One-pointed focus: Meditation

quiet space

"Yoga is the practice of quieting the mind." Patanjali

We are so busy that many of us cannot fathom stopping to "just do nothing." Yet, what we need most is peace and quiet to nourish our deepest selves. 

When did we move so far away from being into doing? I don't know. I spent a lot of time with my brothers and cousins outside, in nature, pretending, looking at stars and fireflies. Now there is fear attached to not being busy. Are we afraid of our potential?

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.” ~Marianne Williamson

I invite you to join me in 5 minutes of quieting your mind by focusing on your breath. If you like this, you might want more with my 28-day online meditation course and challenge to build a home practice, "Spark your Creative Genius."

Enjoy! I'd love to hear about your experience; any questions you have about meditation or more that you'd like to see.

Satya: Speak Your Truth

"Only one thing is worse than speaking your truth, and that is not speaking it." Naomi Wolf

For some of us, we were not able to speak our truth when we were young. For others, no matter how old we were, we could not speak our truth for fear there would be consequences. And, still for others, knowing our truth takes some excavation because we were not allowed to know our truth or it lived as that small glowing flame in the cave of the heart or that feeling that there was something more or else. Those lucky enough to have family that supported and coaxed their truths from them -- hurray for you! 

While I come from a place where cash-register honesty was important other truths, truths that revealed people's flaws or inappropriate behaviors, were not to be shared. So I learned to talk around the truth even though I've always been direct, and some might even say abrasive. 

The second Yama (ethical standard) in Patanjali's Ashtanga (8 limbs of) yoga, not to be confused with the type of yoga Ashtanga created by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, is satya. Satya is translated to mean honesty and truthfulness.


Yoga Sutra 2.36, satya pratisthayam kriya phala ashrayatvam, says that, "when we are honest and truthful in our actions, thoughts and words, our will is fulfilled." In my words, when we live our truth, what we desire flows to us. 

You may think of some flaws here--like people who have lots of money from dishonesty actions and words to name one. Remember though that the key to practicing yoga is to lessen our suffering. If we are honest, abundance of what we desire flows to us and our suffering is lessened because we are on OUR right and true path.

I'll leave you with a poem:

ON TALKING By Kahlil Gibran

There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of being alone.
The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they would escape.
And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth, which they themselves do not understand.
And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not in words.
In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in rhythmic silence.

As always, I would love to hear about your thoughts and experience. Truth be told.

“Only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth, and that is not speaking it.” ~Naomi Wolf - See more at: http://www.davidji.com/blog-2/page/8/#sthash.oUm0tqlc.dpuf

“Only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth, and that is not speaking it.” ~Naomi Wolf - See more at: http://www.davidji.com/blog-2/page/8/#sthash.oUm0tqlc.dpuf

“Only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth, and that is not speaking it.” ~Naomi Wolf - See more at: http://www.davidji.com/blog-2/page/8/#sthash.oUm0tqlc.dpuf

Can yoga help us overcome fear?

I'm not sure when I realized this; yoga has helped me to overcome many fears--fear of being seen, speaking in front of groups, trying new things. Insidious as it sounds, the benefits of a daily yoga practice have a way of sneaking up on you. Fear stopped me from moving ahead. I have and can use my practice to move through just about anything.

Of course, for humans, fear has kept us alive historically and presently such as: fear of moving objects, not having enough food and wild animals. Fear triggers the fight or flight response whether there is or isn't a life-threatening situation. It is one of the causes of some of our stress-related habits and illnesses.

 Patanjali explains in YS 1.12 Abhyasavairagyabhyam tannirodhah - that if we do the practice [any practice], we will be able to let go of the grip of things [i.e. fear] that stand in the way, and then we will move towards one-pointed focus [our goal=no fear].  

So what practice can you do?

• Asana, yoga postures - move a muscle, change a thought
• Gratitude- each more think of 3 things you are grateful for
• Smile - even if you don't feel it at first
• Chant a soothing sound-like ah or om
• Talk to someone who cares
• Take a walk
• Write in a journal
• Pranayama, try a cooling breath practice
• Meditation
• Breathe - take 3 deep breaths, count to ten
• Spend time with positive people
• Laugh - at yourself, movies, what ever you think is funny
• Play - with animals, children, in the dirt
• Create new things 
• Participate in a sport
• Avoid people, substances and behaviors that don't support you 

Each of these things can be made into a daily practice that can move you to a better place. Some of them are better achieved with the guidance of a trained professional, yet movement towards change is mandatory. Are all of these yoga? No. Can we achieve a yogic state of mind, de-stress and start to let go of fear through them? Yes.

Tomorrow I have to meet a new group of 50 people for my new business, and I'm scared. This is probably why I chose this topic. My life has lead me here and I am ready. I will do my practice, breathe, be prepared and take the plunge. 

 I'd love to hear stories of how you've overcome fear.