The Tejaswini Playground Press

Photo by Ashley Marie - CC license

We create our realities with our thoughts. Cultivating the witness, that part of our minds that objectively watches everything we are, allows us to clearly see all of our thoughts. Through the power of watching our thoughts, we gradually change the way we perceive the world. We shift from viewing the world as a serious court of justice to seeing this universe as a joyous playground. Like gleeful children, we get to play and celebrate during this lifetime we've been given. On the playground we enjoy ourselves fully, even if sometimes we scrape our knees or get our hearts broken! No matter what pains we go through, we can't let the heartbreaks keep us from opening up and having a good time on the playground.

Here is a bit of news from the fun I'm having lately on the Tejaswini Playground ~

~ Last month when I sent out this newsletter, I was preparing for my friend Pete’s visit. He was here for nearly 3 weeks, and we accomplished a lot during that time. He helped me make my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, into an e-book, so people now have the choice on my website store to buy it in print or by e-book. (http://www.yogini-bliss.com.) We also recorded some video interviews and chants that you can watch on my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/16Tejaswini. AND, most importantly, we had a lot of fun together! Even though we spent a considerable amount of time working on our computers, we also went to kirtans (including Dave Stringer live!), took walks about town (see cute video of one such walk at: http://www.youtube.com/user/YogiSinzapatos#p/u/2/zuqZKZezUWU), had dinners with friends, and attended a few parties.

~ For me, one of the highlights of Pete’s visit was sharing sadhana (spiritual practices) together. We sat in silent meditation each morning and each evening, plus we did a lot of chanting (singing) along with CDs and along with my harmonium. Both Pete and my dear sister Britt suggested that I invite people to stay with me to experience a week of sadhana, along with my good vegan cooking. Perhaps someday I will follow that vision!

~ Another wonderful aspect of Pete’s visit was the way we navigated the days. I am usually a list-maker and a planner, but with him here I let go of the controls and allowed each day to be a spontaneous flow. It was so good for me to experience that not only does the work still get done that way, it gets done with less stress and more fun! That way of flowing also changed the way I am writing articles for the Teja Blog, so I am now enjoying that creative process more than ever.

~ The last couple of days were a whirlwind of activity, centered around giving each other buzz cuts and birthing the Buzz for Bliss Campaign. It all started when we were editing the hilarious video that we made of him giving me a buzz cut with a pair of scissors in the middle of the night! You can read all about that at www.buzz-for-bliss.com, and you can also read the inside story about it on the Teja Blog, in the two posts entitled “Buzz for Bliss: The Inside Story,” and “Buzz for Bliss: The Story Continues.” In these articles I explain why I buzzed my hair (to help me release my attachment to Pete), and how I adjusted to his absence after he departed for England.

~ My buzz cut video got nearly 7,000 views in the first week alone! Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/user/16Tejaswini. And please consider buzzing your own hair for Peace. For details on how buzzing your hair will help raise Unity Consciousness and how you can donate your hair to help stop the BP oil spill, go to www.buzz-for-bliss.com and http://www.moving-overseas-guide.com/bp-oil-spill.html.

~ As I mentioned last month, I am feeling really called to teach meditation and Reiki energy healing in prisons. To that end, I am going to attend a training program in San Rafael at the end of this month. The training is through Insight Prison Project, and it teaches participants how to be facilitators of a process called VOEG, the Victim Offender Education Group. I will share about this training experience in next month’s newsletter.

~ After the prison facilitator training program, I will go to see Ammachi for a few days in Castro Valley. I am really looking forward to those hugs! (www.amma.org)

~ I am still reading The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic, by Ramesh Menon. I’m now on page 252 of the 686 page book! It is the best book I have ever read. Here are a few phrases from the chapter I read today: “Don’t chase after pleasure any more. Accept whatever comes to you, joy or grief, calmly…. Don’t be too attached to anyone, nor coldly detached; adopt a middle course.” (Vali, the vanara king, giving parting words of wisdom to his son, as he lay dying upon the earth.)

~ I am really loving the weekly Radiance Rising Circles even more, now that I got up the courage to lead the chants on my harmonium. I love singing! At the last circle we toned the heart chakra mantra YAM, and I shared some teachings by Sri Ramana Maharshi, a great sage who lived in India 1879-1950. Here is one of his sayings (from The Essential Teachings of Ramana Maharshi: A Visual Journey, Edited by Matthew Greenblatt, InnerDirections Publishing, 2003.):

“The cause of misery is not in life without; it is within you as the ego. You impose limitations on yourself and then make a vain struggle to transcend them. Why attribute to the happenings in life the cause of misery, which really lies within you? What happiness can you get from anything extraneous to yourself? When you get it, how long will it last?”

~ My current self-coaching mantra is this: “The only true Bliss channel is inside. Tune in to that frequency, and walk alone with enthusiasm and gratitude.”

May you enjoy the playground of your life. May much Bliss arise within you each day.

