Today: Only conscious breathing, praanayam, gives you consciousness.” Yogi Bhajan

“Only conscious breathing, praanayam, gives you consciousness. You can breathe automatically. Breathing you can do unconsciously. Why do we do conscious breathing? Are we insane? No. Conscious breathing leaves you with consciousness. Conscious relationship with praana is the conscious relationship with (Divine) Consciousness.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: TCH20 02 960722 – Increase the Power of the Infinite 

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Today: “With devotion in selfless service, keep up even though your works go unrecognized.” – from the I Ching

With devotion in selfless service, keep up even though your works go unrecognized.

Meditations:  Meditation: KWTC-870710-No One Complains About the Lord

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27 – Twenty-Seven  I / Providing Nourishment

Beneath the immobile Mountain the arousing Thunder stirs:
The Superior Person preserves his freedom under oppressive conditions by watching what comes out of his mouth, as well as what goes in.

Endure and good fortune will come.
Nurture others in need, as if you were feeding yourself.
Take care not to provide sustenance for those who feed off others.
Stay as high as possible on the food chain.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are a conduit in this instance, able to provide the sustenance needed by others.
Position yourself to nourish the truly needy and worthy.
Avoid situations where you might be coerced into supporting the parasites and vermin who deprive your true charges.
Your own nourishment is an issue here, too.
Remember Lao Tzu’s three Great Treasures:
Only the person possessed of Compassion, Modesty and Frugality can remain fit enough to stay free of desperation and keep control of the situation.

Six in the fourth place means:

Turning to the summit
For provision of nourishment
Brings good fortune.
Spying about with sharp eyes
Like a tiger with insatiable craving.
No blame.

In contrast to the six in the second place, which refers to a man bent exclusively on his own advantage, this line refers to one occupying a high position and striving to let his light shine forth. To do this he needs helpers, because he cannot attain his lofty aim alone. With the greed of a hungry tiger he is on the lookout for the right people. Since he is not working for himself but for the good of all, there is no wrong in such zeal.

38 – Thirty-Eight  K’uei / Estrangement

Fire distances itself from its nemesis, the Lake:
No matter how large or diverse the group, the Superior Person remains uniquely himself.

Small accomplishments are possible.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are working at cross-purposes with another.
The distance between you is very wide.
The gap can be closed, however, with no compromise of your integrity.
You are not adversaries in this case — just two persons addressing individual needs.
Ask yourself: are these needs mutually exclusive?
Is there common ground here?
Must there be one winner and one loser?
Could you become partners in seeking a solution that would allow for two winners?

Today: Your mind stops automatically when you are doing a mechanical breath. Your mind cannot go anywhere. It comes right to the point and it says, ‘Yes, master’.” Yogi Bhajan

“Your mind stops automatically when you are doing a mechanical breath. Your mind cannot go anywhere. It comes right to the point and it says, ‘Yes, master’. Normally it says, ‘Hey, slave, do what I say’. But once you start rhythmic mechanical breathing, mind shall stop. And if you really do it well for a while every day, you will be shocked to find that the mind will not disobey you for any reason. “In yoga never breathe a breath of life automatically, always breathe mechanically. Thirty-one minutes of mechanical breathing can give you better health than you ever had before. It can give you strength beyond understanding. It can give you answers for every question, which you can’t even imagine. Because you live by the breath and you die by the breath. So you must enjoy the breath. And to develop intuition, you must have your breath, the basic elementary power of life, under your control.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA653-900612 – Self Hypnotic Trance

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Today: “The flow is disrupted by chaos and corruption.   Look inward and ride out stagnation.” – from the I Ching

The flow is disrupted by chaos and corruption.   Look inward and ride out stagnation.

Meditations:  Meditation: Milarepa’s Song to Lady Palderboom

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12 – Twelve  P’i / Stagnation

Heaven and Earth move away from each other.
In the ensuing void, the small invade where the great have departed.
There is no common meeting ground, so the Superior Person must fall back on his inner worth and decline the rewards offered by the inferior invaders.

