"Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is true wisdom"
- Lao Tse

“What we think, feel and perceive has profound implications for our biochemistry, physiology, health and longevity.” (from the textbook: Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Research-Based Approach)

" I'm a devout believer that paying attention to our self-talk is vitally important for our mental health." - Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, "My Stroke of Insight" p. 153 

“Neuroscientists have found that meditators shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex - brain waves in the stress-prone right frontal cortex move to the calmer left frontal cortex. This mental shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression and anxiety. There is also less activity in the amygdala, where the brain processes fear.” * From PsychologyToday web site

Articles:

An interview on Meditation    | New! Equilibrium, a guide to our new release Meditation CD |Witnessing the Power of Thoughts  | Stillness Speaks | New! The Pre/Trans Fallacy   | Why should we meditate? | Meditate regularly | A Cat's Memory | Conscience and Ego | A journey towards freedom | How to get smarter one breath at a time - from the Time Magazine | The 10 Benefits of Meditation | The wisdom of Happiness (2008)

HOW TO MEDITATE?

Meditation is a very powerful tool that helps us rejoin with a sense of inner harmony and awareness. The meditation process occurs naturally, simply through a regular practise.

This guided meditation is just like having a private meditation class: sit down comfortably and let yourself be guided into meditation. You can experiment with each track, and simply enjoy!

Meditation is a practise that offers numerous benefits; it can be done occasionally, or on a daily basis. If you wish to meditate every day, you may want to follow an old tradition that recommends meditating daily, starting with a 40 day objective. If so, read what follows:

Based on the premise that it takes about 40 days to create lasting changes and become a regular meditator, I have developed 4 meditations which can be done daily for 20 minutes, 10 days per meditation.

Each technique found in our CD builds on the previous one, and they all carry profound depth. So I invite you to experiment with all of them, meditating with each technique for 10 days if you wish to follow this tradition, with an open mind. 

If you miss a day, the tradition requires that you start the 40 days again from the beginning. But if you have very little time one day, you can do shorter meditations of 5 or 6 minute each, 3 or 4 times during the day. If you fall asleep in your meditation it may mean that you are carrying tiredness in your system. Don’t worry about it and if you can, on those days, add a few minutes to your meditation, you may be surprised as too how easy your meditation will be, after this yogique rest.

WORKING WITH INTENTION

"Intention" is a deliberate decision to create. It is premeditated; it is planned. Intention is not a fleeting thought. It is not a wish, hope, or worry. It is a decision made with purpose, to produce something. It is a force unti tiself.  Decide to meditate for 40 consecutive days. The result will speak for itself; many have tried this approach and were amazed with the effect of a daily practise of meditation. It simply got easier, every day.

Dr. Micheal Roizen and Mehmet Oz say about setting intentions:

"Get over the hum. One of the greatest things about your body is that it responds to what you're doing through mechanisms called feedback loops. You tell your body you want to watch "House" reruns all night, and it responds by downshifting energy production. That's how you can be too tired to exercise just from sitting around all day. But tell your body you need to walk around the neighbourhood, and it responds by giving you the energy you need. And then your body teaches your brain it wants to walk. That's how healthy behaviours become automatic habits. The first few times, you may have to coax yourself out the door. It gets easier." ”[i]

HOW AND WHERE TO MEDITATE

It is preferable to meditate sitting up, but if you are very tired one day, you can meditate lying down. However meditating with a straight back, sitting up, is recommended.

Choose an area that is comfortable, maybe on a sofa, or create an area with a meditation cushion on the floor, with candles and flowers if you like. Make this your special place. Make sure that you are in a comfortable area and that for the duration of your meditation, that you will not be disturbed. Of course, this CD is not meant to be listened to while driving your car.

Some people may want to gradually extend their meditations for up to an hour, or add a second meditation during the day. If you wish to meditate longer, or to achieve deeper healings or simply to deepen your experience, I would recommend that you consult an experienced teacher. There are many wonderful teachers, just verify that they are ethical and knowledgeable.

I encourage you to commit to your practice, for you will definitely see positive changes in your daily life. Reading books on meditation or joining a meditation group will help motivate you. It will also give you deeper insights into meditation. Above all, you will soon be looking forward to what will become the best part of your day. You will also be able to tell the difference between a day with or without meditation, and see its see advantages.

MANTRA MEDITATION

When meditating with a mantra you are focussing on one word, or you could say on one point. When using mantras you can use the analogy of using a camera, focussing on one thing excluding all other forms surrounding it. Mantras are ancient Sanskrit words that are specifically designed for meditation. They are sacred words used to focus your mind on one point. 

The sanskrit mantra that you will be using is:

Ahum Aa-nandam, which means: I am blissful or peaceful.

Simply repeat the mantra softly, and even reduce the level of sound of the repetition within your mind, repeating Ahum Aa-nandam softer and softer.


