The secret of a beautiful life is knowing who you really are. Most our lives we work at gathering thoughts about ourselves, ideas about the world, and as much knowledge as possible. We add them together, stir them up and create what we call the self–the acting me in the world. We then work to support that idea of the me by pushing out everything that is not me. We begin to push out thoughts and ideas that interfere with the idea of me so often that this happens automatically. This closes us off from new ideas, thoughts, and the potential for us to expand and become greater. At the same time the world, especially the media, is pumping in images and ideas about what the me should be, thus making the me uncomfortable and unable to apply its full attention and energies to improving life for itself or living out its own hopes and dreams. Society shows us, in so many words or examples, that is not going to happen except for the chosen few. While we work hard and struggle to hold on to the old idea of me we become frustrated. It feels that we are winning but we are not satisfied because the thing that we struggle to keep is not the real Me. It is just the earlier projections of friends, families, relatives and of course, the good old TV Set, weaving themselves into a false identity.
We discover this later in life, if we are fortunate, and our striving becomes one of letting go and peeling off the thoughts, ideas, and images that created the me so we can get back to the primal self, the originator of the idea of me, or I. When we come to this true self life begins. This is difficult though. There are many internal obstacles and external ones. The best way to deal with these obstacles is through meditation.
There are various forms of meditation, of course. All of them seem to work, if a person is patient and if a person understand why they are doing it. True meditation designed to awaken the Self takes much dedication. It may take a lot of time, or a brief period of time. If a person has much knowledge of the true Self and the truth of being in the universe it can happen in one moment. It becomes tearing away the vale between the Holy of Holies and stepping into that sacred space where no idol or representation of the Self exists, only the true, eternal being that is one with every aspect of the universe and beyond.
The Sat (Truth of Being) Yoga Approach focuses on teaching the knowledge of true Self, Atman, firstly. It works at tearing down the internal, psychological obstacles that prevent us from seeing the true self so that we, no matter what the form of meditation we choose, can realize our true Self and be awakened, or enlightened. At John Gilmore’s Healing Hands we promote Sat Yoga and Sat Spiritual Direction. We promote the idea of a strong mind and body, and cultivation of the spirit. We also provide books that do so for those who cannot afford to pay for long workshops or face to face spiritual direction with our latest being, Distant Corners in a Crowded Room: A Practical Sat Yoga Approach to Better Living.
John Gilmore’s Healing Hands provides lectures, readings, talks and workshops to create an open space within the individual that allows the awakening of the self to occur by not only grace, but by choice. Grace is always present. That is the nature of grace. The difficulty has always been being centered enough and secure enough to open oneself to the grace in the universe. It is important, therefor, to develop a sense of security, safety, and especially the desire. When we do we will awaken to the real Self. Life will change then. We will become the creators of creation, not moved by the fears, the anger, insults, or suffering, but creating hope, peace beauty and love. Another world is possible. It is right here. The key to the other world is realizing and remembering one’s true self, and then having the power to hold onto that identity by keeping all of the maladaptive messages we are presented with day after day at bay.