Now the discipline of yoga

[Katrine]

I've been busy lately (not too busy to meditate, though[]) doing taxes and other necessary financial "must do's" at work. Finally done with it

To celebrate, I went to this Indian restaurant downtown Oslo for lunch (yesterday....by myself). I had a nice vegetarien buffet, and as I sat there (the place was almost empty) I studied the wallpaper...it was full of colorful paintings of Indian Yogis and their elephants. I kept looking around for a picture of Krishna (thinking that "he must surely be here"), but I couldn't find it anywhere. So - I enjoyed my lunch, and finished it with a nice cup of Indian tea. (I LOVE tea )

While drinking tea, I read the following words (from a book I had with me) -  by Patanjali:

Now the discipline of yoga.
Yoga is the cessation of mind.
Then the witness is established in itself.

Something happened....

Now the discipline of yoga
I jumped! Yes....we agree! It is just that I have never labeled it "yoga". The discipline of yoga is the ability to fully be here NOW. (I am sure all of you here know this.....but I didn't.)

Yoga is the cessation of mind.
Yes. These past couple of years this has gradually revealed itself to me. So I thought: "Oh good....we agree again" (this is my mind commenting; feeding itself on validations). So I felt myself relaxing into the next line:

Then the witness is established in itself.



The world stopped! Something.....broke....inside. Something imploded. I dropped dead...I fell flat on the floor (don't worry, I didn't fall off my chair ).
It was such a simple revelation, it took me by complete surprise. I lost my breath.

Then the witness is established in itself.
I understood! I understood how the duality arises in me....how the outward motion of my mind blinds me, how it pulls me "out of myself". How the perception of the witness is veiled. Since that moment, the scale tipped. I have felt the presence of the witness for a long time; but I have only identified with it in glimpses. There has been a perception of "the witness and me". I perceived it as so different from me...that it was almost an analomy...alien...something unheard of....something from another planet. Yesterday...the illusion of two... broke. I am awake...and I know it. It became very clear that the sound (the full F sound I hear) is the sound of the witness. The sound of this presence is F. (Not that it matters much...it is just a fact).

There were no bells, stars, colors..hallelujas..or whatever. I simply consciously landed in myself. I am not enlightened....please; if I ever come here stating such a thing...please give me a cold shower . But I am so full of laughter and joy I understand that now the real work can begin! I can never be lost again. Also.....the experiences I have had lately of being laughed at..by the houses, the trees, the air....all of it was me! The witness laughed! I laughed at myself! I am still laughing.....

Something funny did happen. The shock of the experience made me raise my eyes. Right in front of me...maybe 4 meters ahead...framed on the wall was a strikingly beautiful picture of Krishna with his girlfriend (what was her name again?)...standing in a forest with his flute. I started laughing.....I mean....it had been right there in front of me the whole time! How could I possibly have missed it ?! (too busy looking around )

There was still one more sentence in the sutra of Patanjali. (This was the first time I read Patanjali). After a long time I read the whole thing:


Now the discipline of yoga.
Yoga is the cessation of mind.
Then the witness is established in itself.
In the other states there is identification with the modifications of the mind.


I simply had to share this with someone. I am so glad you are here - all of you!

On the way home I felt some words emanating inside. This is the closest I come to express the experience:


Bliss

Now there is no hope
Now there is no morrow
Now I desire nothing

Yogani........namaste
I don't know how to thank you. Ah... (I can hear you smile )

Physically this experience coincides with the following:

No more pressure in my head. I can tolerate very strong currents from below....by simply "letting them flow out" through the ajna. The crown is gradually maturing....I don't worry or focus on it at all anymore. Sometimes I perceive it to be completely "gone"....as if..nothing is up there...as if my upper head is off. The spine is vibrant and ecstatic all the time....I can move the energy in it with my eye. I still don't see much....but that doesn't bother me. My eczema is all gone. The presence of the witness is everywhere.....I still feel that the navel is the first "entrance"...the physical connection point between the body and the witness.  


Ps: Can anyone reccomend what to read by Patanjali?








May all your Nows be Here

[Katrine]

Oh....one more thing:

Although I perceive the physical "main entrance" of the presence to be the navel, I perceive this presence through the ajna. It is the ajna that knows . This completely satisfies the heart. The heart is still. It is a vast and quiet love.

May all your Nows be Here

[Shanti]

Oh! my goodness,  Katrine... you made me cry.. Thank you for sharing.. my heart is still racing.. my eyes are still teary and there is a huge smile on my face.... (this is such a confusing stage for me)..
PS. Radha.. Krishna's girlfriend was Radha.

[Katrine]

Yes, Shanti...I know what you mean.
Let it be exactly the way it is. Simply watch the confusion. Every time you feel that way...some of the grip of the mind loses hold of you. Just let it happen.

I am very grateful today

Thank you for your honesty, Shanti

May all your Nows be Here

[yogani]

Oh, Katrine, we are thanking you.

