In my last blog article, I delightfully announced that I was ready to offer Radiance Rising Circles again… But, as it turns out, it is not the right time for it. I was really inspired and excited about offering the circles again, but then I realized that I need to focus my time and energy on my boys, my work, and my health.

With this decision, I feel as though I am purifying in the Fire of Change… And I am super grateful to note that all of my daily spiritual practices are now really working in my life, as evidenced by my new ability to remain happy amidst all the challenges, and my ever-increasing acceptance of change. With a happy and curious heart, I welcome whatever is arising next!

May all beings everywhere know the True Happy State that is ever-present beneath and behind all the little details of life.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja’s cheery coffee table arrangement taken by Teja Shankara.

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After taking over a year's break, I am once again inspired to offer the weekly Radiance Rising Circles, beginning this Saturday, April 21^st, 2012. This time around, the circles will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Center, corner of 4th & C Streets in Ashland, on Saturdays 10:30am - 12noon. As before, the circles will be free of charge and open to everyone each week. The last time around, I offered the weekly circles for 15 months, and because there wasn't any money involved, the circles had a unique purity and sweetness about them. 

I am offering these circles because I really see the benefits of all the spiritual practices I do daily in my own life, and so I feel inspired to share the practices with others. It is very powerful to come together in prayer and meditation. I initially became inspired to offer circles after reading Book of Prayers by Mahatma Gandhi, who led interfaith prayer gatherings morning and evening each day, all throughout his political, revolutionary activities. In the book's introduction, Michael N. Nagler writes, "Squarely in the time-honored tradition of Hindu devotion, Gandhi accepted the validity of all forms of genuine worship. Love of God is love of God. At the same time, he explained, we need forms suited to our culture and even to our personality; since most of the ashramites were Hindu, so are most of the songs."

The simple chants that I lead, in a call-and-response singing format, are mostly Sanskrit chants that call upon Hindu gods and goddesses (primarily Shiva, Durga, Kali, Hanuman, Sita, Rama, Ganesha, and now I am learning a chant to Krishna), since I am a dedicated yogini on the Raja Yoga Path (with Ammachi and Neem Karoli Baba-ji as my Gurus), but I also sometimes lead chants to Green Tara, or chant Hallelujah, or chant for Peace... I am just a beginner at playing the harmonium: I had never played a musical instrument in my life, so I have stickers on the keys with the appropriate letters, and I've just started taking lessons with Krishna Deva (Prema Mayi's son).... so the chanting that happens at these circles is not performance kirtan, but rather it's a co-creation with whoever shows up and sings... and it's great when someone shows up to drum along with me! I always bring a drum and bells, and I welcome people to bring drums as well.... also, if you think you can't sing, don't let that stop you from attending ~ singing from the heart is so beautiful, whether it's perfectly sung on key or not!

Each week, I bring a reading to share after the chanting and silent meditation. In selecting the readings, I tune in to what is most inspiring to me at the time, and also to what I sense might be needed by others. At the circles, we chant mantras with the chakras, going from the root up to the crown at the beginning of the circle, and then chanting back down to the root to close the circles feeling grounded. We also send the healing energies (created by the practices) out for healing and peace wherever they are needed... 

Each person attending these Radiance Rising Circles will be given a free copy of my pocketbook, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living.

Radiant Cheers to the Spiritual Health of the human species on this Sacred Planet Earth!

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Flyer for Radiance Rising Circles designed by Gaelyn Larrick, a bright artistic star shining in our midst! ~ Photo of Teja (on flyer) taken by Britt Magadini, another radiant being shimmering on the river of life!

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Last Friday, in anticipation of beginning to read Tulasidasa’s Shri Ramacharitamanasa (The Holy Lake of the Acts of Rama), I cleaned my living room and bought myself flowers! The next morning I began reading the introduction, written by Ram Chandra Prasad, Professor of English, Patna University, Patna, India. Each morning this week, I spent my “time-out-of-time” spiritual practice in studying the introduction, and here I will share a few highlights from those studies…

Tulasidasa (1532-1623), poet-saint of Northern India, began writing the Ramacharitamanasa (his version of the Ramayana) when he was forty-two years old (my age now!), on March 30^th (today’s date!), of 1574. With his incredible capacity for work, and his determination to revitalize Hindu society, he set about the task of writing that great epic story anew, to remind his readers that there is no reason to despair. Through his depiction of Rama’s victory over the demons, the reader remembers the ultimate victory of truth over evil.

