Spiritual Daily Amrit Vela Blog - Difficulties, Joys, Methods Of This Practical Journey To Self Discovery

[Harry Haller]

Good stuff guys !!!
Maybe try meditating at other quiet times in the day when possible. Hopefully this can give you more of a yearning and incentive to get up in the early hours of the morning.
I'm sure that I got into the swing this way initially.

If you like music Harryji, then you should try some soothing mellow kirtan like Snatam kaur's. I enjoy it because I like to hear good quality music on a nice system where you can hear all the different instruments quite clearly and her music is recorded in this good quality.

I think that starting is one of the hardest hurdles to overcome at first and ideally you shouldn't expect anything but just to feel closer within yourself at 1st and then the Lord inside you - the 'antarjami'

I would also recommend the 'waheguru' simran with 'wahe' on breath in and 'guru' on breath out. This little technique helps you to focus and stop you drifting or stopping from saying it.

 

[Luckysingh]

It's just very well composed and 'produced' music !!
It's the sort of production that most artists would hope for from what I gather as I used to be quite involved in the music industry.

 

[Ishna]

I've got one of her CDs and it's lovely. I made the mistake of listening to it a lot while I was working, now I've ruined it a bit for myself. So don't do that.

As for me, I haven't gotten up for the last I know know how many days. My alarm goes off then my mind thinks "It's cold, you need a blanket, the blanket on the couch smells funny, you can't take the one off the spare bed, there really isn't any other blankets around, ah then I won't be able to 'meditate' and it will be a useless effort bah I'm going back to sleep". :S Excuses, excuses, excuses.

 

[Ishna]

... I bought a fleece blanket. No more excuses. But now I'm thinking about homeless people. :S

 

[chazSingh]

Hi All, sorry i haven't been online, changing broadband companies at home so been without internet for a few days.

 

[chazSingh]

Satnaam Harry Ji,

Just like in Tai Chi, they meditate on movements and sequences, they learn to focus on these movements whilst controlling the wayward mind, and this allows them to feel the Chi energy within, which they wouldn't be able to do if the mind overpowers.

so please keep listening to Kirtan in the mornings, its sooo soothing and is a form of meditation...i often just close my eyes and fall into it. Some of the examples below can also be used for guided meditation:

SNATAM KAUR Jap Man Sat Nam.wmv - YouTube

ONE OF THE BEST EVER WAHEGURU JI SHABAD AND I BET IT U GONNA LUV IT GUYS - YouTube

MUL MANTRA - Snatam Kaur - SOMOS UNO...WE ARE ONE - YouTube

Enjoy

 

[chazSingh]

Ishna Ji,

your description of listening to the mind whilst waking up, and being aware of these thoughts which are so overpowering bring to mind shabads in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji like :

raajan raam ravai hithakaar ||
One who lovingly chants the Name of the Sovereign Lord King,

ran mehi loojhai manooaa maar ||
fights the battle and conquers his own mind;

The battle has begun

i failed to get up on saturday amrit vela due to these overpowering thoughts, but like Lucky Ji says, if you're able to do a little through the day it sometimes helps keeping the momentum.

i sometimes think, during our lives we have to battle the mind during our interactions with others...

but at night, when we try to wake up for amrit vela, it's a clear battle ground...just you (soul) and the (mind).

Keep it going Ji, God Bless

 

[chazSingh]

Experiences of Naam Simran

What I've personally found is that when one reaches a state of deep relaxation, and when the potency of the thoughts in the mind is decreased, we become aware of many sensations within the body which would not be possible otherwise...

A Lot of patience is required... something i realised very quickly...even now i get frustrated, wanting things to happen quickly, but this just becomes more desires...and desires is what we're trying to get away from.

Some days this deep relaxation and state of less thoughts is obtained very quickly, other days due to life's drama, it is very difficult....the battle with the mind is continuous...it almost doesn't want you focusing on God...instead throwing a million thoughts of desires, revenge, anger, ego fueled life dramas, lust etc etc


But if we keep battling like this through Naam Simran, i'm certain that our inner guru, shabad guru is walking a hundred steps towards us.

just as in the outer world, when we're walking the streets, and our attention is suddenly taken towards a song heard in the distance, in the same way i feel through my Simran that inner Shabad Guru will guide us through this journey of self discovery.

Some interesting shabads in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji which only started to have meaning to me through daily simran are below. I find them interesting, inspriring and also seems to give us hints, tips as to if we're making progress on our inner journey. These Gems, these Shabads seem to evolve in meaning and understanding as my simran develops as though they are infinite. often i have thought "ahh, thats what it means" only to return to the same shabad months later saying "omg, why didnt iseethat last time"

dhasavai vaasaa alakh apaarai ||
In the Tenth Gate, is the dwelling of the infinite, unseenLord.

saaeir sapath bharae jal niramal guramukh mail n laaeidhaa ||2||
The seven seas are overflowing with the Ambrosial Water; the Gurmukhs are not stained with filth. ||2||
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

anehadh sabadh suhaavanaepaaeeaigur veechaar ||2||
The beautiful, Unstruck Sound of the Shabad is obtained, contemplating the Guru. ||2||
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 21

man raesabadh tharahuchith laae ||
O mind, swim across, by focusing your consciousness on the Shabad.
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 19


I strongly feel humility is also key on this journey...in the end our own efforts will only get us so far, nothing will is fruitful without Gods Grace and my ardass before simran is always to fall at guru ji's feet and surrender to his will.

