Rising in Love vs. Falling in Love

Between 19th - 20th September 2009 I went on a very transformational spiritual retreat organised by the Chinmaya mission about how to rise in love (called the higher love of selflessness or Prema), which is the opposite of falling in love (called the lower love of attachment or Sneha). The distinction between Prema and Sneha is very clear, but is blurred by our existing notions about love and so as humans we think that loving always brings pain because our relationships don't seem to work out. I shall try to summarise what I learnt in as few sentences as possible so that you can all get the benefit of this retreat's learnings.

Usually we go into a relationship to get something out of it, for example, to receive love, acceptance, comforts, material goods, money or to escape our own loneliness. Contemplate on this deeply in all of your life's situations to see where these aspects are coming into play. Recognise that this is not true love, this is just a bargaining game - its the lower love of attachment or Sneha which we are just so accustomed to, that its normal for us to 'love' in this way. We have never been taught the way to love truly, unconditionally.

True love or Prema is where you go into a relationship to give love without any expectations of reward or failure. I repeat, giving love without any expectations of reward or failure. Everyone is always waiting for when they will receive love, but the key point to understand is: giving love is our privilege as a human being, and we all have the ability to choose to give love in all situations, and when we give love, the giving of love is in itself the fulfilment! This fulfilment is automatic as soon as we give love, so all we have to do is give love! Therefore, we all have the power of fulfillment at our finger tips! Just contemplate on this for a moment. If this is so, they who can hurt you or stop you or bring you down? Your love becomes an immortal love, a higher love, an everlasting love because the choice to give love is in your hands, in your control! So now time to go out there and give love without any expectations of reward or failure! If you have understood the above paragraph, your heart should start to beat with love because you have discovered that the source of love is YOU!

With this as our basis, now we move onto some more of the semantics of love. Giving love makes you irresistible, because today there is a famine of love, there is a recession of love and a credit crunch of love! There is such a demand for love, that wherever there is a supply, people will flock the whole world over to receive it. Giving love without expectations of reward or failure makes you completely irresistible as a human being, you will always be in demand so long as you can give love in this pure way of Prema! But when love is not pure, it just becomes a bargaining game, it become Sneha.

Let's take our relationship with God as an example. With God we also play a bargaining game, "God if you give me this, I'll do this for you", "Please grant me XYZ". This is love, but its a love which makes you dependant on God, you become a slave to God, when instead God wants us to become independent of everything including God. In this bargaining game, you want to get something out of the relationship, but you are not willing to sacrifice your own likes and dislikes so that you may serve God unconditionally in the way God wants. Seems a bit strange right, because surely God doesn't NEED your love? You're right, but if you love God truly, you'll stop playing a bargaining game and ask that may you continue to be at the feet of God and serve God in whatever way God wants. And what's the best way to serve God? Serve the creation of God, the people. That's pure love for God, Prema!

So when should you stop giving love in this pure way without expectations? Well, to answer this question let's look at the love of a Mother. Does a mother ever stop loving her child? No. Does a mother ever say "Right, I'm not going to make food for any of you today"? No, otherwise the family would go hungry. A mother doesn't even have to think about making food, she just makes it as a matter of-course because its part of her duty towards her family, to ensure they have a good well-being. That duty is ceaseless - it has no end - there is never any thought of not doing that duty. And this is the second biggest point to concentrate on: true love is where you only look at the well-being of your Beloved. So again, with the example of God, this means that we all have the ability to serve God ceaselessly because as devotees of God it is our duty to do so - the thought of not serving God should not even come into your mind for a moment if your love for God is true.

Another way to see where Sneha or Prema are in play is to look at the effect of love. If by loving a person your love becomes exclusive to that one person, then this is just attachment or Sneha. If by loving a person, you begin to love the many, the whole world, then this is true love or Prema. For example, relationships usually become quite emotional where one partner becomes extremely jealous if their partner is around other women or men, and as a result, just wants their partner to exclusively look at them and love them. This is attachment, Sneha. Prema is where there is a confidence, trust and truthfulness in a relationship, so much so that the love from this relationship expands and expands so that the love between two people begins to spread to other people and there is no jealously. The following excerpt of the poem Love For Each Other by Onkardeep Singh Khalsa portrays this well:

The love of two for each other moves the world,

It travels into the hearts of all uncurled.

Piercing all problems and conflicts, it rides the high bird unfurled,

Such is the power of love, of love.

Perfection exists in this state of bliss,

A time of stillness not to be missed.

Light in the dark, the heart carries you,

Little things in life left, the two so true.

The souls rejoice, they have united once more,

Two become one, the spiritual law.

The individual crawls through their journey,

But together do they grow, the Thou and me.

In joy, in sadness, in conflict, activity,

The comfort in silence a sure sign of clickery.

Create, take and sharing all things,

Realising the oneness, the angels sing.

Two become four and then still more,

Unity, love, self sufficiency universally core.

A utopia? Ideal? Perhaps nothing more,

But a worthwhile aim, love not war.