Ram Chandra Prasad, who edited and translated Tulasi’s great work into Hindi and English, writes, “Endowed with the prophetic vision of a true seer, Tulasi is alert to the present need and understands the requirements of modern times, of what he calls the Kaliyuga, and devotes all his creative energies towards providing a sure antidote to the poison that has corrupted human society today.”

Already greatly inspired by the introduction, I am very much looking forward to reading the first pages of the epic tomorrow morning, which happens to be Ram Navmi, the birthday celebration day for Rama! And, three weeks from tomorrow, in my own small way of providing “a sure antidote to the poison that has corrupted human society today”, I will once again be offering weekly Radiance Rising Circles! (Beginning April 21^st, Saturday mornings, 10:30am – 12 noon at the Unitarian Universalist Center, corner of 4^th & C Streets in Ashland.)

May all beings be Happy and Free. Jai Sri Rama! Victory to Rama!

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Shri Ramacharitamanasa with flowers by Teja Shankara.

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In a recent blog article (“Amazing Gratitude for Amazing Manifestation!”), I shared that I was re-reading Gandhi-ji’s Book of Prayers while waiting to order the Tulsidas Ramayana. Well, after finishing Gandhi-ji’s Book of Prayers, each morning I just kept reading it, even though the Tulsidas Ramayana had already arrived in the mail. For some reason, it wasn’t quite time to begin the new book, and even though I was beginning to feel a bit restless with reading the same prayers over and over, I knew that I needed to do so.

On my spiritual journey, any time I encounter some form of resistance, I find that to be very rich material to work with, so instead of putting the book away when I felt some boredom arising, I took the opportunity to delve deeper into the book… And I am so glad I did that, because I learned a bit about the power of repeating those prayers over and over.

Repetition of those prayers was one of Gandhi-ji’s primary daily practices. During one of his prison terms, he translated the Ashram Bhajanavali into English. These were the prayers that they recited daily in his ashram, and many of them are by recognizable Indian saints such as Mirabai, Kabir, and Tulsidas.

In the book’s introduction, Michael N. Nagler describes how deeply those prayers were woven into the content of Gandhi-ji’s consciousness. He writes that Gandhi would “allude to or “think in” lines from these hymns in the course of some discussion or other.” I can relate to that now, as it has been my experience, over the past few weeks, that the daily reading of these prayers is having a profound effect on my consciousness.

Here are a few phrases (taken from various prayers throughout the collection) that I particularly enjoy reading out loud, again and again:

“In the Kaliyuga, Ramanama* is the all-yielding tree… Repeating the name purifies the mind and banishes misfortune… Kabir says, this is the excellent life and I have sung of it. There is a state beyond misery and happiness, my mind is fixed on it…. He who is restraint incarnate is Rama…. The humble cottage is good enough; covering made of tattered rags is also good enough. I should eat with relish whatever it pleases God to give me from day to day…. O dear Lord…as soon as I saw thy face, the world became useless to me and my mind became detached from it. The happiness that the world gives is like a mirage; one should move about deeming it of no account…. We must sing of Hari with zest… Resolve upon enthroning Ramanama in thy heart…. have abundant love for all…take Ramanama…consider all to be good…regard God as the giver and the enjoyer…. You are intoxicated with your own infatuation; wake up and look around. What is the use of weeping when time knocks at the door? It costs nothing to sing Hari’s praises…. only the simple natural state…no desire for even an atom… Brahma and his creation cannot be separated even for a moment, but we of the earth earthy have no inkling of that vital principle; an owl may live for a hundred years and still will not know what the day is like. The Lord is like the ocean – too big for the eyes to scan….O my eyes, look deep and there is Hari…”

* Ramanama literally means “Rama’s Name” and it refers to the spiritual power of repeating God’s Name.

I hope you enjoyed this little taste of Gandhi-ji’s Book of Prayers. I plan to enjoy them for a few more days, and then dive deeply into the Tulsidas Ramayana!

May all beings be Happy and Free.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Gandhi-ji’s Book of Prayers taken by Teja Shankara.

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Ten days after Maha ShivaRatri, I am finally finding a few moments to write about my wild party of One… This year, since I didn’t have the energy to organize another all-night chanting event for ShivaRatri, I decided to have a quiet little chanting hour by myself. “Decided” is the key word here. I have to laugh every time I think I have a plan, because the Universe has a way of teaching me (again and again) that I’m not really in control of the “plans”! And ShivaRatri is the perfect night for letting go of the little mind’s attachments, since that is what Lord Shiva is all about. He helps us let go of everything that blocks our ability to rest in Pure Consciousness and Bliss.

