Joseph Campbell on the Mythic Symbology of Release
One of our all time favorite teachers is the late Joseph Campbell. Joseph Campbell was a preeminent scholar, writer, and teacher who had a genius for finding the unifying symbols and metaphors in apparently distinct cultures and traditions. Campbell explores the enduring power of the universal myths that influence our lives daily and examines the myth-making process from the primitive past to the immediate present, returning always to the source from which all mythology springs: the creative imagination. He had a profound influence on millions of people--including Star Wars creator George Lucas. To Campbell, mythology was the “song of the universe, the music of the spheres.”
In the video below, Campbell discusses winged fish, the feathered serpent, the Bodhisattva, and the Christ -- all mythological images of a shift in consciousness. This video is a brief excerpt from interviews filmed with Joseph Campbell shortly before his death in 1987, previously unreleased by the Joseph Campbell Foundation.
Once A Day Yoga Jam with Michael Franti
Whether you're new to yoga or just want to enjoy a fun yoga sequence with Michael Franti, enjoy this yoga jam featuring a remix of Michael Franti and Spearhead's song "Once a Day!"
“My hope is that this short daily yoga practice will encourage playfulness and gratitude in your everyday life. I encourage you to do this practice in the morning, on your lunch break, before you go out on a Saturday night, or anytime you need a reset. By sharing this intentional practice with friends or family members from around the world, each day we will find ways to support each other to be our best, serve the greater good and rock out wherever we are!” - Michael Franti
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Check out more from Michael Franti and Spearhead: MichaelFranti.com
Stock up on the highest quality, eco-friendly yoga gear available from our shop:
The Science of Yoga / How Meditation Can Reshape Our Brains (Video)
The Science of Yoga Part 2 examines posture.
Learn more about the scientific effects of meditation on the brain by checking out the work of Harvard Neuroscientist Sara Lazar. Sara Lazar's amazing brain scans show meditation can actually change the size of key regions of our brain, improving our memory and making us more empathetic, compassionate, and resilient under stress.
Watch Sara's TedX talk, "How Meditation Can Reshape Our Brains".
Explore more Yoga and Meditation wisdom here:
5 of the Best Parks for Awesome Outdoor Yoga in Boulder
Whether you are a Boulder native or a tourist, active yogis want to know the best parks for doing yoga outside. There are many benefits of practicing yoga outdoors; breathing in fresh natural air, feeling a zen connection with nature - not to mention taking in Boulder Colorado’s breathtaking mountain views!
Check out 5 of the Best Parks for Awesome Outdoor Yoga in Boulder!
Yoga and Expansion of Consciousness
What is yoga? The classical texts define yoga as a process of channelling the forces or expressions of the mind. How? By following a discipline. What is the aim of discipline? To establish yourself in your real nature. These are the first three statements in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, and are the foundation of yoga practice and philosophy. If yoga was only physical exercises, these statements would reflect that physical component. But they do not. If yoga was a religion, these introductory statements would reflect that religious inclination. But they do not; rather, in the yogic tradition yoga has to be seen as a discipline, a lifestyle and a science of practical living.
In order to create a system, a progressive practice, and to immerse oneself in yogic disciplines, there is a very beautiful sequence. Yoga begins with the body, goes to the mind and aims to realize the inner nature. The question can arise: If yoga deals with the mind, why does it begin with the body? Yoga looks at the well-being of the total personality, of the body, mind and spirit. Body, mind and spirit have to come together so that we can become a complete human being and experience the wholeness of life.
The Buddha's Eightfold Path
The 'Middle Way', avoiding the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, is the path which the Buddha taught in the Fourth Noble Truths that leads to the complete cessation of suffering (dukkha) and release from the cycle of existence (samsara). This is the realisation of Nibbana, the ultimate goal of a Buddhist.
The path comprises eight categories or factors which aim at developing and perfecting the three essentials of Buddhist training and discipline: Virtue (Sila), Concentration (samadhi) and Wisdom (panna).
Virtue or Ethical conduct comprises Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, and Right Effort.
Concentration is the development of Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration through meditation.
Wisdom comprises Right Understanding and Right Thought.
What the Buddha meant by 'Right' is that which produces a beneficial result.
Cultivating Mindfulness: How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation
Cultivating mindfulness is the key to overcoming suffering and recognizing natural wisdom: both our own and others'. How do we go about it?
