We wanted to share this amazing and insightful chat with renowned Spiritual Teacher Eckhart Tolle as he offers us his advice to navigate during these turbulent times.
spirituality
Dont Forget to catch Dawn at Positive Nights on October 5th. Click here for tickets and more info!
By Dawn Cartwright
Whether you’re just hearing about Tantra for the first time or have been practising for years, it can be challenging to find simple practices that deliver all the intimacy and ecstasy Tantra promises in just a few minutes a day. These three practices do just that. They’re practices that unlock positive energy pathways in your body and relationships. Each is meant to be practised 5-10 minutes a day for 21 days. Three short weeks to greater intimacy and pleasure. Can’t beat that. You may wish to create a relaxing, sensual environment for each practice. However, don’t let that slow you down. I encourage you to start now. Yes, now, this very minute. A life of ecstasy awaits you.
Your Essence as Light Rays. Tantra Meditation for Solo Practice
Consider your essence as light rays from centre to centre up the vertebrae, and so rises “livingness” in you.
The Vigyan Bhairav Tantra. Sutra 70
Begin standing. Your body is open and soft, feet are parallel. Let go of the tension in your pelvis and legs, the way you’d feel just before jumping up into the air – isn’t that amazing? Next, place your hands on your lower abdomen, just beneath the navel and breathe into this space. Notice your spine moves naturally with the breathe, undulating up and down. Relax your spine so that it’s able to undulate freely. Press firmly into the ground with your feet as you exhale to give a feeling of strength and stability.
Expand your breathing 1-2 seconds, inhaling slightly longer without straining, exhaling slightly emptier. Continue like this 5-8 minutes. You’ll discover a subtle intensity building inside you, filling you with ecstasy.
Silent Harmony. Tantra Meditation for Practice with a Friend
Intone a sound audibly, then less and less audibly as feeling deepens into this silent harmony.
The Vigyan Bhairav Tantra. Sutra 42
Sit or stand facing your friend. Close your eyes. Then, begin to hum. You’ll hum loud enough for your friend to hear you. You’ll send the humming down into your body so that you feel the vibrations in every part of you.
At a certain point, the humming will take over and you’ll suddenly feel more energised, awake and playful.
After 3-5 minutes, hum more and more softly until the humming becomes stillness. In the silence, breathe into the sensations created by the vibration of the humming for a minute, then open your eyes. Invite your friend to do the same.
Smile.
Give one another a warm, supportive hug. Breathe softly into your navel and relax into your connection for 20 seconds.
Give your friend a strong squeeze and let them go. Experience the silent harmony.
The Fire in the Beginning. Tantra for Practice with a Lover
At the start of sexual union keep attentive on the fire in the beginning, And so continuing, avoid the embers in the end.
The Vigyan Bhairav Tantra. Sutra 48
Create a space for your practice in your bedroom or on a sheepskin spread on the forest floor. Take the time to feed all your senses with colours, textures, fragrances, sounds and flavours. Make sure there are plenty of pillows and blankets for comfort.
Invite your lover to sit facing you. Take a moment or two to settle into your bodies and the space you have created. Enjoy the sensual items you have prepared.
When you feel ready, place your hands on your knees and begin to circle your rib cage above your hips. Let your head, neck and spine follow the movements. Your lover will do the same. Relax and let go.
Your breathing will naturally deepen. Let your movements create an awareness of space inside your body. Feel your love and attraction. The spiralling movements will intensify these feelings, making them stronger. Circle in one direction 1-2 minutes, then change directions.
After 3-5 minutes, you’ll open your eyes and slowly move into an embrace, sitting with your legs wrapped around one another. Spiral gently together in your embrace, breathing in sync as sensations of love and attraction fill your bodies, merging you together as one.
