The author's true, exciting and serendipitous journey through the wilds of Papua New Guinea, the Himalayas, around the planet and into the heart of life guaranteed to change the way you see the world.
What does it mean to be present? Is it posture dependent? Is it something we can strive for is it something we find when all else falls away? The Buddha said that the root of all suffering is desire. When I meditate can I let go of craving? When I sit and lean forward do I lean into the future? When I lie down do I immerse myself in the ocean of the past?
What does it mean to be present? When the bird sings does it do so to attain something or does it sing for the pure joy of being alive?
What does it mean to be alive? What is required? Is breathing enough? Or is to be alive to be present? Is not everything contained within this moment? Is not every historical conquest contained within one conscious breath?
And what is a conscious breath? Is there anything else I really need to do in this life? Is there anything I can do to change the circumstances of this life? Do I need to?
Can total acceptance of all that is and of who I am be attained through one conscious breath?
Enlightenment is never further away than the next conscious breath.
“In Search of Simplicity is a unique and awe-inspiring way to re-visit and even answer some of the gnawing questions we all intrinsically have about the meaning of life and our true, individual purpose on the planet. I love this book.”
“In Search of Simplicity is one of those rare literary jewels with the ability to completely and simultaneously ingratiate itself into the mind, heart and soul of the reader.”
Create a cup from which your brother or sister can drink.
Rumi
Inayat Khan
Henry Ford once said to Hazrat Inayat Khan, the Sufi mystic
, “If one meditates too much there is not likely to be much work done.” Inayat answered him:
But if one meditates somewhat there will be much work done, and better done, and with it will be happiness and peace. I do not preach denial of things of the world, nor do I condemn worldly accomplishment. I preach only that with the things we must do here in the material world there must also be real attainment in the world of the spirit. (Detroit News, 7-2-1926)
Why do we meditate? Can we make time in our busy daily lives for it? I say: Can you afford not to? As the traditional saying goes: Those who take their time have a lot of time. Meditation brings clarity in times of doubt and uncertainty. Meditation assists one to view the trials and tribulations and ups and downs of life with equanimity. Meditation allows one to be more detached, to more in touch with the core than with the periphery, with the soul rather than the personality. Then if someone is cruel to you, you can see that very act as a gift, as an opportunity to be more accepting, more forgiving and more loving. The last of human freedoms is the freedom to choose our attitude regardless of the situation in which we find ourselves.
When you meditate in a group you are able to make deep heart connections with the people in the group, avoiding the distraction of words. When you meditate alone you make a deeper connection with yourself, and through that a deeper and truer connection with everyone else.
In traditional Eastern forms of meditation it is taught that you gradually release samskaras, the karmic tendencies born of the past. You then tend to act in ways more attuned to the present unencumbered by the baggage of the past. Meditation is a science that cleans the mind. When you consider that some 90% of your thoughts are not your own, can you afford not to meditate? Do you want to react to situations based on conditioning or would you rather respond with wisdom; wisdom born of depth of beingness?
Take time to meditate daily and create a cup from which your brothers and sisters may drink. Then empty the cup and be the formless space within it. In so doing, truth is born.
“In Search of Simplicity is a unique and awe-inspiring way to re-visit and even answer some of the gnawing questions we all intrinsically have about the meaning of life and our true, individual purpose on the planet. I love this book.”
“In Search of Simplicity is one of those rare literary jewels with the ability to completely and simultaneously ingratiate itself into the mind, heart and soul of the reader.”
Peter Bligh was my special guest last night on Voices from the North. From Hastings to Herekino, with many hallowed stops in between, Peter Bligh’s life journey has been more than one of physically moving north and west on New Zealand’s North Island. It has been a journey of awakening to the reality that success is not necessarily measured with dollars and cents or with rungs on a career ladder, but by the peace of mind felt in daily life. His school days saw him rubbing shoulders with people who’ve become household names. Paul Holmes was a classmate. Paul is indisputably the most well known of this country’s media stars. Paul has been successful in a traditional sense. Peter Bligh’s life has been a success in another less tangible way.
Click below for the complete interview:
Today Peter is a teacher of yoga and meditation. Yesterday he was a professional fundraiser. He sees no dichotomy between these two functions. For centuries Indian holy men have answered the call to move to forest or mountain to establish ashrams: places of retreat from the pulls of everyday existence; places specially designed for immersion in the ancient arts of yoga and meditation. The building of such ashrams requires external input and money. So, perhaps, these Indian saints have been the originators of what is called fundraising today.
