January - March 2018 Transformation

Transformation American Meditation Institute

YOGA americanmeditation.org

JANUARY - MARCH 2018

Yoga Science for Modern Life

AVERILL PARK, NEW YORK

The Bridge of SCIENCE

Your Practical Path to a

Happy Healthy Joyful Life

Upcoming Classes and Events Inside this Issue:

Photo: keywordsuggest.org

If you want to start and maintain a meditation practice, this course is perfect for you. / P. 4

Beginner’s AMI Meditation

Leonard Perlmutter’s empowering six-week self-care program for a happy, healthy, joyful life. / P. 2-3

TheHeart & Scienceof Yoga®

Everyone interested in self-care must understand the psychology of the Chakra system. / P. 5

The Chakra System

The Heart and Science of Yoga AMI Classes for January - March 2018

Empowering Self-Care Program

®

Reduce Stress & Burnout • Relieve Pain • Optimize Health with Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder

A modern link in the world’s oldest health and wisdom tradition

Introduction to Self-Care

Now, in your present situation, you need to successfully balance all your many personal, professional and family responsibilities.

AMI’s time-tested Heart and Science of Yoga ® Complete Self-Care Program will help you transform your stresses into strength, sharpen your decision-making skills, and meet every one of your challenges creatively.

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is an essential survival skill. SelfCare refers to easy-to-learn daily practices that can reduce stress and maintain and enhance your short and long term health and well-being. By maintaining AMI’s Self-Care Program you’ll be able to fulfill all your personal and professional commitments effectively and rewardingly.

Purposes of Self-Care

Self-Care is not simply about limiting or eliminating stressors. It is also about enhancing your overall health and wellbeing. The purposes of Self-Care include: • Strengthening physical and psychological health • Managing, reducing and transforming stress • Honoring emotional and spiritual needs • Fostering and sustaining relationships

Leonard Perlmutter

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“A problem cannot be solved on the level at which it appears.

It must be solved on a higher level.”

ALBERT EINSTEIN

AMI’s Heart and Science of Yoga® Complete Self-Care Program teaches you how to reliably access your own inner, intuitive wisdom from the superconscious portion of the mind.

By accessing this “higher level” of knowledge, you will know (and know that you know) how to make positive, stress reducing and health affirming lifestyle choices.

Self-Care is essential to your OPTIMAL HEALTH

Herbert Benson, MD of the Harvard Medical School, says the maintenance of optimal health is analogous to a three-legged stool that must be supported by SELF-CARE. Such as AMI’s

Heart and ® Science of Yoga Complete Self-Care Program

Self-Care

Optimal

HEALTH

Pharmaceuticals

Surgery

Leonard is a noted educator and founder of The American Meditation Institute.

He is the author of The Heart and Science of Yoga® and the mind/body medicine journal, Transformation. He has presented self-care courses at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Albany Medical College, The New York Times Yoga Forum with Dean Ornish MD and the U. S. Military Academy at West Point.

americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714

What A MI’s Self-Care Program Can Do for YOU

In 2007, AMI conducted a retrospective case study of participants who completed Leonard Perlmutter’s Heart and Science of Yoga ® Self-Care Program.

The findings included these positive, reproducible, long-term health-promoting changes: • Reduced cholesterol levels • Significant reductions in stress and fear • Improved energy levels • Diminished or extinguished • Increased creative capacity • Decreased anxiety and depression acute and chronic pain • Diminishment of migraine headaches • Lowered blood pressure • Weight loss • Heals irritable bowel syndrome • Lowered heart rate • Increased breathing capacity • Enhanced happiness and optimism • Improved restorative sleep

The Heart and Science of Yoga ® Self-Care Program Curriculum AMI Meditation • Mantra Science • Diaphragmatic Breathing • Yoga Psychology Mind Function Optimization • Easy-Gentle Yoga • Lymph System Detox • Nutrition • Ayurveda

YOGA SCIENCE How to use the mind for the best choices How to create new, healthier habits Understanding pain as an agent for healing Increasing energy, will power & creativity Antidotes for worry, stress and depression AMI MEDITATION Systematic procedure for AMI Meditation Diminishing distractions with mantra science Learning the one-minute meditation Building focus, fearlessness, and strength BREATHING TECHNIQUES Breath as Medicine How breathing irregularities foster dis-ease Complete (three-part) yogic breath

YOGA PSYCHOLOGY & AYURVEDA How the mind supports optimal health The power of the present moment Building and healing relationships Introduction to Ayurveda EASY-GENTLE YOGA EXERCISES Yoga stretches to benefit: muscles, joints, glands and internal organs Physiological benefits of yoga postures MIND /BODY CARE PLAN The healing power of prayer The practical benefit of contemplation Creating a therapeutic care plan for yourself Learning to budget your time Integrating spiritual beliefs into daily life

HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE

Call us to discuss how your Health Insurance plan might cover this program.