Difficult trials as you hold to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

It is natural to assume that, if Earth above Heaven forms the hexagram for Peace and Paradise, then the opposite configuration, with Heaven over Earth would represent the antithesis of Paradise, Hell.
Not so.
This hexagram is actually the Dark side of Peace, its unsavory byproduct, Stagnation.
In a time when most of our wants are provided, there is little need for the heroes, the artists, the great thinkers and innovators.
As they recede into the shadows, Idleness, Apathy, and Lassitude come to the forefront.
Peace has become boring, bland, unchallenging — Stagnant.
Now our attention turns to the quick fix, the instant celebrity, the fad, the one-nighter, the current buzz.
There is no room for depth.
If you are a passionate soul, you must wait for a better time to find kindred spirits.
In these times, they are only curious legends, bas-relief, dead poets.

This hexagram is the opposite of the preceding one (11). Heaven is above, drawing farther and farther away, while the earth below sinks farther into the depths. The creative powers are not in relation. It is a time of standstill and decline. This hexagram is linked with the seventh month (August – September), when the year has passed its zenith and autumnal decay is setting in.

THE JUDGEMENT

STANDSTILL. Evil people do not further
The perseverance of the superior man.
The great departs; the small approaches.

Heaven and earth are out of communion and all things are benumbed. What is above has no relation to what is below, and on earth confusion and disorder prevail. The dark power is within, the light power is without. Weakness is within, harshness without. Within are the inferior, and without are the superior. The way of inferior people is in ascent; the way of superior people is on the decline. But the superior people do not allow themselves to be turned from their principles. If the possibility of exerting influence is closed to them, they nevertheless remain faithful to their principles and withdraw into seclusion.

THE IMAGE

Heaven and earth do not unite:
The image of STANDSTILL.
Thus the superior man falls back upon his inner worth
In order to escape the difficulties.
He does not permit himself to be honored with revenue.

When, owing to the influence of inferior men, mutual mistrust prevails in public life, fruitful activity is rendered impossible, because the fundamentals are wrong. Therefore the superior man knows what he must do under such circumstances; he does not allow himself to be tempted by dazzling offers to take part in public activities. This would only expose him to danger, since he cannot assent to the meanness of the others. He therefore hides his worth and withdraws into seclusion.

Today: “What is attractive in you is not you. It is your absolutely radiant body.” Yogi Bhajan

“What is attractive in you is not you. It is your absolutely radiant body. That is a shining armor around you for protection and attraction both. And (its strength) depends how deeply you consume praana and how many times during the day you try to breathe absolutely mechanically.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM345- Strengthen and enhance the radiant body

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Today: “You may enjoy the fruits of your discipline without reverting to the old ways of pursuing base pleasures.” – from the I Ching

You may enjoy the fruits of your discipline without reverting to the old ways of pursuing base pleasures.

Meditations:  Meditation: LA101 790419-Faith In Our Self And Our Own Discipline

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58 – Fifty-Eight  Tui / Empowering

The joyous Lake spans on and on to the horizon:
The Superior Person renews and expands his Spirit through heart-to-heart exchanges with others.

Success if you stay on course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is the sign of true companionship.
The principals in this situation exchange energy, ideas and feelings, constantly invigorating and encouraging each other to new heights of Spiritual achievement and Self-discovery.
This exchange is not for the glory of the Team, but for furthering the process of each individual’s ‘Te’, or pure potentiality.

Nine in the second place means:

Rejoice in his sincerity.
This good fortune will last into the future, if you don’t let the past resurface.

Sincere joyousness. Good fortune.
Remorse disappears.

We often find ourselves associating with inferior people in whose company we are tempted by pleasures that are inappropriate for the superior man. To participate in such pleasures would certainly bring remorse, for a superior man can find no real satisfaction in low pleasures. When, recognizing this, a man does not permit his will to swerve, so that he does not find such ways agreeable, not even dubious companions will venture to proffer any base pleasures, because he would not enjoy them. Thus every cause for regret is removed.

17 – Seventeen  Sui / Following

Thunder beneath the Lake’s surface.
The Superior Person allows himself plenty of sheltered rest and recuperation while awaiting a clear sign to follow.

Supreme success.
No mistakes if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Thunder from the Lake — the lulling, rhythmic roar of the faithful tide, eternally wearing away the stone of the shoreline, forever obedient to the phases of the moon.
The pull of the moon on the tide is the Following called for now.
As mighty as the tide is in its own right, it is ever the puppet of the invisible, irresistible gravity of the moon.
What cyclical forces pull you along?
Are you futilely attempting to resist a natural attraction?