Vivekananda in London in 1896
Thou art He that beareth the burdens of the universe;
help me to bear the little burden of this life.
Extract from a prayer Swami Vivekananda delivered at the Chicago World’s Parliament of Religions September 1893.
In our hour together Peter told the story of how the Rockefeller Foundation, one of the world’s largest and best known philanthropic charities, was seeded through a meeting of John D. Rockefeller with one of India’s greatest yogis, Swami Vivekananda, in the last years of the 19th century. When Rockefeller foisted a huge sum of money on Vivekananda, he was surprised to hear not even a word of thanks from the saint. Swami Vivekananda’s only words were, “It is for you to thank me.” Perhaps the pundit was pointing out through his actions that through receiving the monetary gift from Rockefeller, he was giving the wealthy industrialist the joy of giving. For more on that famous story visit here.
Sometimes the greatest act of giving you can make is to wholeheartedly receive the gift of another.
Mandala Yoga Ashram
Peter Bligh has spent years working, studying and teaching overseas: at Mandala Yoga Ashram in Wales (the UK’s largest ashram), at Satyanandashram Hellas in Greece, throughout northern Europe and in India. He initially came to the relative remoteness of Herekino in the Far North to deepen his own spiritual practice.
He teaches yoga and meditation because he sees these skills as indispensable means for improving flexibility of body and mind and for training one to overcome the fears innate to the human condition—fears which often motivate us to turn to temporary antidotes like alcohol and drugs or to indulge in the over-busy-ness we in the West tend to turn to. Peter wonders if this tendency to over-activity represents a running-away-from or masking of the innate fears chasing us all. I wonder too. I am grateful for the hour I had with Peter Bligh on the radio. Once again, you can hear it below:
“In Search of Simplicity is a unique and awe-inspiring way to re-visit and even answer some of the gnawing questions we all intrinsically have about the meaning of life and our true, individual purpose on the planet. I love this book.”
“In Search of Simplicity is one of those rare literary jewels with the ability to completely and simultaneously ingratiate itself into the mind, heart and soul of the reader.”
Your thoughts speak so loudly you can hardly hear the call of your soul.
This morning, as always, we finished my wife Lucia’s yoga class with a shared meditation. At the end of this period of silence, while our eyes were still closed, Lucia asked one question: “Which part of your body do you love most?”
For me, two voices spoke. First I heard the one which said, “Of course you love all parts of your body, or at least you should.” Let’s call this the ‘should’ or the ‘must’ voice which speaks for the ego and reflects all the experiences and memories of your life, for better or worse, both positive and negative.
There was also a still but quietly insistent voice which seemed to emanate from the centre of my being. It simply said, “Your heart.”
It is this still, calm voice which, when listened to, guides us unerringly and effortlessly through life. This voice is always there, but is often drowned out by the cacophony of noisy thoughts within us.
In being present, truly present, that avalanche of noisy thoughts begins to dissolve, allowing us to hear the calm, guiding presence that is always with us, patiently waiting for our attention.
Listen, deeply listen. Your soul is gently calling with infinite patience. Isn’t it time to heed that call?
A friend of mine on Facebook, Jeannie Whyte sent a message to the members of Psychic & Spiritual Collaboration group. I am pasting it below because Jeannie is enunciating her awareness that world peace is inevitable, something I totally agree with. I thank her for working for a positive present and future for all the inhabitants of this planet. Join the peace train. It’s mostly in our minds.
John
Dear wonderful friends,
It is said that if just 1%
(or some other
very small number)
of the ENTIRE world population
were to meditate
for just 5 minutes a day,
world peace could be attained.
Will you join me in AFFIRMING that
this has already happened?
By making an affirmation, you,
as a SOUL, made in
the image and likeness of God, your creator,
are powerful and can do all things.
Therefore, claim your divine birthright
and claim what is rightfully
yours to live in PEACE and HARMONY
on your beautiful MOTHER EARTH.
One of our members, Robert, has asked that
we use Twitter and if you’d like to,
please do so because the more
often we AFFIRM something,
the more powerful it becomes.
However, feel free to do whatever
you feel led to raise
your vibration/consciousness
to align with the “good” that
lives within you.
You already are GOOD and PERFECT and you
can choose to move
away from duality.