May all beings know the Bliss of lasting Peace and Happiness within themselves.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

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The Tejaswini Playground Press

Photo by Ashley Marie - CC license

We create our realities with our thoughts. Cultivating the witness, that part of our minds that objectively watches everything we are, allows us to clearly see all of our thoughts. Through the power of watching our thoughts, we gradually change the way we perceive the world. We shift from viewing the world as a serious court of justice to seeing this universe as a joyous playground. Like gleeful children, we get to play and celebrate during this lifetime we've been given. On the playground we enjoy ourselves fully, even if sometimes we scrape our knees or get our hearts broken! No matter what pains we go through, we can't let the heartbreaks keep us from opening up and having a good time on the playground.

Here is a bit of news from the fun I'm having lately on the Tejaswini Playground ~

~ Recently I have been feeling super grateful for the following themes that are arising in my life: I am feeling totally orchestrated by the Universe… I am delighting in how life is magically unfolding… I am feeling Held by Something Greater… I am noticing much more progress in releasing expectations and attachments.

~ My boys are now 10 and 12, and I am enjoying them more than ever. They are so sharp and worldly, yet still so innocent. I am falling in love with them again and again, and I feel incredible gratitude for this mothering journey. A few weeks ago I took them to see Alice in Wonderland. We all really liked the movie. Our favorite part was “I believe in 6 impossible things before breakfast.” What a great spiritual practice!

~ If you haven’t had the chance to read the articles on my blog, please check them out. You can sign up as a user if you’d like to post comments. We can create discussions that way… Some recent blog titles include: “Let us choose remembrance!,” “Parsley Musings,” “Happy Birthday to Hanuman!,” “Calling in Tranquility,” and “Let Us Choose Happiness.”

~ The weekly Radiance Rising Circles have become the highlight of my life. Recently we celebrated Hanuman’s Birthday (the Hindu monkey god who is a hero in the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana), with stories, songs, and vegan chocolate cake. Then I attended Jai Uttal’s kirtan in Ashland and became inspired to try leading a chant myself… So, at the circle last night, I played my harmonium while leading a Sita-Ram chant. (Sita and Ram are the Divine Incarnation in the Ramayana. They represent the eternal union of the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine. Symbolically, Sita is the human soul united with its Beloved, who is Rama.) I really enjoyed leading the chant, and I was pleased when my friend Andy told me later that I sang in tune the whole time! That was a big deal for me since I grew up believing that I couldn’t sing… But now, I can sing! I am looking forward to learning more chants on the harmonium.

~ I am feeling inspired to lead more and more circles, in a variety of settings. I feel really called to teach meditation (and Reiki energy healing) in prisons, so I am exploring different ways to begin doing that karma yogini work.

~ The 1,000 copies of my new book (Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living) arrived in the mail last week. Thanks to Gaelyn Larrick’s cover design and Bram Larrick’s interior design, the books are beautiful. It was amazing to hold them in my hands. Now it’s time to promote this book, which is available on my website store at www.yogini-bliss.com. On the website you can read excerpts from this pocket book.

~ Today I am preparing for my friend Pete’s visit… cleaning the cottage and cooking a pot of kitchari, which to me is like vegan comfort food. You can find the recipe on my website under “Tips from Tejaswini,” and I’ll also share it with you here:

Kitchari
Adapted from a friend’s recipe

Soak mung beans overnight (or 4 hour minimum)

Cook the following:

2 cups mung beans
4 cups water (may need more)
5-6 or more cloves garlic, chopped finely
big piece of ginger root, chopped finely
optional: big onion, chopped medium dice

Cook for 45 minutes or longer, until the mung beans start to fall apart.

Then combine with the following:

2 cups cooked rice (brown basmati or brown long grain)
½ cup tamari
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons cumin seed
1 ½ Tablespoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon red chili flakes

Stir until blended – don’t over-stir.

Let sit for 45 minutes before serving.

With all of the above quantities, experiment to suite your tastes. You may like it more or less spicy.

Please buy organic whenever possible. It is better for your body and better for the environment. Happy Earth Day next week!

~ Currently I am reading a really great version of the Ramayana, called The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic, by Ramesh Menon. (North Point Press, New York, 2003.) In the introduction he writes, “More than anything else, reading the Ramayana brings the reader close to the noble, holy, and living spirit of Rama. Regardless of which religion one professes, or if one is an agnostic or an atheist, the touch of Rama’s spirit is a profound, healing contact.” He continues to say that reading the Ramayana purifies the soul. I have only read 80 pages of the 686 pages, and already I do feel that it is having a profound effect on my psyche and soul.

~ Last week I was greatly inspired by the Jai Uttal kirtan here in Ashland. He began the evening by saying, “Don’t try to feel spiritual. Just sing, and sing, and sing… sing from your heart, and then you will be filled with Spirit.” Singing is definitely what takes me to Bliss. May we all enjoy our paths to Bliss!

