Yoga practice (Sadhana)?

Yoga practice (Sadhana), not the common one or two hour(s) yoga class in yoga studios or yoga clubs, is not something that like a leisure activity that we call "hobby" or "things that we like to do", but it requires strong commitment, forbearance, determination and self-discipline...

Be happy.

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...

做人不须要太执着...

做人是要讲到“尽量”做得到。不须要太执着。很多时侯，我们尽了能力去做，但是很多事情不轮到我们去想怎样就怎样。如果太过固执于对自己和他人必须说到做到的话，有时侯，做不到时，因为尊严把自己或他人逼得下不了台，害得自己或他人做出伤害身命的行为，那又何苦呢？不值得为了自己或他人讲了却做不到，而失去了保贵的生命或伤了与亲人朋友的感情，并不值得呀。。。 做人不须要太执着。尽了能力去做就好。。。不须要为了固守做人的规则而看不开，伤了感情或生命。。。

Video - my daily yoga asana practice while travelling in India (5)

This is part of my daily yoga asana practice while travelling in India. This is a 4x speed up version.

Video - Yoga asana practice while travelling in India - Handstand

This is part of my daily yoga asana practice while travelling in India.

Video - Yoga asana practice while travelling in India - Padma Kakasan

This is part of daily yoga asana practice while travelling in India.

Video - Yoga asana practice while travelling in India - Vrschikasan / Scorpion

This is part of my daily yoga asana practice while travelling in India.

Video - Yoga asana practice while travelling in India - Variations of Kakasan

This is part of my daily yoga asana practice while travelling in India.

The truth of things is not necessarily what we think it is...

If our mind is being contaminated or influenced by so many impurities such like anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, pride, arrogance, disappointment, fear, worry, craving and aversion, and etc, then whatever we perceive in the mind through the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think, is not necessarily the truth of things or it is not what we think it is... Instead we will project our own imaginations onto things base on what our mind wants to believe or think what it should be, but it's not really what it is...

It is like when one person wears a red tinted glasses will see or perceive something blue as purple colour, and another person wears a yellow tinted glasses will see or perceive something red as orange colour, but it is not the truth of what it really is...

When our mind is being influenced by one or many impurities, then whatever we perceive through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think will be contaminated by these impurities. It is not necessarily what we think or believe what it is...

And so, if our mind is not free from impurities, then how can we judge and criticize anyone or anything with this contaminated impure mind?

And when a mind is pure, is being free from impurities, then this pure mind will perceive the truth of everyone and everything as it is, without any judgments or criticisms... With a pure mind, there is no perception of qualities of good and bad, but everything is just being what it is... All dualities or qualities of names and forms disappear. And hence, what is left is just what things really are. They are not something good or bad. They are not something positive or negative. They are not something happiness or suffering.

When the mind is pure, there is no more craving towards something that was being perceived as "good, positive and happiness" through "the impure mind". There is no more aversion towards something that was being perceived as "bad, negative and suffering" through "the impure mind". And hence, there is no restlessness or unhappiness or fear and worry that arise due to craving and aversion is not being gratified, as there is no craving or aversion...

This is true freedom. This is what all the yoga practice is about. It is for us to purify the mind to eliminate impurities, so that the mind is able to perceive the truth of things as it is, and be free from craving and aversion which derive from ignorance and attachment towards the qualities of things that come from projection of the impure mind onto the names and forms that it perceives, which is the cause of restlessness and unhappiness.

Just by being good doesn't guarantee us peace and happiness if the mind is not free from impurities. We can be doing a lot of good actions and try not to do any bad actions, but still we are not really peaceful or happy because we are still being affected or disturbed by anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, agitation, depression, pride, arrogance, craving and aversion, fear and worry, if we are identified with the impure mind or the ego, and thinking that "I" am experiencing all these reactions of the mind towards whatever it perceives through the senses, as the mind attached to the qualities of these names and forms, and generates craving and aversion towards qualities that it likes and doesn't like... It is only when the mind is free from all these impurities, craving and aversion, naturally peace and happiness is there...

Om shanti.

Be happy.

Yoga teachers training course, certifications, yoga teacher and teaching yoga?

If somebody is hungry, do we need to have a "recognized" certificate of "generosity" to share some of our food with this being?

