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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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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In this material realm, change is the only constant. When we remember this eternal truth, we experience detachment and peace. When the spiritual principle of impermanence is so obviously true, why is it so hard for us to remember it? Somehow the physical realm deludes us into believing that it is permanent, even though over and over we experience the truth of impermanence.

We need to accept that the nature of the world is change, but it is challenging to find acceptance when we can’t even remember the principle! So what can we do to help ourselves remember? First, it is important to understand the reason why we suffer when we forget the truth of impermanence. We suffer because of the attachments and expectations that we create in our minds when we forget that things will inevitably keep changing.

Once we understand why we suffer from our forgetfulness, next we need to take actions to continually help ourselves remember. Daily spiritual practices give us regular opportunities for remembrance. One of my favorite spiritual practices is chanting. For over six years I have been singing along with the CDs of popular chant artists such as Krishna Das and Jai Uttal. In my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living (available on this website store in print or by e-book), I describe the transformative practice of chanting.

Daily chanting helps me to remember that change is the nature of the world. When I am feeling particularly attached to something, I chant to Shiva, the Hindu aspect of destruction. Inherent in the dissolution principle of Shiva is also the creation principle, because when one thing dissolves, it creates the space for something new to emerge. So when we consciously release our attachments, that opens up the space for detachment to grow within us.

There is an image of Lord Shiva dancing in ecstasy over the cremation grounds. He is ecstatic because when the bodies are burned, the attachments that go along with the bodies also burn, thereby freeing the souls to be in Bliss. In her book The Eternal Truth, Ammachi describes this image of Shiva dancing in bliss, and then she says, “The meaning of this is not that bliss comes to us only after death. Everything is within us. We and the universe are one. Both are equally complete. When the attachment to the body dies in the fire of Self-awareness, we are automatically filled with bliss… Shiva is called ‘the detached one’ (vairagi). Detachment (vairagya) means absence of attachment.” (The Eternal Truth, by Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Mata Amritanandamayi Mission Trust, Amritapuri, India, 2006 & 2007.)

So the ability to let go of attachments exists within each of us. It is important that we each take the time to cultivate this ability… in whatever ways help us to achieve more detachment. In addition to chanting along with CDs, I also attend evenings of live kirtan (call and response chanting) whenever possible.

Inspired by my love of kirtan, last June I bought myself a harmonium and asked Amma to bless me to be able to sing and play harmonium. Slowly I am learning this new art form, after a lifetime of believing that I could not sing! At the weekly Radiance Rising Circles, I am even starting to lead simple chants. Last weekend a friend and I recorded a Shiva chant and posted it on my YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/16Tejaswini. That video is also posted at the top of this blog post.

May we all remember that change is the nature of the world. May we all find ways to release our attachments. May we all experience the bliss of detachment.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

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Greetings everyone.

Just a short blog today to let you all know that my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living is now in print! Sixteen boxes of books are on their way to my cottage door, so I will be ready to begin shipping them out next week. Thank you to those of you who have already pre-ordered copies of the book. The discount for pre-orders will still be available through April 10th, 2010, so order your copies now and save!!!!

A few days ago I received six advance copies in the mail, and the book is so cute. It was amazing to hold the book in my hands at last! Many, many thanks to Gaelyn Larrick, for the awesome cover design, and to Bram Larrick, for the wonderful interior design. I am also ever grateful to the very special yogi angel who made this printing possible by sending me a generous donation. (Remember that 10% of every sale and donation on this website goes to Amma's charitable organization, Embracing the World. www.amma.org.)

Written from my perspective as a Raja Yogini, this Radiance Rising pocket book gives basic descriptions of meditation, and other spiritual practices, that anyone - of any faith - can easily apply to their own journey. A great gift for yourself and for your loved ones!

