Mastery of the Mind

By Lucy Lidell 

The mind is like a lake, its surface broken by ripples of thought. In order to see the Self which lies beneath, first you must learn to still these ripples, to become the master of your mind rather than its servant. For most of your waking hours the mind is tossed from one thought to another, pulled by desires and aversions, by emotions and memories, both pleasant and unpleasant. Of all the forces that agitate the mind, it is the senses that most often disturb the concentration, giving rise to fantasies and desires. A well-loved tune in the radio sends the mind racing to the time you heard it first, while a tempting smell or a sudden cold draught can shatter your train of thought. Of all the senses, sight and hearing are the most powerful, endlessly drawing the mind outward and wasting valuable mental energy. For this reason meditation uses either sounds (Mantras) or images (Yantras and Mandalas). 


The mind is by nature constantly searching for happiness, vainly hoping to find satisfaction once it attains what it desires. On acquiring the desired object, the mind is temporarily silenced, but after a short while the whole pattern starts again, because the mind itself remains unchanged and the true desire unfulfilled. Imagine, for example, that you out and buy a new car. For some time you feel proud and satisfied – the mind is at rest. But soon you start hankering after a new model or a different color, or worrying about it getting stolen or hit. What began as a pleasure has become yet another source of discontent, for in stilling one desire, many others are created. 


Yoga teaches us that we possess a source of joy and wisdom already inside us, a fund of tranquility that we can perceive and draw nourishment from when the movement of the mind is still. If we can channel this desire for contentment inward instead of attaching it to external objects that are by nature ephemeral, we can discover how to live in peace.

Swami Sevaratna

Yogaspirit, Λαοδίκης 34, Γλυφάδα, Τηλ: 210 - 96 81 793
* If you live in Athens, I will be very glad to have you in one of my classes of Real Yoga

Life is About Letting, Rather Than Getting

http://gaiavibrance.com

Meet the Real You!
Most people do not have an authentic sense of who they really are. They are not really certain where they have come from, or where they are going. And, most importantly, they do not understand why they are here on this planet Earth, and what their purpose is for being here.


There are ways for moving from an ego-based world-view to a more enjoyable and holistic perspective. There is nothing more exciting, or important, than learning who we really are and why we are here.


How to Live the Life of Your Dreams
Everyone has dreams, hopes, and desires for their life. Everyone wants to feel happy, fulfilled and loved. But many people do not know how to live the life of their dreams. There is a difference between living life from the conditioned ego-mind and living life from your authentic self. 


Your conditioned surface ego-mind may tell you that you need many things to be happy, an impressive plaque on the office door, a private yacht, a "trophy" husband or wife, and so on. Your authentic self knows what TRULY makes you happy. 


Often people who seem to have everything -- fame, success, beauty, a big bank account, exotic travels, and so on -- are STILL very unhappy and we read about their drug addictions, failed relationships, alcohol fueled excesses and so on in the gossip columns of the papers. The reason for this is that we can acquire many things, but if we do not love ourselves and know WHO WE TRULY ARE, happiness will continue to elude us. 


Life is about letting, rather than getting. There is nothing wrong with acquiring beautiful things, but joy, happiness and fulfillment always arise from within, never from any external circumstances. 


To begin to get to know the Real You, the You that the Universe intends you to be, the You that Universal Mind knows you to be, ask yourself these questions, “What are the things I love to do, that bring me joy and fill me with passion? What are the talents I am blessed with? What things come naturally to me? What skills have I developed that I enjoy sharing?” 


When we frame our questions in the larger context of Divine life, the answers come easily. Questions such as, “How can I be Love right here and now? How can I express the great Joy of God here where I stand? How can I reflect the Divine Creativity at this moment?” These are questions of soul purpose. Using affirmations, meditation techniques and positive visualization, you can start living your life from a position of authenticity, power, and inspired creativity.




Σουαμι Σεβαρατνα 
Λαοδικης 34, Γλυφαδα, Τηλ.: 210 - 96 81 793