Guru

We all have a tendency to some degree to look outside of ourselves for answers. We think that someone is going to swoop into our lives and save the day—leaving us free from our problems. I remember first meeting David Nichtern, who is a senior Shambhala teacher and also one of my mentors. He said to me, “Johnny, no one is going to save you—you have to do the work yourself”. It was a sobering thought, and in some ways, it was a slap in the face—an invitation to sit up straight, be responsible for my life and begin doing the work.

Guru is a Sanskrit word that means “to bring light to darkness”. Our darkness is our delusion which creates confusion within our lives. Spiritual practice is meant to bring light onto our darkness and lift the veil of confusion. Seeking out a spiritual teacher is very popular in the east and it is becoming more popular in the west. When I asked David what the role of a teacher was, he said it was to hold up a mirror unto the student. His answer reminded me of an expression, “The ball is in your court”. The teacher simply aids the student in seeing themselves in a clearer light by continually helping the student understand their experience. The teacher simply keeps throwing the ball back into our court.

This weekend I had a pretty powerful experience early Saturday morning that fully brought home why the ball has to be in our court. I was reading Big Mind, Big Heart by Dennis Genpo Merzel and I experienced Big Mind. I have had several glimpses of Big Mind before, yet this weekend it was particularly powerful. I dropped into a whole new level of understanding. I cannot write too much about this experience because there are no words that can describe Big Mind. What I can say is that there was a knowing beyond anything I have ever experienced. This knowing was accompanied by a deep sense of peace. I just sat there for a while on Saturday and well, I just sat there.

The only thing that holds us back from experiencing our fullness is ourselves. When we bring our attention fully to this moment and stop striving, stop wanting it to be different, and simply be with our experience, we experience our light--darkness fades and we realize that the ball has always been in our court. If we can simply just see that we are the ones we are looking for. Within us is everything and outside of us is everything. There is only separation within our mind's perception. This is the experience of Big Mind.

It's not just about the Journey

I spent the past weekend in bed with some kind of viral flu--I had a fever of 103, chills and sweats, dry heaving--wah-wah-wah. So you get the point--the toughest part is that I spent the last three months training for the Delaware Relay Marathon. The race was Sunday --needless to say, I could not run. A similar thing happened this past February- I was three practices away from completing the Yoga Challenge. I came down with a sickness and missed completing the challenge.

So the saying goes, "It is all about the journey." I truly believe that the journey, or the process, is a huge part of the equation, yet it's not the full equation. We often use this expression in order to focus on here and now, and to realize that the true prize is in the process. I no longer believe it is all about the journey.

The destination or goal is equally as important as the journey or process. The goal is something in the future. When you think of your goal in the present moment it motivates you and reminds you why you are doing what you are doing here and now. When there is a destination or a goal, there is a purpose that can be felt in the present moment. That purpose lights up your path so your journey becomes more crystal clear. The clarity you obtain by having a goal has the potential to infuse you with passion that can keep you enthusiastic and motivated within each step on the journey.

In the case of the Relay Marathon I immediately recognized when deciding to run that I could not just go out and run 6.5 miles--I had to train for it. I started a program three months ago and followed it closely. Before I started the program, I would go out and run whenever I wanted and run as fast or as long as I felt like on that particular day--some people would say this defines freedom. I thought it did, yet I was wrong. Do whatever you want and you will be free. However, I have discovered that for me, this defines laziness, lack of motivation, and even confusion. When you are not in touch with a purpose, there are very few people that can continue to do something with intensity, passion and consistency.

Knowing each week that I had to run a certain amount of miles with a particular pace held me accountable. There were so many days that the so-called freedom runner would have not run or dogged it. It was the destination--the goal that held me accountable in the present moment. It was discipline that helped me discover true freedom.

I feel great about my commitment. I just wish I could have done the race. I have learned a lot about the importance of having a goal and getting clear on my intentions. The largest lesson I have learned is that the clearer I am with what I want my future to be the more powerful the now can be.