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

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Yesterday was Hanuman Jayanti, the Hindu festival day that marks the birth of Hanuman-ji, the monkey god who helped Lord Rama rescue Sita from the demon Ravana in the ancient Indian epic tale, the Ramayana. Before the modern age of television, all across India it was customary for people to gather in the evenings to tell the Ramayana. Listening to the enchanting stories from the 24,000 verses composed by the poet-sage Valmiki, people were inspired to remember who they truly were, deep in their own hearts. Night after night after night, they laughed, they cried, and they went home to dream of the Ramayana.

The Ramayana offers many teachings that are still valuable to us today. In this article I will share one way that we can each apply this ancient tale to our daily lives, but first I will explain my personal journey with the Ramayana and with Hanuman.

I first read the Ramayana about five years ago. The version I chose was short, and a bit dry, but I think it is a good introduction to the story. It is called Ramayana: A Tale of Gods and Demons, by Ranchor Prime. (Mandala Publishing, San Rafael, CA, 2001, 2004.) I especially like the sepia-toned paintings by B.G. Sharma that grace the pages of this thin volume.

Last April I had the good fortune to attend a kirtan (call and response chanting) retreat led by Jai Uttal (accompanied by tablas player, Daniel Paul), at Breitenbush Hotsprings. Each evening, after we finished chanting, Jai told us the stories of the Ramayana, adding hilarious modern-day touches along the way. I asked for his recommendation on which version to read next, and he suggested the one that I am now reading, by Ramesh Menon. It is called The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic. (North Point Press, New York, 2003.) In the introduction, Menon 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 goes on to say that reading or listening to the Ramayana purifies one's soul.

Almost one year ago I purchased Krishna Das' CD "Flow of Grace" which contains six versions of the Hanuman Chalisa, a 40-verse prayer that extols the virtues of the Hindu monkey god, Hanuman. I committed myself to chanting the Hanuman Chalisa at least once each day, beginning April 30th, 2009. Usually I chant along with the one that is only 8:22 minutes long. For about 8-9 months, I sang along with the CD while reading the Sanskrit words in the accompanying booklet, and then one day, to my pleasant surprise, I discovered that I had memorized it and could close my eyes and sing along with the whole 40 verses without looking at the words. I felt like a gleeful child who had just learned how to ride a bike with no hands!

So yesterday, since it was Hanuman's special day, I baked a vegan chocolate cake while chanting the Hanuman Chalisa the whole time. Then I took that cake with me to my weekly Radiance Rising Circle last night, and we had a festive Birthday Party for Hanuman. I read a story about Hanuman, then we listened to Krishna Das' "Ring Song" while eating the chocolate cake that was infused with Hanuman's qualities. Hanuman is first and foremost known for his extreme devotion to Rama and Sita. Rama (also called Ram) and Sita represent the eternally perfect union of the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine. Hanuman found this treasure of Union within his own heart, and this Union also exists within all of our hearts

In Hinduism, there is One Absolute Reality, that in the West we call One God, and that One includes everyone and everything in one continuous web of energy and vibration that is essentially Pure Love. This Love lives inside of all of our hearts all the time. The thousands of gods and goddesses in the Hindu pantheon are all different aspects of the One Love Reality. The different gods and goddesses are reflected in the many written scriptures and mythologies in India, and they are also actual energy states that can be invoked within and without one's being. So, through chanting to Hanuman, we can awaken his qualities within ourselves and in the environment surrounding us. Hanuman's qualities are devotion, super-hero strength and courage, and wisdom.

The Ramayana is a tale about the battle between good and evil, and it is a very moving love story, and it is full of multi-leveled spiritual teachings. Along with the Bhagavad Gita, it was very close to Gandhi-ji's heart. When Gandhi was a boy, his nurse gave him his mantram, and he repeated it throughout the many days of his life. Even as his assassin's bullet entered his chest, Gandhi-ji said it: "He Rama," which means "O God.

So how can we each apply this ancient tale to our daily lives? We can use this tale as a tool to help us remember who we truly are. One of the most beautiful themes in the Ramayana is remembrance of one's true nature. Even though Rama is an avatar, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and Hanuman is an incarnation of Lord Shiva, they still forget their true nature and need to be reminded of it. We also forget who we are and need to be reminded. We are spiritual beings who get caught up in this temporary physical realm. We do need to be in the world and do our part to make the world a better place, but we can do our part with the awareness that we are not just the body-mind. When we remember that we are one with our souls, and that we are one with all other souls, then we can do our part more efficiently, with more pure love in our hearts.

