Sep
27
Aug
27
rsmithers.net: Evolutionary Algorithms http://rsmithers.net/wp/2010/08/27/evolutionary-algorithms/
Aug
27
Kickstarter – Evolutionary Algorithms – Natural Selection in Software Engineering: http://kck.st/bH6gpv
Aug
14
Jan
30
Yoga classes offer a glimp of well being, and develop the skills to find it. In daily life we can stay anchored in or close too wellbeing.
Dec
13
Dec
5
I signed the “Keep UK Sports Council Out Of Yoga” petition! http://petol.org/yoganet #petol #yoga #rights
Dec
2
Is what caused me to be stressed the problem? or, the fact I couldn’t remain calm in the face of those causes that is the problem? #yoga
Dec
2
Yoga philosophy isn’t idle intelectual philosophy, it is practical and born out of experience. Try, test and prove it. #yoga #philosophy
Dec
1
Nov
28
- Yogic ideas and concepts that seem odd at first, like awareness, do eventually turn out to be correct. We experience truth ourselves. #yoga #
- My intention today is to use Awareness and Loving Understanding in all dealings with people and myself as much as I can. #yoga #
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Nov
27
My intention today is to use Awareness and Loving Understanding in all dealings with people and myself as much as I can. #yoga
Nov
24
Yogic ideas and concepts that seem odd at first, like awareness, do eventually turn out to be correct. We experience truth ourselves. #yoga
May
16
Every moment you have is an experience, how you view the experience is possibly more important than the experience, although the experience is vitally important.
Make the best of everything you have that comes your way, and the people you know and meet along the way. Enjoy everything you can and humbly accept the rest.
Life is about understanding, transformation and embracing ourselves as we are in the world as it is. Starting from this point we move as we are into what we will become.
This is why I find the tools of yoga so practical the more I learn how to use them in my life. Harmony and balance, a dynamic interplay of forces, each force requiring a continuous re-adjustment to maintain balance. Try balancing something on your finger, like a spoon and once you find the point of balance , you will notice it requires minimum effort to continually maintain it’s position. Yoga for me is about learning where this balance point is, and how to maintain it.
As we continually refine and hone our ability to develop and maintain this balance we release more energy, and effort becomes effortless, we can do as we need, thereby allowing us to make the most of who we are, how we are and what we can do becomes spontaneous and more enjoyable. We become less attached and less adverse to what comes our way, although we will still have likes, dislikes and opinions, we may see them for what they are, transitory interactions rippling through who we are. This process of course shows much about who we are, and this is why I like Swami Vivekenanda when he says “Experience is the only teacher we have”.
Yoga isn’t just about sitting or standing on a mat and putting your body in odd positions, although these are very powerful and effective. The yoga tradition has so many other tools available that it caters for people of all dispositions and backgrounds.
Copyright © 2009 Russell Smithers
Jan
27
Meditation and it’s relevance to the 8 limbs of yoga are important topics to understand. At first we gain an intellectual understanding so we can direct our practices, eventually the practices lead to experiences beyond the intellect. This subject is explored in the page Meditation and 8 Limbs, this is a post.
“Meditation is something I think most people have heard of, however, the meaning of this word isn’t as widely known. Meditation is a spontaneous state, most of the time when people say they are meditating they are not. They are not even concentrating, they are trying to develop their ability to concentrate. This is a very important point for two reasons, one it allows us to see where we are on the yogic path, and the other because it helps us understand what we are trying to achieve.“
Jun
25
Letting go of ego
and false ideas.
In the stillness
We observe clearly.
With clarity of perception
we act in harmony with
the present moment.
To transform oneself into stillness
and reside in love, understanding
and compassion.
This is yoga, the state of Being,
that is our natural resting place.
Copyright © 2008 Russell Smithers
Jun
1
Trying to understand the true nature of reality – that which is beyond the immediately obvious – is like trying to understand nature (planets, sun, stars, people, hills, animals, rivers) when you have only ever existed inside a box, having never seen the outside world.
Until you break free of the box and see the vast outside world, you can never hope to realise the vastness due to your ignorance. You are limited by your senses, but once you have broken out of the box and witnessed nature for yourself you no longer need to believe, for you know it to be true.
