Is it possible to be free from ignorance and suffering?

If the selfless mind is having this doubt and asking this question, then it indicates that, it has -

The selfless consciousness/awareness (to be conscious/aware),

The selfless function of the perception and the organs of perception/the organs of the senses (to perceive/experience),

Cognition and memory (to know and to remember knowledge),

Intellect (to doubt, investigate, inquire, learn, recognize, reason, and understand),

Emotion (to enjoy or suffer),

Thinking and acting (to process inputs and outputs, to attach or doesn't attach, to hold on or let go, to associate or doesn't associate, to make choices, to desire or doesn't desire, to believe or doesn't believe, to agree or doesn't agree, to give/take/accept or doesn't give/take/accept, to perform action (express, respond, act and react) and inaction (doesn't express, respond, act and react), to internalize or externalize (gathering/channeling the focus/attentiveness/awareness/energy inward or outward), to improve or deteriorate selfless evolution/changes,

The organs of the senses and the function of the senses (for the thinking and acting faculty to perceive/experience/learn/know towards what is happening inside and outside of the body/receiving inputs),

And the organs of expression/action (for it to have the physical mobility to express ideas/agreements/disagreements/desires/doesn't desires/feelings/emotions in speech or gesture of the body/facial features/limbs/hands/feet to be communicating and interacting, and to survive/live/adjust/adapt/accommodate/move/act/react/create/develop different skills/improve/strengthen/defense with the physical body, and turning/externalizing/materializing the mental thoughts/ideas/feelings/desires/understanding/choices into physical action and inaction (giving outputs), that will give rise to the respective consequences/effects/fruits of action and inaction.

 

As long as there is the thinking and acting faculty existing and functioning as what it is, to be aware/conscious, to perceive, to experience, to think, to feel, to doubt, to learn, to reason, to inquire, to recognize, and to understand, and it has certain degrees of remembrance towards what it has been perceiving, experiencing, thinking, feeling, doubting, learning, reasoning, inquiring, recognizing, and understanding,

Where the mind perceives doubt, the unknown, duality, impermanent changes, hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain, sorrow, restlessness, exhaustion, limitation, weakness, uncertainty, insecurity, fear, disturbance, and suffering,

Where the mind has the yearning or desire (willpower and determination) to be free, to know and understand, to be happy, and to have peace,

Then this mind has the opportunity and possibility to evolve towards the annihilation of the veil of ignorance/the idea of 'I'/egoism/impurities/restlessness, or the subjugation of the restless impure egoistic selfless modification of the mind, or the attainment of self-realization towards the absolute knowledge of the infinite wisdom and compassion of nature, and be free, be happy, and be peaceful, under the presence of intense yearning towards liberation/freedom/peace, right method, right effort, right attentiveness, right attitude, self-reliance, openness, adaptability, patience, forbearance, perseverance, and determination.

The path of yoga and/or buddhism exists for the selfless thinking and acting mind that perceives inevitable suffering (due to the inevitable selfless impermanent changes) and evitable suffering (deriving from ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness in the selfless modification of the mind that hinders the mind from seeing/knowing the truth of the selfless impermanent limited conditional life existence and function of itself).

The direct realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence enables the selfless thinking and acting faculty to transcend both inevitable and evitable suffering, not being over-powered, determined, or disturbed by the inevitable selfless impermanent changes, and devoid of ignorance and the evitable suffering deriving from ignorance.

Different minds with different personalities and characteristics can choose from the different types of practices of yoga and/or buddhism that suits oneself most. There is neither this type of practice nor that type of practice is more or less superior or effective.

Even a very weak and ill physical body also can practice and attain liberation.

Even the most violent or restless mind also can practice and attain liberation.

But it has to come from the desire or freewill of the mind itself, to be purifying and disciplining and quieting the restless impure egoistic modification of the mind, to change its own thinking and behavior pattern, to be determined to free itself from the influence of ignorance, to inquire the truth of everything, to attain self realization of knowing Thyself, all by itself, without violence.

Regardless of what type of practice, it is all about rendering the selfless impermanent modification of the mind to be clear, pure, calm, and quiet, a.k.a. the annihilation of the veil of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, via the middle path, under the presence of non-violence/non-grasping/non-attachment/non-identification/non-association/non-craving/non-aversion/non-comparison/non-judgment/non-expectation towards the entire process and the pleasant and unpleasant side-effects of the process.

