This morning the sunlight is shining through the pine needles outside my window, as another gorgeous autumn day is dawning in Ashland. I am breathing incredible Gratitude for my new work as medical assistant at Morningstar Healing Arts. The work is very satisfying and the people are so beautiful!

And, as I am ever cultivating the witness, I am watching the amazing ability of the heart to feel immense joy and immense sorrow at the exact same time. For the sorrow, I am fortifying myself today with this photo of Mt. Shasta.

May all beings everywhere open to Healing, within and without. May the Fire of Ram burn through all the sorrows of all the creatures on this sacred planet earth.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Mt. Shasta by Teja Shankara.

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Lately I have been reviewing the Reiki Study Guide written my Reiki Teacher, William Bagley. As part of my spiritual practices, I regularly make vows, commitments, and intentions. Today I committed to doing the following practice: each day I will read aloud the following vows and visualizations/intentions and allow them to create a force of energy in my aura. I intend that the force of this spiritual practice will emanate from me and make more things possible around me. These vows and visualizations/intentions are adapted from William Bagley’s Reiki Study Guide.

Four Vows to Generate Healing Energy

1. I vow to have compassion towards all sentient beings and wish to do what I can to help alleviate their sorrow. I will make my livelihood based on serving the needs of sentient beings. I will help them end sorrow and the causes of sorrow. I will help them find happiness and the causes of happiness. I choose to develop my skillfulness and energy in order to transmute as much sorrow into joy as possible in each moment.

2. I vow to purify my subconscious mind of all craving, negativity, and confusion… I will dedicate myself to becoming enlightened for the sake of both myself and others… I realize that my own emotional energies can either uplift or hurt those around me. I choose to purify my mind so that I may remain a positive force in the lives of others.

3. I vow to develop all the potentials of my divine nature to their fullest… I surrender to the higher energies which want to evolve me further and lovingly release all the life patterns which do not serve my growth. I will not settle for attaching to and indulging in material comfort and sensory pleasures which are transitory and turn into pain when gone. I choose to use my time wisely for my growth and to support the growth of those around me. I choose to have enough material comfort and sensory pleasure to nourish me, while focusing more on evolving myself and experiencing the deeper joy that growth offers.

4. I vow to rest in my natural enlightenment and experience life moment to moment, deepening, expanding, stabilizing, and enriching this experience over time… simply being myself as I arise from oneness in each moment… I relax into being myself and let the mystery of myself unfold in each moment.

Healing Visualizations/Intentions

The Roar of the Lion. I AM. I exist. I am alive. I am here. I have created my life. Everything which has ever happened to me is something I have attracted, allowed, created, and interpreted into existence. I own my whole past as my creation. I forgive myself for any pain I created myself. I will not give my power to anyone outside myself. I will re-script my past from this view and change the thoughts which caused me pain. If anything painful happens to me, I will assume that some thought in me must be released. It is never anyone outside myself who causes me pain. The people I attract to myself reflect different sides of me.

The Violet Flame. I am a violet fire. I blaze through my body and cleanse it of all karma and all illness. I visualize myself blazing through every cell and purifying it. I am breathing the Violet Flame into a full blaze. I let it burn away all the past. I am clean. I am renewed.

Would you like to join me in reading these vows and visualizations/intentions aloud each day? Simply make the commitment to do so, and then let me know how it goes for you. Please email me anytime: teja@yogini-bliss.com 

May all beings know the Deep Bliss that arises from serving others.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Missouri River Sunset by Gregory Hayden. Photo of Teja in Autumn Love Swirling by Teja Shankara.

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A couple of nights ago I watched Oprah’s Lifeclass Webcast, “You Become What You Believe” (you can view the video on the Webcasts section of Oprah’s Lifeclass website), and I was greatly inspired by all that Oprah and Cheryl Richardson said during that webcast. Cheryl Richardson, Co-Author with Louise Hay of You Can Create An Exceptional Life, coached several people, including Oprah, on how to change their thoughts, using affirmations, mirrors, and more. I highly recommend watching this light and humorous show.

Here are a few of Cheryl’s affirmations that struck deep chords in me ~

~ “Abundance flows into my life in surprising and magical ways every day.”

~ “I love receiving.”

~ “People love to pay me for my art.” (I would say “People love to pay me for my healing, creative services.”)

And my favorite: “Every time I turn around, I get a check in the mail.”

Cheryl also talked about the important spiritual principle of “acting as if” while you are taking actions. She said that affirmations plus actions equals miracles. I very much appreciated the practical advice she gave to several people: “Get a job, so you aren’t desperate for people to financially support your creative expression, then continue following your passion while working to pay the bills.” To that Oprah nodded in agreement and pointed out that there is a timing to everything. 

One other thing that really “got” me was when Cheryl said that as she gets older, she thinks that we are all healers and artists. That was an especially relaxing thing for me to hear, because it helped me realize that if we are all healers and artists, then my growing understanding that I am a healer and an artist doesn’t mean that I need to do anything in particular in any rushing order!

So the next morning, when I was sitting in silent meditation, I ‘heard’ the following affirmation that I am now saying and emanating to the world: “I am always at the right place at the right time.” And, as Cheryl said, “Every time I turn around, I get a check in the mail.” I can hardly keep up with all these trips to the bank!

Cheers to all of us re-training our minds to think positive, inspiring thoughts! And kudos to Oprah for all the amazing work she is doing on this planet. I have deep Gratitude for all the ways she manifests her intention to help wake people up.

May all beings everywhere have food, clothing, shelter, and peaceful sleep each day.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja’s son's rose petal & mud Om mandala taken by Teja Shankara.

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As we walk along the spiritual path, it is important to continually assess our daily spiritual practices. In my life, there are certain practices that I am committed to doing daily on a long-term basis, such as the ones outlined in my pocket book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living. (Available on this website store in print or e-book version. The e-book is only $4.99 and is e-mailed to you within 24 hours of purchase.) In addition to my regular, daily practices, I make other commitments and vows, as guided by my intuition and by my ever-changing life circumstances.

For example, I walked mostly barefoot for six months, when I was working in my brother’s outdoor gear shoppe (and then when I was out of work for a month), and the weather was warm. Now the days are chilly and I am training to be a medical assistant at Morningstar Healing Arts, so I’ve put shoes and socks back on, knowing that I will walk barefoot again when possible. Now I’ve made a new commitment: to go to bed every night by 9:00pm, and to get up every morning (including weekends) at 5:00am sharp! I don’t know how long this new commitment will last, but for now it is very important for my current steps on the spiritual path. 

What commitments are you making to yourself at this time? Please feel free to share them in the comments section below this article. 

May all beings everywhere know Radiance rising within themselves.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of path at Southgate Meadows on Mt. Shasta taken by Teja Shankara.

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Happy Birthday to Gandhi-ji, who was born 142 years ago today! I’m celebrating his life as I head off to a soccer game with my parents who are visiting this week… Life is crazy-busy-full right now, which is why I’ve been away from the Teja Blog.

If you have any questions (see “New Teja Blog Feature: Ask Teja!”), please email them to me: teja@yogini-bliss.com

Let’s all follow Gandhi-ji’s advice and strive to be the change we wish to see in the world!

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Mahatma Gandhi sourced from TopNews.in

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