Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Yoga, health, wellness, and recipes from YogaDownload.com

Samadhi: Why I work to teach you "Nothing"

On March 12, 2013 in General by Alan Finger

The only time you really turn inside is if you stub your toe, or you get bellyache, or something like that…suddenly then you turn your senses in. So we are not really designed to know what we are made of. But there are electrical impulses that are running through our system. There is electricity and magnetism that goes through us. A thought is a chemical and electrical exchange, but we can’t really see that. We can’t even really see what’s inside of us. We are not designed to do that at all. The truth is, we are actually pretty ignorant of all that is. To develop our inward perception, our insight, to develop the ability to see within and explore the worlds that we are made of and how these energies function through us, we have to learn to quiet the mind. And when the mind is quiet – this is the catch – you are no longer using senses. There is no language for that, it’s all subtle feeling. The ability to do that only happens when your mind is calm.

The best analogy is a lake. When a lake is calm and still, you can look through and see exactly what is at the bottom. Let’s say someone was not being green and they threw a soda can in the lake, and there at the bottom of the lake is this trash, this can. If that lake is choppy, what happens to the soda can? It looks like a red snapper, a big fish. But it’s really a soda can. Because our minds are not still we go through life making snappers out of soda cans. We need to make our minds calm and still so we can perceive things for what they really are. That is called viveka, or the ability to discern real from unreal. The state of a still mind is called Samadhi. It’s pretty simple. But it’s very hard to get to that state when you are not programmed to sit and do nothing for a period of time. But the tools of Tantra and ISHTA, and yoga are unbelievable. They are tools for how to get us back in, to get back to that place where our consciousness can become whole again and not fragmented by thought. And when your consciousness is whole, that’s when you can start to feel and perceiving things in a different way, the way they truly are.

By Alan Finger

South African Tantric and Kriya Yoga Master Alan Finger began studying yoga at the age of 16 with his father Mani Finger and renowned swamis of the past century. Alan and Mani created ISHTA Yoga. ISHTA is an acronym for The Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra, and Ayurveda, and also translates to “That which resonates with the individual spirit” in Sanskrit. The ISHTA style integrates breath-based flow yoga with alignment, meditation and healing bodywork. Before creating a home for ISHTA, Alan co-founded Yoga Zone, Be Yoga and Yoga Works. Alan has co-authored several books including Introduction to Yoga with Al Bingham, and Chakra Yoga and Breathing Space with Katrina Repka. Alan travels the world to share his teachings. He currently lives and teaches in New York City where he co-owns ISHTA Yoga with his wife, Sarah Finger. Learn more about Alan and Ishta Yoga Studio at ishtayoga.com.