WITNESS MEDITATION I, II and III

When using the Wide-Angle Witness meditation technique, you can think of it as using the wide angle option on a camera, so that your picture will take a panoramic view of a scene. Follow the directions on the CD, it will easily guide you through this very efficient technique. The Wide-Angle Witness meditation techniques will generate concentration and create a clearer, more peaceful mind.

MENTAL ACTIVITY

And yet, using either technique, you may notice that mind is very active by nature and is usually not trained to stay focused for very long.

It is possible to handle the overactive mind in the following way:

                   1. Do allow your mind to think if the concern or issue is important to you. But give it a time limit and return to your technique when you are ready. Meditation is a long term project and there will be days when it is unavoidable to do some thinking. At least you are sitting quiet, which will help. But try not to think too long; soon return to your technique.

                   2. And if the thoughts coming are trivial, or not important, simply put them in an imaginary box and visualize putting the box beside you. Even give the box a title, such as “Work related thoughts”, or “Trivial thoughts”. Then return to your technique. Whenever mental activity returns and is distracting you, try to put your thoughts in a box for a while.

During this journey, we come to grasp that there resides within us thoughts that are frequently being repeated, and those thoughts can generate anxiety. Yet this discovery is desirable, as before we can truly live with freedom, with a clear enlightened mind, we must recognise the types of thoughts that we carry, and how they affect us. We learn, through meditation, that thoughts can be changed, to carry a more positive frame and perspective. If the thoughts are of an extreme nature, if you are experiencing a sense of depression or strong negative feelings, it is very useful to talk to a professional. It will be complementary to your meditation and accelerate your progress.

Both mantra and the wide-angle witnessing technique have value and merit experimenting with. The results are similar, but some people may prefer one technique to the other. I invite you to conduct an experiment and keep an open mind. Enjoy the ride, but above all know that meditation engenders a process and that every step is perfect as it leads to the next one.

There will be one breathing exercise included in each track of our new meditation CD. Experiment with it, starting very gently and gradually learning to deepen your breath.

It is a fact that to reach the desired transformation, it can take a little while. What matters though is that our path is assured, and the ones who will apply those techniques with regularity will see their lives reaching greater levels of awareness, harmony and freedom.

We have everything to gain in meditating, as not only will we feel better, but our relationships will also benefit from it, as it becomes easier to communicate when we are peaceful within ourselves. Meditation provides you with a gentle inner strength that has no parallel. It creates a calm confidence difficult to achieve otherwise.

When meditating we discover a part of ourselves that is always free, as just behind mental activity rests a pure Witness Self.  The Witness-Self always perceives objectively, and it is this part of our mind that contains wisdom, insight and clarity.

It is through meditation that we recover our peaceful state of mind. And with time and practice, we are able to bring this peace and well being into our daily life.

Meditation creates a very definite journey towards freedom and Self-Awareness. Far from running away from existence, when our eyes are closed, our introspective mind will lead us towards the awakening of our potential.  We all have the same potential. We simply need to look within, learn how to focus our mind, and above all, practise regularly.

Everyone can practice meditation, no matter one’s age, culture, education or religion.

For more details about our group meditation classes click here or call us at (613) 721-7888

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                                 Stillness Speaks

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Particles of sand: the art of meditation

Excerpts from an interview with Lynne Cardinal by Tanya Witteveen, undertaken as research for her masters thesis. Tanya is working on her Master of Arts degree in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa.

Tanya: Lynne, could you explain the process of meditation?

Lynne: Meditation is a tool to help settle the mind, to create a sense of peacefulness within. Once that is achieved, a new type of awareness emerges, a perspective that is impossible to attain with an overactive or anxious mind. According to Ken Wilber, a contemporary philosopher of international acclaim, “Meditation empirically demonstrates techniques that will increase self-esteem.” Indeed, meditation provides us with a confidence or a sense of self that is peaceful, stable and unshakable. This confidence is not based on superiority, but rather on the knowledge that our true essential existence is eternally free.

The first step is to settle the mind, gain focus and deepen our meditation. There is an analogy I like to use to describe what happens to the mind during the process of meditation. Imagine an aquarium with sand at the bottom. Now take a stick, stir up the sand, and watch as the particles whirl around, clouding the water. The particles of sand are your thoughts, the water your state of mind. Mostly, our state of mind is cloudy. We get up in the morning and thoughts whirl around: “I must do this, I must go there, I must not forget x, y and z.” And off we go! Too often, our minds are in a constant state of activity, busy planning, thinking, remembering, anticipating, worrying. We live in the past, and in the future, but seldom in the present. When you meditate, you temporarily remove that stick from the aquarium, and the first thing you see is the momentum—and it whirls! At first, the speed of whirling may even appear worse, because, unlike before, now you are looking directly at it. This is when some think, “meditation doesn’t work for me, I can’t settle my mind”. But it is working. Just wait. The momentum will slow down and then, just as the particles of sand eventually settle, so will your mind. If you meditate long enough, the sand may completely settle at the bottom and you will see clear water. People often tell me, “I open my eyes after meditation and I see better. Colors are brighter, scents more acute. Above all, I feel better because I have a clear mind.”