If somebody is in painful sorrow, do we need a "recognized" certificate of "compassion" to share joy and happiness with this being?

If somebody needs a friend, do we need a "recognized" certificate of "friendliness" to be his or her friend?

If somebody wants to learn about yoga from a peaceful, self-controlled, wise and compassionate being, does this compassionate being needs a certificate of "qualified yoga teacher" to share yoga with anyone? Does he or she needs a certificate for him or her to show someone how to bring the mind to be in the present moment, to live in the present moment, and be free from fear and worry?

Do we need a certificate to show other people how to be kind, happy and peaceful? And of course, we have to be kind, happy and peaceful in ourselves if we want to show other people how to be kind, happy and peaceful...

Does a certificate of "qualified peaceful being" coming from attending a "peaceful being training course" will make a person peaceful being? Like wise, will a certificate of "qualified yoga teacher" coming from attending a "yoga teacher training course" make a person yoga teacher?

Some real yogis might not went to a yoga school before nor attended any "yoga classes" before... They don't even call themselves as "yogi". Calling themselves as "yogi" is generating separateness between those who are yogis and those who are not yogis... And Yoga is about oneness or non-separateness beyond names and forms... We see 'God', or the one same nature, in everyone and everything including ourselves... These yogis perform Sadhana or intense yoga practice and meditation day in day out. And where did they learn to perform these Sadhana from? Most probably it was from some other experienced yogis who don't possess a certificate nor do they issue any certificates to those who learn from them... They observe their mind every moment, and have self-control over their thoughts, actions and speech. They observe silence of mind, physical body and the speech organ... There's no identification with the body and mind, not to say, the actions and the fruit of actions. They are working on eliminating the ego, desires, attachments, craving and aversion, to be free from ignorance, which is not something what we see in "yoga classes" nowadays, doing one hour of yoga poses or exercises or sun salutation, and claiming that "I am a yogi and I am practicing yoga..." While the person who is leading the "yoga classes" claiming that "I am a yoga teacher and I am teaching yoga..."

Did the selfless or egoless saints and sages in the past possessed and carried at least one or many "certificate(s)" issued and recognized by such and such organizations to certified that they were selfless and for them to be qualified to teach other people towards selflessness?

Obviously those who are free from the ego do not need certificates nor have a certificate at all. And these are the real yogis who will be sharing the path of "yoga" with those who are looking for "yoga"...

The term and purpose of "yoga teachers training course" is more about learning how to become our own teacher, and it's not about teaching other people... Teaching other people will come naturally when we realize the inner teacher within us and became our own teacher... Of course there's nothing wrong also if we haven't realized what is yoga, but we teach "yoga" to other people according to the books and what we have been trained on how to teach a yoga class, from attending yoga teachers training courses. But this doesn't make us yoga teachers...

Yoga schools or yoga courses allow people to practice yoga to become their own teacher. And when they realized the greatest teacher within themselves, and realized oneness or non-separateness through the realization towards selflessness or egolessness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, free from ignorance and impurities, free from craving and aversion, free from duality, then naturally they can share their direct experience with other beings on how to find this inner teacher, or they'll know how to guide other beings on how to be free as well... They don't need to be "trained" to be "yoga teachers". They don't need the name or title of "yoga teachers". Certainly they don't need to possess any "certifications"... Then what is this certificate of "qualified yoga teacher" issued and recognized by such and such organization and affiliation all about?

What is yoga or compassion, if yoga is being restricted and conditioned by names and forms, terms and regulations, and separateness that comes from "you are qualified" and "you are not qualified"?

What happen to those who are not physically fit enough to perform any asana exercises or meditation postures, or unable to attend yoga teachers training courses due to certain reasons, but they have pure and tranquil mind? They are free from craving and aversion. They are wise and compassionate. They are free from suffering. Are they not allowed to share the wisdom of transcending suffering with other people just because they didn't attend any yoga teachers training courses to attain a "recognized" certificate? Or they can teach, but not with the name of "yoga", as it is being restricted and conditioned about one must have a "recognized" certificate to teach "yoga"... What a pity...

Buddha, who was the enlightened one, did he carry a certificate issued by such and such organizations affiliated to such and such affiliations with him to qualified him to propagate the teachings of how to transcend suffering?