Dawn Cartwright is a Tantric visionary, sacred writer, world traveler, and innovator in bio-energetic Tantra fusion. Dawn will offer: Sacred Sexuality. How We Love. 6 Nights of Tantric Bliss, October 6th – 12th and Fragrance of the Lotus Tantra Teacher Training 2018 in Wicklow. To book your place, go to: dawncartwright.com
Last few hours to join the competition for two tickets to give away for Deva & Miten’s concert September 22nd, 2017 at the RDS in Dublin. Just follow us on Facebook or Twitter, share this post and tag us to let us know!
We wanted to share the original interview with Paul and these two amazing souls! Check it out below and follow us on SoundCloud!
Sneak Peek From Autumn 2017’s Spirituality & the City: ‘We Are Grateful For…’
Here is a sneak peek of our most recent Spirituality & the City series, where six people talk about the things that make them grateful. You can read the other stories in the series by picking up a free copy of our Autumn 2017 issue from one of our wonderful stockists across Ireland. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the magazine and have the Autumn issue – as well as the next three magazines for the year ahead – delivered right to your door!
Daizan Kaarlenkaski
Change is my true friend and teacher, and the very core of Life itself. When it appears, in any way it presents itself, from challenging to deeply satisfying and everything in between, what is your reaction? Change could involve the loss of a loved one, challenges in your own health, losing your career, getting married and having children, having to sacrifice your old self-centred ways, or being moved to an unknown situation that challenges your current way of being. When things make you very uncomfortable, when you feel like you have absolutely no control over the outcome of anything, will you shut down and distract yourself with something else? Or will you face this discomfort, hear it, feel it, deeply allow it, and grow in wisdom, compassion and truthfulness? Nothing in this life is guaranteed, and even the greatest difficulties can be used for the highest thing, for your own freedom.
If you enjoyed this sneak peek, check out the full article in our Autumn 2017 issue, available in stockists throughout the country now.
By: Aisling Cronin / Interviewer: Paul Congdon
Eckhart Tolle is a well-known writer and spiritual teacher, whose books ‘The Power of Now’ and ‘A New Earth’ have become seminal works within the field of self-development. Ahead of his planned appearance in Dublin in September, we heard about his thoughts on Jesus, his love of dogs, and his experiment with LSD.
Last time we spoke, you mentioned that you were writing a book on Jesus. How has that evolved and what are you currently working on?
I can’t say exactly when my writings are going to evolve into a book. There are many aspects of Jesus that are very important to understand: the actual person, the mythological figure, and the spiritual teacher, for example. However, I can say that Jesus’ teachings have more depth than, perhaps, many regular churchgoers realise. The essence of Jesus’ teachings is the transformation of human consciousness, and a recognition that there is a dysfunction within it. ‘Salvation’, in the terminology that he uses, is transcending the dysfunction that we inherit, which is sometimes referred to in Christianity as ‘Original Sin’. You can see that dysfunction clearly when you read history or watch the news tonight.
A lot has happened since we last spoke in 2015, and we have seen an increase in fear based politics in the USA and Britain. How can we navigate times like these?
The main thing is not to be drawn too much into reactivity, believing that the problem lies within individual people or groups. What we see on the news are movements of underlying unconsciousness that have to come to the surface to play themselves out. Unconsciousness always has to come to the surface. If it is not recognised within oneself, it is experienced as an outer event. The external world becomes a reflection of your inner world. This applies both to the individual and the collective. These events can definitely seem negative from one perspective, but seen from a higher spiritual perspective, they are necessary for the awakening of humanity.
Many people felt that the world was a kinder place at the time of Barack Obama’s inauguration, and that we have moved backwards since then. During the 1960s, a similar feeling of positivity and upward movement existed: a sense that peace really was coming. What is your feeling on this?
The evolution of consciousness is not a straight upward movement. It is cyclical, and always involves a regressive period. After a regressive period, you move forward again – further than you had done before. I believe that we are now experiencing a regressive movement, but not every individual alive now will be drawn into that movement. Those humans who are completely unconscious will have to go through that experience of suffering most strongly. Simply be as conscious as you can, and do not make any human being or group of human beings into ‘the enemy’. On social media, for example, you can see an enormous amount of reactivity and anger, so it is particularly important to bring the bright light of consciousness into all of your online interactions.
