Meditation Room

In Sanskrit, the word satsang literally translates as "keeping the company of truth." If you're taking my yoga classes these days, the first part of the class is always devoted to satsang, a discussion whose purpose is to lead our attention to the true nature of ourselves.

It can help remind you of what is essential and most important about being alive. This Mediation Room can help remind you of what was discussed in a class, as the yoga subjects are extremely elusive.  Yoga philosophy is only real in the here-and-now of its practice.  Otherwise it can easily become a lump to be piled on top of all the dogma of the world's religions.  Therefore, use these writings as part of your yoga practice, for example, conscious breathing, postures, contemplation and meditation as you like. This space is yours to come into at any time.  And you are my most welcome guest for satsang.  Please feel free to let me know your own experiences as they relate to the topics and chime in with your own thoughts and inspirations.

Restorative Yoga & Meditation Workshops!!! 

Restorative Yoga & Meditation with Live Music
Lindenwoods Community Centre
4141 Lindenwoods Drive West
Sunday, March 14:  1:30 - 4:30 PM*
Tuesday, March 30:  8:00 - 9:30 PM**
Tuesday, April 6:  8:00 - 9:30 PM**
Sunday, April 8:  6:00 - 9:00 PM*

*Cost 3 hr workshop:  $35 advance / $50 at the door

**Cost 1.5 hr class:  $20 advance / $30 at the door  

Space is limited to 12 participants per class and is subject to a minimum registration as well

To Respond to the Meditation Room

Yoga Journal article on Satsang

Meditation on Interconnectivity of All Beings and All Things

Sound in Your Body

• Choose a piece of meditative music that can go for 15 - 20 minutes uninterrupted, inspiring, melodic as you like.

• After sitting with a long spine any way that's comfortable, close your eyes, and bring your awareness to the soles of your feet.

• Rest your awareness there for as long as it takes to notice that the soles of your feet  are reflecting the vibration of the music, you can sense it, feel it, the living cells of your feet are experiencing the music and giving you a sign of it.

• When you have clear signals from your feet about the sound, shift your attention to the quality of silence (if you can easily pause the music, please do so).  Rest your awareness there for as long as it takes to observe the quality of silence in your feet and have no anxiety if this part of the practice is not immediately obvious.

• Raise your attention progressively upwards in your body, each time resuming the meditative music, followed by observation of its vibration in that body area,  and then again watching a minute or two for the silence.   Move from the feet to the lower legs, to the upper legs, to the hips and low belly, to the rib cage, to the chest.

• Pause in the heart area to deepen your attention.  Notice the sound in the heart, notice the silence in the heart, and then notice the  heart of the heart, the  "unstruck sound" from which all experiences are  arising.  Again,  feel no  frustration if your practice doesn't bring immediate results, it takes time.

• Move up, draw the energy you found in the heart to the throat, let it soften your neck and your jaw.  Watch for the cells' sympathetic vibration to the music, pause the music and locate the vibration of silence in this area.  Continue through the face, up to the third eye and finally to the crown of your head.

• While your awareness rests in the crown of your head, contemplate that this is the part of a human being's body which is sensitive to the experience of oneness, that most easily reflects the state of no separation, and can shine the direct experience and reality that all beings and all things are connected  through all time.  Feel the music here, pause the music when that experience comes clear and search out the quality of silence in the crown.  Rest here as long as you are comfortable.

• Note:  Everytime your thinking mind interrupts the silence, gently draw your attention back to the silence.  If it happens fifty times in a minute, gently draw your awareness back to the silence fifty times. 
  

• To come out of the meditation, bring your hands together over your eyes, massage your face, slowly open your eyes and take a full minute or two to resume movement. SWAHA!
  

A Rite of Change Meditation- From the WindSong workshop series

The Mirror Room