May you have a lot of fun on the playground of your life.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace), Yogini Tejaswini

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The Tejaswini Playground Press

Photo by Ashley Marie - CC license

We create our realities with our thoughts. Cultivating the witness, that part of our minds that objectively watches everything we are, allows us to clearly see all of our thoughts. Through the power of watching our thoughts, we gradually change the way we perceive the world. We shift from viewing the world as a serious court of justice to seeing this universe as a joyous playground. Like gleeful children, we get to play and celebrate during this lifetime we've been given. On the playground we enjoy ourselves fully, even if sometimes we scrape our knees or get our hearts broken! No matter what pains we go through, we can't let the heartbreaks keep us from opening up and having a good time on the playground.

Here is a bit of news from the fun I'm having lately on the Tejaswini Playground ~

~ A few weeks ago I took my boys snow-shoeing up on Mt. Ashland. It was one of those days with blue sky and bright sunshine, so we had a spectacular view of Mt. Shasta. After an hour of fun in the snow, we enjoyed the hot spicy cocoa I had brought in our sturdy Stanley thermos. We listened to MC Yogi's "Elephant Power," CD on the way home… My sons are now pre-teens and they really love rap and hip hop music, so MC Yogi appeals to them, which is great since I get to enjoy the Sanskrit mantras that are mixed in… "Jai Ganesha… Ganesh is so fresh chillin' on his throne…When I say Jai, You say Ganesh!" We are all thrilled that MC Yogi will perform live in Ashland on April 3rd. (To view a catchy song that MC Yogi recently created, called "Give Love," go to: http://vimeo.com/9366405)

~ I continue to enjoy writing regularly for the Teja Blog on my website, www.yogini-bliss.com. A few of my recent blog post titles include: "This Is It: Make That Change," "Freedom from Addictions to Television and to Anxieties," and "My Vegan Lunch Today." I've also been delighted to witness poems coming through me again. Soon I will post some of the new poems on the Poetry Gallery at yogini-bliss.com. In addition to the poetry flowing through, I've been receiving "downloads" for film ideas again. One of the film ideas is really quite good, and I could see it doing well as a major motion picture, so I'm intending that the universe works its magic for me to meet Stephen Simon or James Cameron!

~ On February 28th, I posted a blog called "The Teja Challenge," in which I challenged people to give up alcohol, nicotine, ganja, and other substances for a one-year period, during which time I will send them Reiki healing energy each day. So far, only one person has taken the challenge. He is doing quite well, and I look forward to working with more people who are ready to free themselves from addictive substances. One person (who is considering taking the challenge) posted a comment after the article asking what he would do without ganja when he felt bored and craved distraction from the turmoil of his mind. Here is most of my response to him:

"… Meditation and other spiritual practices will not only pass the time, they will transform you so that the turmoil will fade away into the vast loving universe that supports you. The thing is, the mind is easily habituated, which is a problem when it is habituated to drugs and destructive thought patterns, but it is a big help when the mind is habituated to meditation and other spiritual practices. The mind really likes to hold onto something - it is like a small child clinging to its parent. So, if you give the mind spiritual practices to hold onto (instead of ganja and other harmful substances), then the mind will very quickly become habituated to the positive practices and begin to cling to them.

"Ultimately, the goal is to purify and free the mind from all clinging, but most of us are not ready for that, so at the stage we are at now, we substitute spiritual practices for harmful addictions. We allow the mind to cling to meditation and other spiritual practices, and through those practices we purify our minds, gradually releasing all the negative tendencies.

"For those who choose to take the Teja Challenge, I highly recommend sitting in meditation at least once each day for 20-30 minutes. I also recommend reading my new book Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, as well as reading many other books with spiritual teachings.

"You can pass the time reading spiritual teachings, sitting in meditation, singing along with chanting CDs, and spending time in nature. Gradually your mind will adjust to the new activities, and your mind will become calmer. This will be a process, and there will be difficult moments, but life will always present difficulties, no matter what path we choose, so we may as well choose a path of positive self-love and growth.

~ Recently a friend and I watched a really beautiful movie called HOME (which you can actually watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU), and they gave statistics about the amount of resources that are used to produce the massive amounts of grain needed to feed all the livestock that is then killed so people can eat meat. It was another great reminder of how choosing to eat a vegan diet is not only beneficial for personal health reasons, it is also better for the planet. On that note, here are a few vegan recipes for you to enjoy:

Forbidden Black Rice Teja Style:

Cook rice in water with a few spoonfuls of coconut oil, plus a bit of Himalayan krystal salt and some cumin powder. Toss the cooked rice with raw cashews, shredded coconut, nutritional yeast flakes, organic flax seed oil, raw ginger root* chopped finely, raw turmeric root* chopped finely, Himalayan krystal salt, and the juice of half a Meyer lemon. So Yummy! Food is God. (Well, according to the Yogic wisdom of ancient India, everything and everyone is part of the Oneness that is God, so you really could say that this rice dish is God!)

* Ginger and turmeric for added immune system boosting.

Rainbow Chard with Pinenuts:

Saute pinenuts and garlic (chopped finely) in olive oil for a few minutes, then add rainbow chard, a tablespoon of soy sauce, and the juice of half a Meyer lemon.