It is comforting to know that even a super-hero like Hanuman can't always remember his inner connection with Divinity. Like him, we forget and then we remember. Each time we connect with the Pure Love inside our hearts, we bring this radiant jewel forth and shine it in the world around us. When we remember who we truly are, we gain a quiet strength, a profound spiritual strength that enables us to take positive actions in the world. It was through the power gained through his regular daily spiritual practices, such as meditation, chanting, and studying the Ramayana, that Gandhi-ji was able to be such an instrument for change in India.

(To begin doing regular daily spiritual practices yourself, check out my new pocket book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living. This book is now in print, and it will be discounted on this website store through April 10^th, 2010.)

As we realize that all of our hearts are connected in one continuous web of energy and vibration, then we understand the importance of going within to purify our hearts and minds of any negativities that might harm others. We each have a responsibility to raise our levels of consciousness. Peace on earth begins with each of us finding peace within. Studying the Ramayana is one way to cleanse ourselves and remember who we truly are, deep in our hearts. As more and more of us commit ourselves to this daily remembrance, the radiant light of our souls will warm and heal this world.

Happy Hanuman's Birthday to you!

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Flower photo by Blue Turban Photography, CC license.

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Spring blossoms remind me of change. Actually, everything reminds me of change, because everything is changing all the time. The seasons are changing, the creatures are changing, the Earth itself is changing. Who are we? What are we doing here on this strange, yet amazing planet? Why are we constantly trying to hold onto things that we can't really hold onto?

At the heart of all existence there are some spiritual principles that contain self-evident Truths. When we hear these truths, they resonate with us simply because they are true, and yet we can't seem to remember them for very long! Most of us need daily, if not hourly, reminders of who we truly are. We need constant reminders to go within and align with our true nature. We continually forget that we are spiritual beings who have been born into human bodies. It is like we have Collective Amnesia!  I find this situation to be both absurdly hilarious and insanely sorrowful. It reminds me of hearing a beautiful song that makes the heart ache.

We humans have so many aches and pains, on all levels: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. All these aches and pains arise from our forgetfulness. When we forget who we truly are, we experience pain and sorrow, but the converse is also true: when we remember who we truly are, we experience healing and contentment. Regular, daily spiritual practices help us to remember who we truly are. One spiritual practice is studying the spiritual principles. I describe this practice in my new pocketbook, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living. (This book is now at the printer. Pre-orders of this book will be discounted on this website store through April 10th.)

Spring blossoms reflect the most important spiritual principle: Change is the nature of the world. Most of us have heard this countless times, and we know the inherent truth of it, but because of our spiritual amnesia, we continually forget that everything in the physical realm is impermanent and changing. All of our expectations and disappointments stem from this forgetfulness.

Fortunately, the universe is naturally in a state of balance. The very fact that our amnesia exists means that our capacity for remembrance also exists. What is it that we need to remember and how do we remember it? We need to remember that we are spirits temporarily having a human experience. We cultivate this remembrance through regular, daily spiritual practices. When we regularly go inside our own beings, we experience a connection with Something Greater. Some call this God, others call it the Divine, and still others call it our Greater Nature. There are so many names for this Beloved Universe. However we conceive of That Great Mystery, when we go deeply inside our own beings, most of us experience and understand that That Something Greater is unchanging.