Spinning Wheel

As we think the same thoughts over and over again they become patterns in our lives. Eastern philosophy uses the analogy of a wheel. The wheel spins in a direction and our lives spin in that same direction. Thoughts become words, words become actions, and then actions become our deeds. Deeds turn into character and then character gives birth to destiny. This is something very powerful which all human beings should learn at an early age.

The way we think and act will become a pattern, so act and speak wisely. Learning to cultivate a pause before speaking and acting can be one of the wisest things a human being can do to prevent creating more unnecessary suffering in their lives and the lives of those around them.

Many of these words are adopted from an ancient Buddhist text called the Dharmapada. Dharma means truth or that which upholds our life. Pada means foot. Dharmapada is a collection of the Buddha's teachings which provides guidelines for walking a path of truth. In this journey, you are asked to recognize that which upholds integrity within your life and that which blocks integrity.

For me, this is a moving target--it is a real practice to pause and get in touch with my words and actions and observe that which builds integrity and that which blocks it. Noticing ways of thinking and acting that no longer uphold integrity can be painful when you begin to realize just how long you have been doing something that blocks integrity.

For me, pain sets in after I have reacted and I realize that I said something or did something I did not want to--just out of habit. The habit is the spinning wheel. Our reaction and actions are so heavily imprinted within us. It takes a strong desire to want to change matched with patience to pause and notice that there is a choice. In pausing we begin seeing the power of the spinning wheel. The forward pulling energy of our tendency to react the way we have always done it.

This is where faith steps in. When speaking about faith, Martin Luther King said, "You don't need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." Notice when you pause. Feel the tendency to react and pay attention to your body. There is a tension you can get in touch with--this is your fear body. Take a breath in and begin consciously breathing. The tension will begin to dissolve with your attention. This is the beginning of learning to work with the spinning wheels within our lives. This is the beginning of changing the direction of the wheels. This is being empowered.

Master Cleanse

I am on Day Seven of the Master Cleanse. It is arguably one of the world's most famous cleansing programs. The Master Cleanse was created by Stanley Burroughs in 1941. Author of "Healing for the Age of Enlightenment" and "The Master Cleanse", Stanley was renowned for his research into the role of toxemias in disease. Stanley experimented with cleansing techniques and discovered that drinking a mixture of organic Maple syrup, Organic Lemon, distilled Water and cayenne pepper throughout a ten day period would clean all of the systems of the body and detoxify the body.

Throughout the cleanse, the water nourishes the cells and keeps the body hydrated while the vitamin-rich lemons help to loosen and break up mucus in the body. Grade B Maple Syrup is one of the most balanced of all sugars- it keeps sugar levels balanced to avoid unnecessary spikes in hunger or extreme lows in energy levels. Finally, cayenne pepper is a blood vessel dilator, thermal warmer, and valuable source of vitamin A.

Stanley believed that toxicity was the main reason for disease and the root of many of the problems that our bodies experience. Over the last thirty years, people all around the world have taken part in this fast and have cured themselves of everything from infertility, diabetes, back pain, ulcers, and more. While I am not claiming that this cleanse can heal everything, I firmly believe that the Cleanse can take you to a whole new level of living!

The idea of not eating anything for 10 days is scary. Immediately, you realize just how much time and energy you put into thinking about eating, getting the food, preparing the food, eating the food, cleaning up from eating and then eliminating the food. The body requires enormous amounts of energy to process food. How do you think you will feel when that energy is not being spent on food? At times, the energy can be overwhelming.

When people tell me "I could never do that" I say "That's right, you can't." You will do whatever your mind tells you that you can or cannot do. Understanding the power of the mind is what begins to elevate human beings. Maybe it's time to clean up and clean out your mind and body—it was for me.

Yoga Systems

In a previous Blog I wrote about how my Hatha Yoga was taking a backseat to my Yoga Running. The average reader has probably never been introduced to Yoga running and thinks of yoga as an activity that involves stretching. This is a limited view of yoga and without some knowledge of yoga, how would anyone know? The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj which means to yoke. Visualize two oxen pulling a plow—the thing connecting the two of them is called a yoke. The word yoga means two forces working together to create a singular action.