SATURDAY MORNINGS: JAN 6 – FEB 24; Except Feb 10 and 17 MAR 3 – APR 7 9:00 - 11:30AM, $595. (6 WKS) Physicians $895; PAs, NPs: $795; RNs: $695

PHYSICIAN ACCREDITATION (15 CMEs) This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of Albany Medical College and The American Meditation Institute. Albany Medical College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Albany Medical College designates this Live activity for a maximum of 15 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Required Texts: The Heart and Science of Yoga ® The Art of Joyful Living.

Registration Includes: Lifelong support for your meditation practice, a 22 minute Guided Meditation CD, a copy of The Physiology of Easy-Gentle Yoga, and a complementary subscription to AMI’s quarterly publication, Transformation, the journal of meditation as mind/body medicine.

NURSING CONTINUING EDUCATION (15 contact hours) This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the American Nurses Association Massachusetts (ANA MASS), an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

The Heart and Science of Yoga ® Self-Care Program is Endorsed by Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD, Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD

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americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714

BEGINNER’S MEDITATION The Basics for Getting Started

Save this Date!

Mary Holloway, Doreen Howe, André Tremblay, Beth Netter MD, Sandy Vo, Bob Iwaniec DC

10th Annual Heart and Science of Yoga®

LEVEL I: If you’re not ready to register for AMI’s 6 week Heart and Science of Yoga® Complete Self-Care Program, this two-session course will provide you step-by-step guidance on how to start—and stick with—a daily AMI Meditation practice. It’s easier than you think to learn the basics! This class also includesa free “guided meditation” CD.

Now at Two Locations:

Averill Park: AMI Home Center, 60 Garner Rd. 674-8714 Clifton Park: AMI North, 108 Old Coach Rd. 383-0994 SATURDAY MORNINGS, 9:30 - 11:00AM, $95. (2 WKS) JAN 20 & 27; FEB 17 & 24; MAR 10 & 17 CLIFTON PARK

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:00PM, $95. (2 WKS) JAN 10 &17; FEB 21&28; MAR 21 &28 AVERILL PARK

MORNING YOGA FOR FIFTY PLUS Melanie (Uma) Gloeckner RYT

Level I: Yoga for healthy aging focuses on developing increased flexibility and strength, improved balance, endurance and breath, reduced stress, relaxation and greater energy.

WEDNESDAY MORNINGS, 9:45 - 11:00AM $60. (6 WKS) DEC 20 - JAN 24; JAN 31 - MAR 7; MAR 14 - APR 18 No experience necessary. Drop-Ins $15.

Since 2005

The Heart and Science of Yoga ® Complete Self-Care Program for Physicians

Has Impacted Over

1,000,000 People Please Donate to our Annual Appeal and help continue AMI’s important work!

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2018 PHYSICIANS’ 30 CME CONFERENCE Meditation • Mantra Science • Chakras Diaphragmatic Breathing • Neuroplasticity Yoga Psychology • Ayurvedic Medicine Mind Function Optimization • Functional Medicine Easy-Gentle Yoga • Lymph System Detox Resilience • Yoga Nidra • Nutrition • Epigenomics Practices to Relieve Physician Burnout Cranwell Resort & Spa, Lenox, MA

OCTOBER 23-27, 2018 For Details: (518) 674-8714

americanmeditation.org/cme

Delicious Gourmet Vegetarian Cuisine

From Recent Attendees

1. “This course was excellent and life changing by introducing me to a practice and philosophy so fundamentally different from the way allopathic medicine views the mind and body. I am so grateful for this experience, knowledge, expertise and compassion given by all the faculty and staff.” S.L. MD, NYC 2. “Life changing! Everyone in every facet of life should experience this. I’m so grateful for you and your institution and all involved for bringing truth to doctors with love and compassion. This is a light the world needs to see.” P.S. MD, RI 3. “This course has been the best CME course I have ever attended. It has given me a strong foundation, where I can help patients improve their lives. For myself, I’ve learned a skill that is lifelong and so powerful. And I’m already using these skills every day since the conference.” V.Q. MD, NYC 4. “A fantastic course! Very informative. It had a great mix of theory, science and practical use/practice. The spectrum of content was also balanced. Some of the more scientific/study presentations gave me the opportunity to see how I can incorporate this information within my practice.” R.G. MD, NY The AMI Core Curriculum is also endorsed by:

Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD

Directions to A MI • 60 Garner Road

I-90 Exit #8 (Rt. 43 E). Take Rt. 43 for 4 1/2 miles. In W. Sand Lake, take a right turn at the lighted intersection onto Rt. 150.