The knowledge of the wisdom and compassion of nature, that enables all and everything to be existing, changing, and ceased existing, is always there, as it is, in all and everything, never increase or decrease, uncontaminated/unchanged/undamaged/unhurt by the ability or disability/the functionality or non-functionality/the good or bad condition of the physical body and the thinking and acting faculty, of the perceived or doesn't perceive, experience or doesn't experience, the different degrees of intelligence, the corrupted or non-corrupted reasoning, known or unknown, understanding or non-understanding, correct or incorrect understanding, recognize or doesn't recognize, remember or doesn't remember, action/reaction or non-action/reaction, and desire or doesn't desire of the selfless thinking and acting faculty, as well as the state of purity or impurity, calmness or restlessness, pleasantness or unpleasantness, agreements or disagreements, goodness or evilness, rightfulness or wrongfulness, enjoyment or suffering, joyfulness or joylessness, positiveness or negativeness, selfishness or unselfishness, kindness or unkindness, meaningfulness or meaninglessness, and the presence or absence of corruption and impurities in the selfless impermanent modification of the mind.

Non-blind believing, non-blind following, non-blind practicing, non-blind agreeing/disagreeing, and non-blind propagating.

None can remove the ignorance or suffering for another.

None can give realization or liberation to another.

None and nothing can destroy the wisdom, compassion, and peace that exists in all and everyone, or take away all that from another. Even the thickest veil of ignorance and the highest amount of suffering also cannot destroy the wisdom, compassion, and peace that is always there, as it is.

It is absolutely possible to be free from ignorance and suffering.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Long Residential Yoga Holiday in Langkawi at Yoga Now Malaysia

 The view in front Yoga Now Malaysia during rainy season

Long Residential Yoga Holiday at Yoga Now Malaysia

If you are looking for a calm and peaceful environment to practice and learn yoga and meditation Yoga Now offers exactly that. We are a very small-scale operation and will run retreats even just for one person. Better still, you don't need to choose from a list of fixed dates - you can start your yoga retreat whenever you choose, any day of the week, any time of the year (subject to availability). We keep our retreats and workshops deliberately small to ensure you receive individual attention. All retreats are suitable for all including complete beginners.

Yoga Now Malaysia in Langkawi has been running ongoing flexible dates retreats for the past ten years for those who only have a few days of short holiday to be participating in a short concentrated retreat to be learning and practicing yoga and meditation as much as possible within a few days that enable them to develop the basic understanding towards the teachings and practice of yoga, which also allows many of them to develop self-discipline and self-reliance that is very important in developing self-practice wherever they are.

From time to time, we also get some requests for longer retreat with moderate daily yoga and meditation practice over a few weeks time.

Some people would like to have some quiet solitude time for themselves over a period of time to be kind to themselves, to look after their mind, to be quiet, to have some space for oneself, to be contemplating, or to be able to see things in different perspective.

Some people might want to learn and practice yoga under a teacher's guidance, but at the same time, they would also like to have the free time and energy to perform their own self-practice making use of the time and space staying at the accommodation at Yoga Now for a few weeks.

Some people might have some physical health/fitness limitation that doesn't allow them to be attending the standard full day retreat practice sessions, but they are very keen to join a yoga retreat to be learning and practicing yoga at Yoga Now Malaysia.

Some people would like to participate in a yoga retreat to learn and practice yoga with us, but they would prefer just joining one yoga/meditation/pranayama practice session everyday over a few weeks time, such as a few weeks long 'free and easy' yoga holiday where they can do some yoga and meditation practice everyday while be able to have more resting/personal time, or have some free time and energy to enjoy some other activities that they would like to do, or to enjoy and explore all that Langkawi has to offer.

Some people would like to take a few weeks time off from the hustle-bustle in everyday life to have some quiet solitude time for themselves away from social affairs, interactions and activities, to stay at the one and only accommodation at Yoga Now Malaysia, to do some guided yoga and meditation practice under the teachers everyday, but without the need of joining the standard full day retreat sessions.

Some people would like to spend a few weeks in a quiet secluded environment with as little distraction as possible, to be doing things that require certain degrees of focus and solitude, such as to do some writing, while also be able to do some guided yoga and meditation practice everyday that could help in terms of being attentive towards what they want to do under a calmed and focused mind.

And hence, a free and easy yoga retreat program - Long Residential Yoga Holiday is now being introduced by Yoga Now Malaysia to meet such requests, where the duration of the retreat can be ranging from 11 days/10 nights up to 21 days/20 nights.

For more details please visit our website -  http://www.yoganowmalaysia.com/yogaholiday.html

A short video of Yoga Now Malaysia in Langkawi -



*Most people join our yoga retreats for calm and quiet introspection. Please note that despite the relaxed and friendly atmosphere at Yoga Now our retreats are not suitable for people expecting lots of social interaction and activity.

Conflict between the practice of influencing the state of the mind and observing the mind perception as it is?

