honoring my teacher

One of my beloved teachers,

Corinne Andrews gave an asana teaching where she said,

“Every movement is an offering.

Every movement is a prayer.”

We learn to practice in this way, where the whole life is puja. Each act is offered with intentionality and care. In the same way, we are surrendered completely to the divine– To bring an equal amount of care and nonattachment to daily life. This is my experience of yoga- of surrender, of union with God.

All fruits of practice are surrendered to the divine.

Krishna’s teaching to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita begins and ends with this. Krishna stands with Arjuna on the battlefield. They speak together. Arjuna must continue to live in the world, even with the knowledge of war and violence. Even as he knows he must kill his family and sacrifice deeply what he most loves, Arjuna sees the face of God. Krishna reveals himself completely to Arjuna. Arjuna receives and surrenders deeply to receive teaching. 

In the Madukya upanishad, Turiya is om- a state beyond waking, dreaming, deep sleep. It is a state of waking in the deep sleep, living samadhi. This is a deeply surrendered state, a state of great bliss. It is a place of Krishna consciousness and unconditional love. The Madukya describes the different states of being, the totality of which is Om.

The “a” sound is synonymous with the waking state (vaishvanara) of consciousness– a state of fulfilling sense desires where one learns to master the senses.

The “u” sound is synonymous with the dreaming state (taijasa)- a state of past karma where the senses turn inward where one wakes in the dream.

The “m” sound is synonymous with the deep sleep state (prajna)- a state of no mind where the mind stills and one finds God. There is still division from God in prajna.

Oneness, complete immersion in the beloved, is Turiya. Turiya is Om: without birth, without death.

In the Katha upanishad, Yama, Lord of Death, gives teachings to a young boy. He gives the mantra, “Om”. He teaches that Atman is not born, Atman does not die. Atman is the eternal light of this world, realized through self discipline.

Merge into Om to end the life; Arise from Om to begin the new life.

This universe comes forth from Brahma, exists in Brahma, and will return to Brahma.

I am very inspired by my teacher –

God is love. Love is Truth. We realize Love as God. God is Truth.