Lorre White, The Guru of Luxury

Bask In The Glow Of Your Own Innate Power.

Bask in the Glow

I know of a boarding school in India where, at the end of each school day, the entire school- students and teachers-  dress in comfortable meditation clothes, go up on a high hill, and watch the sunset together in silence. What a beautiful image. It makes me think of the most simple, powerful benefit of sitting meditation practice.

The question that I get more than any other is: What is meditation? Its funny having a job that no one can really see. I mean, you could come to my office and watch me sitting there speaking with a client or watch us quietly sitting with our eyes closed, but you can't see what's really going on.

Meditation is the practice of turning your attention inward and enjoying the pulsation of your inner own essential energy.

The approach I use does not focus on stilling the mind or “concentration” in the usual sense. It is more about developing an ever-deepening sensitivity to this inner pulsation. At first, it may be difficult to connect to- there are many other energies vying for our attention. I have a whole tool box of techniques that I use to help people get through the distraction. Then, soon,  with a little practice and training, you can learn to tune into the pulsation and go deeply into it. Its like an inner buzz or a warm, glowing feeling. Once you've learned the basic method- you can learn to totally let go and rest in the energy. You can bask in the glow of your own innate power. Some people do this for up to an hour and a half every day! Some get great benefit from ten minutes per day. That's the goal- to give you a place where you can go every day for this deep inner bath.

The goal is to give you that high, silent hill for daily sunset watching.

If you are in or around New York City, give us a call or send us an email. I would love to speak with you about helping you set up a meditation practice. We are currently offering a special tuition rate for intro sessions. If you are further away- we can still connect. I have begun to work with people over the phone! The sessions are very powerful and we are getting amazing results from people.

Any questions? Just ask. Have a wonderful week!

David Harshada  Wagner is a meditation teacher, stress management consultant and founder of Banyan Education. Email Banyan to find more about David's meditation therapy sessions and small group classes. [email protected]

Weekly meditation tips

HEAD RUB!!!- a simple way to change your day...

Welcome to the after-the-holiday / back to work time! Most of us are now throwing ourselves back into the fray of our regular life. For many of us - this means stress, fatigue, and tension.

Here is a 30 second remedy to shift you into a more relaxed, expanded inner state:

• Take moment to close you eyes. Take off your glasses if you wear them. (read the rest of this first)
• Rub your hands together briefly and then bring your hands onto your head.
• Massage your temples and the space between your eyebrows.
• Rub the spaces in front of your ears.
• Massage your neck- especially the place where you head meets your neck.
• Finish off with your ears. Begin at the top and work your way downward to your lobes. 
• Keep your eyes closed for a moment. Take 3-10 even breaths through your nose and feel the bliss and ease that flows in.
• Open your eyes and return to your day more centered and relaxed.

If this sounds too simple- it is! But do it- do it right now and see what happens. This small action has the power to shift you into a completely different state of mind.

For more tips on de-stressing and living a richer inner life, visit the Banyan Education website www.banyaneducation.com.

David Harshada  Wagner is a meditation teacher, stress management consultant and founder of Banyan Education. Email Banyan to find more about David's meditation therapy sessions and small group classes. [email protected]

Ease up in 2007

Weekly meditation blog by David Harshada Wagner

Happy New Year!

2007 is here. Another chapter in our life. Last week I was meeting with Lorre. We were talking about the balance between keeping up with the different work of our lives and getting overwhelmed by it. Our conversation inspired this week's meditation blog.

If you need a suggestion for an Inner life New Year's resolution, take this one: be easy on yourself.

Everyone I know works really hard, maybe too hard. I don't mean they work too hard in their jobs. Even the unemployed people I know work hard. The hard work I am talking about is much more pervasive and potentially destructive. People work hard at work, but they also work hard in their relationships, or they work hard trying to get into a relationship, they work hard at the gym, they work hard on their appearance.  This is especially true here in New York but I find it applies beyond the big Apple as well. Many people live in a very driven way. This includes easy going, lazy people, and even zen-granola-yoga people. I am not saying that everyone is getting lots of work done. I am saying many people in 2006 learned how to be "comfortable" working all the time. Every spare moment is filled with some kind of work -be it emailing, net surfing, socializing, exercising, shopping….