You are an angel amidst angels. Or maybe that 100th monkey Melissa was talking about.

The guru is in you.

[alan]

namaste katrine

[Shanti]

quote:Thank you for your honesty, Shanti

Thank you for yours...

[NagoyaSea]

Wow. I'm just speechless. Beautiful awakening Katrine! thank you for sharing your experience!

light and love,
Kathy

[Anthem]

Hi Katrine,

Your experience sounds wonderful thank you for the inspiration, I hope you will continue to be a presence around here with your love and wisdom and to continue to pass on these amazing details of your journey.

I am just realizing the inner witness is there all the time no matter how "bad" or difficult external circumstances can be, our inner self remains constant unchanged and unaffected in our center. We don't leave this center even when we think we do, it is always there we are always connected. I feel the same as you about seeing, I don't "see" the way i imagine I will yet, somehow I think it will eventually be there. Please keep us posted on this detail.

I love the Yoga Sutras of Panatanjali but don't know if he wrote any other works.

Anthem

ps- please tell us more, I feel like your opening is our opening.

[Sparkle]

Hi Katrine, this is so wonderful for you, and also for all of us to witness, not only your awakenings but also your clear intelligent descriptions of them.
I feel blessed to be a member here and you raise the vibration for all of us.

I am curious about your navel centre, as to whether you experience this as the Dan Tien (about two finger widths below the navel) or the 2nd chakra, or is it something else?

I am also curious about the key of F. If, for instance you listen to a prolonged F, would this increase or intensify the witness effect.? Of course I wonder what effect it would have on me, must try it.

Namaste
Louis

[trip1]

Thank you so much for sharing, Katrine.

Namaste.

[Katrine]

Hi Anthem

You wrote:
 

quote:I hope you will continue to be a presence around here with your love and wisdom and to continue to pass on these amazing details of your journey.

The energy of this forum is continuously contributing and helping me to move deeper. I am grateful to all of you.
Anthem - this is just a beginning. Always a beginning. I never really leave here, you know. I am not finished with anything; I have just begun.

Yes...I will report back on the "seeing". I will report on anything the presence finds necessary and helpful. That is the way it works.

 

quote:We don't leave this center even when we think we do

Well...the thing is that this "comfort" somehow slowed me down. I do leave my center when I think I do. This was the grief in me.  Thinking that I was always connected solved nothing. I cannot be connected to my source. There never was two. There is no connection between the "I" - the thought - and the center. Any movement - initiated by the "I" -  towards connection, leads away from the source. I know what you are saying; don't get me wrong.....we are never anything but the source. This is a fact. But it helped me a lot to face up to the fact that I couldn't get myself connected. All I could do was watch all the different ways I moved away from myself. The futility of it eventually killed the initiative....and then: SILENCE

Anthem....if you were here right now, I'd sing you a song

Love...

May all your Nows be Here

[Katrine]

Hi Sparkle

Oh....I feel blessed too. It is great to be here. Now.
 
You wrote:

quote:I am curious about your navel centre, as to whether you experience this as the Dan Tien (about two finger widths below the navel) or the 2nd chakra, or is it something else?

Hmm...this is difficult to answer because the "energy chord" that I sense is quite broad. It is, however, covering the area of the navel (not above it) and the area of Dan Tien. I'll let you know if I can pinpoint it more later.

 

quote:I am also curious about the key of F. If, for instance you listen to a prolonged F, would this increase or intensify the witness effect.? Of course I wonder what effect it would have on me, must try it.

Well....all I can say is that I never listened to an F before this opening. Also - what I hear is alive. It is a full F. It cannot be replicated in an artificial way. This I am certain of.

The blissful experience described above - the sound of F is not important at all. It is just there. What is important is the awake, silent, vast presence. Don't get hooked on keys - they don't take you here....they simply appear when you do.

Sparkle - I enjoy your presence too

Like Anthem said:
 

quote:please tell us more, I feel like your opening is our opening.

One presence. One opening.

May all your Nows be Here

[Anthem]

Thanks Katrine for your post.

Great point you make about my using the phrase "not leaving our center". You are right, poor choice of words on my part. You are helping me skip past this point that has become so new for me, without sticking.
 

quote:All I could do was watch all the different ways I moved away from myself. The futility of it eventually killed the initiative....and then: SILENCE

This is very helpful and a missing piece of clarity for me, thank you I am grateful!

Btw, I can already hear your song![8D]

love,

A

[Katrine]

Anthem wrote:

 

quote:You are right, poor choice of words on my part

We were both true, Anthem. Perfect choice of words! We describe what is. What is, is never about wrong or right. What is, includes everything - the veils and what permeats them. Through your words the clarity arises in me. Through your words on "leaving the center" I become aware. This is your gift to me. Thank you

 

quote:This is very helpful and a missing piece of clarity for me, thank you I am grateful!

Btw, I can already hear your song!

love,

A

You made me cry, Anthem....
This too, is as it is.

May all your Nows be Here