Please buy organic whenever possible. It is better for your body and better for the environment.

~ The weekly Radiance Rising Circles continue to be a source of much joy for me. I am so grateful to everyone who comes to share their hearts in these monday evening gatherings. We sit in silent meditation, share spiritual teachings, and chant sacred songs. My friend Andy has been leading the chants on his harmonium, and he is encouraging me to learn how to play my harmonium too! This is the first instrument I've ever played, so it's a whole new experience for me. For now I am proud that I can lead some mantra toning, but soon I will learn to play some actual songs.

~ My new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, has now (finally) gone to the printer in Michigan. I should have the 1,000 copies in my cottage (now where am I going to put them?!) by the end of March. Written from my perspective as a Raja Yogini, this pocketbook describes basic spiritual practices that anyone - of any faith - could apply to their own spiritual path. Pre-orders are now discounted on the website store… they will be discounted until April 10th.

~ One of my favorite inspiring reads is The Intenders Handbook, Revised 2007 Edition, by Tony Burroughs. (www.intenders.com) In this little book, I found this gem of a quote:

"What you are reaching toward is also reaching out toward you."

May you enjoy the playground of your life.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

My new business card:

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The Tejaswini Playground Press

Photo by Ashley Marie - CC license

We create our realities with our thoughts. Cultivating the witness, that part of our minds that objectively watches everything we are, allows us to clearly see all of our thoughts. Through the power of watching our thoughts, we gradually change the way we perceive the world. We shift from viewing the world as a serious court of justice to seeing this universe as a joyous playground. Like gleeful children, we get to play and celebrate during this lifetime we’ve been given. On the playground we enjoy ourselves fully, even if sometimes we scrape our knees or get our hearts broken! No matter what pains we go through, we can’t let the heartbreaks keep us from opening up and having a good time on the playground.

Here is a bit of news from the fun I’m having on the Tejaswini Playground ~

~ Last summer was a time of deep grief (I lost a couple of loved ones, including my beloved spiritual teacher, Basil), but during that dark night of the soul, a lot of creative ideas and visions stirred within me. Those visions are now coming to fruition. After all the hard work that went into the creation of my website (thanks to Gaelyn and Bram Larrick, and myself), I was filled with incredible excitement when www.yogini-bliss.com went live. What a joy it is to see that outward reflection of all the inner work I’ve done these past six years.

~ On November 16^th, while I was down south hugging my Guru Ammachi, the Jackson County Judge stamped my name change final. I am now legally Tejaswini Rachel Ann Shankara. With this name change, I dropped the last names of my parents and of my former husband, and took the last name Shankara, which is a name of Lord Shiva that means “Giver of Happiness and Peace.” The Hindu deity Shiva represents the Pure Consciousness and Bliss within and without all beings. With the last name Shankara, I endeavor to remember that my first husband is always Shiva, and the connections that I have with earthly men are secondary to this primary connection with Shiva. (This is similar to the way some Christian nuns consider themselves to be brides of Jesus, although, even as I consider myself a bride of Shiva, I have not taken the vow of celibacy. Maybe someday?!) Taking this new name has felt a bit disorienting at times, as I am feeling my way into the new vibration that this name carries, but gradually that initial disorientation is fading and I am settling into being Teja Shankara.

~ January 29^th I celebrated my 40^th birthday, and it was one of my best birthdays ever. I went down to Mt. Shasta City for a few days and really enjoyed going snow-shoeing with a dear girlfriend who is very much like a sister to me. I don’t usually enjoy winter sports because I’m not that good at them and I don’t like to be cold, but I really loved snow-shoeing! It was so much fun that I intend to go more often. On this joyous playground of life, it is so good to keep doing new things and discovering what things we really have fun doing. After a couple of invigorating hours in the snow on Mt. Shasta, we soaked in a hot tub under the stars. Breathing in the sacredness of that place, I set the intention to spend more time near Mt. Shasta, so I can take in more of the healing medicines from that sacred mountain.

~ Lately I have really been enjoying the creative writing that I am getting to do for the Teja Blog on my website, www.yogini-bliss.com. When you get the chance, check it out. It’s almost turning into an on-line book! Here are a few of the blog post titles: “Getting Grounded in Times of Rapid Change,” “Manifesting Intentions from a State of Knowingness,” and “Expansion Through Spiritual Practices that Warm the Heart.” On the Teja Blog, if you sign up as a user, then you can post comments and you will receive notification emails.