You can use meditation to get to a very, very deep place inside of you. To illustrate this point, think of the ocean, whose surface is generally quite choppy. If you go just slightly below, you will still feel the currents from above. But if you go deeper, you are no longer affected by what’s happening on the surface. Likewise, when you go very deep into meditation, you can free yourself from superficial mental activity and experience a deeply balanced state of mind. A regular meditation practice is not only balancing and healing, it is also a great tool for coping with issues and problems. So when a crisis occurs, you will be prepared, as you literally have practiced and developed a healthier perspective on life. You will find yourself reacting with greater ease, agility and clarity. With years of practice, stability will permeate your being. In Sanskrit it’s called Stithi and refers to a fundamental equanimity that predominates, no matter what. You develop a sense of being an objective observer in your daily life. You no longer rise and fall with the superficial waves. Your greatest stability lies deep within.

Tanya: Sometimes people feel frustrated because of not achieving tangible results quickly enough. It seems extremely difficult not to judge our meditation.

Lynne: That is true. We judge according to concepts we’ve acquired based on what we consider good or bad. That’s what we’ve been taught. We constantly judge ourselves and others, our work, our relationships, our yoga practice, our meditation. So one day, you feel good in your meditation and you experience a profound sense of peace, or you sense an infinite blue sky, or see lovely colours, and you think it is beautiful and blissful and that finally your meditation is working. Those experiences are really remarkable, but they don’t last, and it can be very frustrating if you depend on them or expect them to happen every time you meditate. So if the next day, instead of experience something special, you encounter endless thoughts whirling about, you may feel uncomfortable and disappointed. Then you will think, “I’m not a good meditator”, again, judging yourself. In reality your objective in meditation is to practice it regularly no matter what and to observe your thoughts dispassionately. As it is often said, “Just show up. The rest will happen by itself.” If you keep at it, you will eventually transcend the conceptual judgmental mind that has been super-imposed on you by culture.

That very act of not judging your meditation is essential and will carry over into your daily life. You will be less harsh on others and kinder to yourself. When you meditate, you gradually get to a place of authenticity that is pure awareness. The practice of meditation involves a definite process, and what is essential to understand is that the secret lies in perseverance. Do not stop, just keep at it. Rest assured that nothing bad will ever happen to you in meditation if you practice with the guidance of a qualified teacher and use proper techniques. Enjoy every meditation, even when you have a lot of thoughts. Let them be, humor them a touch, then return to your technique. You may have a hard time settling your mind at times, but it is all part of a gradual process that leads to transformation. So just keep at it.

Meditation leads the mind into concentration. Not a concentration that is rigid, but a gentle sense of focus. Gentleness will pervade, next to insight and awareness. At this point, for me, after 30 years of daily practice, meditation is like drinking water. It quenches my thirst. It always feels good. Each meditation is unique, but there is a fundamental sense of satisfaction and balancing of body and mind. Concentration is balancing. A lack of it generates anxiety both for the body and for the mind.

Tanya: Can we call this an actual training of the mind?

Lynne: Most definitely. If the mind is scattered, acknowledge it, then take steps to focus it. Taking those steps, focusing the mind, does involve effort but it’s a gentle one. It means that we are committed to a daily practice and accept the fact that it’s a long-term project. Then with time, with years of practice, transformation of the mind occurs. This is my direct experience. I am happier every year, as are others I know who are regular meditators. The practice of meditation is, as one of the Dalaï Lama’s books says, “The Art of Happiness.” Over time, meditators will become happier, lighter, more content, less anxious. So that’s what happens when you meditate. It is training in peacefulness, in stability. I can tell you that after many years of practice, you reach a level where the meditative state permeates the entire day. And yet, evolution continues and that is the beauty of it. I believe that our potential is infinite and I remain skeptical towards anyone who says that they have reached the end of learning, that they have attained perfection. I think that evolution goes on and that makes life wonderful. Once you start meditating regularly, you may begin to feel a need to do so. At that point, your mind will have reached a higher level, a calmer, more stable place with less buzz, less activity. And when your mind becomes restless again—as it inevitably will from time to time—you will have the skills acquired through meditation to gently guide it back to its more balanced state. This is huge. The problem in our society is that people usually don’t know when to stop. Their lifestyles are so overactive and busy that often they don’t even realize when their mind and body need a respite. Or by the time they become aware of it, they are deeply exhausted or very anxious and stressed. Being aware enough to know when to stop, to breathe deeply and to take a few minutes in meditation could prevent many of these negative consequences.

Tanya: Is that why people don’t sleep well? Because the buzz of the day pervades the night and they can’t turn it off?

