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Coincidences are what Carl Jung termed Synchronicity. There really are no coincidences. People like to say, everything happens for a reason. I don’t think everything happens for a reason, but I do think you can bring reason to everything that happens. A coincidence is like a happy accident, but actually it’s no accident that all. The coincidence is a glimpse into how things are supposed to be. Remember the universe is perfect and whole out beyond time and space. It contains infinite possibilities. It’s we who are limited by the mind. By the same token, we can be unlimited depending on how we use the mind.

When a coincidence happens, you should rejoice that you’re experiencing the divine perfection in the moment. The same goes for when you look over at the clock and it says 11:11 or 3:33 or some such seeming coincidence. That is actually a pulse from the universe where everything is lined up for a moment. My teacher says it’s good to project a prayer of some sort when you find yourself in an aligned moment like that. You can use a mantra or simply “make a wish” as some people like to say when they see these things appear. (more…)

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This is an interesting poem from an Indiapost.com article entitled: Hafiz Expressed Divine Ecstasy in Poetry, about the Sufi mystical poet Shams al-Din Hafiz, mentioned by Rumi throughout his works -

Someone Should Start Laughing

I have a thousand brilliant lies
For the question:
How are you?
I have a thousand brilliant lies
For the question:
What is God?
If you think that the
Truth can be known
From words,
If you think that the Sun and the Ocean
Can pass through that tiny opening
Called the mouth,
O someone should start laughing!
Someone should start wildly
Laughing-Now!

(Read the Article about Shams here:)

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It was the best of times…

Yeah, that’s about it. The best of times and I got several great photos. The first night was cooooooold. Then, gradually it warmed to the point where many people were at the waterfront, boating, taking walks, playing volleyball and laying out in the sun. I didn’t attend any workshops until the last day when I went to Mahan Kirn’s Sat Nam Rasayan workshop. If you want to know a true healer walking on this planet, with powers that come from beyond time and space is like, take a class with her or schedule a private session. She’s amazing. (more…)

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Came across this in India Times Dec 28, 2007 edition. I think it’s a wonderful description of something that defies reason and description: The Mind.

Mind is a wonderful force inherent in the Self. That which arises in this body as ‘I’ is the mind. When the subtle mind emerges through the brain and the senses, the gross names and forms are cognized. When it remains in the Heart, names and forms disappear. If the mind remains in the Heart, the ‘I’ or the ego which is the source of all thoughts will go, and the Self, the Real, Eternal ‘I’ alone will shine. Where there is not the lightest trace of the ego, there is the Self. –Ramana Maharishi

(Read The Full Article on IndiaPost.com here)

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When you first get on a spiritual path, looking within, you start to see the garbage in you that you weren’t previously conscious of. Looking within can be a dirty job. The negative mind becomes magnified and amplified. All your flaws become bigger and your self-loathing is right there in your face.

Once you take out the garbage, however, it’s one gift after another. The greatest of all gifts is patience. Yogi Bhajan always said, “Patience Pays…” Patience leads to tolerance. At first you think you’re just becoming tolerant of others, but really you must first become tolerant of yourself before you can turn that outward. This meditation can help you deepen self-respect, give you discipline to have patience in your life and ultimately lead you to the God-like tolerance that allows grace.

Patience Pays

<Listen>

Meditation follows (more…)

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There’s this expectation that one day meditation and yoga is going to be a snap. This is especially the case for those of us who are, how should we say… fanatic about the practice. We work it pretty hard and so we expect big things. Sometimes big things happen, but most of the time it’s just a chore getting the eyes open in the morning– especially when your morning starts at 3:30 AM with a cold shower.

“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood carry water.” –Zen Proverb

What I have found about meditation is: It’s here now and it’s never over until the fat lady sings. In other words, when meditating over time, there’s no finish line. You find the meditation or practice that’s right for you and you practice it, day in and day out and just observe your self. You won’t wake up one day and be enlightened and then write your memoirs. (more…)

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Of course, this comes from the Yogi Bhajan everyday calendar. I try to mix things up in terms of sources, quoting others to give some balance. But when you’re talking about kundalini yoga all the time, it’s hard not to also talk about The Master, Yogi Bhajan. That said, this quote really gave me pause. I think this is one really nice way to understand what yoga is. (more…)

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I’ve been doing 31 minutes of Sat Kriya daily for over six months now and it’s amazing how you intuitively learn little things from the meditation and the changes that you go through.

When I first started, my right arm would fall asleep and I’d sweat like hell. The first day, after 31 minutes I collapsed forward, my legs fast asleep, I had to crawl forward and turn over. Then as I lay there, I got the chills, even covered with a blanket. After some practice though I began to notice great things. My navel was getting much stronger and my hips were opening up. My lung capacity has increased. Now the energy is getting into the upper centers and my meditiations, particularly while chanting in the morning are going much, much deeper.

Here are some tips and pointers from my experience… (continuted…) (more…)

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