I love great questions, don’t you?

Got a great question on the back of a recent email - The email was all about the importance of being fluid, of finding out what works for you - of not shying away from hard work, but avoiding harshness and rigidity like the plague. In other words, making sure you do what you do because the bottom line is more and more joy. ________

"A follow up question. Is there scope for rigour in our practice? I don't mean strictness or punishment. I'm just thinking about disciplines which do require followers to push themselves in order to achieve enlightenment." ________

This is such a great question. Here’s what I said:

Absolutely, there is space for zeal and commitment and integrity ... but it needs to be in the most useful direction. So often zeal is misdirected into activities that have no use in helping you become filled with presence, dissolving into that lovely state of clarity, stillness and peace.

AND ... quite often zeal and commitment becomes forcefulness and self-violence. It can be easy for many people to fall into suppression and rigidity and harshness and even out and out brutality. The fact is ANY SORT of controlling, trying, straining just slows your growth down.

Read that last line again ^^^

This path we’re talking about - one to greater and greater calm, contentment, fulfillment, joy, freedom … it requires no harshness or self-violence or even seriousness of any sort. You cannot have a more heavenly life travelling via hell.

Stubbornness? Yup - A very useful trait  - but it needs balancing with patience and gentleness and fluidity.

OK?

So take a load off. You keep stepping in the direction you want to go, keep practicing those right things, and you will master your mind, and enjoy all the benefits there of. With a bigger and bigger smile on your face.

Go well! Arjuna

PS. You will find your point of balance with all of this. Tune in, get present, and see what the best course of action for YOU is. You’ll have to give up the shoulds, and what everyone else is doing - but no one really wants them anyway, AND you shall find what works for you.

PPS. Tuning in, getting present, seeing what works for you? Head this way to get good at that:

https://arjunaishaya.lpages.co/houradaymindful/

Well, it’s alright for you Mr Monk

Some people assume that since I have a modicum of calm and contentment and self-awareness, that I was born this way. “It’s alright for you” they say, assuming that I have remained static throughout my life. It’s not the case. Being the way I am now, living the life I live now, and my attitude to it all - it has come from practice. In fact, it's all come from a determination to not let the negative and overwhelmed habits of my mind win.

Which is great news -

If I can get a degree of mastery over the limitation of my own mind, then you can too - no matter where you think you are beginning from. It’s just a matter of practicing until you become so good you can do it with your eyes closed and your hands tied behind your back (if you like that sort of thing).

Honestly - practice makes all the difference, and especially so when you’re ready to quit, when you’re thinking you’re useless and a loser, and what’s the point anyway? When you’re filled with negativity. When you’re filled with overwhelm, when you’re almost sick with worry and anxiety or doubt or regret.

I know these things. But no matter what is going on for you, there is a better way to live life. There is, and it’s definitely something you can have. And I think your heart knows that to be true - otherwise you wouldn't be reading this. It won’t let you quit until you find a way of living superbly, no matter what your head says.

You practice the right things and you will come out the other side. There’ll be a time when you might look back and you know you won’t ever go back to misery because you have mastered the cause of your own pain and suffering.

Then you can truly help someone else - from experience. And they’ll listen, because you’re talking the truth.

So don’t ever believe that calm and contentment, freedom from the limitations of your mind is only for someone else. That everyone else gets it, but you never will. That is, as they say, just complete bullpucky. You just ignore those thoughts and keep stepping and you’ll get there.

Alright? And if I can help? Please just drop me a line.

Go well! Arjuna

PS. Here’s a little practice that can really help you master your mind - a simple way to fill up your day with more awareness and presence, calm and joy.

And we have a growing Facebook group for direct help. Join up here:

https://arjunaishaya.lpages.co/houradaymindful/ 

The power of the “Meh” factor

What is this “Meh” factor I talk of?

A long time reader has recently informed me how grateful he is for the gift of increased “Meh” that has come from putting into practice my ways contained within these emails and the courses I teach.

You see - the Meh factor is when you practice this stuff and come to a point where you can’t be bothered being provoked. You can’t gather enough energy to respond to someone attempting to push your buttons. You can’t muster enough caring to outburst, instead, at best you roll your eyes and just go “Meh”.

By practicing presence and calm it actually gets harder to rise to unexpected news and/or someone baiting you. Isn't that wonderful? It takes real effort to get angry.

It’s a brilliant response too, for those loved ones around you who love to poke you with a long stick, just to see if they can make you react - you know, otherwise known as “teenagers” (but obviously not confined to just them).

When you can’t be bothered playing their games? They are left very confused, very confused indeed. Like a balloon that has all their air removed.

It always takes two to tango, and when you don’t dance, they have to change their tune. Or some kind of metaphor along those lines …

And how wonderful. What is left for you is calm, contentment and perspective. A realisation that you can change your habits of reacting and outbursting and take control of your own peace.