Some people get confused by the yoga asana, pranayama and concentration practice that is about influencing the state of the mind (intentionally changing the state of the mind to be something different by purifying and rendering the impure restless wandering mind to be pure and calm and focus) and the practice of observing the mind perception of names and forms/thought activities and allowing the mind perception of names and forms/thought activities to be there as it is, without attachment, identification, judgment, expectation, craving or aversion towards the function/modification/thought activities of the mind, and allowing all the impermanent changes of all the names and forms to be there, as they are.

It seems like a contradiction of practice, but it's not really.

The mind is like the lake and the state of the mind is like the surface of the lake. The reflections are being reflected as they are when the surface of the lake is still, and the reflections are contorted when the surface of the lake is moving. By rendering the state of the mind calm and still will allow the mind to see things as they are or allowing the perception of names and forms to be reflected as it is, but it doesn't change the truth of the names and forms being what they are.

The modification/thoughts activities/perception of an individual reality of the mind is like the image/reflection of the sky or the sun or the moon being reflected on the surface of the lake, and no matter the images reflected on the lake is as they are or are contorted, (and if the lake has an egoistic thinking mind of likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, craving and aversion towards the reflection of the sky, the sun or the moon on itself, and desires to change the sky, the sun or the moon to be the way that it likes it to be,) the lake doesn't change the sky or the sun or the moon. And if the lake doesn't exist, there's no reflection of the sky, the sun or the moon, it still doesn't affect the sky, the sun or the moon being there as they are.

The reflection on the surface of the lake doesn't belong to the lake. The modification of the mind or the mind perception of pleasant/unpleasant/agreeable/disagreeable names and forms doesn't belong to the mind.

Just like all the contents of good and bad qualities of names and forms existing in this space cannot affect the space and they don't belong to the space. Neither will the space has desire to interfere with all the contents in it.

The space and the mind is still what it is, whether the mind perceives something as good or not good existing in the space. The space and the mind is still what it is, whether the mind perceives pleasant smells or unpleasant smells in the air. The space and the mind is still what it is, whether the mind perceives beautiful happening or disgusting/horrible happening in this space.

Different minds perceive its personal/individual reality differently under the same condition and situation. Such like, different minds feel differently while being in a place full of 'good' happenings or being in a place full of 'bad' happenings. Death is neither good nor bad. Some people are sad and mourn for the death of the leader of the country/party/ideal/vision that they supported, while some other people are glad and celebrating it. Positive minds perceive names and forms positively, while negative minds perceive names and forms negatively, but it's not the truth, as all the names and forms are just what they are, they are neither positive nor negative. The reality is just what it is, but qualities are being projected onto the perceived reality of the mind perception of names and forms out of the different states of the mind.

The modification/thought activities/perception of an individual pleasant or unpleasant reality, is like the reflections on the surface of the lake. The state of the mind (pure or impure, peaceful or peaceless, with good/bad attributes or attributeless) influences how the mind understands/reacts towards the perception of names and forms perceived through the senses, or life experiences, but all the perception of names and forms, or life experiences, or the understanding/reactions/modifications/activities cannot affect/hurt/disturb/change the mind, except due to ignorance and egoism, there's a false identity in the mind (the ego) is being disturbed and determined by all the perception of names and forms, and has the desire/idea of changing the perceived reality to be the way that it likes it to be.

The practice of yoga asana, pranayama, concentration and self-inquiry serves as the tool to maintain and render the mind pure and calm to be fit for higher realization of freedom from ignorance and suffering. The yoga asana and pranayama practice is to prepare the mind to be fit/ready for self-inquiry and meditation by balancing the restless/agitated/dulled state of the mind via body positions/movements (yoga asana practice) and control of the breath (pranayama practice), to render the mind calm and quiet.

The concentration practice/exercises/training is to restrain the mind to focus at one point for a prolonged period of time, and to keep the mind in the present refraining the mind from wandering into the past or the future, or getting lost in random ceaseless thinking and imaginations. Meanwhile the practice of renunciation/solitude/seclusion is to free the mind from getting entangled in the mind perception of a worldly life existence.

These practice/training are developing the awareness to be aware of or to observe the modifications of the mind, rendering the mind to be calm and quiet, to be free from restlessness and to be open to inquire the truth/nature of everything, preparing the mind for meditation - seeing the truth as it is.

The inquiry into the truth/nature of names and forms will help to strengthen dispassion, right discrimination, non-attachment, non-identification, free from craving and aversion, judgment and expectation, and this will lead the mind to be less disturbed or completely undisturbed by all the perception of names and forms of a worldly life existence, and generate less impurities or completely be free from impurities, which eventually lead to the annihilation of ignorance and suffering of the mind perception of a worldly life existence of impermanence and selflessness.