It is up to each of us to choose to direct our attention toward That which opens our hearts to the truth of who we are. To help myself remember, I regularly chant (sing) along with CDs, and I go to live kirtans whenever possible. Last night I attended a beautiful kirtan (call and response group chanting) with an amazing bhakti yogini who radiates pure sweetness: Prema Mayi Dasi. We sang traditional Sanskrit mantras to Krishna and Radha, as well as a lively chant to Shiva (led by Prema's son, Krishnadeva), that took me into a high state of devotion. (To read more about the Bhakti Yoga Path, check out my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living.) Between chants, Prema shared from the wisdom she has gained through many years of doing spiritual practices. She said, "We humans are so out of alignment now. We are out of alignment with Nature, and we are also out of alignment with our inner nature. We need to come back into alignment with our inner divinity. Through transcendental sound vibration, we will find ourselves in alignment." (www.premamayi.com)

We choose where to put our attention. Wherever we put our attention, our energy follows. When we practice cultivating the witness, we gain a greater understanding of where we put our attention and why we put it there. Once we see where we put our attention, then we can discern whether or not that is really where we want to place our attention. We can practice this in our daily lives, by asking ourselves this question throughout the day:

Am I keeping my attention on things that expand me and help me to remember who I truly am?

May we all commit to daily remembrance of who we truly are: spiritual beings who are connected with everyone and everything in one continuous web of energy and vibration. We are the seeds, we are the sunshine, we are the water, we are the spring blossoms.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini


Photo of spring blossoms by Pink Sherbet Photography - CC license

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This is it. Three simple words, with so many layers of potential meanings behind them. This weekend my boys and I watched This Is It, the documentary film depicting Michael Jackson’s rehearsals for the absolutely amazing show that he was scheduled to open in London. At a press conference full of beloved fans (who could not stop screaming in excitement), he said, “This is it. This is the final curtain call. See you in July.” Sadly, Michael Jackson died two weeks before that first concert.

After a decade’s absence from the stage, Michael Jackson, a single parent, said that it was a good time to do his final tour because his kids were old enough to appreciate it, and he was still young enough to do it. At 50 years old, he sang and danced just like he did when I was in the eighth grade. As I listened to his great old songs, I was filled with nostalgia for what was, but I also saw him from a new perspective. Viewing him from my training as a raja yogini, I saw right into the heart of him as a spiritual being. My vision changed from seeing him as a famous pop star, to seeing him as a profound spiritual teacher. 

Like all great spiritual teachers, Michael Jackson’s message was Love, and he delivered it with such tenderness and kindness. Throughout the rehearsals, as he worked with the musicians and dancers, he spoke in a very gentle voice, often saying, “Do it with the love… with the love… L.O.V.E., Love…” Involved in every aspect of the production, from casting to directing to lighting to sound to design, his brilliance shined through, and the film shows a true genius at work. At one point, Michael Jackson stood in a circle with all the cast and crew, giving them sweet encouragement. He said that they were all family and that it was all for love.

This Is It would likely have been the most spectacular concert experience the world had ever known, complete with fireworks, pyro-technology, 3D films, extraordinary costuming, and much more. Michael Jackson had created a show that would thrill his fans like never before, and within that potent entertainment experience, he intended to deliver a powerful message: This Is It. We all have to help heal this earth. If we don’t make some changes now, within 4 years the environmental devastation will be irreversible.

Michael Jackson planned to make this plea for the environment with his characteristic boldness through a 3D film in which a beautiful young girl is playing with butterflies in the lush green forest. She falls asleep and awakes to the horror of her paradise burning all around her. As a bulldozer approaches, she rushes to save the last green plant, while tears stream down her cheeks. Right at the point where the bulldozer almost crushes her, Michael Jackson was going to jump out of the screen with her, and then an actual bulldozer was going to come on the stage towards them! A man was going to get out of the bulldozer, to show that it is not the machines that are destroying the earth, but rather it is the human beings who run the machines.

As a true spiritual teacher, Michael Jackson intended to show people that the human race is sleeping and we need to WAKE UP! He was going to bring this message live to a million people at 50 sold-out shows. I sobbed as I thought of what a tragedy it is that he died before offering those shows, but then I searched for the positive, and realized that maybe now even more people will get his message through watching the documentary film, This Is It.