So, I thought that I would just chant quietly to Shiva for an hour and then go to bed and get a good night’s sleep for work the next day… But, instead, here is what actually unfolded:

A certain lila (“divine play”) that I’ve been engaged in for a few years presented me with a situation that gave rise to some anger in my system, so when I lit the nag champa incense and sat down to chant to Shiva, instead of sweetly singing a lullaby to my Beloved, I sang louder than I have ever sung in my life. Let’s just say it was borderline yelling, and it went on for two hours, during which time I played bells and drums, and sang along with chanting CDs (and also briefly played my harmonium and sang my own chants), and rubbed my hair in Kali Wildness… Needless to say, once I got in bed it took me two more hours to fall asleep… and then I arose at 4:30am to continue chanting to Shiva for a while before work, and that’s when the Magic of ShivaRatri really descended into my being: suddenly the anger transmuted into Clarity, and I was able to calmly write a letter setting clear boundaries and bidding that lila a final farewell…

Sometimes I have to put up the Big Cosmic Shiva Mirror for me to see clearly what I need to let go of… And once I let go, I am amazed at the Bliss that flows into my being… And, in the ten days since ShivaRatri, I am astounded by all the Grace that is flowing into my life from all directions.

Repeating the Names of God really does have such a profound affect on my daily life. As the Indian poet-saint Tulsidas said, “The Name repeated with either good or evil intentions, in an angry mood or even while yawning, diffuses joy in all the ten directions.”

May all beings know the Bliss of letting go of attachments.

Om Namah Shivaya! ~ I bow to Shiva, who is Pure Consciousness and Pure Bliss.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja with Shiva & Nandi taken by Teja’s son Gabe.

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“Keep it Moving” is the theme of Lena Stevens’ February 2012 Forecast. I especially liked the part about keeping our thoughts and emotions moving so they don’t get stuck. She writes, “Allow yourself to feel, and then to feel differently, and yet again to feel something else.” (To read the rest of Lena’s forecast, please click on the title above.)

A few days after reading that monthly forecast, I was out on a brisk walk about town, and as I ascended a hill that I’ve walked up many times, I felt exasperated and my first thought was, ‘I can’t believe I’m still here in this town, after almost 19 years!’ As soon as I thought that, I remembered Lena’s words about keeping our feelings and thoughts moving, so I decided to try it out, and I quickly thought, ‘I am a multi-dimensional star being, and it doesn’t matter where I am on the earth!’

Well, as soon as I thought that, I felt so incredibly free, and so it really did work: I changed my thoughts, and then my feelings immediately changed. As I kept moving up the hill surrounded by the all-too-familiar Ashland scenery, I felt liberated from the limiting prison of my mind! 

Deep thanks to Lena Stevens for inspiring me to keep things moving…

May all beings be happy and free.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

P.S. Happy ShivaRatri (tonight in U.S./tomorrow in India) to one and all!

Photo of Stargazer Lilies by Teja Shankara.

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In my last blog article, “A Vegan Yogini’s Time-Out-of-Time Spiritual Practice”, I mentioned that I was in between books, so I was reading a publication about veganism. Well, after I finished reading that upsetting magazine, I wasn’t sure what to read next. In cultivating the witness, I observed a touch of the usual disoriented feeling that I tend to get in between books, and it was interesting for me to watch that state and to understand how fiercely I hold onto, and anchor to, and ground through whatever book I am currently reading. So then, in between books I experience a bit of vertigo, and I get to consciously practice listening for what is next…

For quite some time I have been wanting to read the Tulsidas Ramayana, but the daunting price has been holding me back. (It is $48 used on Amazon!) So as I was ‘listening’ for what book is next, I wondered if it might be time for the Tulsidas Ramayana, but I could not get a clear answer, so in the meantime I decided to re-read Gandhi-ji’s Book of Prayers. And wouldn’t you know, when I got to the section of prayers by Tulsidas, I felt a very deep resonance and kinship with that sixteenth century Indian poet saint! And that’s when I thought maybe it is time to read his Ramayana! 

Well, one reason why I can’t spend the money is that I owe my landlords $50 for a dryer repair, and since I’m only working half-time (and still searching for more work), I haven’t been able to pay them, so then I can’t order a book for $50 either… So Thursday morning, I said to the Universe, with my teenage son as my witness, “I need an extra hundred dollars to come to me this week.” If you have been following my blog for a while, then you already know that I struggle with the concept of “manifesting your reality” because even though our thoughts are indeed powerful, there are so many other co-factors at play when we are putting intentions out to the universe…

Even though we don’t always get what we think we want, sometimes we do (!), and in this case, it was quite an amazing manifestation. After putting that request (demand?) out to the Universe, I went to help a friend and he gave me ten dollars more than the ten dollars he owed me, and then after lunch, I got a call from EcoTeas asking me to work at their next packaging day, which will likely bring in about $75-95, and then that same day, a guy in the UK sent me a message about ordering my book Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living. So, all of that will total about one hundred dollars, maybe a little more!