The pure egoless mind stands as a witness witnessing/observing the mind perception of a reality as it is, or observing the mind perception of names and forms/the states of the mind/the activities in the mind/the thoughts/the feelings/the physical sensations, condition, ability and limitation/all the selfless impermanent changes, as they are, without interfering with all these modifications of the mind.

Whatever the mind perceives through the senses or whatever the mind comes in contact with, all the perceptions of names and forms/thoughts activities/images/individual reality, and all states of the mind are just what they are. They are impermanent and selfless. They don't belong to the mind or the perceiver. The worldly life existence perceived by the mind is impermanent and selfless. It doesn't belong to the mind. It's neither 'I' nor 'mine'. Suffering and all kinds of corrupted thinking and behavior arise when there is ignorance, egoism and impurities in the mind, where there's an idea of 'I' generate attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation towards the modification of the mind, thinking and believing that there's an existence of 'I', and that all the perceived objects/experiences/relationships are 'mine'.

Without a calm and quiet mind, when the mind is in a state of impurity and restlessness due to egoism and impurities, it's impossible for the mind to inquire towards the truth of things to be free from ignorance, as whatever is being perceived/understood through the senses are under the influence of or being contaminated by the impurities and restlessness.

 

Just like a dirty, dusty and moving mirror cannot reflect the image of an object placed in front of it as it is. The mirror also cannot/doesn't see itself without the help of another 'mirror' or 'reflector'. And all the dirt, dust and movements don't belong to the mirror. All the yoga, pranayama and concentration practice act as the tool to render the mind to be free from impurities and restlessness (cleaning up and stilling the 'mirror' to reflect the images as they are), and meditation is the 'mirror'/'reflector' that allows the pure and calm mind to see itself, as it is, beyond all the modifications of the mind.

That's why it is very important to render the state of the mind pure and calm, in order to allow the mind to inquire the truth of names and forms, to be free from ignorance. Upon seeing the truth of names and forms, or the truth of itself, it enable the mind to stand as a silent selfless witness, allowing all the names and forms to be what they are. Or else, the ignorant egoistic minds has desire to interfere with the names and forms that it doesn't like by trying to change/control it to be the way that it likes it to be, as well as interfere with the names and forms that it likes by trying to stop it from changing into something else or damaging/disappearing, and there arise all sorts of suffering of dissatisfaction, anger, hurt, discrimination, intolerance, interference, offensiveness, defensiveness, hostility, hatred, fear, violence, and etc, if the desires are not being gratified.

It's up to everyone to work on their own liberation through their own effort and pace.

Root out the root cause of suffering - ignorance and egoism

No doubt that by doing some yoga asana and pranayama practice regularly can gives some momentary effects of calmness, relaxation, pleasant sensations, good feelings, and many health and fitness benefits to the practitioner, but, it doesn't stop one's mind from being influenced, or disturbed, or determined by all the perceptions of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses based on what the ego likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with, wants and doesn't want under the influence of a particular worldly egoistic thinking and belief, if one doesn't work on the annihilation of ignorance by eliminating the ego and egoism of attachment, identification, and desire of craving and aversion.

The ego is the idea of 'I' exists as an individual being that identifies with and attaches onto particular worldly egoistic thinking and belief, culture, family brought up, education system, accumulated knowledge and life experiences, the actions and the result of actions, duties, responsibilities, achievements, contributions, family ties, friends and social circle, relationships, personality, interest and liking, social identity and image, personal identity and image, physical appearance, physical and mental condition and ability, gender, and so on, to be 'I'.

Those who have strong attachment and identification with particular worldly thinking and belief and all kinds of qualities of names and forms might have been practicing yoga asana and pranayama practice for many years, but due to the worldly attachment and identification, they might still be influenced, be disturbed, and be determined by all the perception of names and forms, and feel dissatisfied, or disappointed, or offended, or hurt by the names and forms that the ego doesn't like, doesn't agree with and doesn't want, if they didn't work on eliminating the egoism (the fuel that feeds ignorance) and the annihilation of ignorance.

Attending yoga asana and pranayama classes for many years regularly doesn't guarantee that one is free from being disturbed by the by-products of ignorance and egoism - the ceaseless reactions of impurities of dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, lust, pride, arrogance, offensiveness, defensiveness, feelings of hurt, guilt, regrets, fear and worry, and so on. The mind is restless, swaying between the calmness effect of the yoga asana and pranayama practice and the disturbance of the ceaseless egoistic reactions of impurities.

