Light and Shadow: One cannot exist without the Other

  There comes a stage in the evolution of an illuminated soul,
    when it begins to see the law hidden behind nature.
    To it the whole of life reveals its secret.
 Hazrat Inayat Khan

Winter Solstice 2010: Deep into the Darkness of Winter

Reconnecting with your innermost
self can open the doors to an
entirely new and unpredictable path.

Tailoring A Personal Retreat
This winter solstice, I won't be traveling, so I intend to spend time attending to my home and creating a sacred space. I'm deep into intention to create a personal winter solstice retreat.

* Prepare my meditation space * 

* Set intention for solstice celebration

as earth makes the gentle rotation from darkness to light. *

Winter Cold Fastens its Grip : Inner Retreat

Every winter solstice I find myself meditating to a different vibration than from the year before, allowing myself to listen to the quite voice within.

Make Your Own Retreat: 
If you don't have the time for a retreat get-away that is organized outside of your home, you can still find retreat within your own home.

1) Find A Room, or a Spot Intended for Meditation
In our guest bedroom, I re-arranged the space so that I have quite spot in the corner of the room. I've placed a little rug and a meditation mat in front of a small table. I put a few candles and significant photographs on it. All of it can be easily tucked away when guests stay in the room.

2) Set a Time for You and No Excuses to Cancel
For the next few days, set an intention and a time to step away from routines, relationships, and environments. Sit with yourself for 15 minutes, or longer. Practice silence.

If you have difficulties getting away from others, then let your family and friends of your intentions. Set the stage and let everyone know what you want makes it easier to drop into stillness and examine the undercurrent of your life. Once you do, you can plug into a connection with your divine nature.

Full moon over the Red Sea at Wadi el Dome Marina, Egypt

SIGNIFICANT Winter Solstice 21 December 2010

A most providential time as moon energy will be very extraordinary

Start to bring your awareness to this very auspicious time and begin to prepare yourself for the winter solstice. As the daylight is shorter and the days are cooler, the space around us creates an environment for reflection, prayer, and quietness. In Cairo, the December solstice occurs at 01:38 AM on December 22, 2010 (11.38pm UTC, December 21, 2010). The next day, another second of daylight lingers to bring a little sliver more of sun into our waking hours.

The Full Cold Moon

We will also have a full moon that begins at 10:13 AM. This December full moon is called Full Cold Moon. Sometimes this moon is referred to as the Full Long Nights Moon and the term "Long Night" Moon is a very appropriate name because the nights are now indeed long and the Moon is above the horizon a long time.

This particular full moon makes its highest arc across the sky because it's diametrically opposite to the low Sun. The moment of the Winter Solstice at 1:38 a.m comes just over 15 hours after full moon .

Last, but certainly not least, this will also be the night of a Total Lunar Eclipse. Observers in Western Europe and western Africa will see the opening stages of the eclipse before the Moon sets.

Sometime give a talk to yourself, 'How I can be great'
Fifteen minutes, thirty minutes on how you can be great.
Make it a secret tape, and then listen to that electronic voice as a meditation;
it will work 100 times better."
~Yogi Bhajan

basket theory: how to get rich

The way to become rich is to put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket. --Andrew Carnegie

Basket seller in Maadi

the narrow hallway of the divide

Anything that comes in life is an opportunity. God is constantly giving you the opportunity to know thy Self. --Paramahamsa Hariharananda

Here's a new feeling that I'm facing today and the answer provided via a random passage that I selected from a random book:

If a wrong is done against us for no fault of ours, there is no best or worst method to retaliate.

Do not degrade yourself by resorting to retaliation in any way.

Adherence to violence even in thought, just to satisfy the lower mind debases the individual spiritually.

## never allow anyone to challenge your grace ##

50 types of breaths

A view of Cairo from Al Azhar Park

There are 50 types of breaths corresponding to 50 types of propensities.

Among these, 49 types of breath are for material enjoyment,

and the remaining one, the short and feeble breath, is for God-realization.