REMEMBER to choose to align yourself with
your SOUL qualities, which are all GOOD
and POSITIVE.
YOU are already a DIVINE BEING and if anyone
has ever told you otherwise
they were not telling YOU
the truth.
So RELEASE that limiting belief, my friends.
I love you and I AFFIRM our DIVINITY and PEACE ON EARTH!
Love, light and in sincere gratitude,
Jeannie Whyte
I thought some of you might be interested in the various practices I use on a daily basis.
John
I’m an early riser. I wake between 12:30 AM and five o’clock in the morning. Just after midnight is on the extremely early end and only happens when I’ve gone to bed before nine o’clock. Typically, I rise between 2:30 and 4:00 during a period of inspiration.
I start by drinking a glass of water I’ve set out beside my bed before going to sleep. While still in bed, I do Taoist eye exercises and massage my feet with a focus on the colon areas on both feet. I then make my way to the bathroom to say a set of affirmations while smiling into the mirror. While saying the affirmations out loud I do Touch for Health switching on exercisesand a Time of DayBalance (also from Touch for Health). Most of the affirmations are ones that have come to me in those wee hours but I also use a few others such as the following one:
I am a messenger of Light. I am a pilgrim on the way of love.
I do not walk alone, but know myself as one with all great souls,
and one with them in service.
Their strength is mine. This strength I claim.
My strength is theirs and this I freely give.
A soul, I walk on earth. I represent the one.
from the work of Djwhal Khul and Alice Bailey
It’s now time for yoga asanas followed by relaxation and meditation. I always have a pen and paper beside me. During inspired periods I write by hand before getting out of bed or I jot down ideas that come up while doing affirmations or doing yoga. I’ve learned not to resist this inspiration. It comes at times of its own choosing. I simply need to be available as scribe for the ideas that arise. Just before the meditation I perform a short Triangle Meditation with two people I’ve never met in person – one lives in Michigan and the other in Qatar. For more on Triangles visit here.
Coopers Beach
Next I walk in nature or I go straight to the computer to begin writing and editing my earlier handwritten notes. This is still before anyone else in the house is awake. The best inspiration comes then. Depending on the season and the weather I will walk before or during sunrise. I often receive more inspiration then. I’ll be chanting mantras or singing songs that I’m working on while I walk. It’s amazing how many inspirational ideas (for writing, or a person I should call or an activity that needs to be completed) will come to the surface of my consciousness during these solitary, joyful walks in nature.
Many mornings, at some point during the walk, I will stop and do what I call Four Directions Eurythmy and/or certain breathing exercises designed to clean the lungs. I find it particularly beneficial to do breathing exercises on the beach or in the forest where the air is pristine and the prana highly charged.
During the day, if I’m doing a lot of work at the computer, I get up regularly from my chair, doing some jumping on a lymphasiser (mini-trampoline or rebounder) or wander out into the garden to do a little pruning, weeding, hand watering or harvesting.
Late in the afternoon, before the evening meal I do Six Healing Sounds and the Inner Smile. It’s a great way to release any tension or emotional dross accumulated during the day. I love this practice. Sometimes I do a little yoga before the Six Healing Sounds or in place of them. The asanas I choose would be dependent on how I’m feeling. It is likely I would include Cat/Cow, the Shoulder Stand or the Fish.
Before bed I offer a prayer, read a little and fall asleep, often midway through a sentence with the book open on my lap. Lucia often sorts me out or I wake later to turn the light out (not ideal but that’s me; I can fall asleep anywhere, which is a bit of an issue when I’m driving the car!
Please note I am intentionally not rigid about the above practices. I apply them consistently but I will miss some elements at times. I feel it is important to go with the flow. There’s no freedom in ‘have to’ or obligation. Do what feels good. On average I probably do yoga six days a week.
A practice is ever-evolving. Back in 2000 and 2001, after Power of Sound Teacher Training with Chris James in Australia, I used to retire in late afternoon to our little octagonal eco-lodge and spend about 45 minutes to an hour doing sound work. I had some real breakthroughs with my voice after I’d done those exercises daily for three months.
Success with your practice, folks! I’d love to hear your comments.
1. Your health is your most important asset. You should dedicate at least 1/10 of your day to your physical, mental and spiritual well being.
2. Having a solid spiritual practice is the key to surviving challenging times and there’s little doubt we live in challenging times.