The ego also constantly looking for love, attention, affection, connection, companionship, sense of belonging, accomplishment, acceptance, respect, agreement, acknowledgment, approval, support, liking and compliment to feel 'I' exist, 'I' am somebody, 'I' am loved, 'I' am good, 'I' am right, 'I' am confident, 'I' am happy, 'I' am complete, or 'I' am meaningful. Root out this ego, one will be free and peaceful as one is.

If the mind is not free from ignorance and egoism, everyone will keep hurting oneself and others out of selfish desires and impurities, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Everyone is looking for 'love' and they frequently fall in love with something or someone, but then, out of ignorance and egoism, they keep hurting the thing or person that they think they 'loved' very much. It's all about 'me', 'my feelings', 'my happiness', and what 'I' like and what 'I' want. When we don't get what we like and want, and we are getting what we don't like and don't want, we will feel disappointed and dissatisfied, and we will hurt anything and everyone, including ourselves. There's no love. Just possessiveness. To possess something or someone to make us feel good and meaningful about ourselves, to be existing. When our desires or wishes are not being gratified, we feel disturbed, dissatisfied, disappointed, hurt, angry and unhappy. We don't love anything or anyone, not even ourselves.

One will only know what is love and how to love, when the mind is free from ignorance and egoism.

Yoga practice about the annihilation of ignorance and egoism to transcend suffering, is universal. It is beyond all the different qualities of names and forms.

It doesn't matter whether we have a religious belief and practice and believe in God, or not. It doesn't matter we eat vegetarian food or non-vegetarian food. It doesn't matter we think we are good or bad. It doesn't matter how long we have been practicing yoga and meditation. As long as the mind is functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, the mind will perceive suffering and has no peace. The mind will always be disturbed and determined by the qualities of names and forms (mind perceptions of everything and all kinds of life experiences) that the ego doesn't like, doesn't agree with and doesn't want.

It's everyone's freedom whether they want to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, or not, or they just want to attain the momentary effects of calmness, relaxation, pleasant sensations, good feelings, and health and fitness benefits from doing the yoga asana and pranayama practice. There's no right or wrong, no good or bad. It's just what everyone wants to do with their life, their body and mind.

Be free.

Looking after our minds...

Yoga practice is looking after our minds particularly through observing certain observation and restriction of mental and physical activities to purify our thinking patterns, actions and speech in everyday life, besides performing some forms of physical and breathing exercises (Yoga Asana and Pranayama) to assist and support concentration and meditation practice (Dharana and Dhyana), to know the truth and be free from being determined or disturbed by the world of impermanent names and forms.

If our minds are highly sensitive towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, and easily be affected by the pleasant and unpleasant qualities of name and form, and being restless being influenced and disturbed by the perceptions of names and forms, then we need to have certain degrees of limitation, or restriction, or filtration of what types of input that come in contact with the mind.

When the mind develops a strong foundation of non-attachment and non-identification, then all kinds of observation are unnecessary, and there's no need of limitation, or restriction, or filtration of what types of input that come in contact with the mind.

The practice of disassociation and non-identification with any names and forms is our basic yoga practice.

The worldly minded minds will want to avoid this type of yoga practice, and criticize this type of practice as anti-social and 'unhuman'. The worldly minded minds identify with the name and form of 'human beings' - "I am a human being. I am a good human being. Good human beings should have such and such qualities, should behave in such and such ways, or else we are bad human beings." We don't just expect ourselves as human beings we should behave in certain ways, but we also expect other 'human beings' also conform to our own projection and expectation, constantly generate separateness, conflicts, arguments, discrimination and hatred in oneself and others.

Yoga and meditation practice is not about strengthening or securing the worldly identification with certain qualities of name and form as this or that, but it's to drop off any identifications with any names and forms, realize non-separateness, or oneness beyond all the qualities of name and form.

It's the same as when we identify ourselves with a particular type of 'origin', 'nation', 'culture', 'religion', 'ethnic', 'personality', 'behavior', 'gender', 'sexual orientation', 'political group', 'professionalism', 'social group', 'yoga practitioner', 'yoga teacher', 'yoga lineage', or 'yoga group', we are not free.

Even by identifying oneself as a 'divine being' or 'spiritual being' is also not free from identification with qualities of name and form, and separateness.

Fear, discrimination (including discrimination of friends or not friends, human beings or non-human beings), pride and arrogance derive from separateness due to the identification with name and form. Unless we are free from fear, discrimination, pride and arrogance, there's no discrimination of friends or not friends, human beings or non-human beings, or else we can't be truly compassionate even though we would like to be a compassionate being.

Om shanti.

Yoga asana practice and some other wholesome activities to bring positive supports in mind control...