So here's to the “Meh” factor!

May you have plenty of it, so you can focus your energies on what you really want to focus on. Hurrah!

Go well!

Arjuna

PS.

I’m all out of courses for this year. Done and dusted beyond a few things if you've already learnt to Ascend. There'll be more in the new year for sure which I'll let you know about.

But - if you’re interested in grabbing a free 15 minute coaching call before then, I’m giving a bunch away soon.

Here’s the link if you want one:

http://www.arjunaishaya.com/contact/ 

Getting more self-confidence and ditching doubt

If you’re like me it seems like you weren’t born with a ton of self-confidence (which is not true at all, but we'll get to that).

You get caught up in those voices in your head that are doubting and anxious - they seem quite real, a lot of the time.

These voices stop you doing stuff, don’t they? From saying the thing you want to say, from getting out and doing those things, from being seen.

It’s frustrating, at least it can be.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve gone over and over what I should have said or what I should have done. Torturing myself long after the event has passed.

Though I worked out how to get around it.

You see, there are two different versions of you. One of those versions has no issues with confidence, doubt, anxiety, worry - any of that. They simply don’t exist. Why? This version of you isn’t trying to be someone else. It isn’t trying to live up to anyone’s expectations, it isn’t concerned with what anyone else thinks, it isn't trying to do "it" right.

It is what it is, nothing to prove, nothing to hide. No masks, no roles, no presenting of false images, just 100% authentic you.

You have that already - you are that already - and that is the whole purpose of something like the Bright Path Ishayas’ Ascension. To live as that version of you more and more.

When you practice Ascension those limiting programs of doubt, worry, fear - and that’s what they are, just programs - simply run out of juice. They stop stopping you. Which is a wonderful state of affairs, because then it's easier to practice saying what you know you want to say.

I think I’ve written about this before (if I haven’t, I should have!), from the carefree version of you comes the first thoughts. The doubting program comes in with the second and third thoughts - “I can’t say that!” which overrides the first - wise - thoughts.

Then there’s the question that I personally know well, and see a lot around, “How do I …”

As in “How do I ask for a raise/time off?”, “How do I ask that girl/boy out?”, “How do I ask for what I want?”, “How do I stand up for myself?”. Such self-torture through trying to work out the “best” way of asking for something.

The simple answer seems to be you just have to do it.

You just have to practice opening your mouth and speaking, asking for what you want, speaking those first thoughts.

There’s a time and a place for everything, yes, but what I’ve found is usually the time and the place is when you and the other are together and the first thoughts come in. Right there, open your mouth.

Just be that great version of you - practice your Ascension - and speak. I promise it gets easier.

What I know for sure is the thinking about it is the torture. The doing? Not so bad really, at all.

Go well!

Arjuna

PS.

No idea about Ascension? Here's a wonderful list that I put together about how to be more mindful in your daily life - 108 practical ways of living beyond those programs, making sure they don't take over.

Get your free copy here:

https://arjunaishaya.leadpages.co/sane-fb

This kind of toast is the answer to all questions, do you not agree?

To some people, the question "what is the meaning of life" is contained in a perfectly made piece of avocado on toast.

It was long good, way before instagram food peeps got on the bandwagon.

If you’re from New Zealand you’ve been putting on the marmite (NZ version) before the avocado -

Which takes the whole thing into another dimension.

And if you’re a wild culinary explorer,

A touch of hummus after the avocado.

Bacon too, of course (of course!!) if you’re so inclined (and I am).

And that is all that is needed to satisfy many souls.

For some though,

This is not enough.

They want to know why …

Not the why of toast, because such toast needs no why,

But as in,

Why are you here?

What’s the purpose?

What’s the meaning of your life?

Beyond a lovely cup of tea and slice of fruit cake, with Wensleydale cheese - of course.

Satisfaction comes from two different sources.

One - as above, is the good things in life.

Toast, food in general, cool stuff, adventures, time with loved ones.

The other, more subtle source, is well … more subtle, innit?

The ultimate of satisfaction is found in your own being,

In your own presence,

In that inner sense of quiet, calm, content wholeness,

The unspoken “all is well” that you experience when you tune into this moment in time.

It needs nothing but remembering to remember it.

And that inner experience gives EVERY outer experience so much more “quality”; it makes everything so much easier and more fun.

You find this foundation and everything makes sense.

That unseen hole you may well have is filled.

Your purpose becomes obvious.

When you find the “how” to live, the “what” to do comes.

Now - you can’t think about this -

You have to do it.

You have to taste it.

And the only time you can do that is now.

Alright?

Go well!

Arjuna

PS.

If you want a helping hand to this experience -

The tools so you can remember to remember,

Any time you like -

In any moment, cutting through the thoughts and feelings that you want to ignore for the experience of goodness.

