Nature Meditations

 Nature Meditations

Kingsbrae Gardens - St. Andrews - New Bruswick Canada

 August 2013

These meditations are done outside in natural surroundings. They help to awaken the basic intelligence of nature in our awareness and physiology. Our being resonates with the sight of a flower, sound of birds, or a feeling of a breeze. In the nature meditations, we focus our awareness on the experience of nature - sight, sound, touch, smell and perhaps taste. If you find the mind begins to wander simply bring it gently back. 

Basic Nature Meditation - Eye Are Closed

Find a comfortable position either sitting or lying down.Begin with a few deep breaths, breathing deep into the belly to help shift your focus inward. As your eyes close, be present in the moment. Be present to all those things that surround you in nature. Notice how your body feels, as well as the activity of the mind and emotions. Welcome whatever the experience has to offer without resisting anything or trying to change it. Do this for several minutes.

Now bring your focus to everything in your surroundings. Notice the temperature on your skin, the feeling of a breeze, or the sun upon your back. Notice the quality of the sounds that surround you. Move deeply into those sounds. Don't analyze the sounds but rather notice the quality of them. 

Enjoy this state of connecting with nature as long as you would like. This meditation can be varied by focusing in on only one sound and breathing into that sound only. Continue to focus on that sound if the mind wanders. The sound acts as a mantra to quiet the mind and soothe the soul.

Om Shanti~

Mary Jane Kasliner - Feng SHui Master & Yogi

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

The Words We Choose

The Words We Choose

Kennebunkport - Maine

Do you ever listen to the inner dialogue you have with yourself? More than not the words we choose can be rather negative. Winston Churchill, was the Prime Minister of the UK and had this to say:

"It isn't the things that are happening to us that cause us to suffer, it is what we say to ourselves about the things that are happening."

The truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hearing anything new. So the next time something happens take a moment and choose your words wisely. It will make a difference in the outcome.

Namaste,

Mary Jane Kasliner - Feng Shui Master & Yogi

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Yoga's View of Creation & The Meaning of Life

Yoga's View of Creation & The Meaning of Life

In Chapter four of Namit's book, he explains how this person Jake comes across a yogi supporting himself on his forearms, with his legs swinging around towards his head or an asana known as scorpion. As he sees this yogi he wonders about how the world was made.

The next day Jake meets up with the yogi again and begins small talk. He goes on to ask the yogi what the yogic philosophy is when it comes to the creation of the world. The yogi explains that in the beginning there was something called chaos. Good and evil, light and dark were all mixed together. But the light wanted to exist, it wanted to be free from the darkness. It wanted its own independence, its own life. It was kind of like a spirit that wanted the separation of good from evil, dark from light, happiness from sadness.

Jake, curious about the light, asks the yogi what this light was. The yogi responds this light was us - Human Beings. It is us who have the desire to live. The world we know, that we live in has slowly been moving from darkness towards the light. Jake responds to the yogi asking if we are all turning into nicer human beings. 

The yogi replies to Jake by telling him we all have good and bad in us. But the good is becoming stronger than the bad as time is going on.

 Jake unsure of the yogi's response asks him to explain this concept further. The yogi asks Jake to use science to explain what emotions are. A scientific explanation for feelings, happiness, sadness, excitement, etc. Jake thinks long and hard about the yogi's question and has no answer. 

The yogi explains to Jake that your feelings come from your spirit not your body. The body is made up of matter and therefore can be scientifically explained but the spirit is not and that is what carries your feelings. Jake being perplexed asks the yogi to further explain the difference between the body and spirit. The yogi replies that albeit the spirit and body are two separate points they are linked. We are both body and spirit and it is the spirit or soul that is the feelings. You are actually your feelings.

The yogi goes on to explain to Jake that matter can be very beautiful and there are many beautiful things in this world. And there is an attraction that each one of us have to these beautiful things.This beauty makes us feel happy. The problem is that we can develop too much of an attraction to beauiful things to a point we want to own them completely and take the beauty for ourselves. We want to own things. Being too attracted to these things brings out the dark side. We are actually happy when we just sit back and enjoy the beautiful things in this world and move back to the light.

Jake understands now and makes reference to how he enjoys just sitting in nature and admiring all the beauty it holds. Exactly says the yogi. You are not trying to own the lake or stop other people from enjoying it. You are understanding that the best things in life are free and not just for you but for everyone to enjoy. As the expression says..."The best things in life are free."

Jake still wants to understand the yogi's point about the good and bad in all of us. The yogi replies how the darkness is the greed towards material things. It causes jealousy and distances us from other human beings. The light is when you enjoy the beauty of this world and want to share it with others. This is the light - happiness and joy. Understanding that liking beautiful things is not bad but wanting them so badly brings out the dark side or greed and separates you from others. That is directly against yoga which means "union."

