Namaste, dear friends,
I hope to see you soon to share with even more depth and joy the practices and teachings of yoga, knowing each other more and awakening unconditional love in our hearts.
WHO ARE WE?
The essence of yoga teachings is to remember Who we truly and authentically are. This is the big question in yoga: “Who am I?”.
It is not an easy answer or one that comes overnight, usually: it is simple because on the one hand it is what we already are in essence, but it is not easy to truly experience immediately or without a certain discipline, because for a long time we have identified with something else…
One could mistakenly think of being this “person” in this “body” and calm down with this “temporary answer”. But, the true seeker, in the end, is not exactly “quiet”, especially initially: he/she is someone who asks questions, who reflects, who tries, who is not afraid of making mistakes or “falling” and of continuing: once he finds his path, then, he follows it with dedication and determination, more deeply and infinitely in the inner search…
Once you begin to know your body, starting from the asanas (psychophysical postures), practicing with awareness and patience, guided by your breathing; the practitioner can, little by little, feel where there is more or less comfort, and he/she can observe what are the greatest challenges and why are the points of fluidity and/or freedom…
This perception does not only happen on a physical level: the yogi and yogin (those who practice yoga) begin to truly “see” themselves for what they are even on deeper levels: mental, emotional, energetic, until reaching the most subtle level of the soul or heart: the Essence…
In Patanjali’s book of sutras, we read: 1.14: “sa tu dīrgha kāla nairantarya satkārā ‘‘sevito dṛḍhabhūmiḥ” meaning: “the practice becomes firmly rooted when it is followed attentively for a long time, without interruption and with deep devotion (satkara)”.
So, starting from this self-knowledge, which grows when practice and meditation are more intense, profound and frequent, as Patanjali says above; then yes, all life is transformed because the “vision” of the sadhaka or yoga practitioner, becomes, little by little, clearer, more present, conscious and transparent. This process, normally, is slow, gradual and even painful: a bit like the story of the caterpillar that becomes a beautiful butterfly…
In my opinion, in the spiritual path, this transformation happens in an even more evident and intense way; we are reborn with a truly incredible frequency: sometimes more slowly, it is true, but also often, at the speed of Light, literally… In a certain sense, reflecting on it even more deeply, we could say that we are reborn continuously, daily, even with every breath…
We also realize that every time some “butterfly” inside us flies free; quickly other “caterpillars” appear with all the need for our attention, acceptance and love.
Thus we develop faith and “Divine surrender” or “Isvara Pranidhana”; with the certainty that the metamorphosis will happen and that everything will clarify again…
The truth is that we are Divine and immortal beings (Purusha); at the same time, we are nature and cyclicity (Prakritti): sometimes we have apparently “still” moments (when something is happening internally); then, the “waves” come and manifest themselves – sometimes small, other times like “tsunamis” – and, after the storm; here is the Light, the expansion, the creation, the Divine revelation and the understanding of why all that movement and necessary pain, previously… and so, it continues, to infinity…
For this reason, in my opinion, in the spiritual path, the most powerful and true teachings are: let’s stay in the presence, in listening, let’s not let ourselves be taken by discouragement and by the less brilliant moments where there are more internal movements than external ones… Let’s let ourselves go and live what is now, this instant… Let’s try to stay “ALIVE”, with all our cells, truly experimenting, with total attention together with surrender to the Divine, every instant: doing our best, and abandoning ourselves to what is; without ever giving up… Let’s continue to act with our heart, both in life and in yoga and meditation practice, taking moments to truly listen, silence, look inside ourselves and accept whatever moment it is: this will help us cultivate patience, calm, expanding our understanding and, consequently, it will change our life, on every corner.
The truth is that most of us do not even realize that we are constantly seeking Ourselves outside of Ourselves… We mistakenly hope to find this happiness (which is self-realization) by putting all our faith in worldly things, external knowledge, fame, money and relationships with others… Yoga and meditation are not practices to “escape” from worldly responsibilities, nor do they speak of repressing the enjoyments of life: yogic practice is integrated into a harmonious, natural, non-violent and purposeful life. At the same time, the spiritual path encourages us to depend more and more on our internal attitudes rather than on external circumstances; as Yogananda beautifully says: “Man’s freedom is final and immediate if he so wills; it does not depend on external but internal victories.”
When you feel sad or discouraged, remember that you are not alone, and above all remember Who you are, in essence through meditation.
