Meditation & Yoga Center:

CSE south county meditation center

“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

Blue Lotus

December 27, 2020

The Power Of Spiritual Community

Paula Whang-Ramos

"The commitment of devotees in a spiritual community to practice and remain steadfast on the path of Self-realization
shines a light and encourages others in difficult times. We do not practice for ourselves alone."
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian, 12/25/2020

One aspect of our lives that remained steadfast through the turbulent times of 2020 is the inspiring presence of the CSE/BLC spiritual community. When our physical centers closed in March, our spiritual centers opened even wider. Yogacharya O'Brian generously increased her time and teachings to help us remain spiritually grounded. CSE seamlessly continued to offer ongoing meditation groups, spiritual living classes, and individual spiritual counseling services online, and served as an inspiration for BLC to do the same. In divine grace, both centers expanded their services to hold a deeper space of remembrance for all sincere seekers.

BLC's small but mighty Board of Directors and Seva volunteer team rose to meet the challenge of quickly transitioning all BLC center-based services into completely on-line groups, classes, and spiritual counseling services. And BLC was blessed with welcoming new friends throughout California, the USA and even Central America. Through consistent practice, generous donations, and regular participation at BLC and CSE events, this expanded online spiritual community exemplifies the Oneness that holds us all.

As this unbelievable year comes to a close, I offer my deep gratitude to each of you and your continued commitment to live in the highest way through some of the lowest times we have ever experienced. Your choice for freedom inspires me deeply. I wish us all great courage and deep inner listening to continue to fiercely grow in the peace, love and wholeness that remains ever present within us right here, right now. Let's continue meditating together, for the highest good of all. Thank you.

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.

December 20, 2020

Accept Divine Gifts

Paula Whang-Ramos

"I am giving this special blessing to you all, that if you will meditate deeply during the Christmas period,
you will feel the presence of Christ. The perception of Christ in your hearts is the greatest gift

I could give to you...Christ is the joy of meditation."
~Paramahansa Yogananda, Journey to Self-Realization (1997) pg. 174

Almost ninety years ago, Paramahansa Yogananda noticed our nation's outward turned attention and materialistic focus during the Christmas season. On December 23, 1934, he offered this blessing and Meditation for the Holy Days to help us return and be restored in the divine inspiration and spiritual intelligence of this holy season. Yogananda referred to this inherent wisdom, peace, and wholeness as our inner Christ consciousness. Beyond the life of the historical Jesus, Yogananda held space for sincere seekers to directly experience the enlightened Christ consciousness that indwells us all.

Meditation for the Holy Days is the timeless gift from beloved Yogananda that is greatly needed by us today. It is a time to stop feeding our self-imposed busy-ness and stress. Instead, we engage in extended opportunities to meditate into the peace, love, and wholeness of the Christ consciousness within us all. In lieu of our usual Wednesday evening meditation group, join us for CSE's Worldwide Meditation for the Holy Days. Meditate with Yogacharya O'Brian and Kriya Yoga ministers from around the world. Gift yourself all or part of the day as time in spiritual retreat. Remember and be restored in the deeper meaning of this holy time of year.

I also encourage you to accept the gift of dedicating today as a retreat for your higher Self-care.

First, join us at 10 am today for CSE's Winter Solstice service. Be inspired and directly experience how the holy One flows through the heart of all wisdom traditions.
Second, join Yogacharya O’Brian for her 1 pm workshop today on The Spiritual Journey of Advent. Experience the One heart at the foundation of Christian and Yogic teachings.

Spiritualize your consciousness and experience of the Holy Days. Allow your Self to be nourished from the depth and integrity of the divine consciousness honored during this holy time of year.

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.

December 13, 2020

The Gift of Meditation

Paula Whang-Ramos

"Meditation is a way of life. It is learning how to be present. Meditate because you love yourself. Meditate because you love life.”
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian 05/19/2011

Our daily practice of meditation provides a pathway to return and rest in the peace, clarity, and love of the Self. In our sitting practice of meditation, we can directly experience these divine qualities that reside beneath the agitation, chaos, and fear of the mind. However, the goal of meditation is not to meditate in the Self.

The goal of meditation is to allow and actively support the expression of the soul's peace, love, and wisdom to freely inspire and guide us through the blessings and growing edges of our daily lives, right here, right now. When we take this extra inner step off our cushion and into our daily lives, as a way of life, then we can experience love in the face of loss, gratitude in the face of grief, and intuition in the face of confusion. During this holy day season, since we cannot go shopping for material presents, why not consider sharing a gift of your presence, peace and love instead?

Join us for Meditation for the Holy Days at BLC this Wednesday and at CSE next Wednesday. Accept the gift of extended opportunities to meditate. Be restored in the divine Wholeness and remembrance of your true Self. Share this priceless gift of inner peace freely with loved ones during this holy time.

December 6, 2020

The Gift Of An Inner Blessing

Paula Whang-Ramos

"Dedicate your home as a place of blessing.With the intention to bless,

we are more likely to act in accordance with our divine nature—to be generous, patient, and kind."
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian, CSE Daily Inspiration, 11/04/2019

How do we get through the holiday season while we are sheltered in place - again? Well, we have a choice. We can choose to focus on what we've lost and all the frustration that the mind typically associates with change. Or we can choose to actively realize and live from what we still are.

Instead of following the judging mind that labels unexpected change as" bad", we could choose to see that change is just that, a change - neither good nor bad. Even after the mind judges a change as "bad", this label does not inherently make it true. It only feels true - to us. If we continue to mistake a mental judgment and feeling as truth, then we are the ones who will suffer at the cost of our thinking, and not as a result of the actual change.

Rather than looking outside ourselves for a "good" holiday experience, we could cultivate a shelter within filled with generosity, patience, and kindness. We could choose to consciously allow these indwelling soul qualities to overflow from within us as precious gifts for us all during this holy day season.

Inspirational Messages