Om & Turya

“Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
Robert Frost

Be aware of your breath…
Remember that Peace in the Heart leads to Peace in the World!
Simply BE!

ॐ My logo: Om & Turya

"Om is the name of that inside of me, which is aware of the Oneness of all things”
Thomas Ashley Farrand

The entire Universe is in the syllable OM… and the Self resides in the lotus of the Heart… The symbol of Om has over a hundred meanings, one of them is “Welcome to the God”

Welcome to this humble Blog dedicated to the Great Mother in her many forms… May it set in motion a Spiritual Spiral to help heal our human heart through Divine Love and bring Soul transformation…May it create an awareness of a state of consciousness beyond the 3 usual states we live in: dreaming, sleeping and waking states…May it be a doorway into the 4th state…TURYA! May it open new pathways leading to bliss, ecstasy, inner peace…Our true essence…

Enter your Soul Sanctuary, find your Soul Signature and become a Soul friend, an Anam-Cara (in Gaelic). The time has come for me to share, on a larger scale, some of the tools I've learned and developed through my 30-year unending spiritual quest…This is part of my Seva…my loving service to all…

May it stir in you an awakening of WHO YOU ARE…
May it inspire you to search deeper within your SELF…
May it be a spark to know your eternal SOUL story…

Isn’t the prime duty of a human being to Know Oneself? To know that the power within is the power of the Universe? To know that we are Shiva/Shakti(God/Goddess...that Shiva/Shakti is the Self…that the Universe is the play of our consciousness.

TURYA is beyond mind, thinking and identification with the physical body
TURYA has no object, no image of guru, no dependancy…though one can use all…
TURYA is Being One with the Whole, with the World (Tat Twam Asi)…
TURYA is an adventure of consciousness and joy…it is super-consciousness…
TURYA is connecting with the Self…the Soul (Atman)…
TURYA is surrender to the divine… it is freedom…
TURYA is divine union with Shiva/Shakti…
TURYA is beatific peace…the nature of our Soul…


ॐ Yoga of Self-Love

“Each one of you, when you are born, contracts a fatal disease. It is fear…You die every moment you choose fear…There has always been a simple cure for fear- the choosing of self-love.”
Emmanuel’s BookII

A LETTING GO of FEAR…In the yogic tradition, the root cause of most, if not all, diseases…including stress… is seen as the RESTLESSNESS in the mind…The mind is in conflict…The mind is not at peace…The mind is out of alignment with the body…The mind, like a little monkey, jumps into the past or into the future…very rarely being still…The mind resists what is happening in the NOW…And most of this restlessness is based on FEAR…

A REMINDER…that yoga is a state of mind, not only a set of physical exercises, to bring our head to the service of our heart - our intuitive heart…A reminder to link our mental body and our feeling body by releasing trapped emotions…to free oneself from the yoke of our illusory fears…to live in integrity with our outer life matching our inner life…to cultivate a living relationship to spirit (Sadhana)…to express spirit through loving selfless service to all (Seva)…and to create a community of people dedicated to nurture spirit within one another (Sangha).

A SHARING of my passion with you as a seeker not a scholar…to spark a deeper desire within you for spiritual development and inner peace…

A SURRENDER to ONENESS through UNCONDITIONAL LOVE by lifting the veil of ignorance…awakening our inner guru, our true Self… aligning, attuning and yielding to that Self…and recognizing that our body and mind are One…

Jardin Mandala

Plea for Children in Costa Rica

Just 2 weeks ago, our neighbors in Costa Rica were awakened by the horrific, frightening sound that lasted little more than one minute before it was over. When it was over, more than 20 of our neighbors were dead from giant landslide that destroyed nearly an entire neighborhood. Many more are still missing and presumed dead. I begin with this story to get your attention, and ask for your help. Please take a few minutes to read the email below...and help if you can.

Almost monthly, Pat Sajak and Vannah White give away an incredible trip to Costa Rica to one lucky winner on the popular television series, Wheel of Fortune. Thoughts of palm-fringed beaches, towering waterfalls surrounded by lush tropical rainforest, massive volcanoes with resorts that offer hot springs and decadent spa services immediately come to mind. It’s hard to believe that all of these incredible sights can be found inside a beautiful tiny Central American country, almost the same size as West Virginia.

While all of these amazing things about Costa Rica are true, there is another truth that is a reality for a growing number of people in Costa Rica. Poverty is still the most critical problem that affects children and teens in Costa Rica. In a country of only 4 million people, nearly one third (32.2%) of all people live in poverty. Nearly half of these are children. It is now estimated that nearly 500,000 children in Costa Rica live in poverty.