I leave here this magnificent inspiration of Master Yogananda that I hope will be helpful in this memory of who you are:
“You are all gods, but you do not know it. The sea of God’s presence is behind the wave of your consciousness. You must search within yourself. Do not concentrate on the little wave of the body with all its weaknesses, look beyond it. Close your eyes and you will see omnipresence around you. You are at the center of this sphere and as soon as you raise your consciousness above the body and its experiences, you realize that the sphere is permeated with infinite joy and bliss that illuminate the stars and give strength to the wind and storms. God is the source of all our joys and of all nature…
Wake up from the darkness of ignorance. You have closed your eyes in the sleep of illusion. Wake up! Open your eyes and you will see the glory of God, the immense horizon of God’s light that spreads over all things. I am advising you to be divinely realistic, and you will find in God the answer to all your questions.”
Happy practices and life, in the continuum of remembrance of the Self…
Namaste
Raquel Bhavani
www.premakriyayoga.com
If you want to start this inner journey in yoga with me and/or continue to deepen the practices with me:
– Here are some end-of-year opportunities to practice together in solidarity: all the proceeds from these first two events will be donated to “yoga de rua”, an institution that helps street people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Instagram @yogaderua . I will also send part of the donations to abandoned animals: Instagram @protetorespdr and to an animal sanctuary in Brazil, Instagram: @ahimsa.santuariovaledarainha
1. Sunday, 12/15/2024
from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM (Tenerife time) on zoom – Christmas meditation
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2280681005
Donations can be made directly to me on PayPal email premakriyayoga.com or by bank transfer to Raquel Fischer Barros, Account number and Iban: IT32G 02008 01422 000103840080
2. Tuesday, 24/12, Christmas Eve
9:00 -9:30 – meditation
9:30-11:00 – kundalini yoga practice and final short meditation
(Tenerife time zone)
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2280681005
Donations can be made directly to me at PayPal email premakriyayoga.com or by bank transfer to Raquel Fischer Barros, Account number and Iban: IT32G 02008 01422 000103840080
Here is a complete in-depth weekend to end this year of 2024 fully energetic, awake and ready for what is coming:
Workshop: kriya yoga, the energetic recharging exercises.
– Saturday and Sunday, December 14th and 15th.
To see the complete program, look below and for more info and booking, contact me on whatsapp +34 658213100 – Raquel Bhavani
Save the dates!
Save the dates: I’ll give you a preview of some dates for 2025…
There are already retreats, workshops and training courses (YTT 250 hours with yoga alliance diploma) scheduled in Italy and Tenerife and online.
In person:
– Sunday, 03/30 I will be in Italy, Milan with a wonderful workshop on kriya yoga from
-On the weekend, from April 4th to 6th , there will be a Retreat in Italy, Liguria at
– from July 5th to 12th – Retreat and 50-hour course in Tenerife, Canary Island
https://www.premakriyayoga.com/retreats/
(on this page you can see a bit of this year’s retreat…)
Online:
– After some requests, I have created for you a beautiful 20-hour course on kriya yoga:
“Kriya Yoga, awakening in the Light”
– The course will be completely online, with pdf handouts and all the recordings that will remain forever for each participant.
– It will happen one Sunday a month, from 9:00 to 13:00 (Tenerife time zone), with theoretical/philosophical study and meditative practice; from February to June/2025.
– Write to me privately to receive more info, or look on the site
https://www.premakriyayoga.com/courses/ where we will soon add this new course.
Prema Kriya Yoga Teacher training 250 hours with yoga alliance diploma – 2025/2026: Online + one week in presence in Tenerife
– For those who really want to fully delve into the path of yoga, meditation by studying and practicing intensely and integrating it fully into everyday life, the next group for the training course that continues every year since 2017; starts in September/2025.
Very soon I will send you more details, but if you are interested and want to register in advance, contact me privately on whatsapp +34 658213100
Or enter the site with all the details of the past course:
https://www.premakriyayoga.com/teacher-training-2/
-Every Tuesday and Thursday there is the possibility to practice together, online live; or with the videos that I record, every week.
See the link below for more info, or contact us on whatsapp +34 658213100
https://www.premakriyayoga.com/practices/#yemo
May we all find Divine Peace in our hearts, live our most elevate, truest and most authentic purpose in accordance with the highest ideals, and may we all indulge in creativity and Divine Grace – with ever-deeper compassion and love; helping to leave the world a little better than we found it…
These are my heartfelt Christmas wishes.
Love and Light,
Namaste
Jay Guru Jay
Jay Ma
Raquel Bhavani
www.premakriyayoga.com
“Those who seek wealth for themselves alone are destined to become poor or suffer from mental disharmony; but those who consider the whole world as their family and are truly concerned with the welfare of a collective or the world, and earnestly devote themselves to helping others, obtain the personal prosperity that is rightfully theirs. This is an infallible and secret law.”
— Where the Light Shines, Yogananda
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