There is an adage that 'love is blind', however its only blind in attachment or Sneha, not in Prema. In Prema, love is all seeing. For example, sometimes in a Sneha relationship couples are blind to the negative tendencies of their lover including problems of anger management, problems in personal hygiene, problems in control etc. This blindness only occurs through attachment, because the person is only in a relationship to escape their own loneliness, and this utter selfishness makes them blind to the negative tendencies of their partner however severe these may be. However, in Prema, both partners are completely aware of each others' negative tendencies and not afraid to point them out whilst at the same time being all-accepting of their partner, because the underlying interest is in the well-being of their beloved, as mentioned earlier, therefore if one needs counselling or help with anger management, the other partner should pro-actively organise this if their truly care about their partner. In Sneha, there is a lack of response to do what really matters and waiting for things to happen, in Prema, there is a deep proactive response to action what needs to be actioned by making things happen!

Finally, sometimes people have been married for a very long time and yet seemingly have nothing in common. So what thinking is it that makes their relationship work? I leave you all with a beautiful quote from the retreat:

True love is not where you love someone because of something, it's where you love someone in spite of everything

We have now discussed the main aspects of attached love of Sneha and selfless love of Prema. Please save a version of this article and come back to it regularly, each time you read it you will understand it in some more depth and in a new more relevant way. The table below should help to make the distinction between the lower love of attachment (Sneha) and the higher love of selflessness (Prema) clearer for you:

The Lower Love of Attachment - Sneha	The Higher Love of Selflessness - Prema
Waiting to receive love	Actively giving love without expectation
Thinking that receiving love will fulfil you	Knowing that giving love is itself the fulfilment
Love for the one creates love exclusively for the one	Love for the one creates love for the many
You want things to remain separate	You want things to be united
Concerned with your own well-being	Concerned with the well-being of your beloved
Compromising with your beloved about your likes and dislikes	Sacrificing your own likes and dislikes to serve your beloved
Love is because of something	Love is in spite of everything
Love is blind	Love is all seeing and all accepting
A lack of response of 'now is the time to share'	A deep response of 'now is the time to share'
Waiting for things to happen	Making things happen
Living with fear	Living with courageous love
Involved with the future or the past	Involved with the present
Being dependant on somebody or something	Being independent of everybody and everything

Sat Naam.

Rising in Love vs. Falling in Love

Between 19th - 20th September 2009 I went on a very transformational spiritual retreat organised by the Chinmaya mission about how to rise in love (called the higher love of selflessness or Prema), which is the opposite of falling in love (called the lower love of attachment or Sneha). The distinction between Prema and Sneha is very clear, but is blurred by our existing notions about love and so as humans we think that loving always brings pain because our relationships don't seem to work out. I shall try to summarise what I learnt in as few sentences as possible so that you can all get the benefit of this retreat's learnings.

Usually we go into a relationship to get something out of it, for example, to receive love, acceptance, comforts, material goods, money or to escape our own loneliness. Contemplate on this deeply in all of your life's situations to see where these aspects are coming into play. Recognise that this is not true love, this is just a bargaining game - its the lower love of attachment or Sneha which we are just so accustomed to, that its normal for us to 'love' in this way. We have never been taught the way to love truly, unconditionally.

True love or Prema is where you go into a relationship to give love without any expectations of reward or failure. I repeat, giving love without any expectations of reward or failure. Everyone is always waiting for when they will receive love, but the key point to understand is: giving love is our privilege as a human being, and we all have the ability to choose to give love in all situations, and when we give love, the giving of love is in itself the fulfilment! This fulfilment is automatic as soon as we give love, so all we have to do is give love! Therefore, we all have the power of fulfillment at our finger tips! Just contemplate on this for a moment. If this is so, they who can hurt you or stop you or bring you down? Your love becomes an immortal love, a higher love, an everlasting love because the choice to give love is in your hands, in your control! So now time to go out there and give love without any expectations of reward or failure! If you have understood the above paragraph, your heart should start to beat with love because you have discovered that the source of love is YOU!

With this as our basis, now we move onto some more of the semantics of love. Giving love makes you irresistible, because today there is a famine of love, there is a recession of love and a credit crunch of love! There is such a demand for love, that wherever there is a supply, people will flock the whole world over to receive it. Giving love without expectations of reward or failure makes you completely irresistible as a human being, you will always be in demand so long as you can give love in this pure way of Prema! But when love is not pure, it just becomes a bargaining game, it become Sneha.

Let's take our relationship with God as an example. With God we also play a bargaining game, "God if you give me this, I'll do this for you", "Please grant me XYZ". This is love, but its a love which makes you dependant on God, you become a slave to God, when instead God wants us to become independent of everything including God. In this bargaining game, you want to get something out of the relationship, but you are not willing to sacrifice your own likes and dislikes so that you may serve God unconditionally in the way God wants. Seems a bit strange right, because surely God doesn't NEED your love? You're right, but if you love God truly, you'll stop playing a bargaining game and ask that may you continue to be at the feet of God and serve God in whatever way God wants. And what's the best way to serve God? Serve the creation of God, the people. That's pure love for God, Prema!