Go 1 mile on Rt. 150. Take a left turn on Cnty Rd #52/Sheer Rd (at stone wall). Go 1 mile on Sheer Rd and bear left at fork onto Garner Rd. AMI is the 3rd house on the right.

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AMI Classes for January - March 2018

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THE CHAKRA SYSTEM

Balancing Subtle Body Energies

Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter

Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning) Study The Chakra System from your own home or anywhere in the world. Call 518.674.8714 for details.

LEVEL II: The power to attain our own perfect health lies within each of us. It is simply a matter of attaining the necessary knowledge, and then cultivating our determination and will to employ the knowledge we have learned. This three-week course provides a detailed understanding of the meaning, anatomy, psychology and function of the ancient yogic chakra system. By learning to balance the chakras through the advanced mind/body medicine practices taught each week, you can increase your vitality and power of concentration, and rediscover your inner source of physical and mental health and well being.

MONDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:30PM, $195 JAN 22 - FEB 5 (3 WKS)

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YOGA PSYCHOLOGY BHAGAVAD GITA STUDY

Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter

Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning) Attend this in-depth course from your own home or anywhere in the world. Call 518.674.8714 for details.

LEVEL II: In continuous six week installments this course presents the profound teachings of the Bhagavad Gita as a handbook on the science of life and the art of living. If you are seeking a manual or guide for the supreme task of living in the world today, this ongoing study will provide you practical wisdom, meaning and purpose for your life. Each week Leonard and Jenness will teach you how to reduce stress and confidently enhance your health and creative abilities, while providing you a fresh, positive perspective on all your family and business relationships.

MONDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, $150. (6 WKS) FEB 19 - MAR 26; APR 2 - MAY 7

The Heart and Science of Yoga®

2018 SUMMER RETREAT

Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder

AMI’s 18th annual retreat July 19-22 will present the same core curriculum as the Complete Self-Care Program (pgs. 2-3).

These time-tested practices are designed for both the general public and healthcare professionals. Attending physicians, PAs, RNs and NPs receive 18 CME credits.

Gourmet vegetarian meals are included.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: TEL. (518) 674-8714

americanmeditation.org/summer-retreat

FREE SUNDAY MEDITATION

Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter

LEVEL I: Join AMI’s FREE 20-minute guided meditation and satsang teaching. Participants may sit on comfortable chairs or on the floor.

SUNDAYS, 9:30 - 11:00AM, FREE

PERSONAL COUNSELING

Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder Int’l. Association of Yoga Therapists

With over 40 years of experience, Leonard will teach you how to thrive while dealing with all of life’s challenges.

AMI HOME CENTER, By appointment. $150/hr.

Vyasa

An underlying ‘you’ Out with The old

And in with The new

And yet, with every change That time unfolds There is An underlying ‘you’

Robert j Iwaniec

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The Bridge of

YOGA SCIENCE

By Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)

Inner Wisdom

Superconscious Mind

YOGA SCIENCE UNION

Outer Action

Thoughts Words Deeds

Yoga means union. It represents a bridge between inner wisdom and outer actions.

When your outer actions (thoughts, words and deeds) are based on your inner wisdom, you are always led for your highest and greatest good. There is no cause for worry.

“There is no path to peace,” Mahatma Gandhi once said. “The path is peace.” The realization of a happy, healthy and joyful life begins with the recognition that you are a citizen of two worlds. Clearly, you are a citizen of the ever-changing material world of animal, vegetable and mineral matter. In this familiar environment, the body is your vehicle for action and your mind is your most powerful instrument for evaluating circumstances and motivating your body into action. For every action your mind-bodysense complex takes, a consequence results.

You are also a citizen of the distinctly non-material, yet profoundly real world of consciousness. Within this subtle world exists an intuitive library of higher knowledge that unerringly identifies which of your possible actions will lead you to realize health, happiness and freedom from fear, and which will lead to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dis-ease.

When, as a citizen of the material world, your outer actions reflect the perfection of your inner, subtle wisdom, you will be led for your highest and greatest good. The choice to base your outer action on your own inner wisdom is the essence of all forms of yoga.

Yoga means union, and the Science of Yoga provides a reliable blueprint for building a 6

trustworthy, ever-accessible bridge to your own inner wisdom.