In one particular neighbourhood in the capital city of San Jose, more than 25,000 people live in a shantytown encamped along the edge of a small stream that reeks of raw sewage and is littered with trash and remnants of shattered lives. Here in the neighbourhood of Los Guido, families as with as many as 8 children live with a parent or sometimes alone inside tiny, cramped shacks made of scraps of tin, plastic and even cardboard. Children and adults alike sleep on bare dirt floors with just a scrap of cardboard separating them from the cold, damp ground below. Just steps away from these innocents, drug dealers sell their goods, and are constantly on the look-out for young girls, as small as 7-8 years of age to victimize as prostitutes to fuel their drug trade.

Families fortunate enough to have a wage earning father or mother, often survive on less than $250.00 per month. Imagine for one minute the desperation of these families, living in constant squalor, afraid to leave their homes, and terrified of leaving their children home alone while they work. Imagine the heartbreak of telling your children that there isn’t enough food to feed everyone tonight...that some will go hungry.

As a father of two small children, it breaks my heart to visit this shanty town, especially during Christmas, and to know that many of these children will never know it is Christmas. With parents unable to afford even basic food provisions, many children wake up to discover that Christmas morning is the same as every other morning...little to eat and nothing to lift their spirits from the poverty they know so well.

Since 2007, The Goodness Company along with many others, has been working to bring a glimmer of hope to the poorest of the poor in Costa Rica. Over the past three years, we have helped Santa deliver toys to more than 1250 children in need. This year, we hope to raise enough money to purchase toys and gifts for more than 500 children in Costa Rica. The Goodness Company will donate toys for 250 children...to meet half of our goal. At a basic cost of almost $10.00 per child, we need to raise $2,500.00 to purchase the remaining 250 toys.

Can you help us? Can you spare $10.00 this Christmas to give a gift that will mean the world to a forgotten child in a world so far away from yours? Can you tell a friend and pass this message along to others asking for their help? Your gift of money, no matter how small will Make A Difference!

On Saturday, December 18, 2009, Santa Claus will come to Costa Rica with gifts for the children. Please do what you can to ensure that Santa has enough gifts for all of the children. Our goal is to have a gift for every child. We don’t have the heart to turn anyone away...but we need your help! If you can spare $10.00, you will change the life of a child in need. If you can give more...please do. if you own or work for a company, please consider making a larger corporate gift. The more we collect, the more children will receive gifts this Christmas. There are so many in need.

You may send your donation to:

The Goodness Company Christmas Fund
820 Baker Street
Wisconsin Rapids, WI, 54494

You may also make a payment by credit card via PayPal. You must become a member of PayPal to use this service. When paying with PayPal, please use the email address: patrick@goodnesscompany.com

We would be grateful if you would please send your donations to arrive before December 15. Please do not purchase or send toys. We cannot deliver them to Costa Rica in time for Christmas. All toys will be purchased in Costa Rica with the donations received. There are literally hundreds of thousands of children who need our help. The more we receive, the more we can help these children discover the wonder of love on Christmas.

Thank you, and may God bless you for your kindness and generosity.

Sincerely,

Patrick Goodness,
CEO The Goodness Company
715-423-1255
patrick@goodnesscompany.com

Articles published in the Tico Times

Note: 8 more articles are being typed soon...

August 20, 1999
Scientific & Time-Tested
Until recently, few people have known what yoga is. It is often seen as extremely convoluted body postures or only as a mental control practice. People tend to dismiss it quickly as having no use in their own lives, unaware of its marvelous benefits for their body/mind.
Lately, however, yoga is entering the mainstream of the western world at an accelerated pace. Riding that wave, I hope to dispel misconceptions regarding the practice and to replace it with abasic knowledge of the true meaning of the word "yoga".
The following excerpt from the Kripalu Yoga Teacher manual offers a clear picture of what yoga is: " Yoga is a scientific, time-tested, 6,000-year old system of self-improvement. The heart of yogic teaching lies in the belief that a self-fulfilled person is a healthy person, free from disease caused by stress and improper living habits. The practice of yoga is designed to lead students to an ever-increasing knowledge of themselves and the needs of their bodies and minds in order to achieve and maintain good physical and mental health and spiritual harmony. Yoga, in short, is a science of self-improvement that deals with the whole human being."

Hatha Yoga, the yoga of physical well-being, usually begins the practice of this ancient science for Western students. Hatha Yoga comes from the root that also gives us our word "yoke". It is that part of yoga that seeks to unite our polarities and conflicts into a state of harmony. Through its related series of exercises for both body and mind, Hatha Yoga techniques are intended to rejuvenate and bring into proper balance all aspects of the body: endocrine, vascular, nervous and muscular systems.
Hathe Yoga postures are different from other forms of physical exercise. Unlike calisthenics and sports - which emphasize stamina and vigorous muscular activity -often to the point of exhaustion - Hatha Yoga encourages concentration, perseverance and steady progress. The postures can be practiced and enjoyed by males and females, young and old, healthy and unhealthy, strong and weak.