So when should you stop giving love in this pure way without expectations? Well, to answer this question let's look at the love of a Mother. Does a mother ever stop loving her child? No. Does a mother ever say "Right, I'm not going to make food for any of you today"? No, otherwise the family would go hungry. A mother doesn't even have to think about making food, she just makes it as a matter of-course because its part of her duty towards her family, to ensure they have a good well-being. That duty is ceaseless - it has no end - there is never any thought of not doing that duty. And this is the second biggest point to concentrate on: true love is where you only look at the well-being of your Beloved. So again, with the example of God, this means that we all have the ability to serve God ceaselessly because as devotees of God it is our duty to do so - the thought of not serving God should not even come into your mind for a moment if your love for God is true.

Another way to see where Sneha or Prema are in play is to look at the effect of love. If by loving a person your love becomes exclusive to that one person, then this is just attachment or Sneha. If by loving a person, you begin to love the many, the whole world, then this is true love or Prema. For example, relationships usually become quite emotional where one partner becomes extremely jealous if their partner is around other women or men, and as a result, just wants their partner to exclusively look at them and love them. This is attachment, Sneha. Prema is where there is a confidence, trust and truthfulness in a relationship, so much so that the love from this relationship expands and expands so that the love between two people begins to spread to other people and there is no jealously. The following excerpt of the poem Love For Each Other by Onkardeep Singh Khalsa portrays this well:

The love of two for each other moves the world,

It travels into the hearts of all uncurled.

Piercing all problems and conflicts, it rides the high bird unfurled,

Such is the power of love, of love.

Perfection exists in this state of bliss,

A time of stillness not to be missed.

Light in the dark, the heart carries you,

Little things in life left, the two so true.

The souls rejoice, they have united once more,

Two become one, the spiritual law.

The individual crawls through their journey,

But together do they grow, the Thou and me.

In joy, in sadness, in conflict, activity,

The comfort in silence a sure sign of clickery.

Create, take and sharing all things,

Realising the oneness, the angels sing.

Two become four and then still more,

Unity, love, self sufficiency universally core.

A utopia? Ideal? Perhaps nothing more,

But a worthwhile aim, love not war.

There is an adage that 'love is blind', however its only blind in attachment or Sneha, not in Prema. In Prema, love is all seeing. For example, sometimes in a Sneha relationship couples are blind to the negative tendencies of their lover including problems of anger management, problems in personal hygiene, problems in control etc. This blindness only occurs through attachment, because the person is only in a relationship to escape their own loneliness, and this utter selfishness makes them blind to the negative tendencies of their partner however severe these may be. However, in Prema, both partners are completely aware of each others' negative tendencies and not afraid to point them out whilst at the same time being all-accepting of their partner, because the underlying interest is in the well-being of their beloved, as mentioned earlier, therefore if one needs counselling or help with anger management, the other partner should pro-actively organise this if their truly care about their partner. In Sneha, there is a lack of response to do what really matters and waiting for things to happen, in Prema, there is a deep proactive response to action what needs to be actioned by making things happen!

Finally, sometimes people have been married for a very long time and yet seemingly have nothing in common. So what thinking is it that makes their relationship work? I leave you all with a beautiful quote from the retreat:

True love is not where you love someone because of something, it's where you love someone in spite of everything

We have now discussed the main aspects of attached love of Sneha and selfless love of Prema. Please save a version of this article and come back to it regularly, each time you read it you will understand it in some more depth and in a new more relevant way. The table below should help to make the distinction between the lower love of attachment (Sneha) and the higher love of selflessness (Prema) clearer for you:

The Lower Love of Attachment - Sneha	The Higher Love of Selflessness - Prema
Waiting to receive love	Actively giving love without expectation
Thinking that receiving love will fulfil you	Knowing that giving love is itself the fulfilment
Love for the one creates love exclusively for the one	Love for the one creates love for the many
You want things to remain separate	You want things to be united
Concerned with your own well-being	Concerned with the well-being of your beloved
Compromising with your beloved about your likes and dislikes	Sacrificing your own likes and dislikes to serve your beloved
Love is because of something	Love is in spite of everything
Love is blind	Love is all seeing and all accepting
A lack of response of 'now is the time to share'	A deep response of 'now is the time to share'
Waiting for things to happen	Making things happen
Living with fear	Living with courageous love
Involved with the future or the past	Involved with the present
Being dependant on somebody or something	Being independent of everybody and everything

Sat Naam.

The Society of Saints - Saadh Sangat

Sikh Dharma continually emphasises the importance of Saadh Sangat or Holy Company. When nothing else works, the only way out is to choose to commit oneself to a group of people that meets regularly, worships regularly, eats food cooked with consciousness and blessings regularly and sings the praises of God regularly. When the individual concept has become too distorted, complicated or ineffectual, then only the group concept can help to balance it out and give the individual the necessary direction, vitality and vision. This is most beautifully and intricately described in this hymn by Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Master of the Sikhs on Part 1120 of the Sikh Holy Scripture the Shri Guru Granth Sahib. The hymn is written in melody Kaydaaraa or Kedara,which creates the mood of contemplation, sadness, and longing for the Divine:

ਕੇਦਾਰਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
kaedhaaraa mehalaa 5 ||
Kaydaaraa, Fifth Mehla:

ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਕੀ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਪਿਆਰੀ ॥
pria kee preeth piaaree ||
I love the Love of my Beloved.