Today: “Take a conscious breath. Conscious is: take it in as long and deep as you can and take it out as much as you can. That is called conscious breath.” Yogi Bhajan

“Take a conscious breath. Conscious is: take it in as long and deep as you can and take it out as much as you can. That is called conscious breath.” (Conscious breathing is also called “mechanical” breathing.) Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM132-940504-Pratyahar

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Today: “You have everything you need do do great things.  If you allow everyone’s dignity, they will keep their dignity and support your great vision.” – from the I Ching

You have everything you need do do great things.  If you allow everyone’s dignity, they will keep their dignity and support your great vision.

Meditations:  Meditation: NM091 – 19921110 – Self Emboldenment, Engagement, Vision

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14 – Fourteen  Ta Yu / Great Treasures

The Fire of clarity illuminates the Heavens to those below:
The Superior Person possesses great inner treasures — compassion, economy, and modesty.
These treasures allow the benevolent will of Heaven to flow through him outward to curb evil and to further good.

Supreme success.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You have become an instrument of Heaven’s will, offering a balance in the world around you.
It is not swashbuckling prowess or uncanny talent that qualifies you for this office, but your simplest gifts — your modesty, your compassion, your economy.
Because you can see clearly who most needs a miracle, Heaven’s bounty is being put at your disposal.

Six in the fifth place means:

He whose truth is accessible, yet dignified,
Has good fortune.

Ven. Ananda in the first Buddhist Council

The situation is very favorable. People are being won not by coercion but by unaffected sincerity, so that they are attached to us in sincerity and truth. However, benevolence alone is not sufficient at the time of POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE. For insolence might begin to spread. Insolence must be kept in bounds by dignity; then good fortune is assured.

1 – One  Ch’ien / Creative Activity

Heaven above and Heaven below:
Heaven in constant motion.
With the strength of the dragon, the Superior Person steels himself for ceaseless activity.

Productive Activity.
Potent Influence.
Sublime Success if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The time for action has come.
You now have the focus and the stamina necessary for accomplishing great tasks.
The path before you is being cleared and reward lies ahead.

Today: “We don’t remember that the breath has got any importance for us. We do not know that we are attached to the breath.” Yogi Bhajan

“We don’t remember that the breath has got any importance for us. We do not know that we are attached to the breath. We think it is automatic and our great grandfather must have signed a lease for it. We worry for everything in this world, but we do not worry on that which gives us life, that is our breath. Moment you don’t breathe, they throw you out. Breath is your everything and you have no time to meditate on that. You meditate on God, but not on the breath, which is the tender charge of God. I have to tell you one thing very clearly. I can only pass on the truth to you. I cannot sit in you and breathe.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation:  Breath of Fire

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Today: “Beware of bad actors seeking to undermine the foundation of the social order.  Do not support their deceptive practices.” – from the I Ching

Beware of bad actors seeking to undermine the foundation of the social order.  Do not support their deceptive practices.

Meditations:  Meditation: LA721-920325: for the Intuitive Intellect

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23 – Twenty-Three  Po / Splitting Apart

The weight of the Mountain presses down upon a weak foundation of Earth:
The Superior Person will use this time of oppression to attend to the needs of those less fortunate.

Any action would be ill-timed.
Stand fast.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a situation easily mistaken for Stagnation (Hexagram 12) or Revolution (Hexagram 49).
It just depends on which side you’re on.
During a time of Stagnation, human worms invade to feed on the decay.
During a time of Revolution, oppression is being overthrown.
But in this situation, oppressors are violently seizing power.
Pay special heed when you receive this hexagram, because the oracle is often warning you of a situation of which you are totally unaware.
You are about to be blindsided.

The dark lines are about to mount upward and overthrow the last firm, light line by exerting a disintegrating influence on it. The inferior, dark forces overcome what is superior and strong, not by direct means, but by undermining it gradually and imperceptibly, so that it finally collapses.
The lines of the hexagram present the image of a house, the top line being the roof, and because the roof is being shattered the house collapses. The hexagram belongs to the ninth month (October- November). The yin power pushes up ever more powerfully and is about to supplant the yang power altogether.