Lynne: Regular meditators sleep very well. A daily practice of 15 to 20 minutes suffices to ensure a focused and rested mind, along with a solid sense of stability. These regular meditators tend to also develop the ability to take short breaks during the day to meditate when needed, an invaluable tool for preventing burnout, depression and anxiety. Meditators have their priorities straight. They value their peace of mind and understand that taking the time necessary to achieve this is not selfish, as eventually everyone will benefit from it. An agitated mind creates discord and leads to a host of difficulties including relationship problems, insomnia or even nightmares. In contrast, a stable mind generates balance, peace, and happiness.

The following steps can help achieve a stable mind:

1. A daily practice of meditation
2. An understanding of mind and its mechanism, and
3. A study of empowering attitudes and philosophies

Meditation requires discipline and patience, particularly as progress is not always obvious. Change—any change—does not happen overnight. But it is cumulative; every meditation counts, even the ones we don’t consider successful. When I started to meditate I simultaneously began to work on myself spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. It wasn’t always easy. But I knew, and I was always told, to never give up, to just keep at it. Eventually I noticed that I had turned a corner, that a paradigm shift had occurred. I felt stronger. I had healed certain vulnerable aspects of my personality, and had evolved to another level. To continue this process of evolution, we must keep on with our meditation practice. Now the good news is that it gets easier and more enjoyable all the time. As for me, meditation is what I love to do most.

© Lynne Cardinal

Join us for weekly meditation classes at the PranaShanti Yoga Centre, in Hintonburg (between Preston Street and Parkdale ave., 1 block north of Wellington) at 52 Armstrong street, Ottawa.

Classes are every Tuesday from 7:30 to 9 pm. All level classes, everyone welcome. You can join us at any time. Topics for discussion: Yoga Sûtras, Various Contemplative Practices; Ken Wilber’s work and more. To register: (613) 721-7888 or info@kaivalya.ca

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The Wisdom of Happiness

“There is no duty we so underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy, we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.”
- Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish novelist, poet and writer (1850-1894)

We can all agree that we are seeking happiness, in a more or less concrete and conscious fashion. This is so important to our modern society that in The Deeper Dimension of Yoga, Georg Feuerstein writes : « the founding fathers of the United States acknowledged this [desire for happiness] indirectly when, on July 4th, 1776, they declared the « Pursuit of Happiness » one of the « inalienable rights. »

Seeking for true happiness is essential. For happiness to stay with us it has to reside in a fundamental state of mind. And this state of mind can be developed through contemplation and meditation.

Pleasure and happiness : a great distinction!

One of the first precepts found in eastern philosophies is the emphasis that there is a great distinction between pleasure and happiness.

Pleasures are transitory and carry with them an inherent sense of insecurity; admittedly or not, as we know that the pleasure and elation will pass. We plan to go south in the winter, to buy a bigger house, a nicer car, to get a promotion at work, and maybe to one day have children. And yet the trip south is short lived, the bigger house may carry problems or at the most be of a greater burden (financially or otherwise), our car may break and our new job may not be perfect. Of course, one day our children will move out and go on with their lives. All of these objectives will generate a temporary sense of satisfaction and pleasure. It will become obvious, one-way or another that our desires and plans for pleasure are not able to provide us with full happiness.

So how to achieve true happiness? We begin by asking questions. We seek to understand the nature of the human experience. We ask about reality. Is my reality identical to the one of my neighbor? Whose reality is real? Have all my plans and projects filled me with stability and happiness?

This inquiry leads us to the realization that if we take a step back from our desires and plans we recognize that at the heart of our being rests a wonderful reality filled with a profound sense of peace and satisfaction.

And this reality is always there, in our very essence.

Forms will change. But the quiet place within, behind thoughts and ideas, is always available.

Realizing this part of ourselves enables us to experience contentment and happiness. From that level of awareness, the magic of life becomes predominant. The subtleties are seen and appreciated. As my father in law told me during Christmas:

“Since I had my heart attack, I am feeling grateful every morning when I wake-up. Every day is a gift.”

He had to learn this deep lesson the hard way. But in his own way, he expressed one of the most ancient truths there is.

Happiness is in appreciating every single precious and enlightened moment.

And the moment contains it all.

This perspective can be perceived and integrated in our daily lives through a daily practice of meditation, joined with the love of wisdom. Through philosophy we understand that happiness is found in the present moment, that it rests in the heart of our very existence. Happiness can be experienced now. Not tomorrow. Not in twenty years during retirement. But now. Seeing the snowflakes, the light in the sunset, the wonders permeating every single moment.

This appreciation is found when we take the time to slow down, maybe just a little, and look within; such simple steps will provide us with a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Lynne Cardinal
Copyright, January 1, 2008

For more details on meditation classes click here

For the French version of this article, click here

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Why should we meditate?

Meditation enables us to simplify our life style, to regain an authentic spiritual life through a practice that is free from religious connotations. It then becomes possible to change our rapport with ourselves and with others, in a totally natural way.

