|
by email:
|
Meditation Newsletter by Marcia Sacks October 2002 ~*~*~* Table of Contents: * Creating a Serene
Environment
~*~*~* Creating a Serene Environment Years ago, I heard Donald Walters (the Swami Kriyananda at Ananda Community in California) quote Paramahansa Yogananda as saying, "Environment is stronger than will power." * My instant impulse was to deny it. After all, modern Americans are self-reliant, and we have unlimited free-will and plenty of will power, don't we? As I've contemplated this statement over the years, I've come to see that environment is a huge factor for those of us interested in developing our meditation practice and living a balanced and harmonious life. When our outer surroundings are filled chaos, stress or distractions, it becomes more difficult (but certainly not impossible) to maintain an inner serenity and go deeply into our meditation. Think about something as simple as walking into a grocery venting the warm smell of fresh baking bread throughout the store. A biological and psychological reaction begins to take place and instead of picking up the organic carrots and box of laundry detergent on our list, we're suddenly filling our cart, not only with bread but lots of other things that our hungry brain or memories of childhood say we have to have now. The grocery store has created an environment in which our senses are stimulated to enhance the impulse to buy. In a dysfunctional family or work setting we're often overwhelmed by others who are raging, complaining, or overly emotional. It takes great strength of will not to do as the others do. If you can't remove yourself from those situations, it's important that when you choose friends, romantic partners, and activities that you don't repeat the pattern. Choose to be with people who complement your desire to live a positive, happy life. (And continue to affirm everyday that you deserve healthy and loving relationships in your life.) When it's time for your meditation practice, try to find a space in your home that is pleasant and uncluttered, and not haunted with reminders of the things on your "to do" list. For example, if possible, don't meditate in the same room as your stack of bills to pay or your exercise equipment. Even if you can only make a corner of a room special for meditation, you can create an environment that is suggestive of peace and serenity. Some people place a small altar in their meditation space with a flower, icon or object of beauty on it. Others light a candle to suggest attunement to the light within and the light of the Divine. A delicate incense can bring a lovely scent to your space and be as suggestive a cue to move deeply into meditation as the baking bread is to filling the cart at the grocery store. Finally, at the end of your meditation, in your own way visualize the light of peace blessing all aspects of your outer environment -- your home, your work, your car, streets and highways, your community and your world. ---------------------------------------- * (the same quote
is in the book "The Path" :
~*~*~* *~*~*~ Kriya Yoga Satsang:
A Meditation Circle with Marcia Sacks,
Satsang is the Sanskrit word for fellowship, a gathering of like-minded souls. These evening gatherings will include chanting, silent meditation, and a talk on spiritual living and our inner journey. The next Satsang is September 19 (3rd Thursday of the month) at 7:30 p.m. (Love offering requested). 1595 Fairfield Lane, Hoffman Estates, IL Please call 847-882-3315 or email marcia@marciasacks.com if you will be attending. ~*~*~* HARVEST OF WISDOM
FESTIVAL
Every year the Temple
of Kriya Yoga has a festival celebrating books of Eastern wisdom featuring
short talks by swamis and disciples about their favorite books. I'll be
talking about one of my new favorites "The
Song of Rama: Visions of the Ramayana" by the Sage Valmiki as told
by Devi
~*~*~* Goswami Kriyananda,
my guru and spiritual preceptor of the Temple of Kriya Yoga will be visiting
Chicago in November, offering two noon meditations (Sundays, November 17th
& 24th) and a Saturday seminar on Kriya Yoga (November 23rd).
Please contact the Temple for more information. 2414 N. Kedzie, Chicago
- 773-342-4600, kriya@enteract.com, http://www.yogakriya.org
Music can also help you create a peaceful and serene environment. Steven Halpern, for example, has samples of his music on his website you can check out to see if it's something that you would enjoy. His columns about new age music are also at http://www.stevenhalpern.com Or try Constance Demby http://www.constancedemby.com Or browse the
new age music at Amazon with samples to listen to on your
For a whole radio
show of 'space music', check out Hearts of Space at: http://www.hos.com
~*~*~* Marcia Sacks, Professional
Astrological Services
~*~*~*
|