-- Paramahamsa Hariharananda, Kriya Yoga

*** BREATH NOW ****

To Thine Own Self Be True

To Thine Own Self Be True

Yet here, Laertes! Aboard, aboard for shame!
The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail,
And you are stay'd for.
There ... my blessing with thee!
And these few precepts in thy memory
Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg’d comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel but, being in,
Bear't that th' opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgement.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man;
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell; my blessing season this in thee!

-- William Shakespeare

Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda

Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda

Now we will count to twelve

and we will keep still

for once on the face of the earth,

let's not speak in any language;

let's stop for a second,

and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment

without rush, without engines;

we would all be together

in a sudden strangeness.

Fishermen in the cold sea

would not harm whales

and the man gathering salt

would not look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,

wars with gas, wars with fire,

victories with no survivors,

would put on clean clothes

and walk about with their brothers

in the shade, doing nothing.

What I want should not be confused

with total inactivity.

Life is what it is about...

If we were not so single-minded

about keeping our lives moving,

and for once could do nothing,

perhaps a huge silence

might interrupt this sadness

of never understanding ourselves

and of threatening ourselves with

death

News for toDay

Over the last 14 days, I took a retreat from the "world"; a retreat designed by me, specifically for me. My opportunity to step into an unknown territory that surrounds me and that which is within me. Outside of Egypt, I traveled within.

During this time, I meditated and ate good food. I had no contact with telephone, internet, email, or television. I've done this many times before, with complete faith that what I need to know will be presented to me.

When I returned to Cairo the other day, I found that I had no interest in reading "news" and instead visited a Twitter friend's blog. My click landed me on his latest post. I am sharing it here as I find it most uplifting. This is really all the news that we need to know.

I hope that you will take time to read more from his blog.

SPIRITUAL CONSPIRACY
From the blog written by City Yoga Guy http://cityguyyoga.com/2009/05/20/spiritual-conspiracy/

On the surface of the world right now there is war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time, something else is happening underground

An inner revolution is taking place and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.

It is a silent movement.

From the inside out. From the ground up. This is a Global operation. A Spiritual Journey.

There are quiet groups in every nation on the planet.
You won’t see us on the T.V.
You won’t read about us in the newspaper.
You won’t hear about us on the radio.

We don’t seek any glory. We don’t wear any uniform. We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles. Most of us work anonymously. We are quietly working behind the scenes in every country and culture of the world.

Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands. You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice.

We go undercover.

We remain behind the scenes. It is of no concern to us who takes the credit. But simply that the work gets done.

Occasionally we spot each other in the street.
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way.

During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs.
But behind the false storefront at night is where the real work takes a place.

Some call this Conscious Awakenings
We are slowly creating a new world with the power of our minds and hearts.

We follow, with passion and joy. Our orders come from from the Central Spiritual Intelligence
We are dropping soft, secret love messages when no one is looking.

Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~ Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~ Websites ~ Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness…

We each express ourselves in our own unique ways with our own unique gifts and talents

Be the change you want to see in the world….. that is the motto that fills our hearts

We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the power of all the oceans combined
Our work is slow and meticulous…..like the formation of mountains

It is not even visible at first glance, and yet with it entire tectonic plates shall be moved in the centuries to come
Love is the new religion of the 21st century.

You don’t have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it. It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings

Be the change you want to see in the world….
Nobody else can do it for you…..
We are now growing…. Perhaps you will join us…Or already have.
All are welcome…The door is open

author unknown

***

10 Sacred Secrets of Success By Yogi Bhajan

10 Sacred Secrets of Success By Yogi Bhajan

1. Learning is not a Weakness

Time and space and breath of life is the living trinity of life. Every process is a moment; every moment is a process. Learning is to gain wisdom. It gives a grip on our discipline and disciple becomes the Master. Master creates the legacy, legacy lives forever, and mortal becomes Immortal.


2. If Somebody is Avoiding to Reach You, You Reach Out (Knowing is the Knowledge)

If the head has gone cold, heart has gone frozen; if hatred in somebody has eaten up the heat of life and there is no warmth coming to you but still the body is vibrating and the breath of life is keeping it warm - reach out and melt away all the coldness through your humor and boldness so that the flower of friendship can blossom and you can enjoy the fragrance.