If somebody says, "Hey! You don't have a recognized qualification or certificate issued by such and such organizations, you are not qualified nor allowed to teach yoga..." Sorry, this doesn't mean anything... Maybe for those who teach yoga asana exercises as fitness classes, then they might be restricted by the fitness industries regulations. But yoga is not a physical fitness exercises. Maybe some people only see "yoga" as a form of physical exercises for fitness, but that is what they perceive and what they want to believe, it is not what yoga is about...

If somebody who are not sure about what is yoga and try to teach "yoga" to other people, it's okay, because one day this being might realize what is yoga from his/her sincere enthusiasm to teach yoga... Everyone is "liberated being" when ignorance vanished... Everyone is "liberation teacher" when they share the path of liberation with those who want to be free from ignorance... It doesn't matter if it is in the form of "Yoga" or "Buddhism" or "Taoism" or "Hinduism" or "Christianity" and so on, or it's nameless and formless... It doesn't matter if they call themselves "yoga teachers" or some other names, or not...

Anyone or anything is our yoga teacher when it allows us to see ourselves, to know ourselves, to know our own mind and the ego, to see the ignorance in us, and helping us to be free from ignorance...

Yoga teachers are not limited to those who have attended yoga teachers training courses and have "recognized" certificates, and are teaching some yoga practices to other people...

Om shanti.

Video - yoga asana practice while travelling in India (1)

 Variation of Kakasan and Titibasan




This is part of my daily yoga asana practice while travelling in India.

Being compassionate and the practice of acceptance and letting go doesn't mean saying "yes" to everything...

A friend talked to me about she feels that it's very difficult to practice compassion, acceptance and letting go in daily life. She feels that she has became too "easy" for other people to take advantage of her, and she feels sad about it...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

There's nothing wrong that if you felt unhappy or angry or sad when you felt other people were not nice and unkind to you when you have been nice and kind to them... You should allow yourself to feel how you were feeling in that moment. But watch these feelings with awareness... Watch how these feelings come and go... Do not identify with these impermanent feelings... These feelings are not you or who you are... Know that everything is impermanent. Even this will pass...

Real compassion comes along with correct understanding, right discrimination and non-attachment.

It doesn't mean "being easy", or agree with everything, or say "yes" to everything...

When you think you are being compassionate, accepting everyone and everything as they are, and being available for everyone when they "need" you or your help, but at the same time, you feel very unhappy, angry and sad with people taking advantage of you or take you for granted because they think you are "easy" and "kind" or "stupid", and you feel tired and disappointed with family and friends whom you care a lot and you do your best for everyone whom you love but they don't show any gratitude or appreciation, instead they criticize you for what you do for them, then know that you are not really being compassionate.

If you are truly compassionate, you will know when to say "yes" and when to say "no"...

You don't have to agree with things that you don't agree with. You don't have to throw away all your belongings and relationships with anybody to show that you are practicing non-attachment and letting go.

You will know how to be compassionate towards yourself first, take care of your own well-being first, have peace in yourself first, before you can be compassionate toward other beings and taking care for other people...

In order to take care yourself, you will be able to say "no" without feeling bad or guilty when you need to say "no"... It doesn't make you bad or less compassionate. Being compassionate doesn't mean that you have to be available for everyone all the time. You need to have your own time for yourself, to eat, to play and to rest, to take care your own well-being, to retreat from the worldly affairs... Do not forget to be kind and compassionate towards "this being"...

Acceptance doesn't mean that we have to agree with everything and go along with things that we don't agree with.

Acceptance means "Able to allow everything to be what they are as they are, whether it is something that we agree with or disagree with. Nor try to change or control things to be the way that we want it to be... At the same time we do our best to improve without expectation that things will change into what we want it to be... Allow things to change into what they are as they are... Maybe it will change into what we like it to be, maybe not... It doesn't matter... We did our best, and let go..."

Letting go doesn't mean throw away everything, not having anything at all...

Letting go means "Whether we have many things or don't have anything, it doesn't determine us for who we are. We do not attach to all these things. We do not depend on things to be who we are, to feel good or meaningful. We can have things, but we know the truth of things is impermanent. No matter it is material belongings, relationships, works, enjoyments, thoughts, feelings, emotions, sensations, positivity, negativity, painful sorrow and etc... They all are impermanent. We are able to allow all these things to exist, change and disappear... We accept all changes as they are from moment to moment. When we don't have things that we want or like, we are still who we are, it doesn't make us any less good or less peaceful..."

