Tuning in Effortlessly to Inner Peace and Happiness

Since I first read the Mother's writings on education in 1976, I have always enjoyed setting myself the same challenge She set for Herself in those writings:

"In these articles I am trying to put into ordinary terms the whole yogic terminology, for these Bulletins are meant more for people who lead an ordinary life, though also for students of yoga — I mean people who are primarily interested in a purely physical material life but who try to attain more perfection in their physical life than is usual in ordinary conditions. It is a very difficult task but it is a kind of yoga. These people call themselves “materialists” and they are apt to get agitated or irritated if yogic terms are used, so one must speak their language avoiding terms likely to shock them.

But I have known in my life persons who called themselves “materialists” and yet followed a much severer discipline than those who claim to do yoga. 

What we want is that humanity should progress; whether it professes to lead a yogic life or not matters little, provided it makes the necessary effort for progress."

Inspired by these words of the Mother, I’ve have always aspired to be able to write about the Integral Yoga without mentioning either the Integral Yoga or Mother and Sri Aurobindo, using language that is accessible to all, and in a way that conveys the ideas simply enough to be understood by a young teenager of average intelligence.

This is the first in a series of posts I'll be writing drawing upon my decades-long exploration of this kind of writing. Here's a start:

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… Have you ever noticed times during the day when suddenly, you’re moved to pause in the midst of whatever you’re doing... maybe as you're rushing to work, or drinking your morning coffee, or speaking with a dear friend whose going through a tough time

. . .  and in that pause a sense of calm, ease, and gratitude comes over you.

… Your mind may be unusually calm, your heart unusually open, and perhaps there’s a sense of loving connection to the people, and world around you

… when you are speaking to that troubled friend, somehow – you hardly know how – just the right, necessary helpful words come out of your mouth…

… As you’re rushing to get ready for work, a sudden calmness comes over you… the dressing and preparation and driving all seem to occur without effort (or at least, with less effort than usual)…

… You feel more energy than usual, but it is both a peaceful and a strong energy…

… As this feeling envelopes you, you may find your attention naturally widening, deepening, as if there were a deep source of strength inside of you, perhaps you feel it almost physically, in your chest or abdomen...

… And for much of the day, your walking, writing, typing, speaking, even your thinking happen more or less spontaneously, and you find yourself surprised that, even though there may be a lot riding on the outcome of that project, that conversation, that practice session, you feel strangely at ease, without worrying about whether your efforts lead to success or failure...

… You may even notice this growing calmness, this deepening peace, seems to ripen almost into a kind of profound silence, stillness, surrounding you, embracing you...

… And the air around you somehow - it seems so strange to your mind which may be spinning a bit trying to figure this all out (don't try!) - is alive, energized, and you may wonder – "How can there be this all-encompassing stillness at the same time as this aliveness, this dynamic sense of energy around me...?"

… Imagine what it would be like if there was something that could be done to put yourself in tune with that state more often, so it didn't just happen haphazardly from time to time, so that you could be more frequently "in the zone" or "in tune" with this quite delightful, effortless "flow"...

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Dear reader, would you like to add anything? Can you tell at all which aspects of the Yoga I'm referring to – Self, psychic being, various planes and parts of the being… Suggestions, comments, criticisms?

- Don Salmon, USA

Keywords: Peace, Happiness, Integral Yoga