Solution to Troubled Times

Jitendra leads a 15-minute meditation to help you find your peace and strength within for daily life. He is a longtime meditator and teacher at Ananda, serving with Ananda Online.

In this meditation, we are guided to go within and attune to the inner light of peace, love, and compassion. By releasing distraction and embracing present awareness, we can be an engine of Divine grace, ushering peace to the world. Through breathing preparation, stillness, mantra repetition, and visualizing sharing blessings, we connect to the Divine presence within. The goal is to become a channel of light and solution for humanity, especially those in need.

Transcript

Jitendra Guindon:

We Live in Troubled Times

Namaste friends,

At this current time that there is much restlessness. There's much fear. There is much doubt. And at this time, where we ourselves might be experiencing these feelings of doubt, or if we feel our hope beginning to diminish, now's a perfect time to take advantage of the blessings, the teachings of yoga.

[Soft music ends]

Helping Humanity and Staying in a Meditative Stillness

If we're seeking a solution to bring peace, to bring that deep awareness that we are a part of Spirit. We are Spirit. And the deeper we go into releasing all those things that begin to distract us from that absolute certainty of the love of the Divine.

As we begin to become aware, as we become much more in tune with this energy by going into meditation, then all those things that are distracting us — for example, right now, we all have an opportunity, very simply, to type in an address on a computer and we can find out what's happening in the world, which is a beautiful way for us to stay connected, but at the same time, we have to be very cautious with our energy.

We can very easily, although I may start off with a pure intention to seek an opportunity to serve those who are in need at this time, but if we get caught up in this web of restlessness, this web of fear, and, at that point in which we get caught, we no longer can serve, bringing, ushering this light this solution to the world at this time.

What Happens When We Live Our Life from Within

So the more that we make that decision, to go within, and to seek that inner light and to commune and attune with that light, automatically, we begin to become that solution. We become a channel for Divine Peace, Divine Love, and Divine Compassion, where we can hold the burning love of Divine Mother's presence in our eyes and our hearts.

This is when we can bring solutions to the world and for ourselves. To continue to wash, just as we may each day attend to the body and wash the body, we also have to do this inwardly for the mind and, more specifically, for the heart. 

The Guided Meditation

And so, today we will have a guided meditation, in specifically how we can begin to feel the mind washing away all restlessness, all fear, all doubt and instilling in the heart that pure presence of love, of joy, and of peace.

So close the eyes now as you begin to withdraw within, releasing all thoughts, all feelings of the past, and realizing as we embrace present-moment awareness in our life, as we make that choice, we put that effort out to just take the first step to close the eyes.

To sit upright now with a straight spine, relaxing the shoulders, turning the palms facing upward, as this is a time for you to receive, to receive that which is within you, to awaken. 

And behind closed eyes, gently gaze upwards at the point between the eyebrows. This is the seat of your higher Self. This is the seat of your intuition. This is where we can commune with the presence of divine love.

Breathing

And as we gaze upwards, begin to tune into the breath. As you watch the breath, feel the presence of grace powering your every breath.

And now let us do a few rounds of measured breathing. This is a beautiful way to begin to harmonize your energy, to balance your energy within. So we're going to inhale, keeping the eyes closed, gazing upwards, we're going to inhale for a count of six seconds, we'll hold the breath for six seconds at the point between the eyebrows. And then we'll exhale slowly releasing the breath.

And we want to breathe a nice deep diaphragmatic breath. So if it helps, you can clasp the fingers placed in the palms over the navel, and feel, as you inhale, your stomach expanding. We’ll hold the breath and then exhale. Again, feeling the diaphragm releasing as you feel your stomach beginning to draw within.

So close the eyes. And let's begin now keep count for us. So let’s inhale together through the nose. Nice, deep, steady diaphragmatic breath and hold the breath gazing upwards. Feel that inner stillness awakening and exhale slowly.

And inhale, hold the breath, and exhale. We’ll do two more rounds together. Inhale, hold the breath, and exhale. Last round together, inhale, hold the breath, gazing upwards, and exhale slowly. Let the breath fall all the way down to the bottom, and then hold it out for a few moments.

Now let go of all control of the breath for a moment. And let's not take a nice deep inhalation through the nose, filling the diaphragm in the lungs. Big breath in, exhale through the mouth, feel all tension, all distraction washing away. One more time deep inhalation, hold the breath, and exhale.

Mantra Use

Now close the eyes. And for a moment, releasing all control of the breath, and begin inwardly as you gaze upwards, you can use this very simple mantra that Paramhansa Yogananda, the great yogi from India, recommended to inwardly offer this mantra, this call from the heart, Reveal Thyself, reveal Thyself.

So as you gaze upwards from your heart, feel that you're anticipating the awakening of the blessings of the love of the Divine. As you inwardly repeat, Reveal Thyself, knowing that this presence, of love of peace, of joy, of light, of the power to continue walking this life, being a channel of change, being a channel of light, for all those at this time who are in need.

So inwardly gaze upwards and repeat Reveal Thyself, knowing that this presence is already within you. All you have to do, as Paramhansa Yogananda said, is "increase your knowing." And so, feel that you are already That, as you gaze upwards, repeating with all your love, all that compassion that drove you to seek the news, to find out what's out happening in the world. Re-channel that energy upwards in this mantra.

Reveal Thyself, reveal Thyself. We'll do this just for a few moments together, now. As you do this, always stop and listen in your heart for the response, feel that warmth, the blessing of Divine Mother's love within you and all around you. Reveal Thyself, reveal Thyself. [Long Pause]

Now let us close this meditation by bringing the palms together over the heart.

Sharing Peace and Light

This is an opportunity now for us all to share the blessings that we may feel awakening in the heart, sending it out to the world, especially to all those at this time who are in need, visualizing them, visualizing the situation filled with love, and light, filled with peace and hope. And together chant the sound of AUM out loud. And feel that from your center you’re sending waves of peace to the entire world.

So let us chant AUM now together, taking a deep inhalation. [sound of inhaling the breath then chanting] AUMmmmm.

Taking a deep breath. [sound of inhaling the breath then chanting] AUMmmmm.

And breathe, [sound of inhaling the breath then chanting] AUMmmmm.

And feel for a moment that you are a part of all that is, and as you grow your awareness of this inner light, this presence of stillness within, you can become a great engine of blessings through the grace of God to all who are in need at this time.

[Soft music begins playing]

AUM, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

Many blessings to you. Namaste.

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Learn more at www.ananda.org/meditation