~ A few days before Valentine’s Day, my sons and I made a hilarious 18 second video, which I am sorry to say I cannot post on my YouTube channel (because I cannot get permission from my youngest son). In the video, my son asked me what “valentine” meant and I read him the definition from the dictionary and then I made some sarcastic comments. I laughed so hard every time I watched that video. It was such good medicine for me to make fun of my aching heart. I was going through some heartbreak and I was really not looking forward to Valentine’s Day at all. In fact, I wished I could fast-forward time and make it February 15^th already. Well, since time is moving fast and we are all evolving faster than usual, by Valentine’s morning I was feeling quite happy to be alone. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day. I cooked myself a really delicious Indian meal, with a nourishing red lentil dal (similar to the red lentil dal recipe in my cookbook, Love Soups: A Vegetarian Soup Cookbook Inspired by the Soup Devas), and a slightly spicy dish of curried potatoes, onions, and cauliflower.  After dinner I dressed up fun, with sparkles and a bindi on my third eye, and I went out dancing at a wonderful kirtan/dance fusion event put on by Prema Mayi and her son Krishnadeva. My solo Valentine’s Day turned out to be quite fun and fulfilling.

~ My new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, will be going to the printer very soon. I am so excited to get this book out into the world. Written from my perspective as a Raja Yogini, it describes basic spiritual practices that anyone – of any faith – could apply to their own spiritual path. This easy-to-read pocket book will make a great gift for your friends and family. Pre-orders are now discounted on the yogini-bliss.com store.

~ In November I began training as a Reiki practitioner. Reiki, pronounced “Ray-key,” is a gentle, hands-on energy healing system. Lately I have started giving more direct healing sessions, and I am really enjoying that. I also continue to send distance Reiki healings to Haiti and to friends in other countries. I will be writing more about my experiences with Reiki in future newsletters and on the Teja Blog.

~ Late November I began offering weekly Radiance Rising Circles, which are Gandhi-style gatherings to spark the inner Light. Each circle has been very sweet. I am so grateful to the beings who come and share their hearts. After New Year’s we began a mini-study of the chakras, focusing on one chakra each week. As a part of that study, I began bringing my harmonium to the circles so that we could tone the mantras associated with the chakras. This was a bit of a stretch for me since I am just a beginner at playing harmonium and singing, but I am really glad that I did it because it was so much fun! I really look forward to these Monday evening gatherings. Sometimes I even cry a little before going to the circles, because my heart is overflowing with gratitude that I get to serve in that way now.

~ One of my favorite spiritual teachings at the moment comes from Deepak Chopra’s book, The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore. He quotes a famous Indian teacher (who he does not name) saying: “The measure of enlightenment is how comfortable you feel with your own contradictions.”

Three Cheers for all the joys (and sorrows) that pass through us as we play on this playground of life! May you enjoy the playground of your life.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

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Today I had been trying to get caught up on emails all morning. With 30 more to go, I took a break to fix some lunch. As I walked into the kitchen, I witnessed a bit of frustration in my being because I really don’t want to spend so much time on the computer. As I witnessed the tension and breathed into it, I looked around my colorful, cozy kitchen and relaxed. My kitchen is very much like my Grandma’s kitchen, which is one of my favorite places on earth. Like hers, mine is painted a bright cheery yellow, and like hers, I have lots of photos hanging on my fridge doors… and like hers, I have flowers, plants, meaningful knick-knacks, and a nice wooden table.

As I heated up some leftovers from the tasty dinner I cooked last night, I ate a spoonful of Artisana Raw Organic Coconut Butter, and I was suddenly filled with incredible Bliss. It was one of those moments when I feel very connected to All That Is.

Is your kitchen a cozy place that fills you with Bliss? If not, consider transforming it into such a place.

Do you need some new cooking ideas? Last night I roasted yukon gold potatoes with olive oil, dill, black pepper, salt, and garlic granules; cooked a pot of curried french lentils (similar to the recipe in my cookbook, Love Soups: A Vegetarian Soup Cookbook Inspired by the Soup Devas); and served those along with some brown rice (cooked with dried mint, cumin powder, salt, shredded coconut, and coconut oil), and a fresh green salad topped with meyer lemon juice and fresh cilantro. The leftovers tasted so good today.

Now I’m ready to make some hot tea and respond to those 30 remaining emails!

May we all enjoy many Blissful moments like the one I had today in my cozy kitchen. And may we all intend Peace on Earth.

May all beings everywhere know the Bliss of Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

www.buzz-for-bliss.com

www.youtube.com/user/16Tejaswini

Photo of my vegan lunch with lilacs and marigolds by Teja Shankara.

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Today I woke up feeling exhausted like I had pulled a team of heavy horses through the sky on my back last night. Though I am usually a tea drinker, this morning I brewed a strong cup of coffee and sat down to read The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic, by Ramesh Menon. I am only 205 pages into this 686 page volume, and already I can honestly say that it is the best book I have ever read. After reading a section, I sat down to chant the 1,000 Names of the Divine Mother, a 45-minute chanting practice that I learned from Ammachi, that I do every Friday. Today this practice filled me with incredible Love and Bliss Shakti, and it renewed my inspiration for my creative work in the world.