Especially when the mind cannot sit still quietly to turn inward yet, it keeps running outward and has to be doing something, or else it gets agitated or bored, then we need to engage the mind with some wholesome activities that will bring positive development and improvement in mind control, so that it doesn't has the 'room' to be engaged in some unwholesome activities that will bring distraction or obstruction in mind control.

It is the same as self-control or self-restraint - performing wholesome activities that will promote peace and harmony in oneself and in others. While refraining from performing unwholesome activities that will promote unrest and disharmony in oneself and in others.

Yoga asana practice, Pranayama, meditation, Japa, chanting, praying, house cleaning, gardening, laundry washing, studying the Vedanta or Bhagavad Gita, performing karma yoga or selfless service, performing all our duties and responsibilities, are some activities that we can keep the mind busy, so that it doesn't has the spare time and space to be engaging in any unwholesome activities like gossips, slander, criticism, ill thinking, speculations, fearful imaginations, worries, building castle in the air, and etc.

If we engage the body and mind with a short yoga asana practice, even if it's only for 5 minutes, there will be less a being in the world to be committing or generating negative or evil thinking, speech or actions into the world within that 5 minutes.

Imagine if 10% of the world population are engaging in yoga asana practice (with correct attitude) at the same time for 5 minutes, the whole world will have 10% less negative vibrations within that 5 minutes, not to say that usually in the traditional yoga asana practice, it will take about 2 to 3 hours for each practice, although duration is not the point at all... It doesn't mean that the longer we practice yoga asana, we will be guaranteed to be free form ignorance, egoism and suffering.

Same as all the other wholesome activities that we can do to keep the mind busy with wholesome activities that will bring peace and harmony in oneself and in others. People who cannot perform yoga asana practice, or are not interested in yoga asana practice can keep the mind busy with some other forms of wholesome activities in life. It is not necessarily has to be yoga asana practice, to bring positive development or improvement in mind control.

It's about what is most practical and convenient for us in that present moment. It can also change from time to time. Some days we are more enthusiastic to perform yoga asana practice, but some other days we might not have the same enthusiasm to perform yoga asana practice, but we can sit quietly observing the breath, mental thought waves or physical sensations. Or we can do some Pranayama, Japa, chanting and praying. Or engage in any activities that allow the body and mind to be purified as much as we can.

For those who are serious or sincere in the path of self-inquiry, we perform all the above activities as much as we can everyday to engage the mind only with activities that will encourage and support mind control, or elimination of the ego, or self-realization, or transcending ignorance or suffering, or realization of unconditional love and peace.

By having self-control or self-restraint, and not generating negative vibrations into the world through thinking, action and speech, is already benefiting the world. It is not necessarily that we have to be completely free from ignorance or suffering to be able to benefit the world. Beside not generating negative vibrations in ourselves and into the world, we can make good use of our talents, abilities, body, hands, feet, mouth, ears, eyes, nose, tongue, speech organ, mind, creativity, or merely loving kindness, to share what we have and what we can do, to bring some positive and cheerful vibrations into the world.

Om shanti.

Yoga teachers?

A person who can teach a "good yoga class" with some "good or correct techniques" on asana, pranayama, chanting, and meditation practice, who knows about anatomy and physiology about this physical body, it doesn't make him/her a yoga teacher if he/she doesn't know what is chastity or self-control in his/her personal life. A person who leads a life of purity in thoughts, actions, and speech, who is free from passionate lustful desires, can guide other people to live a life of purity in thoughts, actions, and speech, and to be free from passionate lustful desires, is not different from a yoga teacher, even if he/she cannot or doesn't teach other people to do asana, pranayama, chanting, or meditation practice, and doesn't know anything about anatomy and physiology about this physical body...

Mind conquest - 10 important methods from Swami Sivananda

Mind is a bundle of desires, thoughts, imaginations, likes and dislikes. Annihilation of the mind is Mano-Nasa. Manolaya is temporary absorption of the mind. This cannot give Moksha. The mind can come back again and wander in sensual objects. Manonasa alone can give release or Moksha.

1. BY VICHARA - Self-inquiry (enquiry of "Who am I?")

This is the best and most effective method. This will annihilate the mind. This is the Vedantic method. Realize the unreality of the mind through philosophical thinking.

2. BY ERADICATION OF EGO

Eradicate the feeling of egoism. Ego is the seed of the tree of mind. "I" thought is the source of all thoughts. All thoughts are centred on the little "I". Find out what the little "I" is. This little "I" will dwindle into airy nothing. It will be absorbed in the infinite "I" or Para Brahman, the source of the little "I" or Ahamkara (egoism).

The sun of Self-realization is fully seen when the cloud of ego disappears.

