Bhakti Yoga Now

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Mindful Meditation – Why choose Japa?

You may have otherwise heard of Japa as mantra meditation. It is also commonly referred to as chanting by its practitioners. If you are curious on the basics of this simple yet effective practice, please refer to our previous post titled “Chanting Japa”, which explains Japa meditation and how to begin practicing it more in depth.

The purpose of this article is to examine what differentiates Japa from other meditations while recognizing some of the similarities.

These days especially, we are frequently introduced to a new type of meditation. We are offered a diverse range of options with each one touting all sorts of ways in which they may benefit us. Popular apps such as headspace offer us up to 8 types of different meditation.

With so much to choose from, how should we ever find out which one is right for us?

In order to help answer this, let us keep the goal in mind. What are we trying to get out of our meditation practice? In the 6th chapter of The Bhagavad Gita this is answered in the following way “In the stage of perfection called trance, or samādhi, one’s mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This perfection is characterized by one’s ability to see the Self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the Self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness, realized through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.”

Japa meditation, like other meditations, helps calm the mind, purifies it and helps one focus on what is happening within. In a meditative state, one may have elevated feelings of joy and happiness. However, when the meditation breaks, that elevated state of joy and happiness also fades. One may then wonder how to make it stay longer, or maybe remain forever? This is where Japa differentiates itself from other forms of meditation. The practice of Japa is rooted in love and devotion. In the 6th chapter of Bhagavad Gita the Supreme Lord states: “And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.”. This union, or yoga, is what Japa helps one strive toward. Once established, this state of consciousness no longer fades.

All the other types of different meditation that we are offered can be considered as self-serving. They are intended to bring us a desired benefit through our own sacrifice and practice. While Japa also provides all the desired benefits any other meditation has to offer, the benefits are not the goal, service is the goal.

Intrigued?

If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please comment, send us a message or contact us through our events page.
https://bhaktiyoganow.com/2021/06/01/mindful-meditation-why-choose-japa/

Brahma muhurta – The importance of rising early

0335 a.m….and the world feels…still.

That is approximately the time when the Brahma muhurta begins during the month of May. It lasts for 48 minutes. These can be the most meaningful 48 minutes of the day. The Brahma muhurta begins 1 hour and 36 minutes before sunrise and ends 48 minutes before it.

On a personal note, I have not always been an early riser. Most of my life I liked to stay up late, and in return, sleep in. The first experience I had with rising early was in boot camp. At 6 a.m. we would awaken to bright lights and a loud voice yelling “Reveille!! Reveille!! All hands on deck!” With burning eyes, shaky knees and moderate vertigo from getting up so fast, we hastily searched for our uniforms so that we may be fully dressed and ready to go in 2 minutes or less. We were on a mission, and so we strapped on our boots and got dressed in 90 seconds flat. With hearts racing, we were ready to go.

The mornings are not quite that dramatic these days. The mission looks a little different.

There are 15 muhurta’s in the night. The Brahma muhurta, or Brahma’s Time, is the 14th kala (time) of the night. This time is considered the most auspicious. This is when the time is most appropriate for mediation, worship or any other spiritual practices.

My mission, today, is to chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

“Rise early and chant. Your life will become successful” I can hear a faint voice saying in the back of my mind.

These can be the most meaningful 48 minutes of the day, but it may not be easy to get there. In the beginning I naturally struggled. Rising early had to be forced. It started with setting an alarm clock at 0630 and progressing from there. At some point, the alarm is not even necessary.

It is important to remain consistent with one’s morning practice. Periodically staying up late and in return sleeping in is not conducive to spiritual progress. As the Bhagavad Gita Tells us: “He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.” (BG 6.17) It is important for us to be consistent in our practices.

While it can be difficult to rise early due to the demands of the material world, the struggle to get there is well worth it. The morning muhurta’s before sunrise have become the most important part of my day, magical even.

At times it can still be difficult. On those days I might listen to a lecture or read a bit before getting out of bed. I no longer have to be ready in 90 seconds. “Take your time, hurry up, the choice is yours. Don’t be late.”

- Adam Mustain

What do the 3 modes (natures) we operate in? Where do we stand??😃

Recipes - Vegetarian Delights - Cookies “Winter peace”

Ingredients:
1. Dates 20pc
2. Canned White Beans 7oz
3. Peanut Butter 7oz

Directions:
1. Mix everything in a blender.
2. Make cookies & put them on a baking sheet/pan.
3. Preheat the oven to 380F.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Let them cool down.
6. Enjoy!

Recipes - Vegetarian Delights - Salad “Affection” (protein + omega-3)

Ingredients:
1. Cottage Cheese 7oz
2. Greek Yogurt 2tbl.sp.
3. FlaxSeed Oil 2tbl.sp.
4. Honey 2t.sp.
5. Fresh Raspberry 1-2oz
6. Fresh Blackberry 1-2oz

Directions:
1. Mix cottage cheese, yogurt and oil.
2. Add honey and mix it in.
3. Add berries and mix it once again.
4. Enjoy!

Thy will be done…

Search keys: What is Bhakti? Karma, Desire, Control
3 minute read

My will has brought me many places, or so I believed. What seemed to be the highest of highs- and naturally- the lowest of lows. It seems that we can never have one without eventually stumbling upon the other.

In my teens and twenties I believed anything possible. I just needed to have enough willpower, and a lot of control. I had to be the actor, who was simultaneously directing and running the whole show. I saw some of those Hollywood guys do it. They had all the credits: writer, actor, director, executive producer, stunt man and stage hand. They could do it all. If I could just get everyone to act the way I wanted, then everything was going to be fine. I would be happy, and surely they would be too.

So, why was it that when I tried to get someone to do something I didnt always get what I wanted? Was my will not strong enough? I was surely asking kindly enough, without being too demanding. But still, others would not act the way I wanted. At some point i
t no longer mattered in which way I demanded it.

By the time I reached the age of 30 I had failed at so many things. This duality of ups and downs almost seemed to vanquish. Life was filled with a constant of lows. I would set out on one failure to the next. Certainly there were few successes in between, but at this point there was no enjoyment in them. The next failure would surely come.

What had happened, why had I lost my will? What is then this willpower I had to ask myself. A thought, maybe a feeling?

In the purport of verse 5.15 of the Bhagavad Gita Srila Prabhupada tells us “Because he (us) is a living soul, he has the capacity to desire by his free will. Such desire is fulfilled only by the omnipotent Lord. And so, when the living entity is bewildered in his desires, the Lord allows him to fulfill those desires.” Prabhupada further explains “The Lord fulfills his desire as he deserves: Man proposes and God disposes.” Willpower is simply this: A desire, which may, or may not be fulfilled by the grace of God.

This explanation reminded me of a line from the commonly recited Lord's prayer in Christianity “Thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.” I had often pondered about the deeper meaning of this and searched for answers, but never found anything satisfactory. It was suggested to me to “turn it over” or “do the next right thing” to focus on the work, and leave the results up to God. The principles of Bhakti are contained within these words, but without further explanation I could not comprehend them, much less understand how to actually apply this.

In practical application “thy will be done” remained a mystery. As it turns out, there are very specific instructions and processes to apply this in our lives. In essence, that’s what the process of Bhakti yoga is all about - realizing what God's will for me is and understanding how to carry that out.