Dharma Retreat – Living in Harmony📍Diano Green, Diano San Pietro, Liguria, Italy

śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt
swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ

Which translated into English would be:
“It is far better to fulfill one’s own natural duty, even if tainted by defects, than to fulfill another’s duty, even if perfectly. Indeed, it is preferable to die in the line of duty rather than follow another’s path, fraught with danger.

What does Krishna mean here…? In my experience and reading the comments of great masters, such as Yogananda, this teaching invites us to be ourselves, completely true and authentic.

In order to reveal our true Divine nature, which comes from the One Source and expresses itself with freedom, creativity, and intuition, it is important to “return” a little to being like children, to a state of spontaneous innocence, without fear of making mistakes: acting with trust and courage, letting go and abandoning ourselves into the arms of the Divine Mother.

To fulfill our true Dharma, or Divine natural duty, we must stop listening to the false whims of the ego that reinforces our feeling of being inferior or superior to others. When we copy someone else’s duty, it means we have a feeling of insecurity, of not being enough, and we don’t trust what we have to offer. This feeling of “less” is the flip side of superiority: where we imagine ourselves to be more important or more special than someone else. In this way, we only cultivate suffering and dissatisfaction.

Being transparent can sometimes be a little scary because we certainly won’t be able to please everyone; but it ensures we follow our heart, our soul, and our deepest feelings, which, in the bigger picture, are never wrong, even when they appear and/or temporarily do so. This is because, even when mistakes occur, if we are following the essence, that same mistake leads us to transformation, induces unexpected changes and paths that are often even more beautiful than those created by mental expectations.

Yoga teaches us to remember (smirit) that we are a spark of the Divine cosmic ocean and each of us has a unique quality and expression.

Realizing the creative Self

This sacred science helps us realize the creative Self through postures and exercises (asanas—which are laboratories of self-knowledge), mantras and pranayama breathing, which awaken energy, and above all through the superconscious meditations of Kriya Yoga and the psychophysical-energetic purification Kriyas of Kundalini Yoga. Structured practices on the mat and cushion rekindle states of greater presence and consciousness, even during life’s experiences.

Little by little, as we discover and manifest this True Nature, we also find a sense of greater happiness, completeness, and satisfaction. This also improves our overall health and our physical and mental radiance, as we rekindle our dharmic mission and begin to live increasingly aligned with our sweetest and most loving truth.

It’s important to emphasize that this “calling” or “mission” doesn’t necessarily have to be something “grandiose.” Dharma reveals itself, above all and initially, in small daily actions: in what life demands of us at that moment and at that time: giving the dog water when he asks is therefore “Dharmic.” Over time, and little by little, life speaks to us and prompts us to do small actions, then larger ones.

The only obstacle to living lightly in this Dharma is our mind, which often lies. As he says in his own Bhagavad Gita, in chapter 6, verse 5:

uddhared atmanatmanam
natmanam avasadayet
atmaiva hy atmano bandhur
atmaiva ripur manah

And here’s the translation:

“Man should use his mind to elevate himself, not to degrade himself. The mind can be a friend of the conditioned soul, or it can be its enemy.”

And later, in verse 6 of the same chapter 6:

bandhur atmatmanas tasya
yenatmaivatmana jitah
anatmanas tu satrutve
vartetatmaiva satru-vat

Which means:
“For one who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best friend; But for those who fail in this attempt, the mind becomes the worst enemy”.

Therefore, to leave the mind clear and thus no longer have it as an obstacle to true realization, true knowledge, and the encounter with one’s own Divine and dharmic qualities, the spiritual seeker must meditate, meditate, meditate, with depth, discipline, attention, and devotion, and continually observe himself: only in this way will he be truly guided by the soul, by the truth of the Self.

In another classic scripture, the Amrita-bindu Upanishad 2, confirms the previous teaching:

To deepen this knowledge, practice yoga (hatha flow, kundalini), meditate, and study with me, in a wonderful setting surrounded by nature with spectacular views, regenerating walks, sea bathing, and sharing with like-minded souls on the path, here is my invitation:

📍 Diano Green, Diano San Pietro, Liguria www.dianogreen.it

🌿Three days of yoga, meditation, and study to discover your true life purpose, for a higher existence ✨

🪴Allow yourself a completely transformative experience:

• 2 yoga practices per day – complete sadhana with Kriya Kundalini yoga and Hatha Yoga flow.
• 2 guided Kriya meditations per day, with mantras, pranayama breathing, and deep introspective silence.
• Chanting and Bhakti Yoga for energetic purification and heart expansion in Divine Love.
• Moments of connection in nature, both internally and externally, to calm and renew.
• Satsang studies in the company of sacred yoga texts and the teachings of the great Kriya Yoga Gurus.
• Vegetarian/vegan menu with organic, local, healthy foods prepared with immense love.
• See the full program here

🪷Conscious movements, silence, friendly sharing, and deep connection in a precious setting with special hosts 💚

📍Seats are very limited (max 7) and registration is required by May 5th. 

ℹ️ Information & reservations via private message
on WhatsApp +34 658213100

Love, Prema
Jay Guru Jay
Raquel Bhavani
www.premakriyayoga.com

“War and crime never pay. The billions of dollars that went up in smoke in an explosive nothingness would have been enough to create a new world, almost entirely free from disease and completely free from poverty. Not a land of fear, chaos, famine, pestilence, not a danse macabre, but a vast world of peace, prosperity, and ever-expanding knowledge.”
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA