Evening Came and Morning Followed - The Third Day
I write this rather bleary eyed, since I got to bed at 1 AM last night! The Anusara Yoga community celebrated John Friend's 50th birthday in a beautiful home. Everyone showed up in gorgeous attire. It was fun to see people outside of yoga clothes and to celebrate this incredible event as a community.
The teachings with Paul Muller Ortega continue to be very deep and nuanced. I especially loved the discussion on the meaning of "OM Namah Shivaya" in the Anusara Yoga Invocation yesterday morning, and a discussion on the nature and role of desire from a renunciatory perspective as is described in the Bhagavad Gita, in contrast to the Tantric perspective.
The Gita teaches that our goal is to let go of desire and this is really a renunciatory process. Tantra is the spiritual path of the householder, and renunciatory practices are not really appropriate for someone in this stage of life. Thus, in the Tantric tradition - you refine and purify desire - so that you may be able to let go of the desire that does not serve, and embrace instead, forms of desire that are life enhancing.
Ultimately, desire that is life enhancing and glorifying is a manifestation of Divine energy working through you in all facets of your life...More later if I can!
* * * * *
The morning session just concluded and it consisted of the most exquisite teachings on meditation which brought me a greater sense of clarity as to my path and practice, and much comfort as well. I even had an opportunity to speak directly to Paul Muller Ortega and share some of my practice with him.
I have been struggling for a while with his distinctions between a renunciatory path and that of the householder, and whether I was inappropriately straddling both. But he enabled me to see that I am sort of in between both of these and am more of a forest dweller which is the third of four possible options. In this stage, one has raised one's children and is no longer bound to the same level of responsibilities previously held. Thus, one is able to pursue one's spirituality much more deeply than one had the opportunity to do during the more intense early years of marriage and raising children.
Of course, there was much more to this discussion - but the insights I received crystallized a number of insights for me.
I will share in tomorrow's entry more of today's gems.
The teachings with Paul Muller Ortega continue to be very deep and nuanced. I especially loved the discussion on the meaning of "OM Namah Shivaya" in the Anusara Yoga Invocation yesterday morning, and a discussion on the nature and role of desire from a renunciatory perspective as is described in the Bhagavad Gita, in contrast to the Tantric perspective.
The Gita teaches that our goal is to let go of desire and this is really a renunciatory process. Tantra is the spiritual path of the householder, and renunciatory practices are not really appropriate for someone in this stage of life. Thus, in the Tantric tradition - you refine and purify desire - so that you may be able to let go of the desire that does not serve, and embrace instead, forms of desire that are life enhancing.
Ultimately, desire that is life enhancing and glorifying is a manifestation of Divine energy working through you in all facets of your life...More later if I can!
* * * * *
The morning session just concluded and it consisted of the most exquisite teachings on meditation which brought me a greater sense of clarity as to my path and practice, and much comfort as well. I even had an opportunity to speak directly to Paul Muller Ortega and share some of my practice with him.
I have been struggling for a while with his distinctions between a renunciatory path and that of the householder, and whether I was inappropriately straddling both. But he enabled me to see that I am sort of in between both of these and am more of a forest dweller which is the third of four possible options. In this stage, one has raised one's children and is no longer bound to the same level of responsibilities previously held. Thus, one is able to pursue one's spirituality much more deeply than one had the opportunity to do during the more intense early years of marriage and raising children.
Of course, there was much more to this discussion - but the insights I received crystallized a number of insights for me.
I will share in tomorrow's entry more of today's gems.
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