When we feel unhappy about certain things, they will pass away eventually. When we feel happy about certain things, they also will pass away eventually. Good relationships or bad relationships, they all will pass away eventually whether you like it or not... Good health or bad health, they all will pass away...

Love yourself, be compassionate towards yourself, take care of yourself.... Be honest to say "no" when you need to say "no"... Sometimes we need to allow other people to show compassion towards us. We don't have to be the "strong" one to be there for everyone whom we "think" they are weak and they need us... We don't have to be the "compassionate" one and let other people to be the "compassionate" one... This is not selfish... This is the beginning of compassion.

When you know how to take care yourself, you will have full energy and joyfulness to be kind to other beings without feeling tired or disappointed... You will not be touched nor determined nor disturbed by your compassionate kind actions towards other beings or the reactions of other beings towards your compassionate kind actions. You are not determined nor disturbed by the fruit or the result of your actions...

You are who you are... You do not become a better or happier person when you show kindness towards other beings. You do not become a bad or less happy person when you need to take care of yourself, nor do you become a bad or unhappy person when other people don't appreciate nor be grateful towards your kindness towards them...

You'll never feel that you are being taken for granted nor feel it's difficult to be a good, kind and compassionate person...

If you are compassionate, you won't be angry or upset with anything or anyone... It's because you love yourself and be kind to yourself... This is more important than try to please everyone and make everyone happy, because you can't... That's why you feel so tired and disappointed after trying to please everyone to make them happy and satisfied... Everyone will be happy and satisfied as they are, when they found the inner peace and happiness within themselves through their own effort. We can only guide other people on how to reach this unconditional peace when we ourselves are peaceful, but we cannot take away what make them unhappy or not peaceful in the first place, or to remove their root cause of unhappiness which is ignorance or impurities...

Nobody is going to be truly happy or satisfied unless ignorance or impurities are vanished from their mind. It doesn't matter how other people tried to please them or be nice to them, they'll still be unhappy and dissatisfied as the root cause of unhappiness or restlessness or dissatisfaction are there...

We need to help ourselves first before we can help other beings... We need to mind our own purification to purify our own mind, without expecting other people will purify their mind... Let other people perform their duties and purification when they are ready and willingly to do so...

When we point fingers at other people criticize them "You are this or that...", actually ourselves are not any better than them...

No need to worry about other people's ego, just mind watching our own ego...

Be happy.

Video - my daily yoga asana practice (4) while travelling in India

This is part of my daily yoga asana practice while travelling in India.

Video - Kakasan to Sirshasan (step by step practice)

This is the step by step practice for Kakasan and Sirshasan and some gradual transitions from Kakasan to Sirshasan. I will upload another version with simple instructions later on.

The key instructions are focus, concentration, letting go and non-attachment. It is not so much about physical ability to perform the exercises. It is also very important to take enough rest in between each exercise and after the exercises. And never over exert ourselves nor try to force our body to go beyond its limitations.

Yoga is not about challenging the physical body to go beyond its limitation but to practice according to the condition and capability of our body in the present moment now, and allow improvement to happen gradually and naturally... The exercises are there to help us to purify and balance the energy fields and thus the mind.

All these exercises are there to help us to develop concentration and non-attachment, and to stimulate, purify, balance, conserve and channel the energy field and energy centres in our body to remove impurities or ignorance in the mind, for realization of peace and compassion. It is not important if our body are not ready to perform certain exercises or yoga poses, or our body cannot perform certain exercises or yoga poses due to physical limitations or injuries, as peace and compassion is nothing to do with our physical condition and ability to perform the exercises. Peace and compassion does not come from whether our physical body is strong and flexible or not, but it is the practice of non-attachment and letting go of the ego that will allow us to realize peace and compassion...

Be happy.

Video - Surya Namaskar - Sun Salutation learning with simple instructions

Here is a slow version of Surya Namaskar - Traditional Sun Salutation learning with simple instructions. At the beginning just focus on the movement and breathe naturally. Once our body learn to perform the 12 movements, naturally we can perform the sun salutation in a smooth flowing manner together with each inhalation and exhalation.

