with spiritually oriented people, inquire into the nature of yourself, and read spiritually uplifting writings.
• From time to time, congregate in a place and talk about God.
• Do not show disrespect for any name or form of God.
• At least once a year, leave worldly duties and go to a retreat for a month, or a week, or at least three days and enjoy the solitude.
Paramahansa Yogananda said this about Lahiri Mahasaya:
“The Kriya Yoga which I am giving to the world through you in this nineteenth century,” Babaji told Lahiri Mahasaya, “is a revival of the same science which Krishna gave millenniums ago to Arjuna, and which was later known to Patanjali, and to Christ Jesus, Saint John, Saint Paul, and other disciples.
“The science of Kriya Yoga … became widely known in modern India through the instrumentality of Lahiri Mahasaya, my guru’s guru. Lahiri Mahasaya received it from his guru, Babaji, who rediscovered and clarified the technique after it had been lost in the Dark Ages.”
The next post will explain Kriya Yoga further.
Light on Sunburst Sanctuary – Amidst the Wild Things
Our trail camera captured this photo of a mountain lion walking at midday on a popular, though somewhat remote Sanctuary path. Yes, Sunburst Sanctuary is an intentional wildlife sanctuary, as well as a sanctuary for people. From the same camera, here’s a nighttime picture of a black bear.
Other animals that are common at the Sanctuary, but you may not see them, are skunks (stripped and spotted), opossums, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes. You may hear a coyote serenade the night, which is when all of these animals are most active.
Day or night, bobcats are hunting for gophers or mice in the open fields. Sometimes a large heron will land at the Sanctuary for the same purpose. And seasonally, wild turkeys strut around in plain sight amidst the numerous deer. We’ll cover more of our wild residents in another post. It’s a great blessing to coexist among the wild things.
by Dawn King • We’re always happy to have a sudden pleasant surprise, especially something that seems like a miracle. But every day offers us numerous mini-miracles, in which we can find just as much happiness and pleasure. Life is richer and more supportive when you start to realize the many miracles that allow us to exist, to experience, and to reflect.
When we want more happiness in our days, it’s worth taking the time to consciously acknowledge the blessings of each day. Often these “miracles” are the things we experience every day: good friends, family, a job we like, our health, our home, etc.
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on Earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” – Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfullness
Pausing in our day to be fully conscious of the moment, can bring us new realizations of the miracles all around us. Regular meditation times can help us develop this consciousness. But the more we can pause to take a deep breath and reflect, even if it’s in the midst of activity, the more we will come to fully experience and appreciate each moment.
When life is not going well, it’s an even more important time to reflect on the moment. If we can flip our mind to the positive side, and focus on what is going well in this difficult time, we will attract more miracles into our days. Life is always trying to give us a life preserver, a solution, or a new way to connect with it.
At the start of the Covid shutdown in California, I was embarking on a much anticipated trip to Mexico with a friend. It was the miracle of a vacation, which I sorely needed. After hours of travel and our failure to cross the border, exhausted, we retreated to her home at 2 a.m. She then invited me to stay and vacation at her house. It was another miracle that gave me a much needed rest from responsibilities at my home.
In reflecting, I’ve also realized that what I always thought was one of the worst years of my life was actually one of the best. When I was in the 4th grade, my teacher who was very stern, drilled us endlessly with multiplication tables and homework. We spent hours practicing our writing, and I got into trouble for acting too funny.
The gift in all this was: that same year I gained a pen pal in another country and won some writing contests, and then in 5th grade I got to trade math for art class. It took me many years to appreciate the positive side of what I’d always considered a dark year in my life. If you reflect long enough, you may also find that your darkest moments have some of the greatest gifts in them. Meanwhile, I hope you find the miracles and blessings of today.
P.S. My inspiring friend Shawn Anderson shared this:
At the end of each day, I ask myself: “What was today’s highlight?” I reflect, write my answer on a small slip of paper, fold it, and put the day’s highlight in my Dream Box…an accountability tool to keep me connected to remembering that every day has something good about it, a highlight. The Dream Box also reminds me that dreams, goals, and wishes articulated on paper are the first step in making them happen. Life is as magical as we choose to make it! *Free newsletter ShawnAnderson.com
Light on Sunburst Sanctuary – Behind the Scenes – WATER
At Sunburst Sanctuary water is in the creek, especially after a rain. There are also springs and wells, water tanks, and underground pipelines; all of these need maintenance. Sometimes repairs and improvements are made.
“What a shame,” says Al and Heiko. “We have to spend time in some of the wonderfully wild and remote parts of this property.” And so they set off recently to upgrade a pipeline that ran from Ytias spring to the mid-canyon stock troughs.
It was a big job that took more than one day. Another job [below] was developing a new pipeline for more remote water troughs.
by David Adolphsen • I’ve been reflecting lately on my relationship with Spirit. It’s a relationship that started when, as a young adult, I became aware of my attraction to the inner world, to the love and complete feeling of connectedness that can happen in a life of Spirit.
Now I realize that my daily meditation practice is like having a date every day with Divine Spirit. I set some time aside each day to sit with Spirit, to connect through meditation and devotional prayer.
Like any relationship, there are times when it’s easier to feel the love for that divine partner, for that earthly partner, or even for your pet who may be chewing up the couch. There are times when it’s just easier than other times to feel that unconditional love. It’s easy to be excited about a new relationship, but over time we need to spice it up.
Sometimes when I sit down to meditate with Spirit, it feels more like a working meditation than a loving relationship-building meditation. At those times, I have to give myself
the same compassion and the same space that I’ld give anyone else who may be feeling less connected than normally.
Learning some further refinements of the Kriya meditation tool can also be a way to spice up our relationship with Spirit. We can go even deeper into the reality of who we are, and our connection to the consciousness that is always around us and within us. We just need to uncover it.
Sometimes I pray: Help me love You more. Inspire me to see and to feel your goodness in everything, and give me the strength to stand up, to try to get beyond my self-conscious mind and expand into the Christ-conscious reality that is all around me all the time.
Hafiz wrote: Only that illumined One who keeps seducing the formless into form had the charm to win my heart. Only a perfect one who is always laughing at the word “two” can make you know of Love.