It is in the same way as someone born in a box becomes free of it by breaking through to the outside world, that we, like a box within a box, are born from one box (our mothers womb) in another box (the world), and yet we take this box (the outer world) to be all there is. Where did the consciousness come from that animates the baby, is the world not a box to be broken free from?
Copyright © 2008 Russell Smithers
Apr
28
One essential aspect of yoga is the ability for an individual to gain control over their mind, because otherwise the opposite is true, we are slaves to our minds. So what is the part of the individual that we don’t want the mind to dominate, it is the Self that is covered by the endless aimless wittering, of the untamed mind and it’s ignorant thought patterns.
What benefits to a yogi is there in gaining control over ones mind? Attending a personal practice regularly, and becoming freed from the crazy flow of thoughts running wild in our minds. You can think of the mind as a muscle, would you like your mind muscle to be ever twitching in spasm, imagine what it would be like for your arm to ever twitch or have a mind of it’s own, that is essentially the state most of us are in, minds twitching uncontrollably.
The Yoga Sutras encourage us to learn things for ourselves, knowing it to be true and not blindly believing. We are given tools to explore and discover the depths of being for ourself, one way is through meditation, which by practicing we eventually have moments of no thought, and these moments become more and more often and of a longer duration. Those who experience the ability to exist without thoughts prove that the endless chatter of the mind is not required for existence. It’s a lovely place to be, one then notices when the mind starts up, and when this is unwanted a yogi can switch it off, whilst the machinery of thought is running the yogi must be vigilant and aware of it running away with itself.
The purpose of Asana (physical postures) is to help free the mind from the dis-ease of the body. Building a strong, subtle and healthy body frees the yogi of bodily distractions which help the breathing and meditation, and ultimately free the yogi to search inward for the Self.
Rather appropriate is the following, taken from the Amritabindu Upanishad in the book: The Upanishads, introduced and translated by Eknath Easwaran.
“It is the mind that frees us or enslaves.
Driven by the senses we become bound;
Master of the senses we become free.
Those who seek freedom must master their senses.”
“When the mind is detached from the senses
One reaches the summit of consciousness.
Mastery of the mind leads to wisdom.
Practice meditation. Stop all vain talk.
The highest state is beyond reach of thought,
For it lies beyond all duality”
Copyright © 2008 Russell Smithers
Apr
7
Sometimes people find themselves reacting or not acting in the most appropriate of ways. This will affect the person, other people and the general situation. Many wise people may recognized these negative behavior patterns and want to change. Unfortunately it’s not always obvious how we can change. Yoga like Ashtanga for example is holistic and in time with good teachers, dedication and regular practice we change ourselves.
Affirmations are like mantras, they are a tool that can target a specific areas precisely and quickly. They are effective in changing the way we react so in the future we can act more appropriately. Affirmations help us move toward the light, first because our intention is to change, and secondly because we take the time to make the changes. So as meditation helps us have greater control over our minds, and asana practice helps us meditate, so affirmations are like using our mind muscle positively, we are what our thoughts are essentially, change our thoughts and we change ourselves. Control our mind, and we control ourselves.
Affirmations are a way to state how we want to be or act before we are able to act or be the way we would like too. The effect of using affirmations is to modify our selves repeatedly until we are changed; and work like pills you take regularly until the problem disappears. Unlike modern medicine that normally masks symptoms, affirmations change the core so positive behavior emanates more naturally, with ease and eventually without effort, we become what the affirmation is.
The following is an example of an affirmation I have used in the past;
“I am calm, positive, objective and understanding in all situations. I let people finish what they are saying, digest and then respond positively and appropriately. I respond with understanding and care for the person I am talking with so we both benefit positively. My response takes into account the wider picture and the important details.”
We use an affirmation by repeating it a number of times a day. We could decide to repeat it 10 times in the morning, and 10 times before we go to bed. There are many variations on this, depending on how quick you want to resolve a problem, or how big the problem is. Essentially it’s up to the person to decide. It might be I need to change when and how often I use the affirmation. We stop using an affirmation when it feels like the medicine has worked it’s magic.
Should you wish you learn more about affirmations, please use the links below;
- www.jbactors.com/actingreading/actingencyclopedia.html
- www.hypnosis.edu/glossary/a.asp
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmations
Copyright © 2008 Russell Smithers