Having a small so called "spiritual experience" and the ego inflates...i've felt this sometimes, even if i don't tell anyone anything..the feeling inside of "i must be special" begins to flare up...and a hurdle has suddenly appeared."Keep low always, lowest of the low in thought and action"...that's what i keep telling myself.

gur kaisabadh pashhaaneeaijaaaapaenadhar karaee ||
The Word of the Guru's Shabad is realized, when He Himself bestows His Glance of Grace.
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 37

 

[Harry Haller]

If this were a thread, hahaha

but it is not a thread, it is a blog, as I said, if I have nothing positive to say, I will not say it!

Thanks for the youtube links Chazji, I will listen to them tommorow when I get in to the shop at 5am, although I have to confess, your all speaking a different language to me, but what the hoo, nothing ventured, nothing gained, its not asking a huge amount to listen to 3 shabads,

 

[chazSingh]

Me and You harry ji, we were destined to cross paths

Feel free to Say something even if it's the exact opposite to what i write. the invite was to get readers to take part and try things, maybe new things or share their own things.

different language to you? even i read my own posts sometimes and think what the hell am i going on about!!

 

[Harry Haller]

Yesji, I wonder that myself sometimes

I am at odds with some things mentioned, but this is like your houseji and I am a guest so although I am not used to thinking in this fashion, whilst I am here, I will be polite and try and get into the spirit of what is going on.

You are serving pepsi, I am used to coca cola, so I will try pepsi, its not going to kill me......

 

[Ishna]

Yeah Harry ji, it's like Chazji's house!

Today was good, I got myself up, late, but I got up. Blanket worked nicely, I wasn't as agitated. I did the breathing thing - Wahi on the in and Guru on the out.

I know there is disagreement on where Mul Mantar ends, but I find myself so connected to Jap aad such jugaad such hai bhi such Nanak hosi bhi such! Sometimes I repeat that. It gives me this feeling of awe and of being a tiny speck in an infinite and limitless place.

And Chazji, you're right, it really is a battle.

 

[chazSingh]

Parrup Ji,
How are you getting on?

 

[Harry Haller]

i find it relaxing just reading everyone's experiences !

 

[chazSingh]

Hi Ishna,

i also do Mool Manter to Nanak Hosi Bhi Such...

For me it not only describes the forever existing creator/god...but it describes the part of us that is also forever existing

The days when anxiety hits, worries develop, fears take a grip...i like to close my eyes, and mediate on the mool manter - every sound, every vibration, and the meaning behind it....

I am fearless, i hate none, i am forever existing, so whats to worry about

then my eyes open and things don't feel half as bad as before.

 

[chazSingh]

Harry Ji, i hope you enjoyed the shabad music links.

 

[arshdeep88]

All right
i have been not waking up at 3-4 but waking up between 5-6 which are early for me considering my earlier wake up times.

not doing any meditation but just few breathing exercises to calm myself and trying to keep my mind positive .
After that i water my plants ,it gives me positive feelings when i water them considering earlier i hardly watered them ever and for a moment help me in keeping myself away from negatives which mind have the habbit of dwelling into.
physically too i feel more fresh and energetic throughout the day
so far so good ,lets see what happene next ,will try posting my experiences more chaaz ji

 

[chazSingh]

that's brilliant Arshdeep Ji,

that has put a thought into my mind...
after simran i usually go back to sleep for an hour or so (i can usually hear the birds singing around this time and see the sunlight seeping through the curtains) i think i might go into the garden and water the plants, breath the air, see the birds, and watch the sun rise.
Can't believe all this time i didn't think of doing this.

Thanks Ji

 

[arshdeep88]

Chaaz Ji
My father gets up as early as 4 in the morning and he has been regular to morning walk in the park at this time for the last 8-10 years by the grace of almighty.
He starts by walking normally fast then continuing with other stretching exercises.By the time his walk and exercises finishes he sees the sun too rising there,does few breathing exercises kind of meditation at the park only and then comes back home.Back home he takes a bath after that listen to some kirtan or sometimes just stay quite with himself,after the whole process he do makes a point to sleep but not for more than an hour ,and by the grace of almighty i haven't seen him feeling lazy instead is full of energy all day long.
i hv been able to notice and learn such things only after going with him for jog myself.

 

[Harry Haller]

today was a bad day for meditation, I will try again tommorow, today was a howling day