In the tradition of his past shows, he planned to end the concerts with the song “Man In The Mirror.”  I don’t remember if I really understood that song’s words when I was a teenager, but now as a 40-year-old yogini, I get them in the context of Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings. Michael Jackson sang, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways. No message could’ve been any clearer. If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make that change.” Likewise, Gandhi-ji said we have to BE the change that we wish to see in the world.

When we go within and change ourselves, those changes do ripple out and affect the beings around us. So how do we change ourselves? One of the most effective ways to change ourselves is through regular, daily spiritual practices. Mahatma Gandhi definitely knew the importance of meditation and other spiritual practices. Throughout all of his political activities, he took the time to lead morning and evening prayer services each day. People of all faiths, and even atheists, attended these gatherings. Meditation was a key aspect to Gandhi’s success in the world.

In the Introduction to MK Gandhi’s Book of Prayers, Michael N. Nagler writes: “There is a tendency to think that meditation and action are opposites, that one chooses between one way of life or the other. But as the Bhagavad Gita insists, meditation and selfless action are inseparable. They are opposite sides of the same coin, as complementary as breathing in and breathing out. They not only do not exclude each other, they need each other. By reaching normally untapped inner resources, one can unleash the energy needed to make major changes in one’s self and others, and the wisdom to guide that energy. Meditation enables one to act without the contaminant of selfish attachment. That applies with particular force when the action in question happens to be a revolution. Far from being a distraction, then, the devotional practices of the ashram were the very stuff of revolution. For Gandhi there was no distinction whatever between the social purpose of the community – to raise India and in the process shake off her colonial chains – and the spiritual purpose which has always been the center of ashram life – to raise the consciousness of individuals by shaking off their egocentric chains.” (Book of Prayers, by Mohandas K. Gandhi, Berkeley Hills Books, Berkeley, CA, 1999.)

In order to help the environment thrive on this sacred earth, we need to raise the consciousness of the human species. This begins by each one of us dedicating ourselves to raising our own consciousness. We can speed up the process by committing ourselves to doing daily spiritual practices. In my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, I describe basic spiritual practices that anyone – of any faith – can apply to their own life journey. (This book will be going to the printer very soon and pre-orders are now discounted on this website’s store.) In this easy-to-read pocketbook, I stress the importance of daily spiritual practices, especially cultivating the witness and sitting meditation.

Cultivating the Witness is an essential part of getting to know ourselves. By objectively witnessing all parts of ourselves, we learn to allow and accept everything that we are. We learn to love ourselves unconditionally. Gradually, as we let go of our false coverings, we become who we truly are: spiritual beings who are part of one pure love energy, the “L.O.V.E.” that Michael Jackson so often referred to.

We can practice cultivating the witness during our daily lives and also when we are sitting in meditation. While sitting still, we silently observe our thoughts, our emotions, our bodily sensations, and our breath. When we sit still regularly, the energy needed to change ourselves spontaneously arises. After meditating daily for a while, we can look in the mirror and be grateful for the transformations that are occurring within our beings.

This is it. This is the only moment we have. Regular, daily meditation is more important now than ever. May we each heed the call to look in the mirror and make that change. May all beings everywhere be uplifted by the rising consciousness created through our daily sitting meditation practices.

As more and more people dedicate themselves to daily meditation practice, I bet Michael Jackson will be smiling upon us from some distant star. Thanks for the teachings, MJ. This is it.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Image "Near the centre" by Eddi 07, CC license.

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As the first signs of spring appear, like the precious little violets reaching up through the grass in my yard, there is still a winter chill in the air. This morning we have sunshine in Ashland, and I am thinking of all the sunny, cheerful things that warm my heart. Like hearing my Grandma’s voice. Every time I call her, across several thousand miles, I get to hear her say, “Thank you for calling. This was a bright spot in my day.”

What are the bright spots in your days? What cheers you? What enlivens you and warms your heart? In wintertime, we all reach for warmth, but in truth, we need warmth in every season.

Once my dear teacher Basil (who passed away in July, 2009), was talking about fear vibrations, and he advised us to ask those fear vibrations what they need. He said that the answer is nearly always warmth. Coming together as a community brings us warmth and calms our limbic systems. Connecting with others breaks the illusion of separation. Doing spiritual practices with others breaks the anxiety-producing sense of being isolated.