So it is in this state of feeling really full of my true Self, in that deep place of the Heart, that I begin writing this blog entry, which is a continuation of the last blog post about the inside story on the Buzz for Bliss Campaign. (www.buzz-for-bliss.com) One week ago today my friend Pete and I conceived of the idea, and already more than 5,000 people have viewed my buzz cut video! (www.youtube.com/user/16Tejaswini)

The word is spreading fast and soon thousands of people will be getting their buzz cuts for bliss…

… But that is the story for a future blog. Today I will continue sharing my personal process since getting the buzz cut for bliss. I buzzed my hair to remind me to let go of attachments. Primarily, I was concerned about my attachment to Pete, my dear yogi friend who was visiting me for almost 3 weeks. After a really fun visit, the time came to take him to the airport, so he could fly to England to visit his family. Not knowing if or when we would see each other again, I cried as his plane flew away… But when I got home, I was fine for the rest of the day.

That evening, at the Radiance Rising Circle, I called in Gratitude to help me stay focused on the positive – gratitude for a great visit with Pete – rather than the negative – “poor me, he left.” The circle was particularly sweet that evening, with eleven of us sharing in a good discussion about how we navigate painful emotional states. One guy shared that he hadn’t thought about the spiritual process of expanding and contracting as a concept until he read about it in my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living. (This pocket book is available on this website store in print and by e-book.) I then talked about the importance of cultivating the witness to help us remain detached throughout the ups and downs of our days and nights…

That night I went to sleep feeling inspired and fulfilled, so I wasn’t expecting to feel how I felt the next morning: I awoke feeling as though my body had been cut down the middle and someone had taken one half and put it on a plane headed for another part of the world… I sat in disbelief at how strange the remaining half of me felt… As I went through my morning routine, I felt numb and dazed, as though half of me was touring some distant galaxy, while the other half struggled to understand what was happening here and now.

At the time, I could not have explained it this well, but the Witness part of my mind was actively witnessing, and it was saying a few things to me, such as: “You are just adjusting to Pete leaving… that’s why you feel so strange. Just keep focusing your attention on God and on your work in the world.” I listened to that voice as I carried on with sitting still in meditation practice and chanting the Hanuman Chalisa and sipping hot tea while reading The Ramayana…

… But every time I tried to work on the computer (promoting the creative child we had birthed at the end of Pete’s visit: www.buzz-for-bliss.com), I felt worse and worse. Finally I realized that I needed to get away from the computer and the cottage (which were both reminding me of Pete’s visit)… I needed to bust out of my regular routine and do something else for a while…

… So I walked my buzzcut self (which still only felt half embodied), downtown, and took my half-self on a hike along the trail by the creek. The flowing, bubbling water combined with the heavy scent of the towering trees soothed my nerves, but still something felt wrong – very wrong.

So, I tuned in again to the Witness Consciousness, that part of my being that I have been actively cultivating for more than 6 ½ years… And, gratefully, the Witness gave me a fine little report:

“Your Consciousness is wide-open in Blissful Expansion, and your mind is doing really well. You are not creating suffering for yourself with negative thought patterns like you have repeatedly done in the past. What feels ‘wrong’ to you is not at the spirit or mental levels, but rather you are experiencing the pain of separation on a very physical, primal level. You are in the agony – physical agony – that a bird or other creature might experience when separated from their mate. This is an adjustment of screeching sorrow that you just have to go through – don’t try to run from it. Allow it, and give it plenty of space. Cry if tears come… Don’t judge yourself for feeling this way – this feeling is as natural as the birdsong of this planet. Allow yourself to feel, feel, and feel again. This too shall shift.”

Of course the tears flowed then, and they flowed on into the evening as I ate a nourishing vegan meal, repeated my mantra 108 times, sat in evening dhyana (meditation), and lay my head upon the pillow…

Earlier that day I had emailed Pete telling him about how strange I was feeling, and in his reply he had reminded me to be in Shiva Consciousness and to touch my head… That helped. Each time I touched my head and looked at my buzz cut in the mirror, I remembered my goal to release external attachments and to live in the internal Bliss of Union with Lord Shiva, the Hindu aspect of the Divine that represents Pure Consciousness.

The next day I awoke feeling somewhat better, but by afternoon the physical pain in my heart and gut propelled me to call my dear healer friend, Britt. She tuned in and agreed that I was doing well at the spirit and mental levels, but that I needed some help at the physical level. She said that I needed to clear Pete’s energy from my physical space. She instructed me to do the following exercise:

Sitting on my meditation cushion, I called in the spiritual help of Amma, Neem Karoli Baba, and the Reiki Guides. Then I visualized two bright red roses: one out in front of my heart chakra, and the other out in front of my solar plexus chakra – the two areas where I was experiencing seering energetic pain sensations. I put all of Pete’s energies that were in me out into those roses… then I took them outside and exploded them, letting them dissolve out into the sky and the clouds and beyond…

… Sitting again, I visualized two more bright red roses out in front of my heart and solar plexus chakras, and this time I called back all of my energies that were in Pete and put them in the roses as I pulled those roses into my heart and gut. Immediately I felt an energetic shift. What I had been experiencing as painful physical sensations (heart aching and gut feeling kicked) dissolved instantly, and the pain transmuted into feeling Blissful Union with Shiva. In that state of Remembrance, I placed a bright red dot bindi on my third eye, and doused my buzzed crown with Amma’s rose oil. I felt most grateful that my friend Britt had given me that simple yet potent exercise to do. It only took a few minutes, and it had a profound effect on my whole being.