The Bridge of Yoga is a very practical tool that can be employed easily in every circumstance and relationship. By using it regularly, you can learn to deal confidently and skillfully with common, everyday situations. Take worrying for example.

To one extent or another, we all worry.

If the truth were known, most of us squander a tremendous amount of creative energy attending to notions of what the future might or might not hold. Just as Gulliver was hopelessly bound by the Lilliputians’ slender threads, many of us are held captive by habitual thoughts generated from our own fertile imaginations.

How alluring that unending train of hypothetical “what if” situations can be!

“What if this should happen? Oh, dear, what if that should happen? And what if neither happens?” So much of life is spent imagining things that never were and never will be.

Because of all our concerns, we often can’t even get a good night’s sleep. And the more attention we give our worries, the worse we feel—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. But this need not be the case.

When you have done all that you can do in a situation, but still find yourself plagued

by worries, use this checklist to transform the power of those worrisome thoughts into reserves of energy, will power and creativity.

But remember, perennial happiness is never realized by simply dismissing your concerns for the future, nor by repressing them.

Rather, when you become a Yoga scientist, you can face thoughts that tempt you to worry, as they arise, by experimenting with a gentle and loving time-tested procedure.

First-Aid Kit for Worry 1. Before you address your anxiety, ask yourself the question, “Who am I?” Through this form of quiet contemplation, your attention becomes centered in the peace and fullness of the Eternal Witness who is the Perfect wisdom at the core of your being.

2. To calm the mind, attend to the inhalation and exhalation of your breath at the bridge between the two nostrils for 60 seconds.

3. As you remain centered in the equanimity of the Eternal Witness, practice detachment and dispassionately welcome, witness and honor your concerns––allowing yourself to be present with these thoughts, desires and emotions without being controlled by them.

4. Listening to the inner wisdom of your conscience, willingly surrender the worrisome thought back to its Origin––the Origin of every person, every thing and every thought (the Supreme Reality).

5. Lovingly direct your attention to your mantra (the name of the Supreme Reality).

6. If it’s possible, go for a mantra walk. Take a brisk fifteen to twenty minute walk just listening to the silent repetition of your mantra.

7. Try to recognize an opportunity (it’s probably in front of you right now) to engage in some selfless service. This will transform the energy of worry into the energy of love, fearlessness and strength.

Throughout history, the profound insights of Yoga Science and philosophy (such as this First-Aid Kit for Worries) have been taught and re-experienced within the culture and idioms of changing times, so that their healing and nurturing effects can be embraced anew by each successive generation. Whenever their inner wisdom has been realized and relied upon, individuals have

experienced the greatest freedom of all: the freedom from worry and fear. When you learn to embrace this freedom through a daily practice of AMI Meditation and Yoga Science, your life will become a great and meaningful adventure. On that journey, you naturally blossom to your fullest potential.

Because this ageless truth is intrinsically universal and democratic, people in every age have realized the freedom of enlightenment without ever hearing the word “Yoga” or knowing anything about Eastern philosophy. Yet, the science and philosophy of Yoga have always provided quiet, reliable encouragement and concrete guidance to seekers in every culture, tradition and religion.

Conscience (Buddhi, Holy Spirit) If all the talk about basing your outer actions on your inner wisdom sounds like pie-in-thesky, it only means that you have a scientifically oriented mind that needs to verify any new hypothesis. Actually, there’s a name for that kind of person. It’s “Yoga Scientist.”

You see, in every relationship you can easily access your own inner wisdom to substantiate, or refute, any form of hearsay. That’s right, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and three hundred sixty-five days of the year a portion of your mind is continuously broadcasting unerring wisdom from the superconscious mind––like a radio signal––into your conscious mind. In Sanskrit this invaluable function of the mind is called buddhi. It’s the conscience, or in the language of early Christianity, it’s the Holy Spirit. The buddhi is analogous to a mirror because, when it is used regularly to decide what’s to be done and what’s not to be done, it faithfully reflects the wisdom and will of the Supreme Reality (a.k.a. God).

The buddhi allows the conscious mind access to insights from the intuitive library of knowledge within––the superconscious mind. When such knowledge enters the conscious mind, no verification of its truthfulness is necessary. When your conscience speaks, you know what it says is true. The only question that remains is, do you have the will power to align every thought, word and action with the wise and good counsel of the buddhi?

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The superconscious mind is not a figment of one’s imagination. It is the same aspect of the mind from which Albert Einstein saw mathematical equations and Paul McCartney hears beautiful melodies. When you earnestly serve the quiet promptings of the conscience, instead of exclusively serving the limited and habitual perspective of the ego, senses and unconscious mind, the conscience, operating like a mirror, can reflect an appropriate portion of superconscious wisdom into your conscious mind. By regularly listening to the conscience and employing it’s suggestions in thought, word and deed, you will directly and positively enhance every relationship.