In my memoir, The Rita Lila: A Western Yogini’s Journey to Bliss, I share this quote by Basil: “In this time of dissolving form, in this declining empire, ask yourself, ‘What am I called to do?’ and listen to your inner guidance. There is a lot of anxiety out there in the Collective, but if you take in nourishment (friends, food, practices, prayers), and listen for guidance, then you will be able to navigate through – no matter what happens. All of the information in this age produces anxiety that is both contagious and crippling… As yogis and yoginis, it is our responsibility to continually calm ourselves so that we not only lessen our personal anxieties, but we also lessen the amount of anxiety that we contribute to the Collective Anxiety.”

This article is a continuation of my last two blog posts, “The Mind Becomes That Which It Dwells Upon.” and “Bliss and Grief: My Two Lives.” In those entries, I wrote about how happiness is a choice. No matter what is happening, we have to continually choose to put our attention on things that expand us.

When we feel contracted, one way to practice putting our attention on things that expand us is through the simple, yet powerful, Freeze Frame technique developed by the HeartMath Institute. The following is copied from their website:

This 1-minute, 5-step technique, intended to be used when one is feeling stressed or out of balance, involves the following abbreviated steps:

1. Recognize the stressful feeling, and Freeze-Frame it (take a time out).

2. Make a sincere effort to shift your focus away from the racing mind or disturbed emotions to the area around your heart.

3. Recall a positive, fun feeling or time and attempt to re-experience it.

4. Using your intuition, common sense, and sincerity, ask your heart what a more efficient response to the situation would be, one that would minimize future stress.

5. Listen to what your heart says in answer to your question.

For more information on this technique, click here on Freeze Frame.

My favorite part of that exercise is number 3: recalling a positive and fun feeling or time and attempting to re-experience it. If we catch ourselves going into stress mode quickly enough, then shifting our attention toward experiencing a positive feeling in the heart can actually stop the activation of the survival brain state. Take a moment to recall a few times when you felt happy. Attempt to re-experience a time when you had a lot of fun. Then, the next time you feel a stressful reaction coming on, try this Freeze Frame technique and see what happens.

I experience loving feelings in my heart when I recall myself hugging my Guru Amma or sitting in my Grandma’s kitchen. When I think of all the things that bring me warmth, my Grandma’s kitchen is at the top of the list. It is small and cozy, with bright yellow walls and shelves holding spider plants, teapot collections, and glowing candles. Sitting at her kitchen table, listening to her tell stories, I am filled with the cheery warmth that she emanates.

Imagining myself there with my Grandma helps me to think cheerful thoughts like she does. Without knowing anything about ancient Indian sutras, she clearly understands that the mind becomes that which it dwells upon, as she consciously puts her attention upon things that expand her mind and heart. Full of spunk and enthusiasm, as she tells the funny stories from her life, her kitchen fills with the energy of her positive love.

As I’m writing this, another kitchen comes to mind. It was the summer of 2006, and I was staying in the home of my teacher Basil and his beloved partner Luna, on the island of Hawai’i. Ten of us had gathered there for a weeklong spiritual retreat. One afternoon a young man in the group offered to make me a piece of toast. Such a simple offering, there in that simple kitchen, but the magnitude of how it affected my heart sent me into a few hours of deep crying. Back on the mainland, I was a single mama who did all the cooking, and no one ever offered to make me a piece of toast. My heart was so full of gratitude that I just couldn’t stop crying!

Later, after the sobbing subsided, Basil dubbed the incident my “Maha kitchen kriya.” In Sanskrit, “Maha” means Great and “kriya” means movement that purifies. We both laughed, and he gave me the following prediction (which has thus far been true): “On your path of opening your heart, you are going to have many more meltdowns. Just relax and let them go through you.”