The beginning practice of yoga stresses gentle stretching exercises, rhythmic breathing and deep relaxation techniques along with instruction in nutrition and diet that promotes physical and mental health through positive living and attitudes.
Through continued practice of these techniques, the student of Hatha yoga quickly experiences the benefits of increased relaxation, normalized blood pressure, the relief of minor back problems, and a steadied metabolism.
When combined with deep breathing exercises and meditation techniques, these practices also bring the student a sense of emotional calmness and a feeling of mental peace.

In its largest sense, the word yoga refers to one aspiration to achieve union with Supreme, or Cosmic Consciousness. The following forms of yoga offer different paths for different personalities:
Jnana Yoga - union through knowledge and study
Bhakti Yoga - union through devotion and selfless love
Karma Yoga - union through service, work and action
Mantra Yoga - union through sound vibration and speech
Raja Yoga - union through control of the mind.

Thousand of years ago, the great yogis of India spontaneously experienced hatha yoga postures as a natural part of their spiritual practices. Arising from deep states of meditation, their postures flowed smoothly, without any conscious effort on their part. In their meditative states the yogis did not consciously perform the postures; the postures happened spontaneously and were an integral part of meditation.

This meditative approach of hatha yoga is the essence of Kripalu yoga. It is a meditation-in-motion, a prayer without words, and experience of the moment.

September 3, 1999
How Can Yoga Help? Let Us Count the Many Ways

After 15 years practicing yoga, I never stop marveling at the benefits it brings to the body-mind-soul connection. Yoga is a holistic discipline. No matter if our focus is initially on physical effects, such as lowering blood pressure, the healing is quickly felt at much deeper levels. The result is an increase of our knowledge of our body's energy system.
Deepak Chopra's first key to mastering our lives is listening to our body's wisdom. This is exactly what yoga teaches.
minor aches and pains, and bigger ones, can easily be relieved with a specific breathing exercise and/or yoga posture, if we will only listen. Unfortunately, we have forgotten that the source of healing is within, not without. It is only by modifying our belief system and trusting our body's wisdom that we can truly restore health at all levels of our being.
Yoga Desai says: "The practice of Kripalu Yoga takes place not just in your body, but in your mind as well...its benefits are not limited by how stiff or flexible you are, by what your body can or cannot do, or by how well you have mastered the techniques or perfected the postures. Kripalu Yoga is a way to transcend all limitations and disturbances which infiltrate and influence every aspect and activity, experience and expression of your life."
Everybody can do yoga. The yoga class and the yoga mat become the stage and the metaphors for how we live our life. we learn, in a safe space, to observe, connect and control our inner workings (respiration, circulation, digestion, emotions...) and see their reflection in our outside life and behavior.
The American Medical Association has reported that 80 percent of all diseases are stress-related. In 1984, the National Institute of Health recommended meditation over prescription drugs as the first treatment for mild hypertension.
Yoga, a meditation-in-motion, is a very simple, yet profound stress management technique. Instead of "fighting or fleeting" stress, we can learn to flow with it.
Stress is a result of living in the past or projecting into the future. Yoga emphasizes the importance of being present and aware in each moment.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of yoga and meditation on stress and anxiety alleviation, improved motor skills, relief from addictions, heightened visual and auditory perceptions, and enhanced metabolic and respiratory functions.
A partial list of some of the basic benefits yoga can bring on the physical level includes:
- corrects weight, figure and body alignment
- firms and tones muscles and internal organs
- awakens dormant muscles, opens and releases stiffness in the shoulders and the neck
- stimulates blood circulation, digestion and elimination
- limbers up joints and spine, keeping the body strong and supple
- rejuvenates the body
- delays aging
- purifies and tranquilizes the whole system
- balances endocrine and nervous systems
- decreases: deep tension, back pain, cholesterol, insulin requirement in people with diabetes, frequency of asthma attacks, coronary artery problems, chronic pain symptoms, lactic acid production
- improves: posture, circulatory and respiratory efficiency, blood glucose levels, thyroid function, chest expansion, functional mobility, flexibility, vital energy (prana)
And to name only a few benefits on other levels:
- develops inner strenght, self-confidence, more positive attitude to life
- cultivates self-knowledge, self-acceptance, self-esteem and trust
- calms the mind, clarifies thinking, boost concentration
- helps overcome fear of death and achieve a level of serenity
- provides dep relaxation
In short, yoga is designed to relax, release, invigorate, energize, stimulate bodies of all types. In doing so, it opens doors to new dimensions of ourselves, dissolves our stress, restores our spirit and improves our health from the inside out.
A few months ago, a student told me after class that she was going away for a month and would be missing us. And with a big smile added: "Your classes are the best thing that have happened to me in years."
My heart couldn't have felt fuller, my eyes brimmed with tears of joy. She was a living expression of yoga's fabulous power of transformation, and the reason I love teaching it.