The word conscience comes from the Latin, and it means “with wisdom or knowledge.” As a meditator, you are simply asked to 8

make all your decisions consciously—based on the science of Yoga and on the reliable advice of buddhi.

The buddhi enables us to free ourselves from the pains, miseries and bondages created by our learned habits of fear, anger and greed.

Yoga scientists of long ago explain that each of us has been born to learn how to regularly use the discrimination of buddhi so that we might transcend the animal portion of our mind––through our capacities, now, as human beings––to unite with the Supreme consciousness at the core of our being. And in any language, that translates into our ability to experience a happy, healthy, joyful life.

But here’s the rub. If we continue to accept the overblown promises from the culture, senses, habits or ego––without exercising

Superconscious Mind Inner Wisdom

our discrimination––we will not always receive what was promised. And, if we continue disregarding that superconscious wisdom, we will inevitably continue to experience forms of physical, mental, emotional or spiritual dis-ease. The only way to know for certain if a particular thought will lead us for our highest and greatest good is to follow the

B U D D H I

Conscious Mind wisdom of the mind’s conscience. When we employ the Bridge of Yoga and align every thought, word and physical action with our own Inner Wisdom, our lives will become increasingly healthy, happy, creative, productive and free of the dis-ease of stress, anxiety and pain.

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Yoga Science

Basics of

Swami Rama of the Himalayas

The Goal of Life

Human birth is not an accidental phenomenon, it has a purpose. A human being is born to accomplish a goal.

In life everything does not happen the way you want it to happen, however, patience and determination are two virtues that, if properly nurtured and cultivated, can lead one to attain the goal. The goal is to meet the Supreme Reality face to face, and then live in the world and yet remain above, unaffected.

Every human being is born with all the means and resources necessary to attain the goal. Human beings should know how to use their resources efficiently and skillfully. The power of thought is the highest tool by which one can decide what ought to be done and what ought to be avoided. Through the power of thought, one tries to know the purpose of life and the means to achieve it. She wonders about who she is, from where she has come, and ultimately, where she will go.

The power of thought does not allow her to rest until she has unveiled all the mysteries of life.

The highest mystery that a human being wants to unveil is to know the nature of thinking itself, the source from which the thinking process originates, and ultimately, 10

Photo / himalayaninstitute.org

the true nature of one’s own true Self.

The stream of life may change its course. It may shift from one state to another, it may become manifest or unmanifest, but it never stops. It keeps flowing until it merges and becomes one with the ocean––the pure Supreme Consciousness.

Floating in the eternal stream of life, a human being has gone through innumerable life states. The stream of life is filled with experiences of, and reactions to, one’s countless births and deaths. Death and birth seem to be an unending cycle.

The only way to get out of that cycle is to accept the superiority of discrimination, willpower, and divine inspiration over sensory perceptions and cognition. One must change one’s worldview and start looking at life from a higher perspective.

One should break this cycle systematically, step by step. First, by experimenting through Yoga Science, one should realize the nature of the transitory objects of the world and the amount of satisfaction derived from them. The objects of the senses are a source of joy as long as they are not in hand. Once they are attained, the senses and the mind soon become bored and dissatisfied and begin a search for other objects.

The knowledge about worldly objects and the tendency of the senses and the mind helps the seeker to change one’s perception.

Then a feeling of detachment arises in the heart. Knowledge born of detachment inspires one to change the course of one’s life and to begin exploring the possibility of finding eternal peace and happiness.

Eventually, spiritual desire consumes all trivial desires and attachments. As a result, the power of discrimination becomes a positive force in all aspects of life and one performs her actions skillfully. Purifying her thoughts, speech, and actions through the practices of Yoga Science, she receives divine illumination from above.

You Are the Architect of Your Life

When a human being learns to seek religion not in gods, but in his own potentials, then he will know that he is great and that within his greatness lies his happiness. When he rapidly unfolds the chapters of life’s manuscript, of which he, himself is the author, he begins to realize who he is.

You are the architect of your life. You determine your destiny. You build your own philosophy and construct your own attitudes.

Without right attitudes, the entire architecture remains shaky. Once you realize this fact, you will look within.

Once you turn your focus inward, the process of transformation will begin, and naturally you will become aware of many levels of consciousness. You will find that the capacity to know yourself is within, and

this realization will become a source of fulfillment to you. The sages in the past have experienced this fact, and have documented their experiences.