With Amazing Gratitude, I’m now going to write my landlords a check for the $50 I owe them, and then I’m going to get on Amazon and order the Tulsidas Ramayana!

May all beings everywhere receive everything they need, when they need it.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja on birthday eve taken by Teja Shankara after attending an Amma Satsang.

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People often ask me how I am so grounded and vibrant on a vegan diet. The answer is simply that I prepare healthy foods and I focus on spiritual practices that keep me centered. I choose vegan foods that are grounding such as beans, whole grains, roots, and dark green leafy vegetables, like the collard, arugula, and mizuna greens in this photo. For that meal, I sautéd the collard greens in walnut oil and tossed them with some leftover tempeh and red bell pepper. Then I drizzled organic flax oil over the raw mizuna and arugula.

In addition to simple, tasty greens that are full of iron, calcium, and many other vitamins and minerals, I continue to sit daily in a silent meditation practice that balances my chakras (energy centers in the subtle body) and keeps me centered in my heart. In my pocket book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, I describe meditation (and other spiritual practices) in an easy-to-read way that appeals to many people.

Currently, my favorite daily practice is one that I’m calling my “time out of time”, which I enjoy after my morning meditation. For my time-out-of-time practice, I light candles on my coffee table, then sit on the couch with a cup of hot tea. I begin by reading aloud my current vows (which I wrote on January 1^st), and then offering my tea to Neem Karoli Baba. After that, I sip the tea whilst reading spiritual teachings. Recently I have been reading books by Ram Dass. To read the book reviews, please click on the titles: Be Here Now, Be Love Now, and Still Here.

The past few mornings, since I am in between books, I’ve been reading the Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit (magazine) published by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), and I will write a blog article with quotes from that publication once I digest it a little more. As a vegan yogini, when I read about the ill treatment of factory farm animals, I am filled with such a deep sorrow that I feel sick to my stomach and my heart aches. Thus, I feel very inspired to do my part to help raise awareness about this issue. In short, the animals and fish are suffering very much because of the dietary choices made by the human species. And, the choice to no longer eat animal products, but to instead eat a plant-based (vegan) diet, not only reduces the suffering of the animals, but it increases the good health of the humans and dramatically reduces the global greenhouse emissions. So, going vegan is a win-win-win situation: the creatures win, the humans win, and the planet wins!

More on this topic soon.

May all beings, including the cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys, be free to live happy lives.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja’s vegan dinner by Teja Shankara.

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A few years ago, my boys came home from a morning walk and handed me a book that they’d found in a free pile. At that time I didn’t see how a book on aging and dying applied to my life, so I said thanks and put the book on the shelf. Well, recently I read and reviewed two books by Ram Dass: Be Here Now and Be Love Now (click on the book titles to read those reviews), and after that I just wanted to keep reading Ram Dass, so I pulled that old dusty free book off the shelf and I was delighted to discover what a gem it is!

Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying, by Ram Dass, is a very inspiring and encouraging book for people of all ages. Ram Dass wrote most of this book before having a major debilitating stroke, but then he went back and re-worked it with all that he’s learned from the experience of the stroke. It is beautifully written, deeply touching, and incredibly potent in its delivery of elder wisdom. 

A how-to manual for conscious aging, changing, and dying, this really is a must-read for all earnest spiritual seekers. As Ram Dass points out, every spiritual tradition agrees that preparation for death is the single most important spiritual practice. Indeed, when I was leading the weekly Radiance Rising Circles, I went through a phase in which we focused on death for about eight Monday evenings in a row! At that time, I read aloud many stories from an amazing book that I highly recommend, Graceful Exits: How Great Beings Die, by Sushila Blackman.

This morning, as I went back through Still Here, reading and re-reading the parts I had highlighted with big stars in the margins, what struck me the most was the way Ram Dass brings everything to the Soul level. Here are a few examples: 

“The Soul is here to learn… We have to be here to learn; otherwise our difficulties are truly meaningless.”

“As our minds begin to quiet down, we notice that the thoughts and feelings associated with meaninglessness come and go, and that there exists, in the space between these arisings, a way of being that is not affected by these mind-states. The Soul, we discover, seeks no meaning; it’s “meaning,” to borrow that Ego-concept, is self-evident. A flower does not question its meaning or right to exist; it simply is, and its purpose is joy.”