Britt Magadini is available for psychic readings and energy healings. Her website will be live in a few days: www.wakingbeauties.com.

The following day I felt better, although I still had moments in which I experienced the pain of separation… But that is a natural part of the spiritual process of expanding and contracting. The more we engage in cultivating the witness, the easier this process becomes. I am so thrilled to see my progress and to experience the transformational power we can gain through the spiritual practice of cultivating the witness.

I know that my teacher Basil is proud of me as he shines Light upon me from some distant star. Oh, dear Basil, who I now call Yogi Shambho, I miss you as I type these words. Thank you for all that you taught me during those brief years we had together this lifetime.

May we all know the inner Bliss that comes from shedding our external attachments. Thank you, Pete, for showing up to help me learn more detachment. You’re a good yogi.

May all beings everywhere know the Bliss of Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

May Day photo of Pete & Teja by Howie Morningstar.

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My friend Pete is visiting for a few weeks, and last week I was feeling sad at the thought of our visit ending, so I asked him if he would give me a buzzcut, to help me release my attachments. At first he didn’t think it was a good idea, as he thought I should just be able to let go of my attachments by strengthening my mind. With a stronger mind, I would not let myself think the thoughts that cause me grief. While that sounds great in theory, I still felt like I needed some outside help. A buzzcut would be a great visual reminder that I am capable of letting go of the things that I am attached to… And I was definitely attached to my hair…

So I placed the hair cutting scissors on the bathroom counter, to let Pete know I was serious about my idea… but the next time I went to the bathroom, the scissors were gone! For a few days we played hide-and-seek with the scissors, with me finding them and setting them back on the counter, and him hiding them again.

While I was mostly laughing at our rascally antics, I also felt a bit frustrated by the situation… So, I took out my journal and wrote the following:

O Tejaswini, what can you say about your long hair? ~

~ It feels heavy, like it’s weighing down my head.

~ It makes me attractive to men.

~ It symbolizes femininity.

~ It is so cute and curly.

~ It takes too much time to manage now.

~ I’m attached to it because it is so cute.

~ It makes me feel protected. I can hide in it.

O Tejaswini, what does cutting your hair represent? ~

~ Burning karma: Letting go of the old and creating fresh new space for what wants to emerge next.

~ Re-committing to the goal: Shiva Union is Primary, and connections with earthly men come after Union with Lord Shiva, who is Pure Consciousness and Bliss

~ Releasing attachments: attachments to looks, to men, to projections of how I want things to unfold, to fantasies and to disappointments.

~ Shifting focus from spending time on external looks TO spending more time on internal practices and on serving others.

I then wrote a small poem:

letting the curly locks
fall away,
i rest within Shiva,
the very Bliss
at my core.

Tejaswini says this buzzcut
brings the bliss
of Remembrance.

After I read the above journal entry to Pete, he agreed to cut my hair. I thought that the next day we would buy a clipper set for the buzzcut, but that night we couldn’t sleep, and at 3:30am he cut my hair with those hide-and-seek scissors! We took a video of the process, and the video turned out to be quite hilarious, so I posted it on my YouTube channel under the comedy category! (http://www.youtube.com/user/16Tejaswini) Here is the video. Please share it far and wide!

While editing the Buzz for Bliss video, we got the idea to challenge others to also buzz their hair to release attachments and experience the bliss of inner peace. Also, Pete (a.k.a. Yogi Sinzapatos) will donate $1 for every haircut done in the name of Peace to Common Passion, a non-profit organization that is working to raise awareness of Unity Consciousness. http://www.commonpassion.org. If you decide to cut YOUR hair for the Bliss of Peace, after you cut your hair, you can post a photo of your buzzcut, along with a story about the haircut, at http://www.buzz-for-bliss.com.

We all have the ability to let go of our attachments. Sometimes giving something up – like our hair, for example – can help us to give other things up. The more we let go of our external attachments, the more we experience the bliss of internal peace… And the more we each experience inner peace, the more we radiate that out and help to create Peace in the whole world.

May we each release whatever attachments are blocking our peace and joy. Cheers to buzzcuts for bliss, and any other releases that radiate more Light!

May all beings everywhere know the Bliss of Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

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A few days ago I felt inspired to write an article about celebration, but I didn’t write down the ideas. Today when I sat down to write, at first I felt blocked due to a challenging PMS state that was passing through my body-mind. My gut felt gripped from all sides, and I thought that I surely could not write anything inspiring in the throes of that state, but then I thought of what my teacher Basil would say: ‘We have to keep doing our disciplines, no matter how bad we feel.’ So, I began writing, and as I wrote, I healed myself along the way… Writing is healing for me, especially when it helps me to remember spiritual Truths that purify my mind of negative thoughts.

