Awakening the Radiant Self: Exploring Shambhavananda Yoga and the Path of Surrender with Walking Meditation
Downloadable Walking Meditation Track to support you in finding your natural experience of inner and outer worlds.
In this initial exploration of practical philosophy, we delve into the serene art of walking meditation. Through simple yet profound practices, we acquaint ourselves with the essence of inner attention amidst the rhythm of movement in our outer reality. The accompanying audio track serves as a gentle guide, offering principles to infuse walking with mindfulness. One key insight emerges: while walking is an inherently natural process, directing our awareness inward during this activity requires deliberate practice. As we engage in this age-old practice, we discover a pathway to a deeper connection with ourselves and the world around us—a journey epitomized by the Shambhavi Mudra, a gesture of inner attentiveness amidst external expression. Embrace the experience, allow it to unfold naturally, and remember that the state of awareness we seek is already inherent within us; our task is simply to unveil it.
Awakening the Radiant Self: Exploring Shambhavananda Yoga and the Path of Surrender with Walking Meditation
1. Shambhavananda Yoga: Embracing the Natural State of Bliss
Shambhavananda Yoga encapsulates the joy of the natural state. The term "bliss" alludes to the yogic tradition's primary teaching, described in the Vedas and Upanishads, that within every sentient being reside three indestructible and eternal attributes: pure being (Sat), pure consciousness (Chit), and pure bliss (Ananda), collectively known as Sat-chit-ananda in Sanskrit. This bliss isn't attained by contorting our bodies or meditating for days on end; rather, it emerges by embracing our practice in harmony with the present moment of our lives. Gradually, our life naturally and effortlessly starts reflecting the inherent qualities of well-being (Sat), mental clarity (Chit), and happiness (Ananda). The most profound aspect of this concept lies in the organic unfolding of these experiences from within. We grow happier and healthier not because we achieve physical feats like touching our knee to our nose, but because those natural and eternal qualities are finally bubbling up into our lives.
2. Sri ShambhavAnanda, the founder of Shambhavananda Yoga, articulates the journey toward the natural state as follows: “You need to be able to dive into your own heart and find that place of deep, deep nourishment inside. And then you get happy for no reason. Sometimes you think there is a reason, but there is no reason. It is your natural state! Inside, all the time, that happiness exists, just as the sun is up there radiating all the time, whether we see it or we don’t see it, whether it is cloudy, or whether it is night time. In the same way, divine consciousness is inside of us radiating all the time, whether we are depressed or happy, whether we are sick or healthy. If you look for it, you will find it. The purpose of a spiritual practice is to help you find that divine consciousness within.”
3. Obstacles in the Path: Samskaras Clouding the Bliss
You might wonder, “If Bliss is my true nature, then why don’t I feel blissful right now as I am reading this?” Well, the radiant bliss inherent to our true nature is shrouded by a naturally pervasive phenomenon: samskaras. These samskaras, as Babaji explained, are akin to clouds veiling the sun. They aren't adversaries; on the contrary, they are pathways guiding us to rediscover the radiant core within our hearts. Working with our challenges consciously fuels our growth. To illustrate, in your personal journey, you've likely gained the deepest insights about certain aspects of your body and its workings due to injuries that affected those areas—I certainly have. You may not have even known you had an ‘adductor’ muscle till you strained it, and after working your way back to health you now know how to work with that muscle in a holistic way. So when we say that samskaras can become pathways to spiritual growth, this doesn't imply seeking trouble, but rather, it reframes our physical trials. They cease to be adversarial elements and instead become integral to our learning and maturation
4. The Art of Yoga: Unveiling the Natural State
Two millennia ago, Sage Patanjali authored "The Yoga Sutras," detailing the methods for realizing our true nature through yoga. The opening lines stress that fluctuating mental states obscure this nature's perception. “The fluctuating states of the mind cloud the perception of our true nature. When the technique of yoga is mastered, the practitioner is able to keep a steady focus inside on their true nature, the Self.” Mastery of yoga techniques enables practitioners to maintain a steady inward focus on their true essence, the Self. Samskaras cloud our perception of our true nature, yet as our yoga practice matures, we dissolve these clouds and effortlessly behold our inner Self.