Classically you have 6 major systems of yoga

1. Hatha Yoga—yoking physical postures (asana) and breathing techniques (pranayama)
2. Karma Yoga—yoking our actions with the benefit of others
3. Bhakti Yoga—yoking our life with God through devotion
4. Raja Yoga—Royal path or the Eight Fold Path. Path outlines guidelines for yoking our life with God
5. Jnana Yoga—the study of scriptures in the pursuit to attain more knowledge helping us come to a greater awareness of God
6. Kriya Yoga—is a complete system covering a wide range of techniques, including mantras and techniques of meditation for control of the life-force, bringing calmness and control of both body and mind.

From a contemporary standpoint, most serious yoga practitioners are practicing all six systems. In the west most of us come to the yoga practice via Hatha Yoga—as we stick with the practice we become curious and start reading yoga books. Now we are practicing Jnana yoga. Through the process of gaining knowledge we become more aware of where we are creating stress in our lives and the lives of those around us. In this stage we are practicing Raja Yoga. As we refine our lives we become more conscious of the seeds we are planting through our words and actions. Now we begin practicing Karma Yoga. We discover that the true purpose of Hatha Yoga is to sit in meditation and come into deeper levels of stillness. We are now practicing Kriya Yoga. Finally we begin to contemplate the face of God and what God means to us. The veil of egotism begins to lift and Bhakti Yoga becomes a moment to moment practice.

While it seems like I am suggesting that this is a linear progression, it is not at all. This is a 360 degree dynamic process that keeps unfolding and unwinding within us and around us. Yoga is something we do—it is also something that we are. As we begin to understand the profundity of this ancient science it becomes evident that yoga is our birthright all aspects of life can be yoga. When I am running if I maintain awareness of my mind and body then running takes on the traits of yoga. For me this is changing my relationship with running.

Energy follows Attention

This is a law of the universe of which I am quite fond. I make this point often in class: wherever you direct your attention in life is where you are going to go. If you are dealing with an injury and you put your attention into learning about the injury, doing workshops, asking teachers questions and spending time on your yoga mat, you are going to heal the injury. If you are making lifestyle changes and putting your energy into activities that will foster this change, the change will become a reality.

Yoga also affords us the opportunity to hone in on what thoughts we are putting energy into and where are placing our attention. If we feed into positive thinking, our life will breed positive vibes. So what do you do when you realize you are feeding negative thinking? First of all, congratulate yourself, because the first step to change is awareness that there is pain. The next step is to become non-judgmentally aware of these thoughts, learn to watch them and notice how your body reacts to them. It is important to not judge yourself because falling into judgments worsens the matter and creates further self loathing.

We have an incredible ability to rationalize and ignore where we put our energy—I catch myself doing it all the time. Be mindful of where you are placing your attention and begin noticing whether the results of your attention will be constructive or destructive to your state of peace. Wiser life choices arise by continually refining your attention. Yoga is the art of paying attention.

Nature of Task

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier—not that the nature of the task has changed, but the ability to do it has increased.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am running more than I have run in years and my Hatha yoga practice has taken a back seat to my Yoga Running practice. On a good week I practice Hatha Yoga five days. Recently, I have had to take it down to three times a week due to time constraints—I will let you know how my body adjusts to this training change. I am following a structured running program: as the mileage increases, so does my capacity to run faster and longer.

When running I am being mindful of my foot strike and the alignment of my body. It is a real mediation to let go of thinking and let my attention rest within. I am very aware of my habitual running patterns and over the last few years I have been able to cultivate a much more ergonomic technique. It has been challenging to change the way I run, yet, with repetition my ability has grown. I feel Emerson's wisdom each time I run.

Within our teaching training program students often make the same comments- "you make it look so easy" and "you are so good at what you do". My response is always the same, “If you do this for as many years as I have, then you will also be good at it. If I'm not a half decent teacher by now then I am pathetic.” I find the better I get at any skill the less serious I take myself. Getting good at something is nothing more than practice and repetition. If you are committed to something and keep practicing you too will find wisdom in Emerson’s words.