As a meditation teacher, more and more  of what I find is that people need a break. Often people come to their sessions with me exhausted, depleted and raw. If done skillfully, meditation can be a sweet and deeply restful moment in our day. If done with wrong understanding, it can also become just another chore- another of the five million things we do each day. More work. There are many good meditation teachers that will tell you to work hard at your inner life -to be strict with your meditation and crack the whip on yourself to establish discipline. This tradition is an old and well-established one. It has its merits.  This said, I want to suggest something a little different. If you are a meditator, or want to be a meditator, try to make your sitting practice a gentle one. Try to make your sitting time into an oasis. Try to leave your struggle behind when you take your seat. Make your practice one that you relish and that leaves your refreshed, renewed and softened.

Here are a few tips to help you make your practice into an oasis:

    * Set the mood. Light candles, use aromas, play sweet music in the room where you sit.
    * Use a comfortable seat. Be creative, create a love-nest for your practice.
    * Make yourself your favorite hot drink. Drink it from your favorite mug as you prepare yourself to sit.
    * Slouch. Well…don't slouch,but try to give yourself permission to relax your posture a little bit. Make your body really comfortable.
    * Ask for help. Get a meditation buddy or reach out to a teacher to help you learn to meditate. Of course, we would love it if you reached out to us!

Meditation should feel pleasurable and easy. Of course, there is a learning curve with meditation like anything else that you endeavor to learn. Of course, your thoughts might swarm you a little bit. Even still, be easy with the process. Snuggle up to meditation and let it cuddle your stress away.

Let's move together into 2007 with ease and softness, power and clarity.

May this be the best  year yet.

David Harshada Wagner is a meditation teacher and founder of Banyan Education- an Inner Life and Stress management consulting firm based in New York City. If you would like to learn more about meditation email David for a free consultation: [email protected]

What is yoga? Do you really know?

Yoga is the method by which a mind is reigned in and our energy is channeled constructively.

8 Stages Of Yoga:

• Yama (universal moral commandment)
• Niyama (self purification through discipline)
• Asana (posture)
• Pranayama (rhythmic control of the breath)
• Pratyahara (emancipation of the mind from the senses &exterior  objects)
• Dharana (concentration)
• Dhyana (meditation)
• Samadhi (state of super consciousness)

Yama and Niyama control yogis’ passion and emotions keeping them in harmony w/ others.  Asanas are the postures, the physical work that keeps the body healthy.  Asanas are what most westerners think of when they hear "yoga" where in actuality it is only a small part of yoga.  These first 3 stages are outward quests.  The next 2 stages, Pranayama and Pratyana, regulate breathing and through it control the mind (Inner quest).  The last 3 stages, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi take a yogi to the inner most part of the soul.  Yogis believe that God is inside of all of us; we are part of God.  The 3 last stages create harmony with ourselves and thus God as we are one in the same.  All energy is God; all things are made of energy.  Yogis work on the trinity of Mind, Body and Spirit believing that their evolution is synergistic.  You can go to the gym everyday but if your mind and spirit are not healthy neither will your body.  You can keep attending higher and higher education but if your body is sickly and your spirit weak so will your mind will be.  Each time you strengthen one, all are strengthened.  Yoga is joining together in unison like the yoke that connects the oxen that plow the field.

This Weeks meditation Blog

2007 is dawning. The New Year a natural time to take stock of our lives, our happiness, what we’ve achieved and what we still long to manifest. If you look back over 2006, you’ll see that there are really two years to take stock of: There is the outer 2006- the people, places, things, and events. And there is the inner 2006- the state of your heart, the lessons you learned, the inner challenges you faced.

Here’s a challenge: Often our resolutions are about our “outer” life; we resolve to quite smoking or lose a certain number of pounds or earn a certain amount of money. This year let’s make a resolution that has to do with “inner life”.

Anyone who has broken through and achieved a luxurious “outer” goal will tell you- it was their inner state that allowed them to do it. Of course- our behaviors and actions and other observable factors are key in making anything happen, but it is our attitude, our focus, our fearlessness, our passion, and our inner clarity that drives our success.

Take a deep, honest look inside. What would you like to cultivate in 2007? Would you like to be less stressed? Would you like to pump up your overall inner energy? Would you like to become more fearless? What kind of inner state do you want to have driving your “success game”?  List some inner qualities you would like to grow and come up with a simple resolution around that quality.