3. BY VAIRAGYA - Dispassion

Distaste for objects of sense-pleasures by finding out the defects in the sensual life. Objects are perishable. Sensual pleasure is momentary and illusory.

4. BY ABHYASA - Practice of ceaseless meditation

Concentrate the mind by fixing it on Brahman. Make it steady. Abhyasa is ceaseless meditation. This leads to Samadhi.

5. BY NON-ATTACHMENT

Asanga or non-attachment is a sword to destroy the mind. Take the mind away from objects. Detach attach. Detach it from the objects and attach it to the Lord. Do this again and again. The essence of the seed of the sprout of world-experience, which is desire, can be destroyed by the fire of non-attachment.

6. BY VASANAKSHAYA - renunciation of desires

Vasana is desire. Renunciation of desires leads to Vasanakshaya. This will lead to annihilation of the mind (Manonasa). Desire for objects of pleasures is bondage; giving it up is emancipation. Desire is the most essential nature of the mind. Mind and egoism are synonymous.

7. BY PRANAYAMA

Vibration of Prana causes movement of the mind. It gives life to the mind. Pranayama or control of Prana will stop the activities of the mind. But it cannot destroy the mind to its roots like Vichara.

8. BY CONTROL OF THOUGHTS

Avoid imagination or day-dreaming. The mind will be annihilated. Extinction of thoughts alone is Moksha. The mind is destroyed when there is no imagination. The experience of the world illusion is due to your imagination. It vanishes away when imagination is completely stopped.

9. BY EQUANIMITY AND BALANCE

Mental renunciation of possessions is another method. The absolute experience can be realized if you learn to be in a state of thought-suspending Samadhi.

Attainment of equanimity is another method. Be balanced in pain and pleasure, heat and cold, etc.

10. BY DEVOTION AND SERVICE

Japa, Kirtan, prayer, devotion, service of Guru and study are also means to annihilate the mind.

He alone experiences everlasting peace and Eternal Bliss who has transcended the mind and rests in his Own Satchidananda Atman.

- Conquest of mind, Swami Sivananda

Yoga Retreats

Yoga retreats create a special time and space for us to retreat from our everyday life routines and daily habitual activities while being concentrating on disciplined yogic cleansing practice, yoga asana practice, pranayama practice, meditation practice, relaxation, karma yoga (selfless service), bhakti yoga (faith in the guru and the teachings, and surrendering the selfish ego) and jnana yoga (hearing, learning and contemplating on the yoga philosophy).

It allows us to have the opportunity to let go of our familiar habits and move away from the attachment towards familiar living environment and activities. It allows us to have the chance to be temporary letting go of our worldly duties, relationships and belongings, and to focus on our personal development and our relationship with our very own Self.

 

It is a very efficient way to learn about our own self and how the mind works, when the body and mind are being restricted for a period of time not being able to do what they usually like to do and want to do. As well as learning how to cope with tensions and how to let them go. Most important is that we learn how to stop generate tensions into the body and mind.

Yoga retreats are not about pampering ourselves in luxury comforts or learning how to do more yoga asanas or to runaway from our everyday problems.

It is a time and space for retreating from the bustling egoistic world of competition and stress. It is for us to get a relief from physical, emotional and mental tensions but it is not ignoring or running away from our problems. It gives us a space or a distance to look at our problems in a different angle. It can help us on how to confront and deal with everyday problems and able to remain calm without fear and worry, and being undisturbed by any unpleasant conditions and situations in life.

It is a great time and space for good satsanga (being with positive energy and wise company).

It is recharging, rebalancing, conserving and channeling the energy fields for higher realization.

It is a great purification process for the body and mind to be lighter and brighter physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

It is a mind deprogramming and reprogramming process. It is like an operation done onto the mind to remove "diseases". It helps to train the mind to be more open and having the confidence and courage to face the challenges in everyday lives.

It is a great transformation for anybody in learning about the yoga philosophy, materializing the philosophy practically in our everyday lives, and going deeper into the yoga practices that can help us to understand the nature of the mind and knowing the truth of things we perceived through the mind, and to be able to accept the truth of things as they are. And the most important thing is, to be able to accept ourselves as we are, and to be able to let go all the limited conditions that derive from attachment towards the qualities of names and forms, judgments and expectations.

It helps us to develop morality, faith, patience, self-control, tolerance, forbearance, perseverance, determination, confidence, will power, positive thinking, courage, fearlessness, mind flexibility, concentration, forgiveness, truthfulness, loving kindness, humility, equanimity, simplicity, respect, gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation, adjustment, adaptation, acceptance, accommodation, cheerfulness, contentment, generosity and etc, to realize selflessness, compassion and wisdom.

