Spring is returning to North Texas. It is time to stop and smell the roses so to speak. An aspect of the yogic path is to pay attention. Paramhansa Yogananda said, “The minutes are more important than the years…Never think of tomorrow. Take care of today and all the tomorrows will be taken care of.”
As yogis, we pay attention to the moment. Swami Kriyananda offered a helpful affirmation, “I rise above all thoughts of past and future into the eternal now”. Meditation helps us develop a witness state, to be more present. It brings about a heightened state of awareness. When we are present, our nervous systems also respond in a positive way; less stress hormones are released because we aren’t thinking about the past and worrying about the future.
Finally, it’s also important for yogis to develop the art of listening. Prayer is a two way communication that requires us to be not only focused and present in our delivery, but then to listen and pay attention in order to receive the response. Learning to hone the art of listening to the still small voice within—the guiding light of our intuitive knowing, and developing the ability to see the Divine everywhere are some of the hallmarks of a fruitful meditation practice. Sri Yukteswar, Yogananda’s guru, said, “After deep prayer and meditation he (the devotee) is in touch with his divine consciousness; there is no greater power than that inward protection.”
Together seeking the Divine in every moment,
Ananda in Texas