Start with 3 rounds and then gradually increase the rounds day by day up to the comfort of your body, until one day you can perform about 12 rounds comfortably without stopping.

The speed is varied in different individual as long as you can comfortably co-ordinate the movements with your breath naturally.

It is okay if you do not look the same exactly like how I do it, as everyone has a different body type, different physical limitations, different strength and flexibility and stamina. No need to compare with other people. Just do your best whatever your body is capable of doing. Keep practice and your physical strength, flexibility and stamina will be improving gradually and naturally.

Let go of judgment, comparison and expectation while performing the sun salutation and any other asana practice. Not judging the exercise as easy or difficult, as the exercise itself has no quality or intention to be easy or difficult. Not judging our body performances, as it is not about how good we perform the exercises or how good we look while performing the exercises. It's about do our best in performing all our actions whether it is yoga practice or daily activities, perform all our duties and responsibilities, but letting go of attachment towards all our actions and renounce the fruit or the result of our actions...

Let go of expectation towards the result or benefits of doing the exercises, but allow improvement to happen naturally and allow the benefits to come naturally as we practice regularly, and accept the result of the exercises as it is... Even when we don't know what are the benefits of doing the exercises, the benefits will still be there, they won't decrease nor disappear when we don't know what are the benefits or not having any expectations towards the result or benefits of the exercises...

Be happy.

"Are you selfless?" - An invalid question...

We won't get an answer when we ask someone who is truly selfless, "Are you selfless?", as there is nobody there to claim or identify as "I" am selfless...

The one who will give us an answer either "Yes, I am" or "No, I am not", is coming from the egoistic thinking mind thinks or believes itself is being selfless or not...

If somebody tells us, "I am selfless", then very obvious this "selfless" person is not really selfless...

It is pointless to ask someone who is free from suffering due to being free from the egoistic mind, "Are you free from suffering?", as there is nobody there to experience suffering, nor there is anyone there being free from suffering...

If someone claims or identifies as "I am peaceful" or "I am happy" or "I am free" or "I am good" or "I am wise" or "I am compassionate", that is the mind thinks and believes itself is peaceful, happy, free, good, wise and compassionate... Or when someone claims or identifies as "I am not peaceful" or "I am not happy" or "I am not free" or "I am not good" or "I am not wise" or "I am not compassionate", that is the mind thinks and believes itself is not peaceful, not happy, not free, not good, not wise and not compassionate...

There is nothing wrong with the mind thinks and believes about "I am this or that" or " I am not this nor that"... It is just the mind perception about itself as this and that with such and such qualities that it projects onto itself... This is just how the mind works and operates, reacts and thinks... And whatever the mind reacts, feels, thinks and believes whether it is something good or bad, positive or negative, happy or unhappy, pleasant or unpleasant, it's all impermanent and "non-self"...

Realize this, there is no "I" being there experiencing "this" or "that"...

Go beyond the mind perception about "I" am this or that with such and such qualities that the mind projects onto itself, and we will be free from fear, worry, jealousy, anxiety, judgment, comparison, competition, expectation, discontentment, disappointment, restlessness and unhappiness that derive from pride, arrogance, low self-esteem, low confidence, self-doubt, self-criticism, self-expectation, self-image, or so called "professional image"...

All and everything are selfless, and there is no 'I' existing to be identifying as, "I am selfless."

There is not anyone or anything that is not selfless.

Om shanti.

Unconditional peace and happiness beyond good conditions of life and worldly knowledge...

It doesn't matter what is the condition and ability of this physical body and the state of this mind, as long as we are still attached to this body and this mind, and being conditioned and influenced by the selfish egoistic mind with all the impurities like attachment towards sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations and thinking, being over-powered by likes and dislikes, craving and aversion, desires, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, pride, arrogance, fear, worry, depression, agitation, restlessness, judgment, expectation, doubts, ignorance and etc, we are not free...

How could we be truly "happy and peaceful" when we are being over-powered by all these impurities even though we try to attain "peace and happiness" through practicing yoga and meditation, and learning about the anatomy and physiology about this physical body, and learning about the techniques to perform the asana poses and breathing exercises, and knowing the benefits of performing the asana poses and breathing exercises?

