A Yogi Is A Balanced Person🔗

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THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

Always practising control over the mind and situated in the Self, the yogi attains peace, the supreme liberation and My kingdom

The word yoga means uniting with the Divine.

Yoga is neither eating too much nor eating too little; it is neither sleeping too much nor sleeping too little, Oh Arjuna

To be balanced in whatever we do is the path of a Yogī.

A Yogī acts according to their body intelligence

When the mind is disciplined and one is situated in the Self, free from all desires, then one is said to be situated in yoga

The main aim of all our yoga and meditation techniques is to be in in ‘nitya ānanda’ or ‘eternal bliss

The moment we decide to stay in the present space of completion, the mind stops flickering

Yoga is cessation of the mind. The word yoga means uniting with the Divine. To reach the Ultimate, the goal and the path is the practice of Yoga. We have two lives in us. One is the life we want to live – the dream. The other is the life in reality – the life we are living. The meeting of these two lives is what is called Yoga.

Understand that there is nothing wrong with liking the taste of the sweet. But if we think that the sweet is the cause of our fulfillment, then the problem starts, because the next time the same sweet may not give us the same experience of fulfillment.

We do not trust our inherent body intelligence. We run our body according to the mind or according to our desires and senses. Otherwise, why would we stay up in the night watching television when our body is begging for some sleep? Why would we overeat? Has anyone seen any animal ever overeat?

They eat according to their body intelligence. When the body signals that it needs food, they eat. When the body signals that it needs sleep, they sleep. We have forgotten how to relate with our own body intelligence.

We do not need to sleep for as long as most of us do. There are periods in our sleep — the dream and deep sleep states. It is the deep sleep state that gives us energy and rejuvenates us. This state can be achieved through meditation as well. In the course of an eight-hour sleep cycle, we are in the deep sleep state only for a couple of hours. That is why even a few minutes of meditation can actually refresh us as much as a few hours of sleep

Our mind is like a lake. When we throw a stone in a lake, many ripples will be created. If we want to stop these ripples, we cannot put our hand in the lake to try to smoothen out the ripples. Instead if we just watch the lake, and ensure no more stones are thrown in, the ripples will disappear and the lake will become still. If we just relax and watch our mind with complete awareness, then no new thoughts will be created.

There is a beautiful story described in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Devatā, the demigods were oppressed by the demons and appealed to Bhagavān Viṣṇu for help. According to His directions, the demigods were to churn the ocean of milk. During the churning, many products emerged out of the ocean of milk including a deadly poison. Bhagavān Śiva came to their rescue. He drank the poison but did not completely take it in. He just held it in His throat.

Listen. When the churning of the milky ocean started, everyone was waiting only for the nectar. That is why, when the poison emerged, it was a suffering for them. But Bhagavān Śiva was waiting for the poison also, that is why it could not bring suffering to Him.

Life is like the churning of the ocean of milk where we are churned, pulled towards the desires and pushed away from the fears. There are various products that emerge out of the churning, out of the decisions and choices we make in life. Some of these products appear pleasing while others appear dangerous like poison.

When we exist with responsibility without taking in the poison or throwing it out, meaning without running towards the desires or running away from the fears, we become Śiva and live life blissfully irrespective of what comes our way.

CHURNING OF THE MILKY OCEAN

MATERIALS NEEDED:

PROCEDURE As a group, decide on four scenes from the story on the churning of the milky ocean. Then split the children into 4 groups, with each group getting allocated one of the scenes that they will draw on their sheet of paper. The children in each group need to coordinate how they will do their drawing. At the end, bring the papers together and lay them out like a comic storyline.

INFERENCE Powerful stories have many powerful messages. Life is like the churning of the ocean of milk

MATERIALS NEEDED A small piece of jaggery per child in a cup or small bowl. The pieces should all be the same size.

PROCEDURE The children put their piece in their mouth at the same time and have to try to make the sweetness last as LONG as possible. No talking until their sweet is finished. When they are done, the children can talk about holding the sweetness

INFERENCE The number of thoughts in the mind can change

CONCLUSION When we have less thoughts then we are more blissful

VAAKYARTHA SADHAS

Hold Vaakyartha sadhas on what in life appears dangerous like poison. For each example, discuss some options on how to live without taking in the poison or throwing it out.

For example, you see a snake. ❖ You could Approach the snake with the risk that it bites you - that would be like Śiva swallowing the poison ❖ Scream and run and make everyone else panic - that would be like Śiva spitting out the poison and putting others into danger ❖ Or you can “live without taking in the poison or throwing it out” by quickly stepping away from the snake while shouting: “Watch out, a snake!” to warn others to not go close while the snake has a chance to move away from everyone

Live like Paramaśiva, be prepared for the poison also and let it not bring suffering to you When the number of thoughts has come down we experience bliss Listen to body intelligence rather than the mind and senses The Yogī whose mind is controlled remains steady as a lamp in a place without wind

BOOK VI, VOLUME V