Unfortunately, people in the modern era do not know how to benefit from the wisdom of the sages. As a result, people are still searching for happiness in the external world.

If you study life’s journey, when you start unfolding yourself and experiencing life and its necessities, you will find throughout that life is full of changes and modifications.

Learn to enjoy life from moment to moment, and do not worry about the future. If you take care of your present, the future will provide you what you need, and one day, you will realize that you are the architect of your life.

Spirituality is Yoga Science

Yoga Science states that it is not necessary to retire to a monastery to lead a spiritual life.

And yet we cannot escape from our inherent longings or postpone our utmost needs. In addition to the primitive urges for food, sex, sleep, and self-preservation, there is a higher urge to merge with God. We cannot be at peace unless that inherent divine urge is fulfilled.

We all want to experience the all-pervading, omnipresent Supreme Reality from which the entire universe, as well as each individual, has evolved. Direct experience of the truth that each of us originates from God, and ultimately will return to God, makes us secure, happy, and strong.

Today millions of educated men and women are suffering from a lack of purpose.

Lacking also in self-confidence, young girls and boys have become victims of dissatisfaction and frustration. Along with a worldly education, we must provide some spiritual education.

Human beings have done research on three levels: on mind, energy, and matter. Yet we have not found out a way to live in peace, to attain happiness that is free from all problems, pains, and miseries. We study this “ism,” and that “ism.” We go to this church and that temple. We seek advice from this person and that expert, yet, we have not found the way.

The whole confusion lies in the fact that we do not understand ourselves, and yet we introduce ourselves to others. We are strangers to ourselves, yet we get married, 11

have children, have homes, and claim to love others.

A particular training that helps us to attain a state of happiness free from pain, misery and bondage is missing from our daily lives. Nobody teaches us how to look within, how to find within, and how to verify within.

We are taught to know and see things in the external world, but our inner training and knowledge is missing. When we graduate from colleges and universities, we find that we are still unsatisfied. The big questions about life still remain questions: Who am I? From where have I come? What is the purpose of life? Where will I go from here?

Modern education helps us to understand and to be successful in the external world––the world of means. But doesn’t help us to know ourselves.

To know yourself, you don’t have to go anywhere. If you want to know yourself, you have to follow the path from the grossest to the subtle, then to the subtler, and finally, to the subtlest aspects of your life. You have to search for yourself, because religions do not fulfill this need.

I am not advising you not to follow your religion, or not to believe and trust in your religion. Often religions do not answer certain vital questions of life. Religions tell you what to do and what not to do, but religions do not teach you how to be.

No matter how many temples and churches we build, nothing is going to happen unless we accept one principle––that the Come visit our beautiful AMI campus with walking trails and Buddhi Yoga Labyrinth, nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires!

greatest of all churches and temples is the living human being. The scriptures say that the greatest of shrines is the human body.

Look within and find within. There the Supreme Reality dwells in the inner recesses, in the inner chamber of your being. The day you come to know this you will be happy.

Only a spiritually-based education can bring harmonious balance to our external and inner lives. Knowledge of theories that prove the existence of the Supreme Reality is not as important as learning to discipline oneself, so that the Supreme Reality can be experienced directly. Children should be taught how to sit quietly and make their minds one-pointed.

Through their calm and one-pointed minds, children can obtain a glimpse of true peace and happiness. We need not force them to believe that there is a God; however, we should provide them with the opportunity to unfold their inner potentials, gain confidence, and become inspired to search for God, according to their own inner tendencies and backgrounds. Children need to cultivate divine virtues within themselves.

That which is purely physical has its limits, like the shell of an egg. Spirituality has infinite horizons and limitless freedom.

It is full of knowledge and perennial light, life, and delight. When one is completely detached, one realizes oneself in a wider and deeper relationship with the Universal Being.

When ego becomes aware of something that is higher than ego (the individual spirit or soul), then spirituality dawns. Spirituality dawns when individuality vanishes.

2018 Summer Retreat

AMI is conveniently located only 20 miles East of Albany, NY. All meals provide delicious, gourmet vegetarian foods.

with LEONARD PERLMUTTER (Ram Lev)•JULY 19-22, 2018 Please Register Early! Overnight Accommodations at AMI’s Home Center Are Limited Open to the General Public • Physicians, RNs, NPs and PAs will receive 18 medical education credits REGISTER ONLINE (watch our retreat video): americanmeditation.org/summer-retreat

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Employing the Bridge of Yoga Science

In the midst of relationships the science of Yoga provides a framework for experimenting with the truth. The Bridge of Yoga is the template for performing a separate experiment for each new relationship. This process gives you a comprehensive knowledge of life with all its currents and crosscurrents.

