July 27, 2021

Grow In Inner Peace

Paula Whang-Ramos

"Peace is the calling card of true inner guidance."
~ Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian, CSE Daily Inspiration, 01/21/2012

Here is a good contemplative question... How do we know when the inner guidance we receive is truly based in soul wisdom, and not the mind trying to sound smart or spiritual? As our meditation practice deepens, we can experience the inner peace that indwells us. The mind becomes more still, and the peace that we are emerges from within, like a boat on the sea emerging from a fog. Our inner peace is always within us, but it is difficult to experience through the fog of the busy, distracted mind. Even if it is only for a few breaths, this direct experience of peace can be sufficient to awaken the inner knowing of what we are.

Wisdom-inspired inner guidance is grounded in the same inner peace that we experience in meditation. We may experience its patience, calmness, simplicity, and clarity. Advice revealed from the mind often has a more complicated urgency and impatience associated with it, as if the advice must be implemented immediately, or it will no longer be true.

Following soul guidance may call us to grow and to let go of habits, beliefs, and desired outcomes to which we have become attached. This growth may challenge us to step outside our mind's comfort zone. And yet, when we quiet the mind, our inner peace reminds us that this less-traveled path can serve our highest good in all aspects of our lives. May our meditation practice open us into the inner peace that serves as a soul compass into wisdom-guided, joy-filled lives!

Study, meditate and grow with others devoted to thriving in peace, love, and wholeness. Make this the year that we affirm and skillfully live in peace - in our minds, our hearts, our families, our community, and our world. Blue Lotus Meditation & Yoga Center welcomes sincere seekers from all backgrounds.

August 1, 2021

Steady Practice, Steady Peace

Paula Whang-Ramos

"Progress is in accord with intensity of practice, whether mild, medium, or extremely intensive."
~Yoga Sutras 1:22

The Yoga Sutras are the oldest teachings on Yoga and meditation in the history of the world. I like this verse because it reminds me of the great influence we have over our own well-being. When our daily practice of meditation and spiritually conscious living is steady (i.e., consistent and regular), we can experience inner calmness during stressful circumstances, clarity during confusing interactions, and peace in the presence of others who may be upset. Our inner balance is more resilient as we are less emotionally, mentally, and physically reactive to unexpected changes in our lives. We can feel the inner strength of living from the soul - living from the inside out.

When our meditation and spiritually conscious living practices are inconsistent, then our experience of inner joy, clarity, and peace will also be inconsistent. Sometimes we experience inner peace in the presence of chaos, and other times we get swept into the chaos. During inconsistent daily spiritual practice, our moments of clarity may feel more like a relief, instead of an intentional response from within.

And, if we stray far from our daily spiritual practices, then we are more likely to experience stress, confusion, mental distraction, and emotional reactivity as a normal part of our daily lives. We can become more reactive to others' interactions, to circumstances over which we have no control, and even to our own thoughts and reactions. Our lives become a reaction to the next stressor that the mind seeks.

Fortunately, Kriya Yoga, which includes the study of the Yoga Sutras, offers many time-tested, universally applicable daily spiritual practices to help us consciously return to and live from our inner soul wholeness. When we live from the soul, then our daily lives are guided by the inner wisdom, joy, and love that indwells us all. Join us at BLC this week for meditation and for "Living in Freedom" when we study the Yoga Sutras and receive the inspiration we need to support our steady, daily spiritual practice right now.

“If anything disturbs your peace, practice having faith that divine grace is already actively at work restoring wholeness and well-being.

Then make any necessary adjustments in harmony with that insight.”
Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian, Spiritual Director, Center for Spiritual Enlightenment

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