Yoga and Meditation - The Multi-Day Challenge

Recently, we have been discussing cultural beliefs and mental conditioning. Today let's try looking at this issue from a different perspective. The Environment. Some of you may relate better or be more comfortable addressing the issue in this way. Let's discuss how our environment effects our mental thought processes and our lives and how yoga and meditation can help us deal with these issues.

First let's define what we mean by the environment. This is everything that one encounters that is external to them. This encompasses the natural environment, the mountains, lakes, streams, animals, etc. But of greater importance to our discussion, it also encompasses, the other people in your lives, and the relationships that exist with these people. It includes all of the economic, political, religious and cultural circumstances that one encounters during his or her life.

The questions posed are, "How does the environment effect our mental thought processes and our lives and how can yoga and meditation help"?

From the moment we are born, even before birth, we are all in a constant struggle with the environment to achieve physical safety and security. As babies, we learn to cry to alert our parents, that we need something. As children, we learn to use our eyes, put on a certain facial expression, or alter the tone of our voice, etc. to entice others to act in a certain way. We attempt to control the other, and as a consequence our environment, to attain what we want so that we may be secure and safe. As young adults we learn to dress and act in certain ways to attain friendships and to attract a mate. Again, we control the environment to get what we need and want. We do this all of our lives. This is all fairly obvious, isn't it?

In the process of attempting to control the environment to attain what we believe will bring about safety and security, and pleasure and happiness for us, we develop an ego. The "I" wants and desires pleasure and happiness for itself and finds countless ways to influence the environment to attain what it wants. We spend our entire lives, countless hours, immeasurable effort, developing and fine tuning this "I" in an attempt to get what we want. To get our way. We attempt to control others, exert our will over others for primarily selfish reasons, in search of our own security and comfort. You will need to be very honest with your self to see this.

The actions necessary to develop the "I", create an ever moving and changing environment because everyone is doing the same thing in their own little ways. Everyone is motivated by the self, "I" to bring about their own security, safety and comfort. So you exert your influence on another, they process your actions, realize the manipulation, and react differently the next time you meet by responding to your manipulation. They have changed and certainly you have changed as well. So we adapt, always fine tuning the "I" to be ever more cunning and manipulative and powerful and influential than before.

We join organizations to meet like minded individuals, political, financial, religious, etc. We marry, and have children because we need to feel loved and belong to a family group. We need to perpetuate our own species, and our own consciousness, the "I". We desire immortality through having and raising offspring to carry on for us. We are drawn towards various religions, for the same reason, because we fear death and want to live on forever. The "I" for which we have spent countless hours developing and perfecting, does not want to let go. There is so much vested in this process, it wants to continue forever. Do you see this? Think it over carefully and you will see the beauty of this whole process. You will come to understand how all of this works.

I would like to propose you try a little exercise. Over the next week, watch and pay attention to your actions very carefully. Pay attention to what motivates you towards certain actions. Pay attention to your likes and dislikes, these are the things that motivate you the most. Then list 5 specific instances where you attempted to control your environment to attain what you wanted, or to avoid something that caused you pain or discomfort. Notice both the causes and the effects of your action. Did you really solve anything? Or did you just replace one problem with another problem? Did your actions lead to conflict or some kind of injustice or further displeasure?

To do this exercise correctly you must be very honest with yourself. The "I" may feel threatened by this invasion of privacy. You have to be very observant, and attempt to see things clearly so that you may understand why you acted the way you did. Don't allow fear and prejudice, etc. to make you observe in a superficial manner. Really deeply observe, absorb, and accept everything you find. This is you. This is your truth. This is your discovery of intelligence.

It should be fairly obvious that we can never hope to understand others, or our actions in relationship to the environment, if we don't first take the time to understand ourselves. So if you are at all serious about being happy and content, and attaining the future that you've always wanted and desired, then I suggest that you take this exercise very seriously. This is the true process of yoga and meditation in action. We hope to gain a better understanding of ourselves and others through the practice of yoga and meditation.