It is essential to learn how to breathe, to know how and when to stop. As so often we don't listen to our body and mind which needs some time to replenish, to rejuvenate through moments of physical and mental stillness. Our whole body reacts to the concentration of mind achieved through regular practice.

The techniques that we offer lead towards a balance (an equilibrium) usually difficult to reach in the contingencies of our lives. The result of well-practised meditation allows us to suppress the physiological manifestation of stress, anxiety, and anger, which are strong prejudices against our health. Scientifically we can say that meditation regularises the consummation of oxygen and the production of carbon dioxide gas, which results in a positive adequacy of our body to it’s environment, and thus assures better health.

Lynne Cardinal ©

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Meditate regularly and live calmly, soundly, with wisdom

Meditation is an essential tool that can help you reach a perfect state of well-being and self-mastery. This remarkable path, which is actually quite easy to follow, can transform your life, beautifully, naturally. It can relieve you of problems such as nervousness, insomnia and shyness. It can unravel the complexity of human consciousness like a fresh breeze, leaving you with feelings of rejuvenation and comfort.

Meditation techniques are easy to learn; their benefits soon follow. Meditation involves deep introspection and subtle reflection—a process that is difficult to describe in a few words or a few paragraphs. While this article explores the basic elements of that process, it is most fully appreciated through first-hand experience.

But to begin, imagine a new born child sleeping peacefully, blissfully, without worries. He opens his eyes and stares at you. You smile at him and reach down to tickle his stomach. He smiles, laughs and sighs. Nothing worries him.

Such is the human potential for an existence that is fundamentally calm, happy and filled with a natural sense of well-being—a well-being that can be cultivated through meditation.

Now, imagine the child represented by a glass of water—the personification of a peaceful state of consciousness and well-being and a clear state of mind. We smile at the child and he learns to smile back. His consciousness is being developed. Think of that development as a drop of pink food coloring added to the water. Now, the water is a nice shade of pink.

As the child continues to develop, he learns that he has a name, a gender, a family, a house, parents, brothers and sisters. More drops of color are added to the water—a drop of gray, green, yellow and so on. The child grows up to become an artist, an engineer. More drops of color go into the glass. He gets married. Every day new experiences are added to his memory. He has more and more responsibilities. Other colors fall into the glass as he plans, organizes, talks, reacts, meets people, changes jobs, and deals with crises and traumas. The glass of water—once pure and clear—is now a dirty gray.

But what if we were to stop adding colors and, instead, return to the wellspring that was our original source of water? What if we were to add fresh water to the glass a little bit at a time? The cloudy water would gradually be cast off and after a while the water in our glass would once again be clear and fresh.

This analogy illustrates the benefits of meditation, of returning to the silence of consciousness to take care of ourselves. We benefit; the people around us will benefit from it as well.

We thirst for silence and introspection. We seek this spiritual dimension naturally. We feel it. We aspire to it. And, if we take the time—a few minutes every morning and every evening—it can easily be ours.

We are constantly surrounded by our thoughts. If we pay attention to them, we perceive them quite well. If we close our eyes for a few moments and stop our activities, we can perceive them even better. Try looking at them. After all, they exist. And anything that exists can be observed.

What is the origin of thought? Thoughts are, among other things, generated by memory—an experience recorded in our consciousness. When you look at a flower, for example, you perceive a form, search your memory for its parallel, and conclude that you are looking at a flower. Then, you focus on the flower’s the attributes—its color, its perfume. And you do all of this with lightning speed, with a capability that far exceeds even the most powerful of computers.

If you find the flower remarkable, you may speak about it, remember it, think about it. Every experience leaves an impression in our memory. It can be either weak or powerful, creating a few thoughts or many.

With eyes closed, sitting still, we can see this constant whirlpool of thoughts, of thoughts in action. Let’s observe them with detachment and neutrality. Let’s look at them as if they were mere energy. Let’s look for the source of that energy. Where does it originate? Let’s observe life.

And as observers of life, who are we? Are we not part of this vital source? Are we not life itself? As we come to know ourselves beyond our bodies, we rediscover that which is fundamental. The knower. The inner being. Pure consciousness, serene and at peace.

We follow a natural ascension—from our thoughts, to our consciousness, to our most fundamental selves—the pure knower, being, life, by itself. Our meditation has brought us to a state of concentrated consciousness. We are returning to a state of well-being we once knew as a child, but this time we re-enter that state with the intelligence of a master—fully developed, or in the process of becoming. We’ve taken a big step.

The superficial activities of our daily lives call us back and we find ourselves once again immersed in whirlpools of thought, planning the following day. There is nothing wrong with this. It is fine to plan and be engaged by life. But, when we will feel like it, we will once more dive into our Being, in its most beautiful and peaceful dimensions to be refreshed, rejuvenated, receptive, with a clearer mind.

When we integrate the practice of meditation in our daily lives, we learn how to draw from it a source of unparalleled knowledge. To meditate regularly is to learn how to live calmly, soundly, with wisdom.