When you see someone close to you – perhaps a friend or family member – behave unconsciously, how best can you call that person out for their behaviour?
It is vital that when you do that, you yourself are free of reactivity or aggressiveness, and that you are not demonising the other person or making them ‘wrong’. You must communicate with the person while they are relatively conscious. All humans exhibit various degrees of unconsciousness at different times and in different ways, and it is a very delicate thing to point out to somebody that they have been behaving unconsciously. The most important thing is that you need to be totally present and conscious when you point it out … otherwise, you will be drawn into a fight.
When you had your spiritual awakening, you said that you had experienced an ’80% reduction’ in your thoughts. Has that level been maintained?
Oh yes. The most wonderful thing about that shift in consciousness – the transformation that I continue to experience every day – is that I am no longer tortured by my mind. For example, when I go to bed and I close my eyes, I can immediately dismiss all thought and simply be present in my body. There are also many times during the day when there is nothing much to think about, and I simply enjoy sensory experiences like looking out at the sky and the trees.
Do you spend a lot of time in nature?
Yes, I do. Here in Vancouver, I live in an apartment building right next to a nature spot. When I look out of the window right now, I see huge, wonderful trees, snowcapped mountains in the background, and a clear blue sky. It’s wonderful just to sit here and contemplate. I often go for walks in the forest or on the beach.
We’ve heard that you are a huge fan of dogs. Do you have a dog who accompanies you on those nature walks?
At the moment, I do not have a dog, but sometimes I look after other people’s dogs. I do love their wonderful rootedness – how they are so firmly centred in the present moment – and the joy they exhibit. A dog does not constantly ask themselves, “Do I love myself? Do I hate myself? Do I have a complicated relationship with myself?” A dog just is. Animals are conscious, but do not have a stream of conceptual thought running through their heads all the time. They haven’t arrived at thinking yet, and they are still more rooted in being. Once humans transcend the level of thought, we return to that state, but with an added dimension of awareness that the dog does not have. However, it is true to say that for many people, their cat or dog keeps them sane, as they simply accept them the way they are, without interference from the conceptual, judgemental mind.
Recently in the spiritual community, there has been a lot of talk about plant medicine. Do you see it as a road to enlightenment?
I don’t see it as a road to true and lasting awakening, but it can give people a glimpse of freedom from the prison of their conceptual mind. Years ago, I was asked a lot of questions about LSD and acid, so I tried acid because I couldn’t really answer the questions if I didn’t! I’ve never felt the desire to repeat that experience, but I could see that for some people, the enormous amplification of sensory experience – as if somebody had ‘turned up the volume’, not only on hearing but also on smell and colour – would give them very little room for compulsive thought. The use of plant medicine can be an opening for some people, but ultimately, from there, you have to go to ‘presence practice’ in your daily life, and not be dependent on any substance.
What is your advice for people who want to bring themselves into the present moment?
Don’t wait for some imagined future state of liberation or awakening that you want to achieve. Simply accept what is, in the present moment. Accept each moment as if you had chosen it, and then you will already be liberated. You will already be awakened. There is nothing to look for anymore.
What advice would you give to parents on how to help their children?
The most important thing is to give them attention. Much of the time, when parents think they are giving attention to their children, they are doing so through the medium of ‘do this’ or ‘don’t do that’. Giving attention means to look at a child and to listen: to truly be present and communicate with that child. Give your child the gift of your presence. In that way, your essence will reach the child’s essence, and they will feel truly recognised.
Eckhart Tolle will be speaking in Dublin on September 9th in the RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin. For more information about the talk, go to: seminars.ie
A Very special competition for our readers: We have two tickets to give away for Deva & Miten’s concert September 22nd, 2017 at the RDS in Dublin. Just follow us on Facebook or Twitter, share this post and tag us to let us know!
