As We Think So We Become.

Thought is an object, thought is an energy, it has shape, power and travels like a bullet.  Negative thought goes in a negative direction, positive in a positive direction.  How we use our thoughts is in our hands, whether we allow ourselves to go along with these thoughts or not.  All thoughts have a really powerful energy and they can come at us from all directions, so we think so we become.  If we believe we are sick then we get sick, if we believe we are healthy we stay healthy, thought power is incredible.  Observing your thoughts mindfully is so interesting, watching our reactions to situations and people and once you can learn how to watch your thoughts then you can start to control them and change the reactions from what may have been negative into a positive.  It is easy to become carried away by our thoughts and then situations can escalate from something that really was nothing into huge mountains, by watching our thoughts we can at least try to keep them as mole hills!

You also attract thoughts with your own thought waves, for example love attracts love, hate attracts hate, so what you are thinking is so important as to what you want to surround yourself with.  Become angels and not monsters, as we think so we become.

I will be off on my travels again for the next 6 or 7 weeks, some time for family, some time for introspection and time to watch my thoughts!  I will also be taking an Ayurvedic course which I'm very excited about and hope to share my learnings with you when I'm back and connected again.

For now I would like to thank you all for allowing me to share this wonderful thing called yoga with you and wish you all have wonderful summers full of peace and love.

Looking forward to connecting with you all again in mid August,

for now shine brightly like the lights that you are and keep up the practice,

Om Om Shanti Om

mangala / nicky :-)

Kakasana; Crow Pose - Learning how to Fly!

Learning how to fly may seem like an impossibility as we try and try again to lift up our feet from the mat, trust ourselves to let go of the security of the connection between the soles of the feet and that trusted mat underneath you and lift up onto the wrists.  Kakasana may seem like one of the more challenging postures but like all postures with practice it will come, it just takes time and that will be different for each individual, for some it may come quickly and for others the light at the end of the tunnel may seem a distant speck.  But like all the postures it is the process that matters, it is the journey of the posture where we learn.  All postures were designed to be mental exercises as well as physical, improving strength in the mind as well as in the body, but it is the balancing postures that give the most notable improvement in the powers of concentration and prepare us for meditation.  Kakasana brings mental tranquillity and although we may fall to begin with, practiced in the proper way with the proper approach it is much easier than it may first appear.

Here is how;

1. Sit in a squatting position with feet and knees wide apart.  Place the hands on the mat in front of you, spreading the fingers nice and wide to make a firm foundation.  Keep the hands slightly rotating inward.  Make sure the hands are beneath the shoulders.
2. Bend the elbows a little outward, making shelves for the knees, placing the knees into the armpits, or on the respective upper arms.
3. Focus the eyes on a point several feet in front of the body, this will help you balance, if you look down it will be much more difficult.  Shift the weight forward onto the hands and hold the position there with the big toes still resting on the mat for support.
4. Begin to pull the belly into the spine and slowly lift the feet up, one at a time to begin with.
5. Breathe there and enjoy this flying sensation!  Even if you can’t bring the feet up to begin with you will still gain much benefit from bringing the weight onto the wrists.
6. Slowly lower the feet back down to the mat and gently shake out your wrists.
7. Remember never to jump into this position, you should always move slowly and gracefully and only go into full posture when the strength and flexibility is there.

Kakasans will bring much strength to the wrists, arms and shoulders.  It increases breathing capacity by expanding the chest, and increases the powers to concentrate helping to remove lethargy.  It is an excellent pose for people in jobs who are in danger of getting repetitive strain injury. 

So join me on the mat and lets learn how to fly together,

Have beautiful days

Om Om shanti Om

Mangala / nicky.

Exploration to Transcend.

So we have said that the cause of our ignorance and suffering are our senses, that they bind us to the sensual world and limit our being.  We become involved with satisfying our sense of taste, touch, sound, smell and sight.  We like to eat what we consider to be beautiful food, we like to look at beautiful things, hear beautiful things etc, and when it’s not that way we become disturbed.  Our mind is but a limited thing, actually it is not really much more than an organiser of information much like a computer, the knowledge is not there in the computer before we put it there, much like the knowledge is not there in the mind but somewhere else.  So how do we transcend this limited mind and the senses to a higher level?  How do we find this knowledge to overcome our ignorance, we are told the knowledge is there within us, all possibilities are within us, all joy, bliss and peace are there within us, but how do we get there? 