ਮਗਨ ਮਨੈ ਮਹਿ ਚਿਤਵਉ ਆਸਾ ਨੈਨਹੁ ਤਾਰ ਤੁਹਾਰੀ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
magan manai mehi chithavo aasaa nainahu thaar thuhaaree || rehaao ||
My mind is intoxicated with delight, and my consciousness is filled with hope; my eyes are drenched with Your Love. ||Pause||

ਓਇ ਦਿਨ ਪਹਰ ਮੂਰਤ ਪਲ ਕੈਸੇ ਓਇ ਪਲ ਘਰੀ ਕਿਹਾਰੀ ॥
oue dhin pehar moorath pal kaisae oue pal gharee kihaaree ||
Blessed is that day, that hour, minute and second when the heavy, rigid shutters are opened, and desire is quenched.

ਖੂਲੇ ਕਪਟ ਧਪਟ ਬੁਝਿ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਜੀਵਉ ਪੇਖਿ ਦਰਸਾਰੀ ॥੧॥
khoolae kapatt dhhapatt bujh thrisanaa jeevo paekh dharasaaree ||1||
Seeing the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan, I live. ||1||

ਕਉਨੁ ਸੁ ਜਤਨੁ ਉਪਾਉ ਕਿਨੇਹਾ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਉਨ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
koun s jathan oupaao kinaehaa saevaa koun beechaaree ||
What is the method, what is the effort, and what is the service, which inspires me to contemplate You?

ਮਾਨੁ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ਮੋਹੁ ਤਜਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੰਤਹ ਸੰਗਿ ਉਧਾਰੀ ॥੨॥੩॥੫॥
maan abhimaan mohu thaj naanak sa(n)theh sa(n)g oudhhaaree ||2||3||5||
Abandon your egotistical pride and attachment; O Nanak, you shall be saved in the Society of the Saints. ||2||3||5||

The Society of Saints - Saadh Sangat

Sikh Dharma continually emphasises the importance of Saadh Sangat or Holy Company. When nothing else works, the only way out is to choose to commit oneself to a group of people that meets regularly, worships regularly, eats food cooked with consciousness and blessings regularly and sings the praises of God regularly. When the individual concept has become too distorted, complicated or ineffectual, then only the group concept can help to balance it out and give the individual the necessary direction, vitality and vision. This is most beautifully and intricately described in this hymn by Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Master of the Sikhs on Part 1120 of the Sikh Holy Scripture the Shri Guru Granth Sahib. The hymn is written in melody Kaydaaraa or Kedara,which creates the mood of contemplation, sadness, and longing for the Divine:

ਕੇਦਾਰਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
kaedhaaraa mehalaa 5 ||
Kaydaaraa, Fifth Mehla:

ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਕੀ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਪਿਆਰੀ ॥
pria kee preeth piaaree ||
I love the Love of my Beloved.

ਮਗਨ ਮਨੈ ਮਹਿ ਚਿਤਵਉ ਆਸਾ ਨੈਨਹੁ ਤਾਰ ਤੁਹਾਰੀ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
magan manai mehi chithavo aasaa nainahu thaar thuhaaree || rehaao ||
My mind is intoxicated with delight, and my consciousness is filled with hope; my eyes are drenched with Your Love. ||Pause||

ਓਇ ਦਿਨ ਪਹਰ ਮੂਰਤ ਪਲ ਕੈਸੇ ਓਇ ਪਲ ਘਰੀ ਕਿਹਾਰੀ ॥
oue dhin pehar moorath pal kaisae oue pal gharee kihaaree ||
Blessed is that day, that hour, minute and second when the heavy, rigid shutters are opened, and desire is quenched.

ਖੂਲੇ ਕਪਟ ਧਪਟ ਬੁਝਿ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਜੀਵਉ ਪੇਖਿ ਦਰਸਾਰੀ ॥੧॥
khoolae kapatt dhhapatt bujh thrisanaa jeevo paekh dharasaaree ||1||
Seeing the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan, I live. ||1||

ਕਉਨੁ ਸੁ ਜਤਨੁ ਉਪਾਉ ਕਿਨੇਹਾ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਉਨ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
koun s jathan oupaao kinaehaa saevaa koun beechaaree ||
What is the method, what is the effort, and what is the service, which inspires me to contemplate You?