One such spiritual Truth is this: The mind becomes that which it dwells upon. This ancient Indian sutra counsels us to be careful where we put our attention, because our energies follow where we place our mind’s focus. So, rather than focusing on the gripping sensation in my belly, I advised myself to follow the thread of celebration; to jump on my cheerful horse calling out, “pdheop! pdheop!” PDHEOP is an acronym I made up recently to remind myself to be patient, detached, humble, enthusiastic, optimistic, and positive.

Invoking the lyrics of that old Kool & the Gang pop tune, “Celebration,” I set about opening my mind to dwell upon the original purpose of this human life: celebration… “Celebrate good times, come on… there’s a party going on right here, a celebration to last throughout the years… so bring your good times, and your laughter too, we gonna celebrate and party with you… let’s all celebrate and have a good time… it’s time to come together… it’s up to you ~ what’s your pleasure? Everyone around the world, come on!”

Merging all of our good times and all of our bad times together in one wild breath, let us delight in listening to our Mother Earth speaking to us. Spring wildness is the precious earth shouting in joy: “Celebrate good times! Smell my fragrances, see my colors, let your hearts sing in celebration of this blossoming season!”

O earth beings, open out to experience your oneness – not just with the creatures with whom you share the land, sea, and air, but also feel your oneness with the stars of the vast galaxies… and with the Love energies that pulse through races of space beings, whose very souls breathe our fabric of existence in and out of beingness. There is not even a tiny molecule separating us from the Whole of Creation. We are all connected in one continuous web of energy and vibration. From a little spider to a tall skyscraper, and from a miraculous human fetus to a shimmering space creature, everything, everything, everything is part of One connected energy. Every thought, every word, every action affects the Whole.

We are here on the earth to love and to celebrate. So many things pull us away from that celebration, but it is now time for us all to focus our intentions on uniting together in One Heart, One Love, One Singing and Dancing Celebration. Discarding the past garments that served as armor, let us adorn our bodies with flowers and feathers and glitter… Let us join hearts and hands, and dance together in celebration of our time here on this living earth.

Let us dwell upon this image: billions of human beings joining together to honor and heal the earth, and all the creatures of the land, sea, air, and space. Let us remember our intrinsic Oneness with everything.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of lilacs by orange glass candlight by Teja Shankara.

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Greetings everyone! Here is my current news in brief ~ 

~ I will be teaching a few workshops at the Mystic Garden Party festival in Corning, California this July 21-26. To view my workshop descriptions, go to http://www.mysticgardenparty.com ~ then go to "Workshops, All Bios" and scroll down to the Devotional Dome section. If you can make it to this festival, it will be fun to see you there!

~ My friend Pete is visiting Ashland, and we have been making and uploading videos to my YouTube channel, Yogini Bliss. My user name is 16Tejaswini. To view interviews and chants with me, go to http://www.youtube.com/user/16Tejaswini. (There are now 5 videos on my channel, and there are more good ones on Pete's channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/YogiSinzapatos.)

~ Pete also helped me convert my new book Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living into an e-book, which is now available on this website store for $4.99. If you order the e-book, it will be e-mailed to you within 24 hours. 

That's all for today.... sending lots of Spring Blossom Bliss to you all!

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

a.k.a. Teja Shankara

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Yesterday, while waiting for the mechanic to replace my car's battery, I sat in the lobby re-charging my own batteries through writing in my journal and eating a bit of dark chocolate with almonds. After a while, I decided to write out a page of phrases that described me in that moment. Here's what I wrote... in no particular order...

Teja Shankara: open, fresh, new, bright, healer, star, mystic-to-be, kirtan artist (to be), circle facilitator, magnolia, Govinda Dasi, horse, lion, Raven, green, black, cosmos, space beings, Lalla, chocolate, Amma, Durga, Rama, LOVE, Surya (Sun god), Neem Karoli Baba, Reiki Guides, Shiva-Shakti Namo Namah, Sita Ram, Sita Ram, Sita Ram, Sita Ram.

Writing those images of myself in that moment brought me into a state of Self-Love, Happiness, and Bliss. I often talk and write about Cultivating the Witness, that spiritual practice of simply watching ourselves objectively in each moment. Sometimes the witness part of my mind gets a bit too serious, and so writing down those words helped me to witness myself in a more creative, playful way.

Today the sun is shining bright and I enjoyed a nice lunch out with a friend. We then walked in Lithia Park where the cool water rushed over the stones in the creek, and I reflected on the importance of flowing with life. On our way home we stopped in the Enchanted Florist Cafe for a cup of thick liquid chocolate, like the kind they drank in the movie Chocolat. While enhaling the heady aroma of gorgeous tropical flowers, I sipped that chocolate, and again my thoughts turned to flowing with life.

Although I didn't "get much done" on my grand lists today, I did get something very important done: I stepped out of the way of my usual routine, and allowed myself to flow in a fun and spontaneous way. May we all enjoy the flow of life.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Enchanted Florist Cafe and Lithia Creek photos by Teja Shankara.

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