Reincarnation - Part 1

     Brian Weiss, author of "Many Lives Many Masters", was in Atlanta this past weekend and several of my friends went to see him.  Thus, reincarnation seems to be a topic of current interest and conversation in my circle. Several years ago a friend asked me why I believe reincarnation is real. When I met this person there was a very deep and instant connection that I could explain in no other way than if we had known each other in many other lifetimes. My new/old friend acknowledged the unusual and immediate sense of familiarity; the instant feeling that we'd known each other for many years.  He had never considered reincarnation and it was not a part of his belief system. Thus the writing down of my thoughts and experiences on the subject.
     Is reincarnation real? First, let’s clarify that people do not reincarnate, souls do. So, the first question you must ask yourself is “What is a Soul”? Generally, most people identify themselves so strongly with their physical bodies, their minds (or thoughts), and egos (the “I” former, which identifies itself with our positions and possessions) they are really not very connected to the core essence of their being, or their soul.
     So what is a soul? Deepak says the soul is non-local, acausal, quantum mechanical, interrelatedness. In more understandable words this means the soul resides outside of space and time, has no particular location, there is no cause and effect, things are non-linear, and everything is instantly correlated, and inseparably connected and correlated with everything else on this level.
     How do we connect to our soul? One of the best ways to connect with our soul is through meditation. During meditation we occasionally slip into a place, sometimes referred to as “the gap”, where we glimpse our soul. When you slip into “the gap” you transcend space, time and causality. What happens when you begin experiencing this state of consciousness? You start realizing there is more to reality than we experience in the first three States of Consciousness (deep sleep, dreaming, waking). You will notice you have more intuition, you inner world and your outer world establish some connection. You will notice your senses become enhanced or refined, your relationships improve and toxic habits fall away.

     What do we know about different states of consciousness? We know that knowledge is different in different states of consciousness, reality is different in each state, and our biology is different in different states of consciousness. Our brain waves are different in each state of consciousness. Our physiology also changes with regard to heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, perspiration, release of stress hormone, etc.

     I do believe that our souls reincarnate, and some souls may even have a choice about whether to reincarnate, but people and personalities do not. Just as we play out a variety of roles during a lifetime, our souls play out a variety of roles in each incarnation. They find themselves in a different body, which changes throughout a lifetime, different roles, which also change throughout a lifetime, with different personalities and situations.

     Though the belief of reincarnation has been around for thousands of years, modern day Christianity does not generally accept reincarnation as part of its doctrine, and some even consider it heresy. However, I have discovered that deeply hidden within its history, especially the writings of Mystic Christianity, reincarnation was part of that belief system. I found a tidbit of history confirming that reincarnation was originally a Christian tenent but was rejected at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 CE. Reincarnation is a part of both the Hindu and Budhist beliefs, as well as others.

Is Yoga a Religion?

Earlier this year I spent several days at a Trappist Monastery just outside of Atlanta. During my visit I had the pleasure of speaking with Father Tom Fransis on several philosophical and theological topics. Now a spry young man in his 80’s, he has practiced yoga for decades. He has also written about centering prayer in his books.  Centering prayer is also known as contemplative prayer or meditation. When I met Fr. Tom he asked me, “Do you teach Christian Yoga or Hindu Yoga?” I thought that was a strange question coming from such a spiritual and well read man! I am often asked, “Is Yoga a Religion?”

Yoga has its roots in the ancient wisdom teachings of India which date back more than 5,000 years. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root, “YUJ”, which literally translated means “unity” or “to yoke”. Yoga has always been used as a way to purify the physiology and quiet the mind. In recent years there is a renewed interest in Yoga to enhance fitness and to reduce stress. If the only reason you practice Yoga is for the physical benefits, that alone would provide ample rewards. However, the essential purpose of yoga is to integrate all aspects of our being – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual (Mind, Body & Spirit). Yoga offers a tool to not only release stress but to help us remain calm amidst the chaos of life.

So is yoga a religion? No, yoga is a philosophy and a way of life. Yoga can enhance your spiritual practice regardless of your religious beliefs. There should never be any conflict between the practice of yoga and your belief system. Yoga was around before Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, or the other religions we think of today. Yoga integrates all aspects of our being by purifying our physiology and quieting our minds. When that happens we have the tools to not only stay calm amidst the turbulence of life, but to access the silence within us. It is in that silence that we have the opportunity to connect with our essential selves, our creativity, our spiritual nature, and to the Divine.

Whatever your reason for trying a yoga class, it is a great reason. Whether your goal is to enhance flexibility, improve strength, or to reduce stress, it is a great reason to come to a yoga class. Yoga does however have some hidden and perhaps unexpected gifts. If you are open to them you will find them. You don’t have to go digging, just practice; they will find you. I know I found those gifts, and that is why I teach yoga today.

*The Monastery of the Holy Spirit is located in Conyers, Georgia. It is a Catholic Monastery of the Cistercian Order. Cistercian Monks, commonly known as “Trappists”, live a contemplative life (mostly in silence). If you are interested in visiting the monastery, I will be taking a group there soon, date TBA! Contact me and let me know of your interest.

You Are What You Metabolize

You are what you metabolize from all five of your senses. When my children were toddlers they watched the children's show, Barney. I remember that big purple dinosaur saying, "You are what you eat from your head to your feet!" He was encouraging children to make good food choices. Indeed making healthy choices in what we eat is important, but we are so much more than just what we eat. We metabolize every single experience we take in from all five of our senses! Therefore, the quality of our experiences and our ability to metabolize them determine the quality of our health and the state of our wellbeing. In addition, our mind and our physiology do not distinguish which experiences are "real" from those that are "unreal".

Recently I had the opportunity to speak at one of Loral Langemeier's Big Table Events. Several of the audience members expressed that the idea we must metabolize our experiences from all five of our senses was a completely new concept to them, but it made sense. Deepak Chopra says, "If you want to know why your body is the way it is today, look at the quality of your experiences over the past 10 years; If you want to know what your body will look like 10 years from now, look at the quality of the experiences you are having today." I was asked if I could tell them more and give them some examples of how this concept might be affecting their state of health and wellbeing.

First, our minds do not distinguish the "real" from the "unreal". Close your eyes and imagine you have a plump, juicy, yellow lemon in your hand. Feel the texture; observe the smell. Imagine yourself cutting the lemon into several wedges and see the juices being released. Now imagine taking one of the wedges you have cut and bite into it. What would it taste like? Mmmmm! Did your mouth water or salivate? Most likely it did, but where was the lemon? There was no lemon, but you still had a physiological response to the imaginary lemon.

I often ask students in my yoga class to become aware of unmetabolized experiences they may be carrying by doing the following exercise. At the beginning of class we sit quietly and observe our breath. As we observe the inflow and outflow of the breath our bodies and our minds begin to settle down. I will then ask them to give their body a scan and just see what they notice. They may notice an area of tightness somewhere, perhaps in their shoulders or back; there may be tension in those muscles. This tension may be from experiences they had in their day or week that they are still "carrying," and now they are "holding onto" those experiences in their body. Once there is awareness of this tension, the breath can be sent to that place and we can have the intention to release whatever we are holding on to.

The first step in learning to metabolize all of our experience is awareness. Once we become aware that we must metabolize all of our experiences we will naturally make more conscious choices about how we live our lives and the experiences we choose. In addition, we will be more aware of how our experiences affect us and learn how to metabolize or let go of things that are unhealthy or that do not serve us.

Affirmation: "I always make the most nourishing choice to nurture myself and to support the daily renewal of my mind, body and spirit."