ਮਾਨੁ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ਮੋਹੁ ਤਜਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੰਤਹ ਸੰਗਿ ਉਧਾਰੀ ॥੨॥੩॥੫॥
maan abhimaan mohu thaj naanak sa(n)theh sa(n)g oudhhaaree ||2||3||5||
Abandon your egotistical pride and attachment; O Nanak, you shall be saved in the Society of the Saints. ||2||3||5||

Completion of 40 Days of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya

Today (1st of February 2010), I have successfully completed 40 days of 31 minutes of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya, which is the first 40 day meditation I have ever completed - a true milestone in my life! There have been many challenges along the way and events happening that have tried to interrupt my meditation practice, but I have always been able to move around the circumstances and do my meditation more or less at 9:15pm every day for 40 days. It certainly required commitment, but it was not difficult to follow this commitment through as I might have imagined previously.

Initially doing this meditation, or more correctly this kriya, was very difficult especially due to the extended period of holding the breath along with the pumping of the navel point. It gave me a thumping headache, I felt sick and I felt I was not able to breathe in enough oxygen! However after about three days it became much easier, and throughout the 40 days has become increasingly easier and natural to breathe in this way.

Sodarshan Chakra Kriya has put me into various meditative states both during the meditation and afterwards whilst going to sleep. Towards the middle of the 40 day period there were a number of occasions of altered states of consciousness during sleep, a more aware type of sleep. Also, there was a number of occasions of 'dreaming the world into existence' in which a very conscious dream is had about the future but there is a freedom to change the events of the future and bring that change back into the present moment (which is not the same as dreaming about the future). Towards the end of the 40 day period I have been increasingly absorbed into the meditation without any thoughts distracting my attention, which I believe is the purpose or goal of Sodarshan - to become crystal-clear minded (not that I'm quite there yet!). Overall, the main effect of Sodarshan on me has been a heightened intuition during the day.

I thoroughly recommend everyone to do 40 days of this kriya for 31 minutes, it generates a lot of inner heat, it is very calming and gives heightened intuition. Also, it is good for those who enjoy a physical challenge and wish to commit to a substantial meditation.

Sat Naam.

Completion of 40 Days of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya

Today (1st of February 2010), I have successfully completed 40 days of 31 minutes of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya, which is the first 40 day meditation I have ever completed - a true milestone in my life! There have been many challenges along the way and events happening that have tried to interrupt my meditation practice, but I have always been able to move around the circumstances and do my meditation more or less at 9:15pm every day for 40 days. It certainly required commitment, but it was not difficult to follow this commitment through as I might have imagined previously.

Initially doing this meditation, or more correctly this kriya, was very difficult especially due to the extended period of holding the breath along with the pumping of the navel point. It gave me a thumping headache, I felt sick and I felt I was not able to breathe in enough oxygen! However after about three days it became much easier, and throughout the 40 days has become increasingly easier and natural to breathe in this way.

Sodarshan Chakra Kriya has put me into various meditative states both during the meditation and afterwards whilst going to sleep. Towards the middle of the 40 day period there were a number of occasions of altered states of consciousness during sleep, a more aware type of sleep. Also, there was a number of occasions of 'dreaming the world into existence' in which a very conscious dream is had about the future but there is a freedom to change the events of the future and bring that change back into the present moment (which is not the same as dreaming about the future). Towards the end of the 40 day period I have been increasingly absorbed into the meditation without any thoughts distracting my attention, which I believe is the purpose or goal of Sodarshan - to become crystal-clear minded (not that I'm quite there yet!). Overall, the main effect of Sodarshan on me has been a heightened intuition during the day.

I thoroughly recommend everyone to do 40 days of this kriya for 31 minutes, it generates a lot of inner heat, it is very calming and gives heightened intuition. Also, it is good for those who enjoy a physical challenge and wish to commit to a substantial meditation.

Sat Naam.

Keeping the heart healthy: The Result

Sat Naam! So, the experiment with doing regular running daily has had real benefits and my heart is definitely healthier in just a month. I'm fascinated at the difference in my health so rapidly! I can run on average for 15 - 20 minutes now and without too much exhaustion. The longest I've so far run for is 25 minutes, and that was pushing all my boundaries, but then again, God loves to push my boundaries!

Running is such a beautiful thing. Absolute freedom! And afterwards I'm sweating all over, which is such a good feeling (without trying to sound too much like a Hippie!). I now understand the privilege of having legs to run with. Some people don't have legs, so having legs is a privilege. By running I'm honouring my heart, my legs, my body, I'm respecting the fact they serve me so well and so I should keep them in good shape. That's the least I can do - keep them in good shape! I owe it to them to keep them in good shape. It's Ang Sang Waheguru.

And also, I'm discovering the importance of the mind whilst running. It becomes either a big barrier or a big support depending on how it's wired up. If I hadn't actively developed the capacity of my mind, this running business would have stopped long before. Even whilst running, I have a constant consciousness about the thoughts running through my mind - if you can pardon the pun. As I run, thoughts run too. As I run faster, thoughts run faster too. Since the mind is connected intimately to the breath. But, if a person does not know how to process the thoughts, then that person will not be able to persevere in anything. It's so important, for those who do sports or martial arts, to also develop the capacity of the mind and everyday clear it.