In the Buddhist tradition and in Contemplative Psychotherapy training, we nurture mindfulness through the practice of sitting meditation. There are many different kinds of meditation. For example, some are designed to help us relax; others are meant to produce altered states of consciousness.
Mindfulness meditation is unique in that it is not directed toward getting us to be different from how we already are. Instead, it helps us become aware of what is already true moment by moment. We could say that it teaches us how to be unconditionally present; that is, it helps us be present with whatever is happening, no matter what it is.
Mindfulness, paying precise, nonjudgmental attention to the details of our experience as it arises and subsides, doesn't reject anything. Instead of struggling to get away from experiences we find difficult, we practice being able to be with them. Equally, we bring mindfulness to pleasant experiences as well. Perhaps surprisingly, many times we have a hard time staying simply present with happiness. We turn it into something more familiar, like worrying that it won't last or trying to keep it from fading away.
When we are mindful, we show up for our lives; we don't miss them in being distracted or in wishing for things to be different. Instead, if something needs to be changed we are present enough to understand what needs to be done. Being mindful is not a substitute for actually participating in our lives and taking care of our own and others' needs. In fact, the more mindful we are, the more skillful we can be in compassionate action.
It's Still Such a Wonderful World
It's easy to lose sight of the beauty of the world in the midst of tragedy, political upheaval, injustice and suffering. While we continue with our practice, working to ease the suffering of others and living a life of compassion and Love, we also need to be mindful and grateful for the beauty of the world that still surrounds us when we choose Love. Like Pops says, "Love baby. Love. That's the secret."
"What a Wonderful World" [1970 Spoken Introduction Version] along with Oliver Nelson's Orchestra is a song written by Bob Thiele (as George Douglas) and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world (Thiele as a producer and Weiss as a composer/performer). Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Intended as an antidote for the increasingly racially and politically charged climate of everyday life in the United States, the song also has a hopeful, optimistic tone with regard to the future, with reference to babies being born into the world and having much to look forward to.
Just Breathe - Breathing animation for relaxation, meditation and relieving anxiety
“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”
―Amit Ray
Yogis have known the importance of the breath for thousands of years. The ancient sages taught us that “prana”, the vital force circulating through us, can be cultivated and channeled through a spectrum of breathing exercises.
Learning to breathe consciously and with awareness can be a valuable tool in helping to restore balance in the mind and body. Utilize the Breath video to create a controlled meditative breath.
Learn more about meditative and yogic breath from our great selection of yoga and meditation wisdom books:
Yoga Wisdom: frequencyRiser.com/YogaWisdom
Meditation Wisdom: frequencyRiser.com/MeditationWisdom
10 Spirit-Renewing Travel Hotspots in Colorado (Video Guide)
Is it possible to be grounded while globetrotting? Some may believe peaceful travel is an oxymoron, but the truth is that Colorado offers a multitude of unhurried spiritual and religious travel destinations. Sightseeing becomes elevated through divine explorations.
frequencyRiser wants to know where you will travel in Colorado? Undecided? This healthy list is helpful when planning trips in Colorado, especially for those who are seeking metaphysical or divine experiences.
From Yama to Samyama
However, the ultimate goal of practicing yoga is to achieve transcendence and to break this cyclic existence. Dharana, dhyana, and samadhi are the three states that prepare one toward this transcendental goal. These three together is called Samyama (sam meaning total and yama meaning to control). “So Samyama means complete mastery over the psychic process or complete control of mental concentration.”
Are You "Mind Full" Or Mindful? (5 Helpful Books That Will Get You There)
It's no secret that our minds become preoccupied with everyday happenings; get the kids up and ready for school on time, quickly run to the grocery store and the bank before flying home to prepare meals and finish folding the laundry. It's time to take a breathe and ask; Am I being "mind full" or mindful?
Great spiritual leaders throughout time, like yogis, shamans, mystics and others, connect to a realm of universal peace, which exists at a higher frequency. By evolving consciousness through yoga and meditation, we are able to rise above the daily grind, and find peace in just existing.
frequencyRiser offers the tools needed to elevate to a higher level of awareness.
When we exist at a higher frequency all aspects of life become powerfully sublime.
Where do we start? What do we do to find inner peace? Below are some books to help you on your journey to enlightenment.