THE JUDGEMENT

 

SPLITTING APART. It does not further one
To go anywhere.

This pictures a time when inferior people are pushing forward and are about to crowd out the few remaining strong and superior men. Under these circumstances, which are due to the time, it is not favorable for the superior man to undertake anything.
The right behavior in such adverse times is to be deduced from the images and their attributes. The lower trigram stands for the earth, whose attributes are docility and devotion. The upper trigram stands for the mountain, whose attribute is stillness. This suggests that one should submit to the bad time and remain quiet. For it is a question not of man’s doing but of time conditions, which, according to the laws of heaven, show an alternation of increase and decrease, fullness and emptiness. It is impossible to counteract these conditions of the time. Hence it is not cowardice but wisdom to submit and avoid action.

THE IMAGE

The mountain rests on the earth:
The image of SPLITTING APART.
Thus those above can ensure their position
Only by giving generously to those below.

The mountain rests on the earth. When it is steep and narrow, lacking a broad base, it must topple over. Its position is strong only when it rises out of the earth broad and great, not proud and steep. So likewise those who rule rest on the broad foundation of the people. They too should be generous and benevolent, like the earth that carries all. Then they will make their position as secure as a mountain is in its tranquillity.

Today: “It is your breath of life. You have to care for it.” Yogi Bhajan

“It is your breath of life. You have to care for it.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM132-940504-Pratyahar

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Today: “Strive to understand what is going on around you and what people are up to.  Expand your awareness.” – from the I Ching

Strive to understand what is going on around you and what people are up to.  Expand your awareness.  It’s  disgraceful just to go along with the mob.

Meditations:  Meditation: LA544 – 870610 – Know and Experience the Unknown

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20 – Twenty  Kuan / Contemplation

The gentle Wind roams the Earth:
The Superior Person expands his sphere of influence as he expands his awareness.
Deeply devoted to his pursuit of clarity and wisdom, he is unconscious of the inspiring, positive example he is setting for others to emulate.

You have cleansed yourself; now stand ready to make your humble, devout offering.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The situation marks a rising to new heights.
As you climb for a better view of the panorama, you make yourself more conspicuous to those below.
This hexagram is also known as the Watchtower, because the shape formed by its lines resembles the ancient guardposts manned by Chinese soldiers.
These towers were placed on mountainsides to give a better vantage point.
To those below, the watchtowers served as landmarks to help them find their way.
The quality of your search for clarity in this situation serves as such a guidepost for others along the Way.

Six at the beginning [yin at bottom] means:

You look at things like a child.
This is pardonable in a lesser man, but a fatal flaw in one of your calibre.

Boylike contemplation.
For an inferior man, no blame.
For a superior man, humiliation.

The Shepherd Boy – John Opie

This means contemplation from a distance, without comprehension. A man of influence is at hand, but his influence is not understood by the common people. This matters little in the case of the masses, for they benefit by the actions of the ruling sage whether they understand them or not. But for a superior man it is a disgrace. He must not content himself with a shallow, thoughtless view of prevailing forces; he must contemplate them as a connected whole and try to understand them.

42 – Forty-Two  I / Expansion

Whirlwinds and Thunder:
When the Superior Person encounters saintly behavior, he adopts it; when he encounters a fault within, he transforms it.

Progress in every endeavor.
You may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Get ready to ride a tide of accelerated growth toward self-actualization.
A joyful awareness of the best within you, coupled with an acceptance of your Shadow, will provide a greater repertoire, a much bolder vision, and new depth and clarity that will compel you to expand your horizons.

Today: “Breath is life and life is breath. There is no difference between the two.” Yogi Bhajan

“Breath is life and life is breath. There is no difference between the two.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0425 – Breath of Life

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Today: “Give up trying to control things.  Fully embrace what is before trying to change anything.” – from the I Ching

Give up trying to control things.  Fully embrace what is before trying to change anything.  Take your preferences out of the equation.  Your devotion and gratitude are all that is required.

Meditations:  Meditation: NM0393-20010402 – Sarab Gyan Kriya

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9 – Nine  Hsiao Ch’u / Gentle Restraint

Winds of change high in the Heavens:
Air currents carry the weather.
Dense clouds blow in from the West, but still no rain.
The Superior Person fine tunes the image he presents to the world.