We are all part of the light that wants to admire all that is beautiful including ourselves but there is this greed towards material beauty that which we must overcome in order to a live a life that brings out our true nature of happiness and sharing. We are put on this earth to share and live in harmony with one another. 

Jake now understanding the yogi sat back to enjoy the peaceful lake and thought about how there was always corruption in this world from our ancestors being ruled by the Romans and others. There is still corruption in the world but much less than there was. Jake realized we are all made up of feelings, and that we come from a place not of physical things but a place of feelings.

Jake sat down for dinner that night and felt the way he saw the world had been rearranged.

Om Shant~

Mary Jane Kasliner - Feng Shui Master & Yogi

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

 

The Journey Within : The Power of Sun Salutations

The Journey Within: The Power of Sun Salutations

As a yogi and teacher, I have found that it is when we struggle with what seems to be a physical limitation that deeper lessons of the practice begins to appear. Notice where you seem to be struggling physically and then use the asana as a tool of self-investigation. You will be surprised how much of our personalities are revealed and those scars (samskaras), or deeply ingrained behavior patterns are connected to these limitations.

Sun salutations are a wonderful way to allow the mind to let go and engage with the breath. By turning the focus on the breath, engaging the locks, and finding a perfect gazing point gives you a deeper understanding of the asana and of self.

Each individual practitioner's journey is different, both in terms of pace and progressed sequence of the salutation. Perhaps your particular journey is to focus on one posture in the sun salute series and perhaps that posture is the area that is challenging you physically. Don't move beyond that point of the salutation sequence. This will allow the mind to become familiar  with the sequence and give the body time to fully absorb the benefits and lessons that each asana represents before moving on.

Namaste,

Mary Jane Kasliner - Feng Shui Master & Yogi

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Simplify Your LIfe!

Simply Your Life!

To lead a simple life can bring much joy. There are a few easy things you can do to simplify your life and get things moving in the right direction.

1. Go Easy on Finances:

Financial success is relative. It is important obviously to make money but how much money do you really need? It all depends what type of a lifestyle you feel you need to support. Living simple means less financial demands and more free time so you can grow spiritually. When we work all the time to constantly feed the goal of "making money" it takes away from precious time to focus on what really matters. In the end it becomes a waste of time. 

The first thing to consider for financial freedom is not to adopt a lifestyle that demands you to work all the time. Don't buy expensive items which you cannot afford. Once you are under a mountain of debt it becomes difficult to climb out from under it and find financial freedom. So forget about keeping up with the "Jones."

Setting up streams of passive income is a great way to move towards less work and more freedom. Not always a simple task to achieve but if your are in the right conscious state of mind the Universe will provide you will opportunities to do so.

2. Find Peaceful Relationships:

There are few things worse then rocky relationships. Let's face it, when we engage in relationships that are not healthy it consumes energy and leaves our mind in a state of chaos. A chaotic mind is not free to enjoy life, be happy and connect to spirit. 

It's not to say that you will not encounter a stress-free relationship with others but practicing forgiveness, compassion or simply dropping unhealthy relationships goes a long way when it comes to freeing the mind and body of stress.

3. Seek Balance in Entertainment:

For some reason we have become a society that needs constant stimulation and entertainment. We can survive without the latest IPhone, large screen TV or hottest vacation spot. A good old fashion picnic in the park can turn out to be one of your fondest vacation memories. Be creative when it comes to entertainment and you'll find out how satisfying it can really be.

Try engaging in these simple ways to simplify your life and you will free up time to get to know your true self. This is what really matters when it comes to joyful living.

 Namaste,

Mary Jane Kasliner - Feng Shui Master & Yogi

Dive into the Sea with Your Mind, Body & Spirit

Dive into the Sea with Your Mind, Body & Spirit

Imagine yourself diving into the sea and the moment your body penetrates the water it transforms into a warm light. You immediately feel weightless as you glide towards the brightness.The luminescence that embraces you melts all feelings of worry and anxiety. All is well. There is no where to be and no one to be. Instead, you feel yourself rooted to the seabed and swaying gently with the rhythm of the water in perfect harmony with all things.

Namaste,

Mary Jane Kasliner - Feng Shui Master & Yogi

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Take a Leave of Your Senses

 Take a Leave of Your Senses

Take a leave of your senses. This meditation involves concentrating on the core of your self while remaining aware  of sensual experience on the periphery. Sitting in a meditation posture, close your eyes. In your mind, check off what you see, hear, feel, smell and taste. Revisit each sensation and say goodbye to each of them. As you do so, send your attention that was absorbed in your senses to your spirit, at the core of your being. Remain in this state of spiritual freedom as long as you can.