By Alison McEvoy / Interviewer: Paul Congdon
Chanting is an ancient tradition. Millions of people throughout the ages have chanted the mantras Deva and Miten share with the world today. It’s been known for millennia – and was recently confirmed by science – that voicing these sacred sounds has a profound healing, uplifting effect on human beings, and on the rest of the natural world. When Deva speaks of mantra, in as rich and resounding a speaking voice as her singing one, you feel her deep reverence for these sonic messengers of ancient wisdom.
“In the end, the silence and the singing is the same. The essence is the same. We always come to that same spot of Oneness… the mantras, they all have different meanings and focus and deities, but they all bring us back to the same space of Oneness.” (Deva Premal)
AT HOME ON PLANET EARTH
In India, ashrams have existed for thousands of years. Places where teachings are shared to bring about healing, evolution and enlightenment. It was at Osho’s ashram in Pune, India, that Deva and Miten met. Miten had been entrusted with co-ordinating the music to be performed during Osho’s spiritual teachings. Deva had wanted to sing – and so she began. Miten’s music and Deva’s singing allowed their initial friendship to deepen and evolve into the remarkable, creative and loving partnership that it is today.
The time spent at Osho’s ashram has profoundly shaped their lives. It impassioned them to live a life oriented from the spiritual heart, where the desire to share with others that which opened up their own hearts, voices and lives fuels their lives. They continue to thrive to this day from a hand-made life borne of passion for the twin flames of music and mantra, and each other! Deva recalls, “We met in the ashram, and the love we received there when we lived there…we wanted to share it in life outside the ashram walls as well. So that’s what we started doing. We started giving voice workshops and music Satsang meditations, and eventually concerts.” The term ‘career’ doesn’t enter Deva’s vocabulary when it comes to talking about how she has spent her life for the past 26 years. Deva feels that they were always simply choosing to do what they loved, guided by their positive feelings. “The first workshop [we did] just had one participant for a weekend workshop, but we just did it because we loved it, and it just always felt supported and always felt good, so we just kept going, and at some point we looked around and there was 500 for a concert, and now there are 6,000 in Moscow for a concert. It grew very organically and sweetly.” Each concert feels like a homecoming for Deva, “like a reunion, like a circle, like we’ve just finally gotten together again and now we can just enjoy…and keep going where we left off, even if we’ve never seen each other…we are all ready to be One.”
The orientation towards life and living that they uncovered within themselves, embraced, and were immersed in at the ashram, continues to remain alive. It acts as a magnet to those still seeking a way of life that generates peace, contentment, and a feeling of intense aliveness, love and connectedness to the rest of human and natural life, sharing this earth. Miten notes, “You take it with you. Once you get it, it doesn’t leave you. The ashram just expands to become the planet. It’s not a geographical point on the map anymore. It’s your whole life. That’s the key. That’s what we tell people when they come to us with their problems – chant the mantras. Give yourself the chance to adopt a mantra practice and you have a friend for life. You have remembrance in every breath.”
THE WORLD’S OLDEST PRAYER
The Gayatri Mantra is closest to Deva’s heart and a precious jewel in the world of mantra. Being the oldest mantra known to mankind, it has been charged with the devotion, faith and feeling of the innumerable people who have chanted it throughout the ages. The Gayatri Mantra is a Mother-Mantra. It is the root from which all other mantras stem in their various directions; praising, calling upon and revering various deities, particular aspects of the One Divine. It is an all-encompassing prayer to the Divine Everything, symbolised by the Light. Deva recounts the meaning of this mantra, conveying as she does a deep gratitude and love; “The meaning is beautiful, because it’s a prayer that is to the light, to the sun…It focuses on everything, on the light that lights up everything. So it’s universal in a way that speaks to everyone since we’re all dependent on the light in our lives and we’re all ready to be lit up. And so the Gayatri Mantra lights us up within.” The Gayatri Mantra accompanied Deva’s life from her earliest breaths in the womb, however it was only during a festival that she attended with Miten in England that she first heard it sung publicly. When she then began singing it to Miten’s music, their lives began soaring to new heights. Interestingly, mantras are often given to devotees by spiritual teachers, once they are deemed ready to fully commit to a spiritual life. These mantras can symbolise the individual’s spiritual mission in life. The devotee chants the mantra to charge him or herself to open up to the blessing, clarity and courage to follow that path through life’s ever winding ways. Deva’s parents endowed her with this mantra when she was not yet even part of life on earth. “When my mother was pregnant with me, my parents prepared for the birth by chanting the Gayatri Mantra throughout the pregnancy. As I grew up we continued to chant it together regularly before sleep. I didn’t really know what I was singing… or even why! I just did it because I was told to! It wasn’t until much later that I came to appreciate the great gift my parents had given me.”