Here's how to start, with this free challenge:

https://arjunaishaya.lpages.co/houradaymindful/

Who stole my baby?

I spent the last 4 days on my own.

Man solo, left to his own devices, what could possibly go wrong?

Famous last words!

Don’t worry - I survived.

And the lawns even got mown and the floors vacuumed.

Good job it wasn't the other way around, huh?!

But when my little bubsy came back -

I was a little shocked.

You see -

She was different.

Someone must have done a swap.

4 days! And she’s all changed, a new mini me.

How does that happen so quick?

My first response was a bit - “I want the old bubsy back! Don’t ever grow up!”

Impossible to freeze time isn’t it?

No matter how hard we try.

Life is change.

And that is a huge source of inner troubles -

Clinging to the old.

When you have kids, all of a sudden life is completely different.

Isn’t it?

Your sense of freedom definitely takes a big change.

(I’m typing this with one hand as bubsy’s in the sling asleep and her little head keeps flopping around)

Especially mums - because they’re at the pudgy little coal face.

You have to step into a new role, a new you, immediately.

That can be hard.

But it’s the clinging to the old version of you that causes the suffering.

You used to freely do this and that, and now you can't.

The new you isn’t worse though - or better.

Just different.

And as soon as you embrace that change, as soon as you do -

The easier, the more fulfilling everything in your now is.

Now being the operative word for whatever your life situation:

As it is, right NOW.

The truth is though -

There is part of you that never changes, even in a complete upheaval of life.

When you get to know that, any change, any uncertainty becomes easily sail-able.

As in, you can sail through anything in life.

With a big grin on your face.

No more drama.

The whole purpose of meditation and mindfulness, that is.

And so it's well worth practicing.

If you wanted to learn the simplest, most powerful meditation tools in the universe?

Here's how:

https://www.thebrightpath.com/course/first-sphere-united-kingdom-richmond-north-yorkshire-1

Be great to have you.

Go well!

Arjuna

PS.

Remember - if you’ve learnt already, and it doesn’t matter if this was a billion years ago,

It’s completely free to repeat, as many times as you like.

I love that, because the course makes a billion times deeper sense when you hear it again.

And you get to meet all the cool people in your area too:

https://www.thebrightpath.com/course/first-sphere-united-kingdom-richmond-north-yorkshire-1 

Is ending stress the most revolutionary thing you could do?

Have you ever wondered how -

It’s mad that as a society we’re better off than ever before …

We have so much material wealth …

And yet our minds are crazier than ever?

Perhaps now that just the sheer fact of surviving is really quite simple -

We have more time to think about what is wrong …

More time to ponder the shoulds, the regrets, the worry and the guilt,

To get angry about the small stuff,

To be consumed by unrealistic ideas of perfection.

How about you?

The fact is that quite possibly - and this may just be the conspiracy wild part of me talking here …

(but I kinda like it)

“The man” WANTS you to worry.

It’s better for the status quo, it’s better to keep you separate and bickering, it’s better to keep you distracted and self-consumed.

If that is so,

vvv

“To be calm becomes a kind of revolutionary act.”

Matt Haig from “Reasons to stay Alive”

^^^

When everything is selling you that you’re lost and need something,

That you should worry about this thing and that thing, oh and this thing too,

(Buy this and you will feel happier …)

Accepting You and your life,

As you are, as it is,

Ending worry and being comfortable and content with all the uncertainties -

Is one of the boldest choices you could ever make.

Your choice for freedom -

Means you can stop being consumed by the small stuff -

And are able to focus on the things that REALLY matter,

The things that you can ACTUALLY change and put into place,

For you, for your community, for the world.

Being calm and seeing clearly is quite possibly the greatest thing you can learn to do.

Finding happiness and defeating the fear that has taken root in your own mind,

Changes more than just your life …

Your lived example makes it easier for everyone around you to do the same.

How?

How do you accept, be content, be comfortable in the middle of what COULD appear to be chaos?

How do you free yourself from fear and worry, from the whole mechanism of focusing on what could go wrong?

How do you join the calm revolution?

Get to know Now so well that you never leave it.

Learn to see the beauty of what is already within you, and all around you.

Start to give, in as many ways as you can think of, large and small.

Your thoughts are an option, not the truth - they are not you.

Switch off, relax, learn to let go and ignore the stuff that you can’t do anything about.

Fight nothing - especially not your thoughts. Fighting plays the game, accepting frees you from it.

How can I help you?

Just ask, please do.

Go well!

Arjuna

PS.

Just picked up Matt Haig’s book and flicking through it found some wonderful quotes, such as the above.

But I like this one too:

“Every time I read a great book I felt I was reading a kind of map, a treasure map, and the treasure I was being directed to was in actual fact myself.”

― Matt Haig, Reasons to Stay Alive

You ARE the treasure that you seek.