What is Yoga?

By: Janardhan McIntosh – Prema Shanti Yoga and Meditiation Retreat

Yoga means Union with God

In the west yoga is associated with the physical postures which is asana yoga, it is a systematic science of self enquiry, encompassing the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of human nature, the practice of yoga helps to bring harmony and balance into one life. If there is imbalance or physical discomfit in your life, yoga will help to restore vitality and improve the emotional, mental and physical health in your life.

What is Yoga?

I am too busy for spirituality!

By: Janardhan McIntosh – Prema Shanti Yoga and Meditiation Retreat

A unexamined life is a wasted life, to live a powerful life free from fear is to embrace the unknown and make it known, the innermost longing of the human experience is to love and be loved, to feel the love beyond understanding, divine love, this is only possible through knowing yourself on all levels, then integrating all aspects of your multi-dimensional reality, harmonizing your emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual bodies, unfortunately the human condition dictates that we learn and grow mostly through pain, it’s the instigator of change, why change when your life is fine? Agitation precedes great learning. For most of us we want to lead empowered fear free lives, to do this we need to learn, and then experience our divine nature, our connection to all that is.

I am too busy for spirituality!

Can an atheist be spiritual?

By: Janardhan McIntosh – Prema Shanti Yoga and Meditiation Retreat

The reality is there is no such thing as an atheist, some one who declares he is an atheist is a person who interprets his understanding of life on an intellectual level, using only the five senses to make his evaluation on whether God is real or not, unaware of the higher sense perceptions, the reality is, if an atheist took up the practice of meditation with sincerity and earnestly,  he would quickly begin to realize that there is more to life than he previously experienced, and become open to the realization that there is an intelligence behind the creation that is referred to as God.

When someone makes an emphatic declaration such as I am an atheist, he has an egoic point to prove, his cup is full, you cannot pour new learning into a already fill cup, its like trying to explain the color yellow to a blind man, a blind man has no concept of color, similarly an atheist has no concept or experience with the divine.

The mind is limited when it comes to grasping the infinite nature of God, in the beginning of your spiritual journey, your intellect, discrimination, and judgment are essential tools for your spiritual advancement, eventually you will leave them behind as your faith becomes steady and strong through your own intimate experiences with the divine.

Can an atheist be spiritual?

God…

By: Janardhan McIntosh – Prema Shanti Yoga and Meditiation Retreat

Do you believe in God?  If so, what is it?

 I do not believe in God, to do so predisposes me to the possibility that one day I may not believe in God.

 Beliefs are just strong opinions that can change according to the information received: e.g. one day I belief the earth is flat, the next day I belief the earth is round, the next day I believe its all an illusion, beliefs are creations of the mind and are often ill conceived and dangerous to the believer and those around them.

I know God exists! Beyond any argument or belief to the contrary. Why can I be so adamant in my declaration? It is because of my own personal experiences with the divine intelligence people call God. Experiences so powerful in their authenticity I can never ever doubt the existence of the divine. These experiences are mine to own, they can never be taken away from me, it for you to also have your own experiences, do not believe in God! It is not enough, knock the door shall open, start with honest desire, be earnest, and the rest will follow.

Why should I believe in God?

 Do not believe in God, have faith in God, faith grows from direct experience, not belief, for instance I can tell you sugar is sweet, if you had never tasted sugar you can only imagine what sugar tastes like, but once you have experienced the taste of sugar, you now know what sugar actually tastes like, you no longer need to imagine the taste of sugar, you know it, similarly with God once you have had your own experiences with the divine, you do not need imagination, you will know, doubt vanishes, your faith begins to grow. Be aware, everything you see, touch, feel is the divine, nothing more, nothing less.

 Religions talk about God and look how conflict has come from religion?

 This is caused by belief and blind faith, when you place man between yourself and your own direct experiences with the divine, confusion and chaos can ensure, faith that is based on dogma, on belief is open to manipulation. All conflict between the religions is ego based i.e. man protecting a point of view or taking the text from some antiquated religious tomb to authenticate a particular point of view, to promote ones beliefs over another. Spirituality and religion have little in common.

God

What is the meaning of life?

 By: Janardhan McIntosh – Prema Shanti Yoga and Meditiation Retreat

Each has to find their own purpose and meaning in life, it changes as ones awareness evolves. For someone who follows the path of awareness, the goal is the removal of body consciousness and finally self realization, commonly called enlightenment, an enlightened being is known by their actions, they love all, serve all.

What is the meaning of life?