3. Starting your day with mantra and meditation brings clarity and purpose to the other important goals of your life. Sadhana (or spiritual practice) is an anchor for the rest of the day. Beginning the day on a high note sets the tone for the rest of the day.
4. Sadhana is the time you develop your relationship to your Self. Maintaining a healthy relationship with your Self, is the key to strengthening your relationships with others. It’s your light that others feel. Turn it on.
5. The early morning hours have less electrical and mental activity in the air, allowing the mind to focus better and deep awareness to be obtained.
6. Your subconscious mind absorbs so much unconscious information. Conscious relaxation of the mind through yoga, meditative chanting, and deep meditative silence provides the best avenue to consciously enlighten yourself.
7. Great things come with depth. All masters have transcended through the depth of their practice be it in music, business, sports, science, spirituality or Love. The cure for bitterness and disillusionment is discipline. Daily practice with disciplineleads to enlightenment.
For nearly nine years I’ve been practising The Six Healing Sounds, an ancient Taoist breathing technique using sub-vocalised sounds, breath and visualisations related to internal organs. For nearly four years I’ve been teaching this technique to others.
Below are a few words I’ve put together about The Six Healing Sounds:
Although some teachers attribute the practice of the Six Healing Sounds to a sixth century Buddhist hermit, elements of this ancient chi kung form were found inscribed on silk fragments in the famous Mawangdui tomb discovery, dated to 216 BC. Their original name may have been the Six Healing Breaths, which makes sense when you consider that this technique can be considered more similar to pranayama than to mantra in the Indian yogic tradition.
The sounds are taught by a number of modern masters, from the East and West. Each of these exponents describes a different practice. The pronunciation of the sounds varies. Fortunately, many of these apparent differences seem to arise from difficulties in representing these sounds phonetically in print. However the sound for the kidneys varies significantly, certainly more than can be explained by the challenge of phonetic representation. As always, I can only recommend that you find what feels right for you and stick with it. As with all sound work, the intention is at least as important as the actual sound.
The degree of vocalization varies greatly, from totally inaudible, through the sound of the breath exhaling to complete vocalization of the sounds. It might be well to heed the words of Ni Hua-Ching who says, “If the sound is coarse and audible it will hurt the chi in the body.”
The order of the sounds varies from teacher to teacher, although most follow the productive (Shen) cycle of the Five Elements or Phases. Some begin with the liver sound, probably because it represents rebirth and the season of spring. Mantak Chia, on whom I base my interpretation, begins with the lung sound. Virtually all the teachers agree that one finishes with the sound of the triple warmer. You can experiment with this, perhaps varying with the seasons. It is also possible to focus on one sound and repeat it up to 36 times, in instances where you are attempting to purify a particular emotion or organ. The Triple Warmer (sometimes called Triple Heater or Triple Burner) may be unfamiliar to many Westerners. It has an integrating function that links and harmonises the processes of the primary organs.
Let’s look at some of the potential benefits of regularly practicing the Six Healing Sounds:
1.The sounds have a cooling and harmonizing effect on the internal organs, which tend to overheat with the many stresses of modern life.
2.Qi (life force) is increased, leading to restoration and maintenance of calmness and good health. Minor ailments can be prevented or easily overcome.
3.Improves digestion.
4.Perhaps the greatest benefit is in the release or transformation of negative emotions into more positive, life enhancing energy.
5.Weakness and sickness in the internal organs such as the stomach or the liver can cause bad breath. Practise of the sounds can, therefore, alleviate halitosis.
6.Likewise body odour can be reduced, especially through the practise of the lung and kidney sounds.
7.The Six Healing Sounds release trapped energy in the organs, thereby leading to improvement in the range of movement of practitioners. Similarly, the Healing sounds can serve as an excellent warm up prior to singing.
8.The practice of the Healing Sounds is a form of Qigong, and as such is another effective tool to be used in the process of self discovery.
In Search of Simplicityis a startlingly poignant real-life endorsement of the power of thought, belief and synchronicity in one’s life. John Haines hosts a popular weekly interview program, Voices from the North, from his place in paradise in New Zealand’s subtropical far north, and leads what he calls ‘playshops’ in voice, sound and communication.
The author's true, exciting and serendipitous journey through the wilds of Papua New Guinea, the Himalayas, around the planet and into the heart of life guaranteed to change the way you see the world.