It is amazing to observe that most of the people enveloped in sloth and lethargy are not aware that life on this earth is but a brief moment, and that moment should be utilized to purify the journey of the soul. Those who do not do their duties and yet expect the best in life, are fools who live in a fool’s paradise.

In life’s primitive paradise, fools aspire to live for a long time. They live perpetually on charity. They are beggars who are burdens to society and even to themselves. These beggars are envious of one another and habitually suspicious of each other, like dogs living upon their master’s favors––showing their teeth, growling, barking, and trying to chew up one another. Their very existence is self-described as a struggle. Their paradise lacks peace, equilibrium, and tranquility.

Life is mingled with sorrow and joy.

Neither of these feelings should be allowed to disturb the course of life.

Human beings are not imperfect, but rather, incomplete. Our essential nature is a limitless horizon. The call to inner Truth is present in each of us with all profundity, but our analytical logic is shallow.

Peace cannot be attained through mere speculative philosophy or logic. I am willing to believe that philosophy is useful for the comprehension of the Supreme Reality, but I do not admit that philosophy alone can lead us to the ultimate goal. However great the philosophy may be, it must be supplemented by faith, emotion, and strict discipline The AMI Core Curriculum from

THE HEART AND SCIENCE OF YOGA is endorsed by medical pioneers:

Dean Ornish MD, Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD) Bernie Siegel MD and Larry Dossey MD

®

through the functioning of will power.

A Yoga scientist has to go through a series of internal experiences. When convictions and actions are filtered by the systematic use of the Bridge of Yoga, the mind becomes penetrating and one-pointed.

An aspirant must control the dissipation of the mind. Conquest over the senses and the mind helps one to attain freedom from the temptations of the world. Free from worldly distraction, nothing remains in the mind but the longing to know the Supreme.

Once such an exclusive longing awakens, constant contemplation and meditation begin to reveal glimpses of the Truth, and these experiences strengthen faith. That growing inner faith becomes the source of inner strength, enabling the aspirant to move along the path until perfection is achieved.

The human mind is complex with all its typical moods, manners, and weapons. The purpose of the Bridge of Yoga is to free us from the magic wonders of the mind and senses and to remain free all the time.

The potential to realize the Truth is present in every person. In some it remains dormant, while in others it is awakened. The more one employs the Bridge of Yoga to determine one’s thoughts, words and deeds, the more one realizes the empty promise of the objects of the world. That realization helps one to withdraw one’s mind from the external world, and to compose oneself for inner exploration.

All the practices of Yoga Science are meant to purify and strengthen the mind that disturbs your being and prevents you from being aware of the Supreme Reality within you all the time.

These essays are reprinted from, “The Essence of the Spiritual Life,” ©HIHT.

The Ultimate Manual for

A Happy, Healthy, Joyful Life

Available now at AMI, Barnes &Noble, Amazon

americanmeditation.org/book

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CALENDAR

FREE: SUNDAY GUIDED MEDITATION & SATSANG

Sundays 9:30-11:00 AM with Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness

JANUARY 2018

see p. 4

Wed. Mornings, 9:45 - 11:00 AM (6 weeks)

DEC 20- JAN 24: MORNING YOGA FOR 50+

JAN 6- FEB 24: THE HEART & SCIENCE OF YOGA see p. 3 Sat. Mornings, 9:00 - 11:30 AM (6 weeks)

JAN 7: JESUS’ SECRET LIFE IN INDIA see p.16 Sun. Morning, 9:30 - 11:00 AM

Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 11:00 AM (2 weeks)

JAN 20 & 27: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (3 weeks)

JAN 22- FEB 5: THE CHAKRA SYSTEM

see p. 4

Wed. Mornings, 9:45 - 11:00 AM (6 weeks)

FEBRUARY 2018

see p. 4

see p. 4

Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 11:00 AM (2 weeks)

FEB 17& 24: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION

FEB 19- MAR 26: GITA/YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.5 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 weeks)

FEB 21 & 28: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION see p. 4 Wed. Nights, 6:30 - 8:00 PM (2 weeks)

MARCH 2018

MAR 3- APR 7: THE HEART & SCIENCE OF YOGA see p. 3 Sat. Mornings, 9:00 - 11:30 AM (6 weeks) Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 11:00 AM (2 weeks)

MAR 10 & 17: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION

see p. 4

Wed. Mornings, 9:45 - 11:00 AM (6 weeks)

MAR 14 - APRIL 18: MORNING YOGA FOR 50+

see p. 4

MAR 21 & 28: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION see p. 4 Wed. Nights, 6:30 - 8:00 PM (2 weeks)

American Meditation Institute

Yoga Science for Modern Life January - March, 2018 • Vol. XXI No. 2 ©2018 60 Garner Road, Averill Park, NY 12018

americanmeditation.org \ Tel. (518) 674-8714 ami@americanmeditation.org AMI is a tax exempt, non-profit 501(c)3 educational organization. Donations are fully tax deductible.