Meditation is devoid of religious connotations. It can be useful to everyone, like breathing deeply. Life possesses eternal truths. And remarkable human beings throughout the ages have studied the same principles and found in them the same basic truth. In Sanskrit, life, existence, truth and the absolute, are synonyms. Truth is not a theory. It is the essential form of existence, of life, of the absolute—the source that has always been.

There is a lot to say about the various techniques of meditation. Joining a meditation class is a good way to get to know more about them. There, within a group and under the direction of a serious meditation teacher, you will learn to move on—slowly, easily, to one day meditate with the same ease with which you breath.

It is easy to meditate, just as it is easy for a child to look at the sky and to get absorbed by what he see there, then to look somewhere else. Without worry. Blissfully. With a little practice, this state of consciousness will return to you, naturally.

Lynne Cardinal ©

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A Cat's Memory

We recently moved to the West End of Ottawa. There, we discovered a welcoming area, kind people and with them their multiple pets. I always loved animals, recognising in them the possibility of a simple and endearing communication. Across the street, there lives a kind lady who offers shelter to all the stray cats that she encounters. Her cats are very loving, and often come to visit us. Yet one of them is a young pretty black cat that manifests a strange behaviour. When we call him, he reluctantly approaches and keeps a distance of about 20 feet. If we try to approach him, he runs away. However, when a respectable distance is maintained in between us –according to him that is– and when we speak to him softly, he rubs his cheeks on nearby objects, seeking for tenderness, a tenderness that he perhaps will never truly get.

I couldn’t help but to draw a parallel with an important principle expressed in the wonderful philosophy of the Yog Sûtras of Patanjali: sanskaars. According to Patanjali, sanskaars are memories, tendencies or habit patterns, either conscious or not, which are profoundly rooted in our mind. The objective of this principle is to be able to grasp the presence of this memory and its effect in our life, hoping to purify it, and transform it. This would allow us to live an existence based on freedom and emancipation, a life filled with love and satisfaction. This cat does not have the analytical capacity of the human mind, and it will probably remain under the influence of its sanskaars (habit patterns). However the introspective path of yoga enlightens those tendencies through its practices. Indeed meditation will lead us to a time where we will be able to take great steps towards our own freedom and realisation, if we choose to do so. There is at the heart of everyone an aspiration towards universality, a desire for emancipation, truth and inner peace. But there wont be any inner peace if we are running away from life or if we hide behind thoughts – even very spiritual thoughts – without truly incarnating our potential for calmness, respect, responsibility, love, universality and compassion.

When we begin the practice of meditation, we go through many phases, some of which are filled with enthusiasm; others filled with observations and insights. But as long as we don’t take the necessary steps to overcome or purify our sanskaars we will have to relive those very same situations, until we manage to take this step forward, towards our ultimate objective which is unity and emancipation. And if we notice within us various fears and resistances, we are once again under the sway of sanskaars, leftovers in the memory of a past which no longer exists but which we carry with us, reanimating it constantly. Yoga insists not only on physical flexibility, but also on mental flexibility. Patanjali challenges us deeply to accept, to forgive and to have the immense courage required to evolve; to truly be our Self.

Another eminent objective of Yoga is to go beyond the illusions created by the world. Unfortunately, this principle is often misunderstood, and we see that some individuals are rejecting the world, qualifying it as being illusory. I believe that it should rather be the other way around that we need only to free ourselves from the illusions that are residing in our mind. From there, the world becomes inoffensive, since a clear mind is free from complexity, it greets existence with tenderness and compassion. We all have an intuitive sense that we are already free, though still under the influence of the illusory cage of the mental complexities which are confining us. An effort in the practice leads towards a greater liberation. Instead of being the helpless subject of a profound complexity, like this young black cat, we have the capacity to use our reasoning faculty so as to emancipate ourselves. United with a regular practice, those reflections will gradually create greater awareness and freedom. Indeed, daily meditation leads to adequate perspectives for our transformation. We only have to persevere.

We all have many choices to make during our life. It is wise and essential to choose to work towards forgiving the ones who have hurt us, to choose to live with freedom, to choose to love and respect our own life and the people who surround us, since in the end nothing else will satisfy us truly. It is then that our objective to live an integrated spirituality will be reached. Our greatest wealth will then be based on a peaceful mind.

Lynne Cardinal ©

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Conscience and Ego©

The field of Yoga is vast and deep, it relates to the transformation of body and mind, through the 8 limbs of Yoga which consists of ethics, psychology, breathing, concentration, meditation and Self-realisation. It is often mentioned that the ego-mind contains hurdles, to various degrees, and we are often left with confusion, not knowing what to do with our “ego” and how to behave according to “Self.” Yet this becomes easier with time and practise, as we learn to harmonize two fundamental elements: Oneness (empathy, compassion), and the courage to speak up and stand for what is right. Then we feel connected to our higher Self, and derive a greater sense of satisfaction and truthfulness. To help with this initial dilemma of ego versus Self, I came across the following text and thought to share it with you:

From: The 8th Habit, by Stephen R. Covey (a book on leadership)

“Conscience [Self] is the still, small voice within. It is quiet. It is peaceful. Ego is tyrannical, despotic and dictatorial.