Here are some suggestions of simple things that have helped other people with their inner life:

Regular bodywork- imagine how your inner world would change if you gifted yourself a weekly massage.
Education- seek out courses or great books or audio cds that nourish your inner world and help you move towards your inner goals.
TV – Turn it off! Or reduce the amount you watch -especially at the gym. Regular exercise is great for reducing stress if you don’t fill your mind with junk at the same time!
Meditation- regular meditation is the best way to harness your inner energy and learn how to live from the inside-out. Find a method that suits you and that you love to do.

A resolution around any of these practices is sure to shift you into a new gear for the new year.

If you want to take the challenge and would like some help, let us know. We are currently offering a special 30-day Inner-Life Resolution coaching package. Email us for more details: [email protected]

David Harshada Wagner is a meditation teacher and founder of Banyan Education- an Inner Life and Stress management consulting firm based in New York City.

A Holiday reading from our website Luxologer, Virginia Bell.

Sagittarius New Moon – December 20

Not only is the Sun and Moon in fiery Sagittarius but Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto were there as well! Sagittarius is the sign of the gypsy, the philosopher, and the pilgrim. Sadges may not know the meaning of life but they know there is a meaning and they are on a quest to find it. The shadow part of Sagittarius is overextension, exaggeration, and impulsive behavior. With so much fire there is an urge to break free of our existing circumstances but with Pluto, god of the underworld, involved there is something from the past that we need to bring to the surface and heal in order to move forward. Pluto, the planet and god of transformation, is always about making the unconscious, conscious. Once again we must look deep inside to find what is blocking us. Remember, we can’t change something we are not aware of; Pluto makes us aware.

The New Moon takes place at 28 degrees of Sagittarius, the very end of the sign, with Pluto close by at 26 degrees. They are aligned with the Galactic Center – the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. What that means is we are poised for an evolutionary leap. The rules are changing; there are no rules, we are making it up as we go along. This a time of major
endings and beginnings; old structures are crumbling, beliefs are being challenged, and lives are shifting. It is a scary time but also a healing time. Anything is possible if we have the courage to live our truth. I was sitting in a café recently and a song (by R.E.M) came on the radio that seems to sum it up perfectly.

“It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.”

Hanukkah began on December 15th and continues until December 23rd: Hanukkah, originally known as “The Festival of Lights,” commemorates a miracle that occurred in 165 B. C. when Judas Maccabaeus and his followers reclaimed Jerusalem. After three years the Maccabees were finally able to reclaim their faith and rededicate the temple. (The word Hanukkah means dedication.) As part of their ceremony, they began an eight day purification rite only to discover there was not enough oil for the temple menorah.  Miraculously the temple menorah burned for eight days. Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting the menorah on each of the nights. 

December 23rd is the Celtic Day of Mistletoe, a “day out of time,” between the old and the new.

In the old traditions, Christmas, December 25th, ancient “Birthday of the Invincible Sun” was the time for receiving spiritual gifts while Epiphany was the day for exchanging physical gifts - the day the Magi came bearing gifts for the Christ child.

The Twelve Days of Christmas begins on December 26 and ends on the Epiphany - January 6th. Each of the twelve days that follows Christmas corresponds to a sign of the zodiac beginning with Aries on the December 26th followed by Taurus on the 27th, and so on, ending on the Epiphany on January 6th. The coming year can be foreseen by observing the conditions on each of these 12 days. Pay attention to dreams, omens and signs during these days for this is the year in embryo. The word “Epiphany” comes from the Greek, meaning to manifest. In old England it was said of Epiphany, “On the charms of this night will the harvest depend.” What do you want to bring into manifestation? There is no better time to pray for your own epiphany! These 12 days are a kind of preparation and an opportunity to set the tone for the coming year.

“In Old Britain celebrants kept the Yule fire burning through the twelve nights of the season. Wishes were made while touching the fire with sticks. The old year as released as cedar boughs burned.” New World cycle of Celebrations

Kwanzaa begins on December 26th and continues thru January 1st: Kwanzaa (Swahili for “first”) is the festival of unity and thanksgiving. It was conceived and developed by Dr. Maulana Karenga (professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies at California State University in Long Beach) in 1966 in the midst of the Black Freedom Movement. It is an African-American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture and speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human.   

New Year’s Eve is the traditional wishing night when we let go of our old ways and the new ones are conceived.