There is no doubt that by attaining what we like and want to attain, we will feel (momentary) good, excited and happy. But these good and happy feelings and excitement don't last long, it will change and disappear, and non-satisfying...

There is no doubt that by having a healthy, strong and flexible physical body and being knowledgeable will bring us towards a better quality of life and for us to be able to make good use of this good condition of the physical body and the knowledge that we have to serve ourselves and other beings in the world to improve. But even by having a healthy, strong and flexible physical body, and worldly knowledge cannot guarantee us peace and happiness if we are identified with the selfish egoistic impure mind, if we didn't try to let go of the ego... We will be disturbed and affected all the time by the reactions of the mind towards whatever it sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches and thinks, and be conditioned by the craving and aversion coming from the egoistic mind towards what it likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with...

If we know how to not identify with the body and the mind, if we know how to observe the reactions of the mind without associating with it, and let go of the craving and aversion coming from the ego, undisturbed and unconditioned by whatever the body and the mind is experiencing from moment to moment, we will know what is unconditional peace and happiness that is not conditioned by any impermanent qualities of names and forms...

Through sincere and consistent practice of yoga and meditation with the right effort and attitude, it can help us to develop non-attachment or non-identification towards the body, the egoistic mind and whatever the mind perceives through the senses, rendering it pure and calm to be free from impurities and restlessness, to be able to observe the reality of thing as it is...

When a being is free from the ego, there is no argument or justification or criticism towards anything that seems to be "different" from what it is, or what it thinks and believes, as all the dualities and qualities had disappeared from the mind perception of names and forms... There is no "agreement" nor "disagreement". Everything is just being what it is. They are not something good or bad. They are not something positive or negative. They are not something happy or suffering. They have no power or intention to be good or bad, to be positive or negative, to make us happy or suffer.

This is compassion. This compassion is nothing to do with the impermanent conditions, qualities and abilities of this physical body, whether we are being "good" or "not good", "healthy" or "not healthy", "perfect" or "imperfect", performing many "actions" or not performing any "actions", whether being "vegetarian" or "non-vegetarian", being able to perform the asana poses or not, being knowledgeable or not, knowing anatomy and physiology or not, knowing all the names and terms in Sanskrit or not, knowing all the Scriptures, Sutras, chanting and prayers or not...

As by being "good" or "healthy" or "perfect", or performing many "actions", or being "vegetarian", or being able to perform the asana poses, or being knowledgeable, or knowing anatomy and physiology, or knowing all the names and terms in Sanskrit, or knowing all the Scriptures, Sutras, chanting and prayers, is not a guarantee of peace and happiness...

And by being "not good" or "not healthy" or "not perfect", or not performing any "actions", or not being "vegetarian", or being unable to perform the asana poses, or not being knowledgeable, or not knowing anatomy and physiology, or not knowing all the names and terms in Sanskrit, or not knowing all the Scriptures, Sutras, chanting and prayers, it doesn't mean that there will be no peace and happiness...

Even an "uneducated" or "unintelligent" or "physically disabled" person can attain peace and happiness if this person know what is non-attachment, dispassion and egolessness... It is through purifying the impure restless mind, and through this pure and calm mind, realizing the truth of thing as it is, that allows us to be free...

By knowing, hearing, seeing, reading, understanding the words about "peace and happiness" won't guarantee us peace and happiness. It is by realizing it through realizing the truth...

By knowing or having a lot of things and worldly knowledge won't guarantee us peace and happiness, but knowing the truth of things will bring us to peace and happiness.

Having the best doctor and best medicine to cure the most difficult physical illness also will not remove ignorance and suffering, nor give us peace and happiness. That's why Swami Sivananda let go of being a medical doctor and plunged into Yogic Sadhana and meditation to attain the wisdom to be a "mind doctor" to help other beings to be free from ignorance and suffering.

Throw away all our relationships and material belongings also won't guarantee us peace and happiness.

It is by realizing selflessness or compassion, being free from the attachment towards the perception of names and forms, qualities and dualities, being free from ignorance and impurities, that allow us to be in peace and happiness.

We need to "heal" ourselves when there is something that need to be "healed" as we experience "hurt" and "painful sorrow" due to ignorance and wrong identification with the body and mind. When we are free from ignorance, there is nothing that need to be "healed" as there is no "hurt" and "painful sorrow"...

