Raja Yoga Meditation

In the next few blogs, I will attempt to document my experience, my thoughts and views of Raja Yoga meditation.

raja means king/highest ; yoga means connection ; meditation (from Latin : mederi) means to heal

What

Therefore, raja yoga meditation can be defined as the highest connection to our own mind providing it the right exercise and diet to restore its balance. It is a kind of mind training, a method of exploration of truth.

Benefits
Meditation is said to have physical, mental and spiritual benefits.

I am very tempted to write a mini literature review for this section ...hahaha...for now to keep your attention, I will leave it summarised :-)

Why the interest?

It attracted my attention because firstly its an approach to spiritual awakening and development rather than a religious approach. Religion is a man made, a culture based doctrine that guides it's people in the practice of spirituality. Spirituality acknowledges that there is some Higher Power out there and that is omniscient and omnipresent and can be felt as a living presence in our own heart.

As I understand this method more, this competency is encompassing the competency of Personal and Professional Mastery (what we see in self help books). This is not suprising (now that I think of it) that spirituality is in the core.

You may ask..so how does it work? Well, I am finding that it's intellectually liberating, physically calming and emotionally balance...but lots of knowledge to be learned.....tbc

Fear

"FEAR is the mind killer,
destroyer of thought,
and thief of action.
I will allow it to pass over me,
and through me,
with my inner mind I shall watch its passage,
and when it is gone,
only I shall remain"

The Explorer
.
once upon a time
a star decides to leave its homeland
where there is nothing but peace
it seemed silly
why leave Peace?
fear not
for when there are no earthly senses,
there will be
no expression
no experiment
no learning
so homeland i will come back one day
wiser than before i left

Bring Me To Life
.

Wake me up

I can't wake up

Save me

(Save me from the nothing i have become)

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Sometime ago, i heard this song for the first time, simple messages of suffering expressed very well.

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I hope the listeners of this song realise that Amy Lee and her group Evanescence are very successful and the success itself does not come from being lost, it comes from hardwork & self accountability.

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and why can't Evanescence sing happy songs? :D

as it is intended to be...

Last week while I was on a tour in Oxford, it was the end of the day and almost the end of the tour, our tour leader decided to take us to the oldest Oxford souvenir shop - College Store, where they sell t-shirts and stuffs. This was because, someone asks for shopping earlier, our tour is very packed. The tour leader Katrina (with long red hair) seems to know the manager of the shop, they chatted a bit. I was walking around inside looking for the right type of sweater (must be a full front zip). There was none so I walked out and waited outside while the others browse.

The shop 2 doors down caught my attention, it was white, serene and has a good chi and vibes. I wonder why so many people don't see it. Its called innerspace. I walked in and find one of the biggest world spiritual organisation called Brahma Kumaris. http://www.bkwsu.org/

Daisy

A few days ago, my friend who is in her mid fifties told me she was going to go for her cataract operation and it will improve her vision. Haven't heard from her yet and I hope she is recovering well.

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It reminds me of my grandmother whom i think had a cataract operation on one eye but lost the other due to it was too late. This is in the late 80s and we were poor and good medical help wasn't within reach. I feel so sorry for her as she walks around the neighbourhood with a false eye. Our neighbourhood is tolerant which i am very proud off. She is a beautiful woman and her name is Daisy, has gone through many hardships in her life ... too many indeed. She wasn't highly educated and didn't have a job or work, so she depends on others (brothers, relations) to support her.

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I used to think about how her life got to where it is and I thought she was imprisoned by her own thoughts that she couldn't do better though I know that she was sad and cries often during her old age. I also used to think that it was because the lack of education that hindered her, which is probably a factor. I know she did the best she could to bring up the whole family.

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I also vowed that my life will be different, learning from experiences of women before me, being a coward is never an option, thinking is a facilitation, actions makes it happens.

Escaping North Korea

Its a documentary about real life stories of North Koreans escaping their homeland to Yanji, China. There are those who are loyal to their 'father" the General and those who wants to leave is considered a traitors. Yanji is no dream city for them as most of them are sold to farmers as wife for about 6000 pounds (a lot of money). Those who escape their buyers hides in the Yanji city and with no papers, most are drawn to the sex trade. Their hope to go to South Korea where they will be accepted but escaping China to South Korea is a dangerous and ardous journey enroute Laos, then Thailand by train and road. All these countries do not recognise the refugees and if caught they will be send back where they will be beaten and forced into labor camp in North Korea. There is a christain organisation helping the north korean to get out and its where the documentary is filmed.

Its an extraordinary tale of strength, determination for the quest to freedom, and better opportunites. Most of them have been caught and trying the escape for second time. For us who lives in comfort life couldn't even imagine their hardships, physical and mental. I have tremendous respect for their courage and will, the will to suceed.

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They do it because they respect themselves, i realise.

They do it because they love their family.