3. Be the Altar not the Alternative


Between time and space there is a place which is the altar of human legacy. Each individual must identify this altar and worship it. It will give personality, purpose, and prosperity. Any alternative to this is to lose the gratefulness, the grace, and the glow of life.


4. Let Your Manners Speak for you, Let Your Deeds Prove You, and Let Your Deliverance Impress You.

Every man has a mission. Every mission has a magnitude. To fulfill and deliver the essence of magnitude, one requires manners and attitude. When one does it with devotion and conviction, success comes from all sides.



5. Work Never Waits.

Those Who Wait Have not Started Yet Nobody can stop the time. Time creates the space. We move between longitude and latitude. It is the attitude which works out and completes every work for us.




6. Excuses, Avoidance, and Delays will not Stop the Consequences

Every sequence will have consequences. Every action will have a reaction. Every start will have a finish.

Every beginning will have an end. Our insecurity delays our achievement. Our excuses show our weakness and delay lays the foundation of frustration. The Perfect One God Almighty made us perfect to face every challenge and be a victor. As every artist wants to see his art be the best, so our divinity wants us to conquer our duality.


7. Pros and Cons: Check Properly. It will Save You from Con Games


Play no games. Get straight to the strategy and establish the state and status with your statesmanship. Reach out to everyone with a diplomatic art and loving communication.



8. Be a Statesman and be a Diplomat


If you have a longing to belong, love and reverence are your handy tools to build a leadership to sail through the stormy ocean, and you enter the port of peace and tranquility.



9. Your Individuality, Your Attire, and Your Attitude

- That All Counts above All

You must have vitality to create virtues. You must have values to honor virtues. Your honorable performance will give people trust. Your reverence and love give people belief in you and your honesty and character will give people faith in you.

10. Act Three Ways - Action, Support, Cover (Must include Safe Place for Retreat)

Every action has reaction equal and opposite. What comes, goes. What is born must die. But the wisdom is to create a legacy which is perpetual, everlasting, and guidance for all.

Every action force in strategy must have a cover force and a support force and a place of retreat to take care of the casualties. With that planning one can reach his fulfillment.

Loving Letter on Vernal Equinox

Loving and Divine Soul,

On the occasion of the Vernal Equinox, I send my love, best wishes, and prayer to all of you.

As the earth constantly revolves around the sun, the light plays across the earth differently depending on the position of the sun. When the sun is over the equator, it is the equinox, and the length of daylight and night are equal. Once the sun goes to the northern hemisphere, as it will today, there will be more light in the north and less light in the south.

It has symbolic meaning. In the body the northern hemisphere is above the heart, and the southern hemisphere is below the heart. When there is more light, meaning more knowledge and awareness in the upper part of the body, we experience more calm and peace. In this state human ego, emotion, jealousy, pride, fear, anxiety, and so forth disappear. On the other hand, when the sun goes to the south, this represents more attention in the lower part of the body, that is, toward material possession, physical pleasure, and food and drink. At this time we become engrossed in worldly life, ignoring the real joy and happiness.

If we can tune ourselves to the rhythm of love and devotion, knowledge and consciousness, we can take care of the lower chakras and their propensities, but still be free from human vices. Those who are not truly spiritual, who achieve a little accomplishment in lower chakras, become filled with pride and ego.

There is a beautiful verse in Sanskrit:

agadha jala sanchari rohita naiva garvitam
gandusha jala matrena safari pharpharayate

“Although a big fish, such as a carp who lives in deep water, is not proud of itself, a tiny fish flutters a lot in a handful of water, making much noise.”

We should be intelligent and wise. Wise people do not show pride or vanity, but people with little knowledge are egotistical and showy. We should create balance and harmony in our spiritual lives as well as in our day-to-day living. On the equinox, the day of balance, I pray to God and masters to help us live balanced lives.

Again, I am praying for all of you.

