Apr 272010

Technology meets Spirituality

On the Road No Responses »
 

I’m not sure how many Hindu priests out there like myself are interested in technology but I certainly love it. A few days before I left for the Virgin Islands last week I asked myself if it would be possible to document the meditation retreat I was conducting using just my iPhone 3GS. Now one day after the conclusion of the retreat, the answer is yes. I was able to take photographs, video and post them along with write ups to my blog all using my iPhone.

Using iPhone’s built in camera I captured video and uploaded it to Vedic Odyssey’s YouTube channel then linked the video to my blog posting. iPhone also allows you to upload a video to your MobileMe account if you have one or just email it to someone.

If your blog is running on WordPress then you can download the WordPress app for iPhone and sign in to your blog. Via the WordPress app you can create postings on your blog and with its geotag feature you can use the iPhone GPS to pinpoint your location from where you are posting. Photos can be posted directly to your blog from the iPhone and with geotag you can know the exact location of where your photo was taken.

All the postings over the last few days covering the meditation retreat on St. Thomas was done using only the iPhone. No lap tops, camera or camcorders. Go meditate on that!

Posted by Dandapani at 1:47 am  Tagged with: , , , , , ,
Apr 262010

Beautiful St. John

On the Road No Responses »
 

It’s my third visit to this beautiful island in 14 months and each visit I love the island even more. I thought I’d take this opportunity to share a few images I’ve captured over the last couple of days. These photos were all taken using the built-in camera on the iPhone.

Cinnamon Bay beach is 3.9 miles east of Mongoose Junction on Route 20, St. John, US Virgin Islands.

Cinnamon Bay beach is 3.9 miles east of Mongoose Junction on Route 20, St. John, US Virgin Islands. By far the best view on the island. It truly is breathtaking.

Sunset viewed from Cruz Bay, St. John US Virgin Islands. Copyright Vedic Odyssey.

Sunset viewed from Cruz Bay.

Salomon Beach is about a mile hike from Cruz Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands, Copyright Vedic Odyssey.

Salomon Beach is about a mile hike from Cruz Bay. Quiet, white sand and clear waters it is a must visit for all beach lovers.

Just had to add this to the photo collection.

Salomon Beach is about a mile hike from Cruz Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands, Copyright Vedic Odyssey.

Salomon Beach.

Cruz Bay is where all the ferries come in. St. John, US Virgin Islands.

Cruz Bay is where all the ferries from neighboring islands come in. St. Thomas is in the distant to the left.

Posted by Dandapani at 9:21 pm  Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,
Apr 252010

Practice, practice, practice!

Spiritual Adventures No Responses »
 

Our wonderful retreat came to a conclusion today and the concluding thought we left the group with is practice, practice, practice! Find ways to integrate the tools into everyday life. We can only make progress in meditation if we are working at developing the key qualities needed for meditation in our every day life. It takes a lot of willpower to change the mental patterns that we have to create new ones that support a meditative lifestyle. But we have to start some where. It is also important to be patient with yourself as you begin to do this. As my guru once shared with me “The more time you are willing to take the less pressure you put on yourself, the less pressure you put on yourself the faster you unfold spiritually”.

So, start now, integrate the tools into your everyday life and you will slowly start to see in you the changes you are creating.

Photos below show the villa where the retreat was held and a view from the balcony where we practiced each day yoga asana (postures) and meditation.

Posted by Dandapani at 1:46 pm  Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,
Apr 242010

What do I meditate on?

Spiritual Adventures No Responses »
 

Meditation needs to be approached in a positive and systematic way. We should make an outline of our meditation before we even sit down to meditate. If we don’t do this we’ll be running around in mental and subconscious circles.

So, what do we actually do when we sit down to meditate?
We taught a simple meditation of sitting with the spine straight and why this is important. Then becoming aware of the physical body, the energy within it and the nervous system. We taught a simple breathing technique that helps to keep awareness concentrated on one thing at a time. Then how to draw the energy in the body into the nervous system and direct it into the spine. We explained why we do this and how to release the energy back into the body again after having held it in the spine for a while.

The group at the meditation retreat conducted by Vedic Odyssey in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

The group at the meditation retreat conducted by Vedic Odyssey in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Posted by Dandapani at 7:25 pm  Tagged with: , , , , , ,
Apr 232010

Hiking in St John & working with our inner psychic currents

Spiritual Adventures No Responses »
 

This morning we took a ferry to the neighbouring island of St. John about 20 mins away. We then hiked to Solomons Beach. White sand with coconut trees on the beach, turquoise waters and only a handful of people there it was the perfect beach. We enjoyed our time here before hiking further to Honeymoon Beach. A massive cloud made it’s way over the island and unleashed on us. It’s been a while since any of us stood under a warm tropical downpour. It was quite enjoyable. We had lunch in St. John before heading back to St. Thomas.
This evening’s class covered the Ida (feminine) and Pingala (masculine) psychic currents plus the odic and actinic forces. We taught how to identify these currents and also how to be aware of these forces in everday life. Odic force is a sticky magnetic force that can exist between people and people, and people and things. Actinic force is the superconscious mind. The meditator seeks the actinic force.
We also shared how it is important to balance the masculine and feminine currents within the body. We talked about women working in the world and having to function in the masculine current in order to move the forces of the world and how important it is for the woman to gravitate back towards her natural feminine current once she returns home. And how this can be accomplished.

Posted by Dandapani at 8:45 pm  
Apr 222010

Encountering the Subconscious

Spiritual Adventures No Responses »
 

In this evening’s class we covered the first thing that a serious meditator will encounter as he begins his journey within and that is the subconscious mind.
To put it very simply. One could look at the mind as layers. You have the conscious mind then above it the subconscious and above that the superconscious (intuitive mind). To go from the conscious mind, where most people predominantly function, to the superconscious mind one would have to go through the subconscious mind. And if your subconscious is cluttered with past unresolved emotional experiences then this will be a hinderance. So, we explored this area deeper and provided the students with tools on how to work with the subconscious as we begin on the meditative path.

Watch a video of today’s sunset viewed from our villa

Posted by Dandapani at 8:10 pm  Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,
Apr 222010

Developing Willpower and Concentration

Spiritual Adventures No Responses »
 

Our day started with a morning group Hatha Yoga practice on the balcony over looking the Caribbean sea. A sweet spot to practice yoga as we watched the sun rise.
After breakfast we dived into our morning class. We studied how to develop two qualities, willpower and concentration, and use that to control and direct our awareness. One of the ways to develop willpower we taught was to finish that which we began. It often requires more effort at the end of a task or project then at the beginning of it. Each time we put effort into action we are using our willpower. So, finish that which you begin.
We also taught that concentration is the ability to hold awareness on one thing for a given period of time.
We shared ways on how we can develop these two qualities in our daily life. Only by integrating these practices into our daily life will we be able to develop them. Practice, practice, practice! We become better at what we practice consistently.
Photos below show the group having a wonderful lunch in the gorgeous dining room, cactus plants on the property, upclose on the beautiful cactus, entrance to one of the villa rooms.

Posted by Dandapani at 2:30 pm  Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,
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