Ego focuses on one’s own survival, pleasure and enhancement to the exclusion of others and is selfishly ambitious. It sees relationships in exclusion of others and is selfishly ambitious. It sees relationships in terms of threat or no threat, like little children who classify all people as “He’s nice” or “He’s mean.” Conscience, on the other hand, both democratizes and elevates ego to a larger sense of the group, the whole, the community, the greater good. It sees life in terms of service and contribution, in terms of other’s security and fulfillment.

Ego works in the face of genuine crisis but has no discernment in deciding how severe a crisis or threat is. Conscience is filled with discernment and senses the degree of threat. It has a large repertoire of responses. It has the patience and wisdom to decide what to do when. Conscience sees life on a continuum. It’s capable of complex adaptation.

Ego can’t sleep. It micromanages. It disempowers. It reduces one’s capacity. It excels in control. Conscience deeply reveres people and sees their potential for self-control. Conscience empowers. It reflects the worth and value of all people and affirms their power and freedom to choose. Then natural self-control emerges, imposed neither from above nor from the outside.

Ego is threatened by negative feedback and punishes the messenger. It interprets all data in terms of self-preservation. It constantly censors information. It denies much of reality. Conscience values feedback and attempts to discern whatever truth it contains. It isn’t afraid of information and can accurately interpret what’s going on. It has no need to censor information and is open to an awareness of reality form every direction.

Ego is myopic and interprets all of life through its own agenda. Conscience is a social ecologist listening to and sensing the entire system and environment. It fills the body with light, is able to democratize ego to reflect more accurately the entire world.”

We could try to integrate these concepts through the intellect and make a conscious effort in that direction and it would be useful. But it is my direct experience that meditation speeds that process, creating a sense of space in between the stimulus and our response, and in that space we can choose our response, to either act from our higher Self or from ego. These choices could trigger a future of happiness and growth, so they are extremely important. Yoga gives us the means to help our physical body through developing flexibility and strength, our nervous system through the breathing exercises, our mind through philosophy and introspection and our Self through meditation. I see all those means as part of a complete whole, one supporting the other, and complementing each other.

Lynne Cardinal ©

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A journey towards freedom

Meditation is a very powerful tool that helps us to rejoin with a sense of inner harmony. Indeed, it is through meditation that we can recover our peaceful state of mind. And with time and practice, we are able to bring this peace and well being into our daily life.

Undoubtedly, pure silence is an great source of happiness. From there originates a natural inspiration to have a better life, as well as to experience feelings of compassion and love. Meditation creates a very definite journey towards freedom and Self-Awareness. Far from running away from existence, when our eyes are closed, our introspective mind leads us towards a rediscovery of our potential for inner clarity. During this journey, we come to grasp that there reside within us thoughts that are frequently being repeated, and those thoughts are often futile, and can be the creator of anxiety. Yet this discovery is desirable, as before we can truly live with freedom, we must recognise the types of thoughts that we carry, and how tricky the ego and his creation is, how unobvious it can all be, though tainting our world with confusion and unease. Yet, we should not be discouraged, as it is possible to redirect this flow of thoughts, and even to develop better attitudes. In doing so we can take a healthy look at our life and at all the elements that surround and affect us. This may appear simple at first, and we generally do obtain immediate results of peacefulness and clarity through our practice, but we will also likely discover within us useless or even problematic tendencies that can be rather stubborn and difficult to dislodge or change. It is a fact that we can sometimes spend years before reaching the desired transformations. What matters though is that our path is assured, and the ones who will apply those techniques with regularity will see their lives reaching interesting levels of truth, universality and freedom. We have everything to gain in doing so.

Thus, during meditation our mind becomes quieter; this allows our body to reach a deeper level of relaxation and to gradually eliminate stress and fatigue. We then come in contact with our true Self, as behind the flow of our thoughts, behind the conditioning that we carry – and which was imposed on us by years of repetition – behind all this we can find a feeling of freshness and freedom. There we find the very nature of our true Self. This contact will affect our daily life and result in a better health, more satisfying relationships, and a greater joy of life and creativity. Meditation techniques are essentially very simple yet affect all physical, mental and spiritual levels. It has been proven that meditation has a positive effect on our health. It is now recognised that stress is a major factor of disease, such as depression, anxiety, hypertension, heart problems, insomnia, diabetes, ulcers, arthritis, alcoholism, etc. Regular meditation periods will reduce the stress in our life, and will enable us to be less vulnerable to diseases originating from stress. Meditation also allows the mind and body to function with a maximum of efficiency.

