May's 2018's Theme:
BE TRUE!
Being True sounds like an easy task, doesn't it? Most of us understand how important it is to not lie and to be truthful. Upon further inquisition, it gets a little difficult when understanding if you are BEING TRUE. Just what does that mean - to be true?
Solara Anani, the visionary who first discussed the 11:11, describes trueness as, "something that resonates unquestionably in the core of our being." In other words, when you know that something is true, you KNOW - you can actually feel it in every sense of your being.
Being true means living in honesty and integrity. Being true means living in love and able to see beyond the duality and polarities of our life and into the expansive Oneness that we often talk about in yoga, where we have come to understand the interconnectedness of all life on a totally different level. Being true means going to great lengths to dissect who you think you are, pulling off all the masks that you wear, and tuning in to any of the judgments and conditions that you may have inadvertently put on people, places or things. In a nutshell, being true requires courage and patience as you weed through all of the untrue that we have been living in.
For the month of May, in any given situation, pause and ask: Am I Being True? Notice sensations in your body - because the body never lies. Work to calm your mind, because that ego, he/she is the liar. And above all, connect to the deepest sense of your soul through connecting to the earth, the stars, and Spirit.
Here are some yogic avenues for working with Being True this month:
Chant: EK ONG KAR SAT NAM SIRI WAHE GURU
Pronounced: Ek Onnng Kaaar, Sat Naaam S'ree, Wha HayG'roo
This powerful mantra taught by Yogi Bhajan is said to open all the chakras, charge the solar centers, connect the soul to the Universal Soul, and liberate us from the cycles of karma. Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa says of this mantra, "these eight syllables are the code letters, the direct personal phone number connecting you, the creature, with your Creator."
Meditation/Breath: To be performed with the above mantra, seated comfortably, with hands in Gyan Mudra (index fingers touching thumbs) or rest them in lap. Gently guide chin back towards throat, tipping head slightly down. Close the eyes and begin the chanting meditation:
1. Inhale deeply and chant Ek Ong Kar. Ek is vibrated briefly and powerfully at the Naval Point. Ong is chanted in the back of the throat, vibrates the upper palate, and comes out through the nose. Keep the sound continuous as you move without a pause from Ong to Kar. Give equal time to Ong and Kar.
2. Inhale deeply again and chant Sat Nam until you're almost out of breath, then reach for the Siri, which is brief. Sat is briefly and powerfully chanted at the Naval Point, Nam vibrates at the heart center. Siri is pronounced as if spelled S'ree; it is a short syllable.
3. Inhale a short half breath and chant Wahe Guru. Wahe is broken into two syllables, Wha and Hay. Wha is somewhat aspirated. Hay is extremely short. It becomes part of Guru which is pronounced as G'roo. Remember this is an "asthang" mantra, in other words, it has eight keys, eight syllables, so the "hayg'roo" should be all run together, almost like one syllable.
4. Inhale deeply again to repeat the cycle. Continue for 7, 11, 31, or 62 minutes or 2 1/2 hours.
5. To finish, inhale deeply, hold the breath, and focus at the Brow Point for several seconds, then exhale and relax.
From The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan
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| Tracey standing as a True One in Sacred Valley, Peru. |
Postures: True One. Standing as a "True One" is similar to Mountain Pose/Tadasana, but the legs are open a little wider. You stand fully present and open as if to say, "Here I am!" Stand in truth outside somewhere in nature, breathing and being. Feel your truth.
Alter: Pachamama - Earth Mother. She is your alter this month. Get outside and find the sacred meditating under a magnificent tree, breathing in the salt air at the sea, or taking a walking meditation through the woods. Whatever you do, listen for signs from Pachamama. Perhaps she will gift you a stone, a feather, or something else. If she does, don't forget to thank her. Take your precious gift home and place it on a new alter cloth next to where you sleep.
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Special Message from Tracey for May
Its finally May! I think that as of this writing we have actually even had a few warm sunny days too. What a strange kind of year its been already for us, right? The weather isn't cooperating, our world and political climate continues to create more tensions, and that last mercury retrograde was surely a doozy, wasn't it!? So I got to thinking, with all of the confusion and weird energy that we've been dealing with, our theme for May should be getting to the core of it all, really. BE TRUE. That's what its all about at the end of the day - being true. Living a life that feels right on every level and layer of our being. Being joyful and happy and knowing that we are in that flow with the One Consciousness through the energy of love and service.
That all seems a little far fetched? Then we have some work to do, don't we.
You know, Truthfulness or Satya is one of the main yamas or virtuous restraints from falsehood. It talks about everything from straight out lying about something, to being creative on our taxes, to not living in our truth. I find for most people, and self sometimes included, we are living some lies. Some of us validate it and make pretty good excuses for it too. But at the end of the day, we know when something is not right and, just like in Poe's famous work The Tell-Tale Heart, it will nag at us until we make it right...or go mad trying to live by the falsehood.
As you probably already know, May is my birth-month. This is a great time for me to dig back in to my truth and determine if I am still living in it on all levels. We all can get waylaid and need to find our way back. I hope that you will join me this month in being true in every moment and living in integrity and harmony.
In Love & Light,
Tracey L. Ulshafer, Founder, One Yoga & Wellness Center LLC, Experienced-Registered Yoga Teacher 500 hours (E-RYT500), RYS, CMT, Energy Worker, 11:11 True One.
If you would like to meet for private yoga, spiritual counseling or mentoring, contact Tracey at (609) 918-0963 or Info@oneyogacenter.net
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