Is there a direct route that some Rishi somewhere is keeping a secret?  No, we get there through an exploration of practice, an exploration of this body and mind until we can transcend this limited being and find the true self.  That is where the knowledge is, that is where the unlimited ocean of peace is and that is where the magic happens.  But we are so full of memories and bad habits, impressions from past experience both in this life and past, we are full of impurities of our likes and dislikes.  The mind tosses back and forth and because of this tossing it prevents us from deeper self-enquiry and creates emotions that are difficult to keep under control.  But by making a leap forward into an exploration of practice we can make progress.  We can transcend these likes and dislikes by practicing the act of Karma yoga, the act of selfless service.  By embarking on any work where you can give up the fruits of your action, do something for somebody without expecting anything back, be able to take on any task no matter what it is with a smile and just do it, without hating or loving it but just doing it.  We can prevent this tossing of the mind by practicing Raja yoga; the eight fold path, which incorporates our observances and restraints, withdrawing the senses, the practice of asanas and pranayama, concentration and meditation to reach the blissful state.  Then we can transcend the emotions by the practice of Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion, by making all you do an act of devotion, by chanting the mantras and devotional songs we can sublimate these emotions that cause us so much trouble!  Then we can transcend our whole being by Jnana yoga, the practice of deep self-enquiry to reach the truth, through the practice of meditation.  These four paths lead to the same destination, and that is one of oneness, of union, which path is more suited to you well you will have to explore all of them to know that, but by practicing all four paths the destination may just come into sight, and what a journey!

Sounds easy, of course it’s not, but as Christopher Columbus set sail across the oceans on a journey of exploration of the globe, set sail across the oceans of yoga on the biggest exploration of all, an exploration of the self. 

So looking forward to seeing you on the mat and setting sail.

Om Om Shanti Om

Mangala / nicky

Dancing in the light of Saraswati

I open my heart 

as the lotus blooms in the moonlight

let go let go let go

surrendering myself to that pure light

it pulsates within me

around me 

all is energy

feeling that pulse of the vast unseen

floating

floating

truth reveals itself

under the silver light.

enjoy every breath of this beautiful existence

Om Om shanti Om

mangala / nicky

A lotus is a flower that grows deeply in the mud.

A lotus is a flower that grows deep in the mud, the deeper the mud the more beautiful the lotus.  I think you have probably heard this saying, it is one that resides deep in my heart and I am often referring back to it in regards to practice.  Sometimes the practice is going so well, everything is feeling good, the mind is calm and focused, and nothing seems to bother you.  And there are times when it seems to be more of a struggle, there is pain in the body, the mind becomes confused and busy, other things in life seem to be hurling themselves at you, and time for practice, real quality time becomes harder to find.  It is in those times I often think of the lotus so symbolic to our spiritual growth.  Yes at times we face many obstacles, but we have to take courage and know that it is with this experience that our lotus will bloom.  We have to learn to be so adaptable and find the yoga that is truly working for us through our own experience and nobody else’s.  By learning how to deal with our body and mind system on a daily basis, trying not to just follow systems dogmatically but to learn when to push ourselves on and when we need to hold ourselves back.  We are all incredibly different at the same time as being one, which leaves me in amazement.  Take courage to leave the shore of broken shells and dive deeper into a new world of endless possibilities.  To discover one country we have to leave the last one behind, and for that be brave learn how to let go, take courage and have faith.  Learn how to no know anything, as if we only base our knowledge on this limited mind we are going to fall down.  The world you seek contains more possibilities than you can imagine, you will be able to see things that you cannot imagine.  If thinking is an amazing thing then not to think is even more amazing.  The only way you can reach that beautiful blooming lotus is through your experience with your practice, learning how to transform yourself, not to just be able to sit in a cave in padmasana and reside in bliss, but to make that experience one you can enjoy in every moment no matter what you are doing.  Removing the chaos around you to find your peace is not the answer, removing the chaos within you and being able to float to the heights and continue to float back down at the lower levels is our goal.  Our experience is the mud and there is no other way than to plough through it.  What you will reach with determination and dedication is indescribable, what you will discover is indescribable, set sail oh seeker over the oceans of the unknown and discover yourself and shine, shine brightly like the light that you are.

For now I am enjoying the mud!

Love and light

Om Shanti

Mangala / nicky

Echoes of Divinity.

"It is a divine message for you all.  Pure as the snow of the Himalayas, bright as the sunlight, expansive as the sky, all-pervading as the ether, unfathomable as the ocean, cool as the waters of the Ganges is Immortal Atman, the substratum for this world, body, mind and Prana.  Nothing is sweeter that this Atma.  Purify your heart and meditate.  Plunge deep into your heart.  Dive deep into the innermost recesses.  You will find it.  Only if you search in deep water, you will find the pearl of Atma.  If you keep to the shore, you will find only broken shells only.  the best flower that can be offered to the Lord is your heart.  Penetrate more deeply into the infinite domain of Kailasa, the kingdom of illimitable bliss, unparalleled joy and peace within you.