“I tried to go the renunciate’s way, to forget the needs of the body in order to avoid the suffering of the Ego. But the Soul depends on the Ego’s drama for its teachings. We have to be in the world to learn from it.”

“The Soul has no trouble with mystery at all. Mystery is the Soul’s element… we begin to rest in the mysterious present and let the future unfold as it will.”

Another poignant teaching in Still Here has to do with staying open to whatever pains come our way in life. Ram Dass explains that suffering often points the way to where our work is. He writes:

“Just as physical pain alerts us to troubles in the body, mental pain alerts us to where we need to be more conscious. In other words, our frustrations, anger, delusions, and so on become our greatest helpers in freeing ourselves from suffering. They point to where our Ego is trapped, and remind us to begin to shift our identity to the Soul level. They show where we are resisting change, where we are time-bound, and where we need to grow beyond past conditioning.” 

As a regular practitioner of Cultivating the Witness, I particularly liked the way Ram Dass describes working with intense pain:

“The only solution is to be on two planes at once: you have to enter the pain fully, and yet be in the Soul level at the same time. That’s fierce! You feel the full intensity of the pain, and at the same time you transcend it by being in the Witness state. Pain demands that you establish yourself simultaneously in Ego and Soul. What an incredible teacher it is.”

And what an incredible teacher Ram Dass is. As I am still here, sitting on my red couch sipping hot tea and reading spiritual teachings (after almost 8 years of that practice!), I am super grateful for all that Ram Dass has given, and continues to give, to help raise the consciousness of the human species.

May all beings rise above and beyond their pains, to rest in the level of the Soul.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja (still here on the red couch) with Still Here by Ram Dass, taken by Teja Shankara.

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Each week I pick an angel card, and occasionally I know instantly why I picked that particular card, but more often I discover the reason as the week goes along. That was certainly the case this past week when I turned over the Grace card. All week, I felt a sweetness when I looked at the card on my kitchen table, but it was not until last night that I understood its significance for me in this round of seven calendar boxes (a.k.a. “days”).

The week prior, whilst diving ever deeper into my spiritual practice of Cultivating the Witness, I had been noticing a familiar flavor of depression passing briefly through my system. I acknowledged it by saying to myself, ‘You were so excited about the New Year, fresh with possibilities, and now you’re feeling disappointed because your little mind is impatient and thinks nothing has happened.’ Of course then I coached myself into feeling better by recognizing all the blessings in my life and by cultivating gratitude for all the good that is most definitely happening.

So then this week, I witnessed myself indulging in some petty pleasure-pain pendulum sorrows, which culminated yesterday in a full-blown feeling sorry for myself state. Not knowing what else to do, I did what I often do in such a state: lit candles, burned incense around my temple cottage whilst chanting the Hanuman Chalisa (along with Krishna Das’ CD “Flow of Grace”), and began preparing a meal. Once I begin cooking in my kitchen, some kind of magic happens and regardless of my initial state, I am usually transformed by the process of conscious cooking whilst chanting the Names of God.

As I washed the vegetables, I suddenly became inspired to watch a film that had been on my to-watch list for a while, so once my food was ready, I selected the movie on Netflix and sat down to eat and watch… And that’s when the real Bliss hit! The meal tasted so amazing: tempeh sautéed in toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and spices; sunchokes and carrots roasted in olive oil and Himalayan krystal salt; and a very large handful of fresh cilantro. The film, Fierce Grace, about Ram Dass’ life since his stroke, was incredibly well done and oh, so inspiring. 

Currently I am reading Ram Dass’ book Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying, and it was sweet to see how that book fit into the overall process of his experiences before and after the stroke. Reading that book and now seeing that film has me once again inspired to look into doing hospice caregiving work with the dying. And amazingly, since everything in our lives is connected and leading us forward on our paths, my 97-year-old Grandma, who is close to dying and who has hospice care in her midwest home, called me on Skype video about ten minutes after I began watching Fierce Grace! Talk about Amazing Grace… Wow.

So I may think that I’m just a simple little nobody yogini in a cold (and windy!) town, but even a simple little alone evening can turn into the most potent and powerful Grace. I can still see my Grandma’s face saying into the computer screen, “You look as cute as ever!”

Big Gratitude!

May all beings everywhere experience Amazing Gratitude and Delightful Grace.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photos of Teja’s simple vegan yogini evening taken by Teja Shankara.

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