New Year’s Day is the day Arthur first drew the sword from the stone to reveal the spirit of the new cycle. All over the world people perform rituals to bring about good fortune for the year ahead. In Scotland, people watch the threshold to see what the first visitor augers for the year. In many regions of the world people eat black-eyes peas for luck. The Dutch believe eating donuts is a lucky. Cabbage is said to create prosperity since the leaves resemble paper money. Create your own rituals and traditions for this day. Remember, what begins well, ends well.

“Wear a dime in each shoe on New Year’s Day and you will have money all year.”
Llewellyn’s Witches’ Calendar2004

January 1st is the Festival of Ceres, goddess of the harvest and mother of Persephone. The asteroid Ceres was discovered on January 1, 1901. Recently Ceres has been elevated to planetary status; that is itself is cause to celebrate.

Cancer Full Moon – January 3, 2007
Called the Snow Goose Moon, Cold Moon, and Wolf Moon

“The Cherokee call this the Snow Goose Full Moon and it is considered a time of creative expression, expansion of consciousness, and tangible blessings to those aligned with its energy.”

Look out on the night of January 3rd and you will see a frosty winter Moon glowing in a blue-black sky. The Sun in wintry Capricorn challenges us to think clearly and cautiously; the Moon in Cancer is nurturing and compassionate, a reminder that if we want to achieve success in the outer world we must first do our inner work. How are we nurturing ourselves, what do we need? This Full Moon asks us to find a balance between the outer and inner.

Mental Mercury is conjunct (fused with) the Sun; our minds are powerful now.  What you can imagine you can also manifest. “Almost anything of lasting value that has ever been created by human kind started out as an idea in someone’s mind long before there was any evidence to prove it could exist.”-Philip Lynn 

Mars and Pluto are approaching a conjunct in bossy Sagittarius; it will be exact on January 13th. Mars (the ancient ruler of Scorpio) represents conscious power; Pluto (Scorpio’s current ruler) is associated with hidden power. This combination in fiery Sagittarius can bring up old fears, resentments, and power struggles but it can also show us where we are stuck and help us to break through – if we are conscious. Remember, you use the energy or the energy uses you.   

Saturn, ruler of Capricorn, is retrograde in the sign of Leo until April 19th. Saturn, lord of karma, lord of winter, rules time and form, reality and responsibility. Where Saturn is currently transiting is where we need to reassess and realign. Saturn challenges us to live our highest truth and reminds us that what is difficult can also be nurturing.   

Meditation Expert

Meditation lessons from my vacation
by David Harshada Wagner

Last Tuesday, I was standing in the chest deep ocean water off the west coast of Tahiti. It couldn't have been more perfect. The water was the perfect temperature- not too cool- not too warm and a brilliant blue. On the horizon, the sun was setting and turning the clouds fiery and golden in the sky. I was well within the boundaries of the reef so the water was perfectly still.  Between my feet were little bits of coral with tropical fish swimming around.  As I savored this heavenly moment- a thought arose:

Thank God for meditation!

There in the ocean there were many things that I could have worried about if I wanted to. I was flying out that evening- I could have worried about getting to the airport on time. I could have thought about how much money I spent on my holiday and tried to add it all up. I could have remembered all of the other oceans I've been in. I could have compared Tahiti to say- Hawaii- and made a list of pros and cons. I could have thought about my tan- or lack thereof - or the clients I had waiting for me back in New York.

But I didn't.

For that 30 minutes or so, there was only the moment. Only the gentle water, only the sunset. Only the fish swimming around my feet. One of the great benefits of meditation is it's ability to teach us to be IN THE MOMENT.

My moment in Tahiti was a precious one- for sure.  On the surface it would appear nicer than, say, this moment sitting here typing this blog. There's no ocean here- or fish- or sunset- only a crowded cafe and computer screen. But if I approach this moment here with the same open-hearted absorption I brought to my moment in Tahiti- it can be just as rich.

There is HAVING luxury and then there is ENJOYING luxury. Taking time to slow down and turn inside gives us the power to be present in our world and enjoy all that it has to give us. You can always worry- there are always other things to think about. But try to take some time each day to turn inside and train yourself to be there as fully as you can. Try this:

Chocolate meditation: Get a really good (small) piece of chocolate. Give yourself 5-10 whole minutes to eat it.  Close your eyes and smell it before you put it in your mouth. When you do take time to savor its flavor as long as you can. See how “there” you can be for the experience.

David Harshada Wagner is a meditation teacher and founding director of Banyan Education, a stress-management and Inner Life Consulting Firm.  For more information about meditation or to find out about private meditation lessons email David [email protected]