5. Beyond Asana: A Comprehensive Path of Self-Realization
Patanjali's concept of yoga transcends mere postures, encompassing a 5,000-year tradition of self-realization. While including asana practice, this path extends to ethical considerations, lifestyle choices, breath control, and, crucially, various meditation methods. Patanjali's "eight limbs of yoga" in chapter two outline the breadth and trajectory of these practices. These eight limbs teach how to infuse yoga into every aspect of our lives, fostering growth through non-harm, non-possessiveness, asana, breath control, and meditation. A subtle teaching underlying these practices is surrender. All yoga practices guide us toward surrender, driving our growth.
6. The Essence of Surrender: Releasing Attachments
From a colloquial perspective, surrender might mean giving up, or losing. However, from the yogic perspective, surrender means letting go of our inner attachments in order to recognize our true nature. Rather than “I give up,” surrender refers to the experience of “I open up.” It's a conscious, transformative practice of channeling energy and awareness to release patterns and samskaras, not reinforce them. Within us, bliss radiates, and surrender unveils it. Babaji imparts, "Surrender entails consciously releasing attachments, definitions, illusions. This sparks inner purification, coursing through chakras, cleansing debris. The goal isn't suppression but expansion, surpassing and releasing.”
As Babaji Teaches: “When you surrender, you are consciously releasing your attachments, definitions, and illusions. The ability to identify or feel these things and release them creates an inner heat that begins the purification process. That inner heat will move through each of the seven chakras. It will create the fire of yoga that will purify much of the debris you have within your chakras. The goal is not to suppress your attachment and resistance. It is to develop the ability to expand beyond them and to release them.”
7. The Many Layers of Surrender: Unveiling True Nature
Surrender stands as the quintessential "Yoga Technique" demanding mastery to connect with our genuine essence. It acts as the illuminating fire that dispels the clouds of samskaras, revealing the radiant Inner Self within. Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga serve as a guide, instructing us in the application of this surrender practice across the many levels of our being.
The first limb contains the Yamas, which describe how we use surrender while interacting with others, for example through non-greed, Aparigraha. Next we move to the second Limb, that lays out the Niyamas- the rules of how we work with ourselves. For example, the Niyama of Brahmacharya which helps us surrender in our daily life in order to generate abundant energy for practice. To surrender in your physical body, practice asanas (postures) with effortless effort, the third limb of yoga. To surrender at the subtler level of the breath, learn to regulate your breath flow through pranayama, the fourth limb of yoga.
Surrender then delves into the realm of the heart and mind, encompassing the practices of Pratyahara (surrendering the senses), Dharana (focus and concentration), and Dhyana (meditation)—forming limbs five through eight. As this journey unfolds, the pinnacle is the merging with True Nature in the state of Samadhi. In essence, each of Patanjali's limbs becomes a gateway to experiencing the profound practice of surrender at different layers of our existence.
8. Shambhavi Mudra: Integrating Life and Growth
Shambhavananda Yoga employs these practices, merging every facet of life for spiritual growth. Eventually, a profound relationship with surrender develops, transcending techniques, becoming a focal point in every moment. This lifelong goal is attainable for all, and this training aims to inspire that possibility. The fluidity of turning attention inward while navigating external reality is encapsulated in "Shambhavi." The Shambhavi Mudra signifies holding awareness within while engaging with the world, embodying both limb-by-limb yogic goals and the ultimate state of being.
Summary & Reflection:
Shambhavananda Yoga emphasizes the natural state of bliss, suggesting that within each person lies the eternal qualities of pure being, consciousness, and bliss. The path to this state, as outlined by its founder Sri ShambhavAnanda, involves diving deep within oneself, with obstacles like samskaras acting as clouding agents that can actually guide spiritual growth. Patanjali's "eight limbs of yoga" provides a comprehensive approach to self-realization, where surrender plays a pivotal role, teaching practitioners to release attachments and, in doing so, unveil their true nature, culminating in the practice of the Shambhavi Mudra, which integrates internal awareness and external engagement.
How does the concept of surrender, as discussed in the text, resonate with your own journey and experiences in yoga and life? How might embracing surrender lead to a deeper connection with your true essence and a more harmonious engagement with the world around you?