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Friday, Jan 26, 5:30-10:00 PM

LA LA

LAND

Friday, Feb 23, 5:30-10:00 PM

see p. 5

JAN 31 - MAR 7: MORNING YOGA FOR 50+

2018 FILM DISCUSSION SERIES

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone Drawn together by their common desire to do what they love, Sebastian and Mia experience success and the inevitable challenges of life that risk tearing them apart.

JAN 10 & 17: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION see p. 4 Wed. Nights, 6:30 - 8:00 PM (2 weeks)

Dinner • Movie • Satsang

LOVING VINCENT

Douglas Booth, Saoirse Ronan, Aidan Turner Gorgeous, hand-painted Van Gogh images are animated into a visual feast for the eyes, as the script explores the mystery surrounding the famed painter’s death in 1890.

Friday, Mar 23, 5:30-10:00 PM

VICTORIA

& ABDUL

Judy Dench, Ali Faizal, Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith Queen Victoria and a young Indian man forge an unlikely alliance that others try to destroy. As their friendship deepens, the queen begins to joyfully reclaim her humanity.

Each film reflects practical Yoga Science.

A gourmet vegetarian dinner begins at 5:30 PM, followed by a movie and discussion (satsang). A group meditation concludes the evening.

RSVP required by Wednesday prior to the event.

$20 per person - (dinner & complementary movie)

YOGA SCIENCE NEWS

Meditation / Burnout Study

The American Meditation Institute recently announced that it has received IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval through the Berkshire Medical Center to conduct a research study to examine the impact of a basic, daily mantra-based AMI meditation practice on the symptoms of burnout, compassion fatigue and stress in healthcare providers.

The first participants in this study are among those who received their training in Yoga Science as holistic mind/body medicine at AMI’s ninth annual Heart and Science of Yoga CME conference at the Cranwell Resort and Spa in Lenox, Massachusetts. The principal

investigator of the study is Mark Pettus MD, Director of Medical Education and Population Health, Berkshire Health Systems, and the coprincipal investigator is Beth Netter MD, Chair of AMI’s Department of Medical Education. According to Dr. Netter, “The study will evaluate how a daily AMI Meditation practice can help to provide healthcare professionals a happier, healthier life, relief from burnout symptoms and an enhanced work/life balance.” Although there are a number of systems and organizational factors contributing to burnout in the healthcare arena (including increases in computerization of practice, bureaucratic tasks, hours at

Millennials Are Meditating

Meditation for Sleep

millennialmarketing.com

The 2017 Stress in America survey revealed that millennials, (ages 18 to 35) are the most stressed out generation in history. The good news is that millennials are turning to meditation to resolve stressrelated illness. According to a Pew study, 42% of millennials have meditated at least once in the past year and 27% at least once a week.

helpguide.org

Meditation improves sleep, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. Half of the participants completed a six session mindfulness program that included meditation, while the other half followed a set of instructions to improve sleep habits. Those in the meditation group had less insomnia, fatigue, and depression at the end of the study.

Mark Pettus MD and Beth Netter MD Principal and co-principal investigators for the new AMI study on the impact of a daily practice of AMI Meditation.

work), AMI founder Leonard Perlmutter explains that, “It is how we respond to those stressors that affects our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

While numerous organizational changes are currently being recognized and implemented, healthcare providers are in desparate need of selfcare support so that they may work and live with greater health and well-being.”

First Official Recognition

The American Heart Association acknowledges that meditation may be helpful in reducing risk factors for heart disease. The AHA states that seated meditation, added to a heart-healthy lifestyle, may also lower stress, anxiety and depression, improve sleep quality, lower blood pressure and help individuals stop smoking.

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American Meditation Institute Yoga Science for Modern Life

Tel. 518.674.8714 • 60 Garner Road, Averill Park, NY 12018

“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you.

If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

Jesus’ Secret Life in India

Guided Meditation and Jesus’ Teachings of Yoga Science

With Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter

Sunday, January 7, 2018 • 9:30-11:00am

americanmeditation.org

American Meditation Institute

American Meditation Institute

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