Small successes.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

No matter what you do, the fruit of your labors never seems to ripen.
Your reward remains just out of reach.
Men have gone mad from such anticipation.
Don’t lose your balance lunging for the brass ring.
While the Fates continue to restrain you, go them one better and display a self-generated restraint and grace.
Look for the humor in the situation.

Nine in the third place means:

The spokes burst out of a wagon wheel, stopping the couple’s journey.
The man and wife waste time and energy blaming each other, causing major damage to their love instead of fixing the minor damage to the wagon

The spokes burst out of the wagon wheels.
Man and wife roll their eyes.

Here an attempt is made to press forward forcibly, in the consciousness that the obstructing power is slight. But since, under the circumstances, power actually lies with the weak, this sudden offensive is doomed to failure. External conditions hinder the advance, just as loss of the wheel spokes stops the progress of a wagon. We do not yet heed this hint from fate, hence there are annoying arguments like those of a married couple. Naturally this is not a favorable state of things, for though the situation may enable the weaker side to hold its ground, the difficulties are too numerous to permit of a happy result. In consequence even the strong man cannot so use his power as to exert the right influence on those around him. He experiences a rebuff where he expected an easy victory, and he thus compromises his dignity.

59 – Fifty-Nine  Huan / Dissolution

Wind carries the Mists aloft:
Sage rulers dedicated their lives to serving a Higher Power and built temples that still endure.

The King approaches his temple.
Success if you stay on course.
You may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Walls meant to protect have instead separated and isolated.
Your defenses have kept you apart from those whom you most need to touch.
Whatever the reason for discord between you, it is time to lay down your arms.
Dispel the inflexible demands and fears of the Mind so that you may reunite in the Heart.
If you have begrudged, forgive.
If you have torn down, repair.
If you have injured, heal.
If you have judged, pardon.
If you have grasped, let go.

Today: “The first teacher is the mother; then the next teacher is the father; then the environment; and then God.” Yogi Bhajan

“The first teacher is the mother; then the next teacher is the father; then the environment; and then God. When a person has devotion, his vibratory effect is totally exact. When the truth is totally exact or the vibratory effect is totally resolved into a complete surrender of receptivity, individuality becomes totality because everything is nothing but a consciousness, and consciousness cannot exist without vibration. Therefore, there is not consciousness without vibration.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0393-20010402 – Sarab Gyan Kriya

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Today: “Use what has been set in motion rather than struggle against it.  Most of what you strive for has already been included in the mix.” – from the I Ching

Use what has been set in motion rather than struggle against it.  Most of what you strive for has already been included in the mix.  Just help keep things stable as they go.

Meditations:  A Recipe for living in interesting times

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39 – Thirty-Nine  Chien / Obstacle

Ominous roiling in the Crater Lake atop the Volcano:
When meeting an impasse, the Superior Person turns his gaze within, and views the obstacle from a new perspective.

Offer your opponent nothing to resist.
Let a sage guide you in this.
Good fortune lies along this course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The Obstacle lies in obstinance.
An insistence on only one way of proceeding has brought things to an impasse.
You may either continue banging your head with irresistible force against this immovable object, or you might step back and survey this situation from a fresh perspective.
Which is immobile here — the obstruction or your attitude?

Six at the beginning [yin at bottom] means:

Going leads to obstructions,
Coming meets with praise.

When one encounters an obstruction, the important thing is to reflect on how best to deal with it. When threatened with danger, one should not strive blindly to go ahead, for this only leads to complications. The correct thing is, on the contrary, to retreat for the time being, not in order to give up the struggle but to await the right moment for action.

63 – Sixty-Three  Chi Chi / Aftermath

Boiling Water over open Flame, one might extinguish The other:
The Superior Person takes a 360 degree view of the situation and prepares for any contingency.

Success in small matters if you stay on course.
Early good fortune can end in disorder.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Victory at the expense of another is a merciless taskmaster.
The precarious balance here is reflected in the lines of the hexagram: each of the yin lines rests upon a strong yang line — a seemingly perfect arrangement.
But the scales will be tipped with the change of any one line.
And there WILL be change.
Tireless vigilance and an answer to every challenge — that is the uneasy Seat of Power occupied by the conqueror.