Author Archives: DonBothell

INTUITION — YOGA THOUGHT

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After doing yoga and meditating for a while — getting more acquainted with your complete self — many things are going to start to become clear. Living fully in all of your koshas will facilitate a new form of understanding. The Knowledge Body Kosha knows beyond sensory perception. What existed as concepts or murky theories suddenly becomes obvious.

A Higher Form of Thought — INTUITION — courtesy of Weight Loss Through Yoga

A Higher Form of Thought — INTUITION — courtesy of Weight Loss Through Yoga, Jewel in the Lotus

To the yogi, the highest form of thought is ‘intuitive’, but beyond the way the word is commonly used to describe having a ‘hunch’. In this context, intuition is an absolute understanding that just is. Suddenly it is so obvious, you wonder how you didn’t always have this understanding. Then you realize, of course, a part of you (your higher self) always did understand, but you didn’t consciously inhabit that part of the self. Now your increased awareness through yoga, simply sees and knows.

ENERGY

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STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN VI

PRANAMAYA KOSHA  (Energy Body)

The sheath of energy (life force) animates the physical and mental bodies. The Pranamaya Kosha energizes the minerals and chemicals composing the physical body into a living being; supplying energy to all components. The air element, or pranic force, creates vibration and life. Prana rides the breath. It allows our True Self to animate in the physical universe. It initiates life. The Old Testament tells of God breathing life into Adam.

courtesy Spirit Science Metaphysics

SHAKTI AND SHIVA

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DANCE OF SHIVA

DANCE OF SHIVA

Consciousness is purusa, unchanging. In order to exist as a material life form it must combine with matter that is always changing, prakriti. This is a paradox. The Hindu yogic tradition uses the myth of Shiva and Shakti to explain.

They are a divine couple, lovers in the fields of creation. Shiva is the seer, purusa, never changing, and Shakti is energy, prakriti, always changing. Shakti, the lover, wants to play a game of passion and creates a world inviting Shiva, the beloved, in to join her. Shiva points out the world is always changing and he is always the same. How can he play in her creation?

“You be the center,” she replies. “You remain in your unchanging bliss and I’ll intermediate between you and the outside world. I will build sheaths through which you can experience the fun of my world while doing nothing in eternal bliss.”

Five koshas (sheaths) surround Shiva, allowing the lovers to experience passion as the embodied soul.

 

Weight Loss Through Yoga, Jewel in the Lotus        page 69

 

 

 

SHIVA AND SHAKTI

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STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN IV

Hindu yogic myth explaining how the soul assumes corporeal form:

YOGA = UNION

YOGA = UNION

They are a divine couple, lovers in the field of creation. Shiva is the seer, purusa, never changing, and Shakti is energy, prakriti, always changing. Shakti, the lover, wants to play a game of passion and creates a world inviting Shiva, the beloved, in to join her. Shiva points out the world is always changing and he is always the same. How can he play in her creation?

“You be the center,” she replies. “You remain in your unchanging bliss and I’ll intermediate between you and the outside world. I will build sheaths through which you can experience the fun of my world while doing nothing in eternal bliss.”

Five koshas surround Shiva, allowing the lovers to experience passion as the embodied soul.

PREVENTING THE COMMON COLD

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Recently, the University of Southern California released the results of a multi-year study on the common cold. The researchers said their findings showed that the most effective means of preventing the common clod was a five thousand year old yoga technique — irrigating the nose. As well as cleaning the sinuses and nasal passages, the technique was credited by the study with boosting the immune system. This simple daily procedure is demonstrated in detail with illustrations on pages 116 and 117 of the yoga manual: Weight Loss Through Yoga, Jewel in the Lotus. 3432_623411781007857_1054224157_n

WISDOM

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STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN    VIII

VIJNANAMAYA KOSHA    (Wisdom Body)

The sheath of knowing, the Vijanamaya Kosha is often called the ‘Wisdom Body’. This is the knowledge inherent to the universe’s multitude of functional relationships that balance and order existence from the structure of subatomic particles to the spin of the cosmos.This is knowing beyond the information of the senses.67942_10151147811016430_1600453385_n

This is the paradox of seeing what is in the illusion. The ego (intellect) forms structure from experience, but at some point perceives the structure as only that, a construct. Here is understanding on the highest level, unfiltered intuition. Here we have the deepest insights, as we experience the moment. The Vijnanamaya Kosha is insight, integration and wholeness.

 

LAMENTATION OF A PSYCHIC WARRIOR

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a poem by Don Bothell

 

How many times has dread filled me; from early battles did I shy?

Shame, soon realized, the most painful death.

When did I square my stance — run over me —

I won’t leave the field.

Soul cast a warrior… warrior my caste.

 

Over again. Broken body.

Having stood once more in the light of the vision.

Souls thrown from heaven:

Some roll priest, some roll servant, some roll sage, some roll

king.

From the many lots — my way the warrior.

Confrontation my teacher… teach again.

 

You’ve stood beside me and faced obliteration.

Together we sing the song of sacrifice.

Taken the high ground and not been able to hold it.

May the blade be swift, drawing this dream to an end.

To awaken again, carrying the standard forward .

Knowing no fear — our cause advancing

Caste, warrior… love to defend!

 

weight loss through yoga PYRRHIC WARRIOR

PYRRHIC WARRIOR

BLISS

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STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN    IX563315_443500359054215_156211962_n

ANANDAMAYA KOSHA (Bliss Body)

The Self in the Sheath of Bliss (in Sanskrit, the Anandamaya Kosha), surrounds the absolute self. Absolute truth, a point, is never changing. It and the bliss are forever and always protected on all sides. The Self is the truth, and truth is never changing. Everything else is always in a state of flux, always changing.

The self realizes all else is illusion. The Self can be compared to a movie screen. While the film is playing, all sorts of action is going on, but when the movie is finished, the screen is exactly like it was before, untouched by what appeared to be taking place.

Bliss just is. It is not of the mind, but the peace, love and joy that is this level of reality.

courtesy The Flower of Sacred Geometry

courtesy The Flower of Sacred Geometry

Even this can be released to be pure self, in Sanskrit, ‘Atman’. The Anandamaya Kosha is still a sheath covering the Atman. It’s as if the true self is a light and the kosha a lampshade covering it. Even though the Anandamaya Kosha is the subtlest of koshas, it still suppresses the full magnitude of the light. One is reminded of the Biblical admonishment to take your light from beneath the bushel basket.

CAUSAL BEING

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We cannot perceive those beings spiritually advanced beyond us; Causal Being? But knowing nature’s tendency to repeat herself, can we draw broad assumptions? This human ‘father face’ we assign to the Higher Powers is but spiritual shorthand. Mere children spiritually, we use comfortable symbols to express what we intuit. What we consider God, these entities advanced compared to us, are they evolving too? What higher forms constitute their gods? Given what we can see in our small universe, wouldn’t that seem to be the case? One octave flows into another and that into yet another, energy evolving in perpetuity. Creation — ever changing, ever growing, in a joyful dance to the Absolute.

Imagine a being comprised of 2,000 independent souls —weight loss through yoga, jewel in the lotus

 

Weight Loss Through Yoga, Jewel in the Lotus        page158