The Law of Intention and Desire

In the beginning there was desire, which was the first seed of mind

Hymn of Creation, The Rig Veda

Every yoga class I teach starts with setting of intention.  I invite my students to close the eyes and rest their awareness on the heart before asking themselves what is it that  they need from the practice.  As they are listening to their bodies for ques and messages, I close my eyes and set my intention for the class I am about to teach…

How powerful are our intentions?

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That’s the topic of our next class in Seven Spiritual Laws of Success series: The Law of Intention and Desire.

Lynne McTaggart,  the author of “Intention Experiment” talks about the science behind our thoughts and intentions.

The mantra for the Law of Intention and Desire is :

Om Ritam Namah

My Intentions and Desires are supported by the Universe

The Law of Intention and Desire is lively in your third chakra – Manipura – located at your solar plexus. This Law reminds us to be clear about our intentions – the process of manifesting our desires is first to bring them into our consciousness, expand our awareness through meditation and detach from the outcome.

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Please share your  thoughts or questions by using the comment box or on Satori Yoga Studio page on Facebook.

Talk to you soon!

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The Law of Least Effort

An integral being knows without going, sees without looking, and accomplishes without doing.

Lao Tzu

Listen to The Law of Least Effort class:

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About a month ago I was reading Candace Pert’s book “Molecules of Emotions”.

In one of the chapters she talks about her discovery of Peptide T, a brilliant new drug to treat AIDS. At the time of discovery, the only treatment option available was a highly toxic chemotherapy cocktail, that targeted the symptoms but not the virus itself. Candice and her partners had become more and more frustrated, as the medical community refused to consider Peptide T as the viable option. Paradoxically, the harder Dr. Pert and her colleagues tried, the more rejection they’ve encountered.

By chance of luck Candace Pert was introduced to Dr.Chopra at one of the meetings. Here is what she writes about their conversation:

“Deepak, I don’t know what’s going on. I have a brilliant drug that can save people’s lives. I’ve been working on it for years, and I can’t get in out the gate. What am I doing wrong?”

He listened carefully and then, gazing calmly and deeply into my eyes, gave me a stunning answer: “You are trying too hard!” he said and then smiled.

I took this in for a moment and then responded.

“Trying too hard? But I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

In the world I lived in, there was no such thing as “trying too hard”.

Two years later, as  Dr. Pert at last has secured financing for the clinical trials, she wrote: “True to Deepak’s diagnosis of my problem, the solution had come only when I had stopped trying.”

Here are three ways to bring the Law of Least Effort into your life;

• Practice Acceptance: “Today I will accept people, situations and circumstances as they are, not as I want them to be”
• Take Responsibility – doesn’t mean blaming yourself or anybody for current situation. It simply an ability to respond creatively to whatever arises.
• Become Defenseless: ever had a conversation with somebody in which you were trying to convince that person of something? Have you noticed that the harder you tried to get your point across, the more resistance you’ve encountered? It is a tremendous loss of energy for everybody involved, the energy that could be used for something positive and productive.

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The mantra for The Law of Least Effort is:

Om Daksham Namah.

I achieve maximum benefit with minimal effort.

The Law of Karma

Karma is the eternal assertion of human freedom…

Our thoughts, our words, and deeds are the threads of the net which we throw around ourselves.

Swami Vivekanda

Good Karma

Bad Karma

What we sow is what you reap…

I have always approached the concept of Karma with a fair bit of caution – the same way you hold a new-born or talk to a teenager. I felt somewhat puzzled by the fact that quite often I’ve received just the opposite of what I wanted.

So you can understand my great surprise when I learned that in Vedic Sciences karma means the ultimate freedom of choice. The word “karma” can be translated from Sanskrit as both action and the consequence of that action; it is cause and effect simultaneously.

How do our choices and actions, conscious or unconscious, form the software of our soul? Rajmani Tigunait, the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute writes:

“Every action leaves an impression in our memory. Repeated actions reinforce these impressions, eventually turning them into strong habit patterns. As habits mature, they become an integral part of our vast unconscious mind. Strong habits become the building blocks of our personality. They define our being.”

We all have heard about conditioning. From the moment we are born and from the moment we open our eyes every morning, a ceaseless stream of messages tells us what is acceptable in our society. Our sensory experiences condition our nervous system; our parents, friends, peers and media condition how we think and act. After a while,  the usual, repetitious and predictable responses to people and circumstances take place, as we stop recognizing a choice behind our actions.

Is there a way out of the karmic circle? For as long as we see ourselves as the individuals, separate from one another and the world around, the wheel of karma will continue to revolve.

Start by witnessing your choices. The simple act of recognizing that there is a choice is the first step toward freeing yourself from the prison of conditioning.

As you make a choice, listen to feelings and sensations in your body. Our bodies and especially our hearts are intuitively and holistically connected to  the field of pure awareness – pure potentiality where every choice, even the one that seems irrational to your mind, is possible. If the feelings are of comfort and joy – go ahead, and make that choice!

What about the past karma, the seeds of memories, choices and actions that are creating your present moment?

It goes without saying that karmic debts are always paid. The choice is up to you!

Most people choose to pay their  karmic debt unconsciously.

You can transmute your karma by using the knowledge you’ve gained from the experience to help other human beings.

This way, while still paying your karmic debt, you will also convert the adversity into an opportunity that benefits the community and brings you fulfillment.

“… when we choose actions that bring happiness and success to others, the fruit of our karma is happiness and success.”

Deepak Chopra

The third way is to transcend your karma, or become independent of it. Every time you sit to meditate and contact the field of pure awareness, you transcend or purify the seeds of your karma, as if washing a dirty cloth in a clean stream of water.

Apply The Law of Karma or Cause and Effect to your life:

Witness the choices you make.

As you witness your choices, ask yourself  what would the consequences be and would they bring you and those around you happiness and fulfillment.

Listen to your heart for guidance.

Have you seen the movie “Precious” ? It is heart wrenching, raw, emotional, beautiful – a inspiring example of transcendence.

The mantra for The Law of Karma:

OM Kriyam Namah

My actions are aligned with cosmic law

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