Namaste,

Mary Jane - Feng Shui Master & Yogi
www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Acceptance

Acceptance

Trust in life's flow. If you are struggling with something, it could be you are trying to force the issue. Instead, sit back and accept whatever happens. That which is rightly yours will come to you. Nothing takes place before its designated time.

Mary Jane - Feng Shui Master & Yogi

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Ways to Find Inner Peace

Ways to Find Inner Peace

Ways to Find Inner Peace

There are many different ways to find inner peace. For some, religion holds the key and yet others believe that the spirit alone can't transport you to that realm. It is thought the mind, body and spirit must reunite to reach that internal place of peacefulness. How to unite this triad can be as simple as following the feng shui and yogic philosophy.

Feng Shui

The feng shui philosophy is based on the belief that you can create harmony in your life through your surrounding environment. The ancient feng shui masters observed the heaven and the earth learning the ways of natural harmony. They studied the five elements of earth and how these elements interact with one another. Observing the rain from the heavens and how it nourished the vegetation (wood) that fueled the fire that scorched the earth and created ore deep within. This is a harmonious cycle of the elements keeping nature in a state of balance.

As a feng shui consultant, the cyclic nature of these elements can be applied to the internal and external environment. Balancing these elements according to directional positioning of rooms imbues the space with peace and harmony. According to the laws of attraction, vibration and frequency “like attracts like;” therefore, spending time in a peaceful environment will translate to feelings of tranquility. This translation occurs via the limbic system – ancient brain. This system interprets design features such as yin and yang, natural materials and elements, sounds, textures and scents primarily through our senses. When these features are balanced and of natural quality the energy frequency is pure and the perception is one of tranquility and pleasure. 

Feng Shui creates a peaceful environment because its roots lie in nature. A calm green garden with a soothing sound of a water fountain can convey a sense of peace to you. This feeling of calmness eradicates the feeling of worry, anxiety or fear.  If you embrace feng shui based on the ancient teachings, you can successfully surround yourself with a harmonious and peaceful environment. This is one way to achieve inner peace as the mind and body reunite to connect to spirit.

Yoga & Meditation

Meditation is the science of reuniting the soul with infinite spirit or God. By meditating regularly, you will awaken your soul and begin to live consciously. Through the discipline of meditation, we learn to concentrate within and discover our unshakable peace.

Inner peace is one of the first fruits of meditation. Greater clarity, understanding and guidance from within are also benefits of meditation. It brings greater harmony and joy to your relationships and family life. It harmonizes the life forces within the body releasing stress and promoting health and vitality.

Conventional yoga wisdom holds that nothing prepares your body for meditation as well as regular asana practice. However, only practicing yang forms of yoga will present an issue when trying to sit in meditation for long periods of time. Balancing with yin sources of yoga practice by stretching connective tissues with a slow steady load elongates these tissues making it easier for you to sit in meditation.

Concentrating on forward bends, hip openers, backbends and twists are all beneficial when it comes to holding your upright seated position for meditation. As you know, all seated meditation postures aim at one thing, holding the back upright without strain or slouching so that energy can run freely up and down the spine or what is known as the main channel sushumna.

Namaste,

Mary Jane Kasliner - Feng Shui Master & Yogi

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

 

Happiness

 Happiness

Here is a great quote to ponder.

"When you're happy for no reason, you bring happiness to your outer experiences rather than trying to extract happiness from them. You don't need to manipulate the world around you to try to make yourself happy. You live from happiness, rather than for happiness."


Namaste,
Mary Jane - Feng Shui Master & Yogi
www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Summer Solstice Feng Shui Style

Summer Solstice Feng Shui Style

Today represents the longest day of the year. Many relate to the summer solstice as the first day of summer but in reality it is mid-summer or when the fire energy and the sun are at peak level. In feng shui, the fire element is the strongest. It aligns to our soul's mission in life, our dreams and aspirations. 

Today is a perfect day to honor the fire within the body and your space. The fire element is associated with the power of the suns energy or the south. It's a great idea to open up the windows and let the sun shine in throughout the home but especially in the southern rooms. Take a moment to spend some time in these rooms. Make note of how they feel and if the fire element is vibrant. Fire represents images of animals, people, the sun or diamond and triangular shapes. Candles are also a great representation of the fire element along with any fire color hues such as red, burgundy, purple or bright yellow. Also make sure the fire element is represented in all your rooms. Little touches here and there go a long way and are perfect to lift the energy in an otherwise yin area.

Take time to reflect on what your goals, aspirations and life purpose is. Write them down and take a few moments to meditate and see them unfold in your life. A vision board is also a great idea for today. If you have one perhaps it is a good time to refresh it. Finally, take time outdoors today and perhaps make an offering to Mother Earth with a short ceremony including making a fire. This will open the fire within your soul.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Mary Jane  - Feng Shui Master & Yogi

www.fengshuiyoganj.com