BIOGRAPHIES
German-born Deva Premal (a name given to her by Osho, meaning ‘Divine Loving’ in Sanskrit) is a classically trained musician. Her mother and father were both musically and spiritually minded. Her mother played European medieval music, while her father was an artist and drum maker who was also dedicated to the Eastern Spiritual traditions of yoga and Zen meditation. In her teenage years, Deva moved away from her classical training and her life as she knew it, and entered Osho’s ashram to explore her spiritual destiny.
London-born Miten initially created a successful musical career for himself, touring with artists such as Fleetwood Mac and Lou Reed. However, he was spiritually unfulfilled by the rock n’ roll life. He found guidance on his deeper spiritual questions in Osho’s discourse on Zen parables which led him to leave his old life behind and embark on a new life journey at Osho’s ashram in Pune, where Deva and he met.
Deva and Miten will be coming to Ireland this autumn as part of their 2017 tour. While Miten has visited and performed in Ireland before, this will be Deva’s first visit – so be sure to save the date and come out to welcome them. Both share strong blood links to Ireland. Miten’s father’s family moved from Ireland to London before his father was born, while a DNA test revealed Deva to be 44% Irish!
Concert in Ireland date: 22nd September 2017
, RDS, Dublin / Visit devapremalmiten.com
Positive Nights Presents: Breathwork, A talk with Pioneer, Healer & Teacher Dan Brulé
Facebook Page| Thursday, June 29th 2017, 7:30pm | Eur 20 / 15 euros concession | Location: The Powerscourt Theatre, Dublin 2.
On this evening we welcome Healer and Breathwork Pioneer Dan Brulé.
Dan was among the original group of internationally certified Rebirthers, and he leads the worldwide Spiritual Breathing Movement. He is one of the creators of Breath Therapy, and an expert in Prana Yoga, and Chinese Medical Breathing Exercises. Dan has trained more than 100,000 people in over 52 countries to use the breath for self-healing and personal growth. He coaches elite athletes and peak performers including Tony Robbins. He is the author of “Just Breath: Master Breathwork for Success in Life, Love, Business and Beyond.” Paul will have a chat with Dan about his work, this new book and his journey!
Delicious cold press juices to be provided by Oolong Flower Power at the break.
Click here to book your ticket! or email us for more info to positivenights@gmail.com
More about Dan
In his own words…
“Someone recently asked me how I manage to do all this travelling, being away from home so much. I replied that it was simple. Life is a journey, and I am at home wherever I go, wherever I find conscious, heart-centered people who are committed to growth in awareness and love; to healing in spirit, mind and body. My family and friends have always supported me in my quest for Peak Performance, Optimum Health, and Ultimate Potential. Breathwork is my passion and my profession on this journey. I live in service to everyone who is drawn to discover, explore and develop the unlimited Power and Potential of Breath Awareness and Conscious Breathing…
I celebrate the opportunity to travel and teach because it enables me to share my love of Spiritual Breathing, and to promote and advance, and keep learning the Theory and Practice–the Art and Science–of Breathwork. Our generation has given birth to a unique healing modality. The Conscious Breathing Movement is still in its infancy; and in terms of my own practice, it seems to me that I am still a toddler! So, I guess I’ll keep travelling the Path of Breath Mastery as long as the Spirit of Breath keeps moving me, as long as the Angel of Breath keeps guiding me, and as long as people keep inviting me!”
You can learn more on his page breathmastery.com and/or check some of his YouTube videos full of insight here, here & here.