Week Four - Meditation and Transcendence

The readings and notes for this week are now available for download.  Please be sure to read both of Swami Dayananda's readings as they will help bring clarity to many of the topics we will be discussing, or at least perhaps more questions.  Please also read Chapter 3 of the Yoga Sutras - Vibhooti Pada.  We will be skipping the parts that deal with the special/physic powers, but we will be paying extra attention to the Sutras concerned with meditation and transcendental knowledge.  So please give extra attention to Sutra's 1-8, 9-14, 35/36, and 53-56.   I have structured the notes to reflect these readings.

For this week I will also be assigning an additional exercise.  If you do not currently have a regular meditation practice, please make a solid attempt at sitting for 10 minutes a day from now until Sunday.  This can be at any particular time of the day you wish, though I find morning or night to be the best times for meditation.  Please give your best attempt at fulfilling this small assignment, and if you are unable to sit, or cannot find the time, then in the very least make note of what the distractions were and what you found challenging about it.  I would also ask that during these 5 days, you simply sit in stillness.  Try not to apply any special techniques or mindfulness methods you may have read about,  simply sit and observe.  Please be prepared to talk about this experience on Sunday evening.  As always, email me with any questions or concerns.