After attending a satsang last night, I was euphoric yet a bit disappointed.
For those of you who are not familiar with what a satsang is, it is a gathering of people around a teacher, usually of Eastern thought, to listen, meditate, chant or whatever the teacher guides the group to do.
Although I left feeling a bit like a hog after soaking in the beautiful vibration of the teacher and others there, I also left asking myself if I should have spoken up.
So many people there were looking to understand why they are not able to carry that peace found in the satsang into their daily lives.
My disappointment was not in their question but rather in the teacher's patient and repetitive answer.
When asked a direct question as to how to carry forward this sense of peace and well-being into daily life, he answered "be your authentic self" without any practical steps on how to achieve that.
Thus this article...
This is dedicated to all of you who, like me, occasionally forget how to live in a peaceful and even joyous vibration and, instead, fall prey to daily activities that often jar us into the "reality" we call life.
Here are a few mindful things you can practice to live authentically.
Step one: When you find yourself caught up in the emotion and frustrations of life, consciously stop yourself long enough to focus on each of your five senses, one at a time, hearing, smell, taste, sight and feeling.
This is a mindfulness technique.
(I use two "L"s on purpose.
) Breathe deeply and fully, visualizing a beautiful vibrant blue light in the area of your solar plexus.
Visualize that light until it is necessary to slowly release the breath.
Although it is best to hesitate with full lungs, do not try to hold your breath.
Allow it to be a natural, round flow.
Do this several times until you feel "centered.
" Step two: Now that you have centered yourself, remember the flow of a river.
It does not attach itself to the rocks along its banks nor fear what is ahead.
It does not try to slow down because of the pleasant sun it passed through a while ago or try to stop itself from jumping over the cliff into the freedom of the fall.
Instead, the water simply flows, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
It never looks back nor forward.
It simply is.
It basks in the warmth of the sun, frolics as it jumps over rocks, finds power in its depth and volume as it grows larger and creates a beautiful rainbow in its cool mists as it flies over the cliffs without fear of what is below.
The water is "its authentic self" in each moment of its journey.
As we traverse through life, it is up to us to connect with our "authentic self" by staying present in each moment.
It is not possible to "find" that authentic self because it simply is, just like the water does not "look" for itself.
It simply exists in all of it forms: fast, slow, rough, gentle, cold, warm, inviting, threatening.
It does not judge itself.
So, as humans, by staying exactly where we "are," without judgment, without fear, without looking back, without anticipating what's to come, we approach our authentic selves.
"Masters" live in the authentic self.
Until we become Masters, be patient and enjoy the journey.
Stop trying to capture a feeling or a moment of peace from the past.
Accept each moment and then move into the next.
Do not compare.
Do not mourn the moment's passing.
Remember the river that flows in each of us.