Just as a light is burning within the hurricane lantern, so the Divine light is burning within your heart.  You can behold the Divine light through your inner third eye or the eye of intuition, by withdrawing the senses and sealing the mind.  It takes a long time for charcoal to catch fire.  But gunpowder can be ignited within a twinkling of an eye.  Even so, it takes a long time for lighting the fire of knowledge for a man whose heart is impure.  But an aspirant with great purity of heart gets knowledge of the Self within the twinkling of an eye, in the time taken to squeeze a flower by the fingers.  Armed with patience, perseverance, tranquility and courage, slowly ascend the peak after peak, subdue the indriyas one by one.  Control the thoughts one by one.  Eradicate the vasanas one by one, and eventually reach the summit of self-realization or divine glory.  O friend - wake up!  Sleep no more!  Meditate.  It is Brahmamuhurta now.  Open the gate of the temple of the Lord in your heart with the key of love.  Hear the music of the soul.  Sing the song of prem to your beloved.  Play the melody of the infinite.  Melt your mind in his contemplation.  Unite with him.  Immerse yourself in the ocean of love and bliss!"

A message from Sri Swami Sivananda - my master

you can download free books written by His Holiness here: www.dlshq.org.download/download.htm

Looking forward to seeing you all on the mat or the cushion or the floor! Or just seeing you,

Om Lokha Somastah Sukinho Bhavantu

wishing you all harmony and balance 

mangala - nicky

Curry Mangala!

For our bodies to work properly and efficiently we need the right fuel, like a car needs good petrol to power it, we need good and high quality food to fuel our bodies.  Without the proper diet the body will become diseased, without the proper diet the mind also becomes diseased; if the body is unwell also the mind is unwell.  Our diets should enable the body to grow according to its age, replace waste and rejuvenate cells.  For prevention of diseases and for a happy life the diet should provide us with sufficient energy in terms of calories so as the body can have enough power to renew the dead cells and tissues, enable growth, give all the necessary ingredients for various glands and organs to function properly and produce hormones and secretions and also have the right power to set right any defects that are brought on by life.  A diet full of processed, frozen and unclean foods full of fats and sugars is not going to make a happy body and mind.  You may think that the chocolate bar, a visit to the bakery and cup of coffee brings you happiness, but that happiness is not real, it is fleeting and impermanent and only brings problems for our health.  Food is life and strength of the body, but if it degenerates to pander to the tongue, diseases and eventually death will come.

Our daily diets should contain proteins, starch, fats, vitamins and minerals, all of which can be provided in a fully vegetarian diet.  Your proteins can be found in rice, wheat, cereals, millets, pulses, nuts and milk.  Starch in rice, wheat and cereals.  Fats in butter, ghee, milk, oils and coconut.  Vitamins in cereals, millets, pulses, bran, vegetables fresh leafy vegetables, milk and sprouted grains.  Minerals in fresh green leafy vegetables, fruits, milk and some pulses. 

Some tips: eat unpolished rice, organic brown rice and take a little of the water it is cooked in with it.  Use all fresh and organic ingredients.  Drink cows milk that is organic and the cows have been fed organically also.  Use oils such as extra virgin olive oil.  Things that are said to be low fat etc are made up of synthetic ingredients and are not natural, keep to as a natural diet as you can, just have a little less of those things with more fats.  For those of you with sweet teeth, keep a little jaggary, which is natural sugar, and take a little when the desire can’t be contained! 

Here is my wholesome vegetable curry recipe, enjoy!

1-tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.

2 big tomatoes

1” chunk of fresh ginger

1-teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon fennu greek powder

2 teaspoon of black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of ginger powder

1 teaspoon of mix masala

1 teaspoon of cardamom

3 small potatoes

½ cup of chickpeas that have been soaked, (don’t use the tinned variety)

½ cup of fresh peas

½ small cauliflower

Bunch of chopped spinach

2 small bananas

1 litre water

Heat the oil in the pan and add the tomatoes and all the spices and fresh ginger chopped, fry until the tomatoes goes squishy and then mash it down into a paste.  Add half of the water, the potatoes, chickpeas, peas, and cauliflower and bring to the boil, simmer for 20 mins or so on low heat.  Add water when needed to prevent drying out.  Add the spinach and bananas and cook for a further 5 mins.

Serve with brown organic rice or with flat bread.

You can also add organic natural yoghurt, raisins, grated coconut and black pepper toward the end of cooking.  Experiment a bit!

Yum now I’m hungry!

Om Namah Sivaya

mangala / nicky