The physical body and the mind will experience "suffering", restlessness and dissatisfaction from time to time, due to ignorance, desires, craving and aversion, impurities and impermanence, but there is no "I" being there to experience any "suffering"... Suffering exists when we think that we are this physical body and this thinking mind, there is "I" being here experiencing suffering. Suffering doesn't exist when we realize the truth about there is no "I" nor "me" nor "mine".

Even though when we think we know a lot about this and that, believe in what we think is "right" and "good", but as long as we are still being disturbed and affected by anger and hatred towards something that our mind couldn't accept or couldn't agree with, still want to argue and hating towards something that is different from what we think we know and believe, then we are not free yet... It means that the ego, pride and arrogance are still very strong... Then we still need to observe many rules and observations, and keep practice until we realize what is compassion, selflessness, beyond the ego, beyond the perception of names and forms, non-attachment, desire-less, dispassion, non-duality, non-separateness, unconditional peace, and end of suffering...

Realize this, and be free.

Om shanti.

Video - my daily yoga asana practice (1)

This is part of my daily yoga asana practice.

Video - my daily yoga asana practice (2)

This is part of my daily yoga asana practice.

The practice of letting go and free ourselves from continue being hurt by past unhappy experiences...

There is no doubt that when somebody does something through speech or action that is hurtful to our feelings, we will feel hurt, upset and angry...

We have the rights to feel hurt, upset and angry in this very moment when somebody does or says something that is hurtful in this present moment... As that painful feeling of being hurt is a normal reaction towards some speech and action that our mind/ego recognizes as something "hurtful", or it is a consequence derives from somebody's "hurtful" speech and action.

In this very moment when the hurtful speech or action is happening, it is the responsible of that person for his or her "hurtful" speech and action that is causing us to feel hurt in this present moment... But, this is only valid in this very moment when it is happening. Afterwards, if we still continue to feel hurt, upset and angry, then it will be our own responsibility for allowing ourselves continue to be hurt and feel hurt, even though that "hurtful" incident has already gone, it doesn't exist in the reality of the present moment now, but it only exists as part of our memories...

We are the one who is responsible for allowing ourselves continue to be hurt repeatedly over and over again by our own attachment towards our past unhappy memories... This hurt is no longer the responsibility or consequences of other people's hurtful speech and action, but it is our own responsibility...

To love ourselves, to be kind and compassionate towards ourselves, it is our own choice and freedom to free ourselves from continue being hurt by past unhappy happenings or past painful experiences by forgive other people's hurtful speech and action or wrong doings, by letting go of the past instantly...

Memories will still be there, either it will get stronger or gradually fade away, depending on how much energy we feed to them, but they are just a bunch of happy and unhappy memories... We cannot erase all the unhappy memories that we don't like... But for sure, we can practice letting go of the past instantly by letting go of the attachment towards the past experiences whether they are good or bad experiences... Memories will be there coming and going in our mind, but they have no more power to influence us for how we feel in the present moment now...

And in order for us to be able to let go of the past unhappy experiences, we need to know the truth about how come we feel hurt and who is responsible for it?

By understanding the connection between the past memories and our emotions and feelings, and knowing what is going on when we felt hurt in the past and why we continue to feel hurt by the past unhappy experiences in the present moment now, and knowing what is being kind and compassionate towards all being including ourselves is also one of the beings, we need to be kind and compassionate towards ourselves, and love ourselves, we will know that the only way to heal ourselves from painful experiences is by letting go of the past instantly, by practicing forgiveness and letting go...

To forgive other people's wrong and hurtful actions and speech, is being kind and compassionate towards ourselves... Let go of anger and hatred... Free ourselves from continue being hurt by past unhappy experiences which don't exist in the reality of the present moment now, but only exist as a phantom that lives in our memories playing tricks onto our feelings in the present moment now, which is meaningless and wasting our energy to entertain it...

It is not about denying or ignoring our feelings. It is about to feel or be aware of what we are feeling now in the present moment, allow all these feelings to arise and pass away, and let them go.... It doesn't matter if they are good feelings or bad feelings, happy feelings or unhappy feelings, pleasant feelings or unpleasant feelings, feel or be aware of their presence in this very moment, and let them go...

Be happy.