At the moment I'm doing a meditation called Gun Patee, to make the impossible possible, for 31 minutes in the evening before I go to sleep. All my successes in running have been due to this meditation. For those who want to join me in practising this meditation, below are the instructions modified from the KRI Library of Teachings website.

Please Note: The website http://www.100megsfree.com/yoga/gumpati.html displays an incorrect version of Gunpati Kriya. The KRI approved version can be found here.

Description
This beautiful and powerful meditation has a history in its name. The ancient symbol for this was the Hindu God of Knowledge and Happiness, Ganesha. The other name for Ganesha is Gunpati or Ganpati. Ganesha was depicted as a rotund man with the head of an elephant. This huge body balances and rides on a rat, conveying the message that even the impossible can be done with this meditation. The rat represents the quality of penetration. A rat can get in almost any place. So Ganesha can know anything and can get past any blockages.

Wisdom and wise choices grant you happiness in your life. The impact of this meditation is to clear the blocks from your own karma. Each of us has three regions of life to conquer: The past which is recorded in our samskaras and which brings us the challenges and blessings of fate are balanced by these sounds; the present which must be mastered by karma yoga, the practice of action with integrity in the moment; and the future, recorded in the ether and, which at its best and most fulfilled, is called dharma. This kriya allows you to let go of the attachments to the mind and to the impact of past actions so you can create and live a fulfilled life and a perfect future.

How To Do It
Sit with legs crossed on the floor (easy pose), or in a chair with feet flat and a straight spine with the chin slightly tucked in towards the chest (light jalandhar bandh). Elbows straight, wrists resting on knees. The eyes are 1/10th open, concentrating at the Third Eye Point, which is at the roof of the nose between the two physical eyebrows.

The mantra that we will be using is Sa-Ta-Na-Ma-Ra-Ma-Da-Sa-Sa-Sey-Soh-Hung. The mantra is chanted in the following way:
Sa: Press the thumb to the index finger.
Ta: Press the thumb to the second finger.
Na: Press the thumb to the ring finger.
Ma: Press the thumb to the baby finger.

Ra: Press the thumb to the index finger.
Ma: Press the thumb to the second finger.
Da: Press the thumb to the ring finger.
Sa: Press the thumb to the baby finger.

Sa: Press the thumb to the index finger.
Sey: Press the thumb to the second finger.
Soh: Press the thumb to the ring finger.
Hung: Press the thumb to the baby finger.

There are three parts to this kriya:
Part I
Chant the mantra on a single breath, as you press the fingertips sequentially with each syllable. Use a monotone voice or use the same melody you would use for Kirtan Kriya. The eyes are 1/10th open. Concentrate at the Third Eye Point.

Time: Continue for 11-62 minutes.

Part II
Inhale deeply and hold the breath. Move the body in a slow twist and stretch motion. Move each muscle of the body. Move the head, torso, arms, back, belly and hands. Then exhale powerfully. Repeat this 3-5 times.

Part III
Immediately sit straight. Look at the Lotus Point, the tip of the nose. Become totally calm, absolutely still. Meditate for 2-3 minutes.

To End: Inhale and hold the breath for 30 seconds as you physically move and rotate your body as if it is going through spasms. Every muscle must be stretched, squeezed and turned around, from the muscles in your face, head and neck, down to your toes. Exhale. Repeat this 3 more times. Then inhale, sit calmly and concentrate on the tip of your nose for 20 seconds. Exhale, and relax. Done!

Keeping the heart healthy: The Result

Sat Naam! So, the experiment with doing regular running daily has had real benefits and my heart is definitely healthier in just a month. I'm fascinated at the difference in my health so rapidly! I can run on average for 15 - 20 minutes now and without too much exhaustion. The longest I've so far run for is 25 minutes, and that was pushing all my boundaries, but then again, God loves to push my boundaries!

Running is such a beautiful thing. Absolute freedom! And afterwards I'm sweating all over, which is such a good feeling (without trying to sound too much like a Hippie!). I now understand the privilege of having legs to run with. Some people don't have legs, so having legs is a privilege. By running I'm honouring my heart, my legs, my body, I'm respecting the fact they serve me so well and so I should keep them in good shape. That's the least I can do - keep them in good shape! I owe it to them to keep them in good shape. It's Ang Sang Waheguru.

And also, I'm discovering the importance of the mind whilst running. It becomes either a big barrier or a big support depending on how it's wired up. If I hadn't actively developed the capacity of my mind, this running business would have stopped long before. Even whilst running, I have a constant consciousness about the thoughts running through my mind - if you can pardon the pun. As I run, thoughts run too. As I run faster, thoughts run faster too. Since the mind is connected intimately to the breath. But, if a person does not know how to process the thoughts, then that person will not be able to persevere in anything. It's so important, for those who do sports or martial arts, to also develop the capacity of the mind and everyday clear it.