We don’t have to change our living style; everyone can practice meditation, no matter what the age, the culture, the education or the religion. The only change that will be required will be to take the time to meditate, regularly. The ultimate mental clarity which will arise from it, a state of pure receptivity, will perceive all that surrounds us, all that is part of our life, as it is, peacefully, without judgment. Indeed, we have the tendency to run away from the present moment, often despite ourselves, to seek for an ideal time held in the future, a time that is constantly postponed. To find the present moment, to hear the sounds which surrounds us, to smell the scents that the spring air carries, to hear the songs of birds, and above all to life the present moment with a complete presence of mind, is the very objective of meditation. In reality, our greatest abundance is held in the present moment. To be totally mindful of the present moment is to be free. This is the final goal and ongoing journey of life.

Lynne Cardinal
March 23rd, 2003©

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The Pre/Trans Fallacy

“A constant problem with, and for, spirituality is the Pre/Trans Fallacy. Particularly when you deal with the meditative, contemplative, or mystical states of spiritual experience—most of which indeed are non-rational—it might seem that all of the non-rational states are spiritual, and all the rational states are not spiritual.” -Ken Wilber, Integral Spirituality

When Ken Wilber, a well-known contemporary philosopher, writes about evolutionary development he is offering us a priceless gift. He points out a tendency in the field of spirituality to shun the rational mind. Through the great meditative traditions, we come to understand that in its ordinary, every-day state, the mind is over-active and is often a cause of confusion and pain. That is the reason why we try to pacify mental activity, thus reaching deeper states of consciousness.

When learning to appreciate inner silence, it can appear as though any type of mental activity is inferior to what is Spiritual We may even envy the bliss of a child, and consider it a very elevated state of consciousness. Yet, we all know that children are also very vulnerable, and don’t maintain this bliss for very long, especially if we take their toys away.

We also tend to look up to mythical (the worship of Gods and Goddesses), magical (anything that is not naturally explainable by any laws of nature) or archaic traditions (belonging to, existing, or occurring in times long past). We may find in those traditions a mystery that is enticing, that appears far superior to the rational mind. But by ignoring the rational mind, we end up regressing, instead of moving forward. The Pre/Trans Fallacy shows us that it is through the rational mind, through logic and intelligence that a superior state of consciousness, a trans-rational mind, can be reached. Ken points out that spiritual evolution has to go through the rational mind to reach a higher potential, that it is not found in the pre-rational minds and traditions, but instead in the Trans-rational mind.

Let’s explain:

Pre-rational Rational Trans-rational

The Pre/Trans Fallacy refers to the common mistake of thinking that Pre-rational concepts are actually Trans-rational. We are thus regressing, despite thinking that we are evolving. A simple example of this situation, involving a false sense of freedom, follows. I could say that I’m exercising my right to freedom when I decide not to wear a helmet while biking. I defy the common rationality that warns me that if I fall and don’t wear a helmet, I could suffer head injuries that may have far-reaching consequences. If I believe that a superior consciousness is deciding to ride without a helmet, then I make a fundamental philosophical mistake. True Freedom comes from a state of consciousness that carries wisdom, rationality, and insights. Indeed, I can be free, and wear a helmet.

Another analogy is the one of a sailboat, drifting away on the ocean. It may appear that it is freedom to drift away, helplessly taken in all directions by the currents, but imagine the difference of being in a sailboat with direction. You will reach your destination with ease, simply using the awareness of guiding the boat in the right direction.

Using the rational mind helps us recognize certain flaws held in the archaic, magic or mythic traditions, while still being able to utilize their positive aspects. We can transcend these earlier traditions, move forward, and still include the parts found in them that inspire us. As Ken puts it, we transcend and include.

“…[in this way] the pre-rational is gloriously elevated to trans-rational. The [pre/trans fallacy] makes even my selfish, pre-rational, preconventional impulses appear especially spiritual—yet they are not beyond reason, but beneath it. This leads, perhaps most sadly, to a rampant anti-intellectualism (instead of trans-intellectualism, which transcends and includes.)” -Ken Wilber, Integral Spirituality

We must learn to both use the mind and transcend it. Without studying regularly the functioning of mind we can easily delude ourselves and settle for “pre-rational” instead of “trans-rational” awareness. Therefore meditation needs to be complemented by studying of scriptures and philosophies. Only then can freedom shine forth fully.

Regularity in meditation leads to deeper experiences or states of consciousness. With patience and perseverance we get to more satisfying states of consciousness. Yet understanding philosophical concepts helps us take vast steps forward in our spiritual evolution. Only then can our consciousness move from the confinement of a not fully developed mind to the freedom of a transformed, compassionate and clear mind.

Lynne Cardinal, 2008 ©
Lynne teaches weekly meditation classes at the Metta Massage and Yoga Clinic in Westboro, as well as Rejuvenation Yoga classes. She regularly offers Stress Management, Yoga and Meditation workshops in the private and public sectors. For more information call 613.721.7888, email: info@kaivalya.ca, or click here

French version of this article

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