Regular, daily spiritual practices help me to relax and let the meltdowns go through me. The most important practice, which I describe in my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, is Cultivating the Witness. The more I practice witnessing all of myself – all of the contractions and all of the expansions – the more I am able to accept all of myself. This self-acceptance leads to incredible self-love. When we truly love ourselves, no matter what state we are in, then we can truly love others as well. That is the whole point of doing spiritual practices: to become kinder, more loving human beings.

Becoming kinder, more loving human beings is a gradual journey, but we can speed it up by committing ourselves to doing daily practices that expand our minds and hearts. Last summer I attended a retreat with my Guru Ammachi, and she gave a really potent teaching about the importance of raising our consciousness. I transcribe it here from my notes:

“The mind’s natural tendency is to flow downwards like water. The mind is not in our control – negative tendencies pull it down, like water goes down. Conversely, Consciousness moves upwards like fire. When we do things to uplift our consciousness, then the mind goes upward. Fire is always going up. With fire, we can heat water, and the steam goes up. So even water (which usually goes down) will go up, with fire. Fire equals Awareness. So we should be constantly raising our Awareness, our Consciousness, with satsangs, with books, with whatever reminds us of the Truth – whatever keeps our minds tuned to the Highest Light.”

The Sanskrit word “satsang” means being in the company of others sharing spiritual teachings and practices. I attend satsangs, kirtans (call-and-response group chantings), and group meditations any chance I get. Those communal events warm me and enrich the spiritual practices that I do daily in order to continually expand my mind and heart. While doing dishes alone in my sunny kitchen, I cultivate the witness part of my mind. I ask myself, ‘What do I need to do next to keep my heart open?’

May you also tune in to your inner being each day, and may it lead you to the warm radiance of your heart.

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

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of crystal reflecting yellow light in kitchen by Teja Shankara.

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On January 29^th, I turned 40, and it was one of my best birthdays ever. I felt such bliss and gratitude all day long. During my birthday weekend, I went snow-shoeing on Mt. Shasta with a dear girlfriend, and she suggested that we speak our intentions out loud while on the mountain. After hiking for a while in that invigorating atmosphere, we came to a place where there were two large rocks above us. It felt like an appropriate time to voice our intentions, but then, instead of speaking, we both just spontaneously closed our eyes and stood there in silence for a few minutes. While silent, I felt tremendous gratitude, and I heard an inner voice say, "Have openness to receive."

As I gazed out at the sun sparkles on the snow, I remembered my teacher’s last words to me. The last time I saw my beloved spiritual teacher, Basil (who passed away in July, 2009), he said, “Receive, receive, receive. You are trying so hard to go up and get the Divine. You need to allow the Divine to come down into you. Receive, receive, receive.”

Next I thought about how funny we human beings are. We are funny in how we think that our regular thinking minds are capable of knowing what we truly need. In this case, my girlfriend and I were all prepared to tell the mountain what we want to manifest in life, but instead, the mountain guided our intuitions to tell us what we truly need!

The intuition is a higher mental faculty than the regular thinking mind. When we relax our thinking minds and repeat the mantra, “I don’t know,” then our intuitive minds can guide us in a fruitful process of intending. This past year I began working with the process of intending as one of my spiritual practices, and after several attempts to tell the universe what I thought I wanted, I have come full circle back to the “I don’t know” mantra.

My journey with the intentions process began in July. The day before my spiritual teacher passed away, a friend told me that it was time for me to start teaching. I said, “I don’t know. It seems like that is what I am supposed to be doing, but I don’t really know what the Universe intends for me.” A few weeks later, I met a gypsy yogi who gave me a little book called, The Intenders Handbook by Tony Burroughs (Dolphin Press, Revised 2007 Edition). My favorite line in the book is: “What you are reaching toward is also reaching out toward you.” After reading that book, I thought I understood how to create a list of intentions that the universe would not be able to refuse!

While I was creating my super great (or so I thought) list of intentions, I met another yogi who is quite skilled at manifesting his intentions in the world. I shared my list with him and he gave me lots of suggestions on how to ensure that my intentions would manifest. He shared a couple of tips from his own experience: 1. “Whenever I need to make money, I go and have as much FUN as I can, and then the money comes. 2. “Whenever I need to make more money, I spend all the money that I have so that more money can come in.”