At the moment I'm doing a meditation called Gun Patee, to make the impossible possible, for 31 minutes in the evening before I go to sleep. All my successes in running have been due to this meditation. For those who want to join me in practising this meditation, below are the instructions modified from the KRI Library of Teachings website.

Please Note: The website http://www.100megsfree.com/yoga/gumpati.html displays an incorrect version of Gunpati Kriya. The KRI approved version can be found here.

Description
This beautiful and powerful meditation has a history in its name. The ancient symbol for this was the Hindu God of Knowledge and Happiness, Ganesha. The other name for Ganesha is Gunpati or Ganpati. Ganesha was depicted as a rotund man with the head of an elephant. This huge body balances and rides on a rat, conveying the message that even the impossible can be done with this meditation. The rat represents the quality of penetration. A rat can get in almost any place. So Ganesha can know anything and can get past any blockages.

Wisdom and wise choices grant you happiness in your life. The impact of this meditation is to clear the blocks from your own karma. Each of us has three regions of life to conquer: The past which is recorded in our samskaras and which brings us the challenges and blessings of fate are balanced by these sounds; the present which must be mastered by karma yoga, the practice of action with integrity in the moment; and the future, recorded in the ether and, which at its best and most fulfilled, is called dharma. This kriya allows you to let go of the attachments to the mind and to the impact of past actions so you can create and live a fulfilled life and a perfect future.

How To Do It
Sit with legs crossed on the floor (easy pose), or in a chair with feet flat and a straight spine with the chin slightly tucked in towards the chest (light jalandhar bandh). Elbows straight, wrists resting on knees. The eyes are 1/10th open, concentrating at the Third Eye Point, which is at the roof of the nose between the two physical eyebrows.

The mantra that we will be using is Sa-Ta-Na-Ma-Ra-Ma-Da-Sa-Sa-Sey-Soh-Hung. The mantra is chanted in the following way:
Sa: Press the thumb to the index finger.
Ta: Press the thumb to the second finger.
Na: Press the thumb to the ring finger.
Ma: Press the thumb to the baby finger.

Ra: Press the thumb to the index finger.
Ma: Press the thumb to the second finger.
Da: Press the thumb to the ring finger.
Sa: Press the thumb to the baby finger.

Sa: Press the thumb to the index finger.
Sey: Press the thumb to the second finger.
Soh: Press the thumb to the ring finger.
Hung: Press the thumb to the baby finger.

There are three parts to this kriya:
Part I
Chant the mantra on a single breath, as you press the fingertips sequentially with each syllable. Use a monotone voice or use the same melody you would use for Kirtan Kriya. The eyes are 1/10th open. Concentrate at the Third Eye Point.

Time: Continue for 11-62 minutes.

Part II
Inhale deeply and hold the breath. Move the body in a slow twist and stretch motion. Move each muscle of the body. Move the head, torso, arms, back, belly and hands. Then exhale powerfully. Repeat this 3-5 times.

Part III
Immediately sit straight. Look at the Lotus Point, the tip of the nose. Become totally calm, absolutely still. Meditate for 2-3 minutes.

To End: Inhale and hold the breath for 30 seconds as you physically move and rotate your body as if it is going through spasms. Every muscle must be stretched, squeezed and turned around, from the muscles in your face, head and neck, down to your toes. Exhale. Repeat this 3 more times. Then inhale, sit calmly and concentrate on the tip of your nose for 20 seconds. Exhale, and relax. Done!

7 Steps to Happiness

Accourding to SSS Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, there are 7 steps to happiness, “The known formula for happiness is: Commitment will give you character. That will give you dignity. That will give you divinity. That will give you grace. That will give you the power to sacrifice. Then you’ll feel achieved, and you’ll be happy”.