With Love,
Prajnanananda

tale from India

" Four Wives "

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.

The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !"


Moral :

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives

a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.

b. Our 3rd wife ? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.

c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.

Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament

smile yoga

Hey, you! Why You So Serious?

"The Value of a Smile"
by Dale Carnegie

"It costs nothing, but creates much. It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give. It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None are so rich they can get along without it, and none so poor but are richer for its benefits.

"It creates happiness in the home, fosters goodwill in a business, and is the countersign of friends. It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and natures best antidote for trouble.

"Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anyone 'til it is given away. And if in the hurly-burly bustle of today's business world, some of the people you meet should be too tired to give you a smile, may we ask you to leave one of yours?

"For nobody needs a smile so much, as those who have none left to give."

Right Now: Hands off Key Board, sit back in your chair.
Relax your mind, relax your thoughts, relax your body.
Close your eyes. Listen. Feel your breath.
With each breath, find your smile.
Smile inside. Smile into your body. Smile from your body. Smile all over.
Mouth turns up. No need to show teeth.
Radiate from within.

it is not the food that you eat

To eat or fast, or not to eat certain foods, are all things that belong to your mind, not to the soul. - Paramahamsa Hariharananda

body aware

If you decide to practice a strenuous yoga set, such as nabhi kriya, then it is important to understand how your body is affected so that you can self balance. As you open to awareness of breath and spirit, you should understand that shifts in body and consciousness of being are going to happen.

1) Observe Your Body, Behavior: Being athletic by nature, I find that I closely observe my body and my behavior. I take care of myself and do my best to adjust to shifts. Practicing these powerful postures every day were strengthening my abdominal muscles, but they were also exhausting them.

2) Rise Up Above Excuses, Relax: When I forgot my timer during my mini vacation, I relaxed with counting the movements within each posture. As I continued to practice my morning sadhana yoga, I found that my ab muscles stretched and better supported other postures. Rather than push hard on the nabhi kriya this week and possibly injure my muscles, I've maintain my newly adopted relaxed attitude.

3) Enjoy Your Power: Everything happens for a reason. I keep reminding myself that I went into this 40 day kriya without any expectations. Again, another discovery is that the refrain to shorter times has completely restored my balance and improved my energy. My stronger abdominal muscles improve my posture with my other yoga sets.


**

Live a life of awareness, and be a witness. Carefully observe your own mind, your worries and emotions. Free yourself from these bondages, intelligently. -- Paramahamsa Hariharananda

**

love for life

Keep up the love for life dedicated to righteousness.

-- Sri Swami Sivananda


++--++

self to health

Lake Qarun (Birket Qarun) in the Fayoum of Egypt

All sickness, all shallowness, all pain, all miseries, are the outcome of one source: keeping negativity within yourself.
--Yogi Bhajan


+++ my i dwell in love and happiness +++

you to be you

The problem is when you stand against you. The problem is solved when you use your Self to solve it. You must reach out for your Self.

--Yogi Bhajan

++ may peace prevail ++

Peace dwells in Silence

Peace dwells in Silence.

PRAYER
God, give us the power to break through our blocks and barriers in life.
Open us,
like the open sea,
to touch the shores of the heart,

And give us the strength of that pleasant breeze,
So that we may hug and kiss the life as it lives among us at this Time and Space.

Give us the values and virtues to be noble,
to be graceful,
And to be glorious in our strength as human beings.

Change our values and virtues from the wrong path,
So we can determine our own path on which we can walk with sincerity
In our physical existence to cover our journey unto our destiny.

In Thy Name we pray.
SAT NAM
(Yogi Bhajan, Women's Camp, Espanola, New Mexico, June 30, 2000)

Live Simple

home away from home in Arizona
Simple living brings plenty of time at one's disposal, which can be used for self-transformation.
--Paramahamsa Hariharananda, Kriya Yoga

+++

celebrate living

montage by dev dharam
Celebrate Livingness and the concepts above are part of an article by Charles Belyea “Being Human is Nothing Extraordinary”