At that time, I didn’t yet understand something that this friend also told me, which is that manifesting intentions comes from a place of knowingness. I will explain that more, when I get to the point in the story where I really ‘got’ what that means. So, at that point, I thought that I could just ask for anything I wanted, as long as I stated “if it serves the Highest Good” at the end of each intention.

Now here is the embarrassing part, and I’m going to share it, because it is a part of my journey in humanness. One of my intentions was for the universe to send me thirty-thousand dollars by the end of September. I know that probably sounds totally crazy, but keep in mind that I was really flexible with that intention – I told the universe that it could send the money any way it wanted to! I wrote out exactly how I would use the money to create a website, to publish and promote my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, and to get out teaching in the world. I read the intentions out loud several times each day, and I was pretty convinced that somehow the money was going to come to me. Well, as you’ve maybe already guessed, there was no thirty-thousand dollar deposit in my account when the bank closed on September 30^th.

Since I am a fiery, emotional type, I was not initially able to calmly say, “Well, that’s okay. I guess that just wasn’t meant to be.” Instead, I reacted with a full-blown breakdown on the tantrum yoga path. During one of several long, loud, sobbing cries, I said out loud to the universe, “This intention making process doesn’t work for me – I am on the Raja Yoga path, and what works for me is to just surrender everything to the Divine and then trust that everything happens in perfection.”

After I calmed down from the tantrum yoga, I was able to have a rational discussion about it all with a dear yogi friend. He told me that I needed to learn a lesson in trusting the universe to support me. He said sometimes the universe requires us to spend down to our last dollar. I understood what he was saying, but then I also thought about how we have to strike a balance between surrendering and taking action. So, I typed up a sponsorship proposal and sent it out to a few people, and within a few weeks one of them deposited some money into my account. It wasn’t the thirty thousand dollars I had asked for, but it was enough to create the website and publish the next book. And, more importantly, it was enough to let me know that the universe is in support of the work I am doing.

At that point I signed up for The Bridge, a series of free email teachings on the intentions process that you can sign up to receive at www.intenders.org. While receiving those inspiring teachings, I attended a training in Reiki, a gentle hands-on energy healing system. The Reiki teacher also talked about manifesting intentions. He said that the manifestation has to go through the mind, heart, and body. That resonated with what I already believed: even though we create our realities with our thoughts, when we want to consciously manifest intentions, we first have to tune in to our intuitive minds and our hearts to discern what is really correct for us to intend. Once we surrender and deepen into the knowing of what wants to come to us (or to come through us), then we relax into that knowingness, and then the intentions can manifest.

So when we say the “I don’t know” mantra with true humility and surrender, then the intuitive mind and the heart can speak their wisdom to us, and then we suddenly DO know, from a deep place within, what it is that needs to manifest. So by admitting that our regular thinking minds do not know, then our higher minds allow us to truly know. And it is in that state of knowingness that something shifts within us, and that shifted something creates a vibration of openness that allows us to receive what it is that we intend to manifest.

When we regularly practice sitting meditation and we consciously practice cultivating the witness, then we are already well versed in listening to the guidance of our intuitive minds and of our hearts. (To learn how to begin doing spiritual practices yourself, check out my new book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living.) This ability to sense in and listen to our own inner teacher is really what spiritual practices are all about.

Now that I have come full circle back to the “I don’t know” mantra, I am able to continue working with the intentions process as one of my spiritual practices. It didn’t work for me when I was making red-hot demands on the universe with my regular thinking mind, but it works for me now that I ‘get’ that the workable way of making intentions is through surrendering and deepening into the “I don’t know” mantra. In that state of not knowing, a real knowing emerges, and then you DO know what it is that the universe wants to give you (or to give through you).

May you surrender into what wants to arise through your life. May you have the openness to receive, receive, receive.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Mt. Shasta photo by Teja Shankara.

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