1. Commitment - Commitment to your word means doing what you say and saying what you’ll do in all of your personal and business activities. Your word should be final, definitive and exact. There are no maybes or excuses in a commitment, it is final. For example, if you say you’ll be somewhere at 9:00am, then you should be there without any excuse, irrespective of circumstances. Otherwise you become a victim of circumstances and lose the power of your word to command your environments. If however something arises that cannot be avoided, then you always must honour your word by letting the person know you can’t make it at 9:00am. By informing the person, you are honouring the value of your word, and this increases the power of your word. Additionally, you will discover there are many levels to commitment. There are those commitments you make to your friends informally, to those commitments you make to the government formally, to those commitments you make to you yourself. An informal commitment may be just calling someone up who you said you would call, or buying a toy for your child that you agreed to buy. A formal commitment may be driving at the specified speed limit on the road, or discarding a train ticket for a journey you’ve made even if no conductor stamped your ticket. A commitment to yourself may be walking to work every morning, or eating no chocolate for two weeks. By doing what you say and saying what you’ll do you create a clarity to your life and remove all the sneakiness. This leads to character.
2. Character - Character is when people see you have an uncompromising level of integrity, that you will not betray your word, your values or yourself for anything.You become reliable, dependable and trustworthy. It does not matter how you see yourself, if people cannot see the truth in you, then you do not have character. There will be no impact to your words. When people can see the truth in you, this leads to dignity.
3. Dignity - Having dignity is very precious. It is a currency you cannot buy. You earn it through your character. Dignity gives you a radiance, a glow. It also gives you a protection because the universe will always serve those who have dignity. Naturally therefore, dignity leads to Divinity.
4. Divinity - Divinity is being God-like. When people see you, they see God in you. You become a light, and light up humanity. Your presence alone is enough for people to feel safe and feel hope. People want to talk to you, even if you do not say a word to them. Your presence becomes attractive. When you speak, your words are remembered. That is Divinity, and it leads to grace.
5. Grace - Sometimes people are rude or reactive, they forget kindness and compassion. Grace is where each of your moment-to-moment experience and moment-to-moment actions are refined, calculated and elegant. You can sail through every situation of life, without needing to control anything. You wake with grace, eat with grace and walk with grace. You always reach to your angelic self and balance the heavens with the earth. Moderation is your way. Graceful people are grateful people. Grateful for the small things in life, like health, family and circumstances. Then being graceful, you learn to give and this leads to the power to sacrifice.
6. Power to sacrifice - When you can go beyond your own personal circumstances and situations to raise other people out of their misery, depression and unhappiness, then this is the power to sacrifice, which leads to happiness. By serving others, God serves you. It is a universal law, and no one can change it. By serving others, this brings within a person total fulfilment, where you are fully-filled with love. In fact, this is the stage where you have learnt so much, experienced so much and transformed so much that you cannot help but to share that with others. You are overflowing with love and light. This is happiness.
7. Happiness - Happiness runs in a circular motion, floating like a little boat upon the sea, everybody is a part of everything anyway, you can have everything if you let yourself be. Why oh because, why oh because…

7 Steps to Happiness

According to SSS Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, there are 7 steps to happiness, “The known formula for happiness is: Commitment will give you character. That will give you dignity. That will give you divinity. That will give you grace. That will give you the power to sacrifice. Then you’ll feel achieved, and you’ll be happy”.

1. Commitment - Commitment to your word means doing what you say and saying what you’ll do in all of your personal and business activities. Your word should be final, definitive and exact. There are no maybes or excuses in a commitment, it is final. For example, if you say you’ll be somewhere at 9:00am, then you should be there without any excuse, irrespective of circumstances. Otherwise you become a victim of circumstances and lose the power of your word to command your environments. If however something arises that cannot be avoided, then you always must honour your word by letting the person know you can’t make it at 9:00am. By informing the person, you are honouring the value of your word, and this increases the power of your word. Additionally, you will discover there are many levels to commitment. There are those commitments you make to your friends informally, to those commitments you make to the government formally, to those commitments you make to you yourself. An informal commitment may be just calling someone up who you said you would call, or buying a toy for your child that you agreed to buy. A formal commitment may be driving at the specified speed limit on the road, or discarding a train ticket for a journey you’ve made even if no conductor stamped your ticket. A commitment to yourself may be walking to work every morning, or eating no chocolate for two weeks. By doing what you say and saying what you’ll do you create a clarity to your life and remove all the sneakiness. This leads to character.


2. Character - Character is when people see you have an uncompromising level of integrity, that you will not betray your word, your values or yourself for anything.You become reliable, dependable and trustworthy. It does not matter how you see yourself, if people cannot see the truth in you, then you do not have character. There will be no impact to your words. When people can see the truth in you, this leads to dignity.


3. Dignity - Having dignity is very precious. It is a currency you cannot buy. You earn it through your character. Dignity gives you a radiance, a glow. It also gives you a protection because the universe will always serve those who have dignity. Naturally therefore, dignity leads to Divinity.


4. Divinity - Divinity is being God-like. When people see you, they see God in you. You become a light, and light up humanity. Your presence alone is enough for people to feel safe and feel hope. People want to talk to you, even if you do not say a word to them. Your presence becomes attractive. When you speak, your words are remembered. That is Divinity, and it leads to grace.


5. Grace - Sometimes people are rude or reactive, they forget kindness and compassion. Grace is where each of your moment-to-moment experience and moment-to-moment actions are refined, calculated and elegant. You can sail through every situation of life, without needing to control anything. You wake with grace, eat with grace and walk with grace. You always reach to your angelic self and balance the heavens with the earth. Moderation is your way. Graceful people are grateful people. Grateful for the small things in life, like health, family and circumstances. Then being graceful, you learn to give and this leads to the power to sacrifice.


6. Power to sacrifice - When you can go beyond your own personal circumstances and situations to raise other people out of their misery, depression and unhappiness, then this is the power to sacrifice, which leads to happiness. By serving others, God serves you. It is a universal law, and no one can change it. By serving others, this brings within a person total fulfilment, where you are fully-filled with love. In fact, this is the stage where you have learnt so much, experienced so much and transformed so much that you cannot help but to share that with others. You are overflowing with love and light. This is happiness.


7. Happiness - Happiness runs in a circular motion, floating like a little boat upon the sea, everybody is a part of everything anyway, you can have everything if you let yourself be. Why oh because, why oh because…