It is life transforming, changing the "incorrect" way of thinking and changing the habits of the mind (such like the habits of like to judge, to compare, to compete, expecting, projecting, assuming, non-concentrating and etc).

It helps us to be happier in life, not by rejecting our imperfect personality or imperfect life condition, but it is by accepting ourselves as we are and accepting our lives as they are, while at the mean time, without any expectations we are improving ourselves towards a better quality of life for ourselves, for the society, for humanity, for the world and for all beings who are sharing this whole universe.

It gives us the space to take a look at our own self, about the nature of our minds, how the mind reacts when it is being moved away and restricted from what it usually familiar with. It allows us to know about how much craving, clinging and attachment do we have in our mind and whether we are being over-powered by these craving, clinging and attachment, when we are not able to do the things that we usually do in life. We also learn about the aversion in our mind, whether we are being over-powered by what the mind likes and dislikes, how much control we have over our own craving and aversion, when we are asked to do things that we usually don't like to do, and not doing the things that we like to do, especially in a silent retreat where all types of communications with the world are restricted to the minimum.

It is a great opportunity to practice non-attachment and letting go.

Without any expectation towards what are the benefits that we will be getting from attending yoga retreats, everyone will have different experiences and different levels of transformation. While some people might have great resistance in letting go of the ego, pride and arrogance, craving and aversion, and be disturbed by their own conditioned and dissatisfied restless mind.

May all be happy and be benefited from attending yoga retreats.

April 28th - May 2nd 2010, 5 Days 4 Nights Langkawi Intensive Yoga Retreat

Welcome to Langkawi, Malaysia.

Come and join us for a 5 Days / 4 Nights Intensive Yoga Retreat in the beautiful tropical island of Langkawi starts from April 28th 2:30 pm to May 2nd 12:00 noon.

This retreat is suitable for anyone who has great interest in the traditional yoga practice at all levels and experiences.

5 days / 4 nights Intensive Yoga Retreat Outline

Day 1

* 14.30 Orientation
* 15.00 Tea and light snacks
* 16.00 Yoga class
* 18.30 Free time
* 19.30 Dinner
* 21.00 Guided meditation

Day 2

* 7.30 Jala Neti
* 7.45 Pranayama & Guided Meditation
* 8.45 Break
* 9.00 Yoga class
* 11.30 Breakfast
* 12.30 Free time
* 13.30 Strength and flexibility workshop
* 15.15 Tea and light snacks
* 16.00 Yoga class
* 18.30 Free time
* 19.30 Dinner
* 21.00 Guided meditation

Day 3

* 7.30 Jala Neti
* 7.45 Pranayama & Guided Meditation
* 8.45 Break
* 9.00 Yoga class
* 11.30 Breakfast
* 12.30 Free time
* 13.30 Advanced practice workshop
* 15.15 Tea and light snacks
* 16.00 Yoga class
* 18.30 Free time
* 19.30 Dinner
* 21.00 Guided meditation

Day 4

* 7.30 Jala Neti
* 7.45 Pranayama & Guided Meditation
* 8.45 Break
* 9.00 Yoga class
* 11.30 Breakfast
* 12.30 Free time or trips
* 15.15 Tea and light snacks
* 16.00 Yoga class
* 18.30 Free time
* 19.30 Dinner
* 21.00 Guided meditation

Day 5

* 7.30 Jala Neti
* 7.45 Pranayama & Guided Meditation
* 8.45 Break
* 9.00 Yoga class
* 11.30 Breakfast
* 12.00 Check out

The course fee is Rm 2,160 per person for single room and Rm 1,960 per person for twin sharing.

Fee includes teaching, meals, snacks, beverages, trips, simple accommodation (with air-conditioning, hot shower, fridge, tea making facilities…), a Yoga Now T-shirt and yoga mat bag, neti pot and free airport or ferry port pick up. Meals and snacks will be simple nutritious vegetarian food.

A non-refundable deposit of Rm 300 is requested upon reservation.

Looking forward to seeing you in Langkawi.

Om Shanti,

Meng Foong

Yoga Workshop In Penang, Malaysia May 15th & 16th

Yoga Now Malaysia will be teaching a Traditional Hatha Yoga workshop in Penang on the 15th and 16th of May 2010 for two days.

This workshop is organized by Echo Yoga Centre in Penang island.

Meng Foong will be teaching a 3 hours traditional Hatha Yoga master class on both days.

Marc will be teaching a 3 hours yoga class covering asana, neti kriya, pranayama and meditation on both days.

For further details please contact Echo Ng at +6012 4939563

Or email her at echoyogacentre@gmail.com