Erich: So, as a reminder... and I probably don't need to say this, and yet I am being prompted to say this, since I've got the chance and since we're here:

LIFESTYLE.

That's what it is.

Just be clear on that.

Yoga is about lifestyle. The way you do your thing. All the time.

The insight, remember, is that "all the time" simply means the New Now that you find yourself in. So, it will be a constant, “Oh yeah, Now! Oh yeah, Now. Oh yeah, Now. Oh yeah, Now. Now is when I do my lifestyle.”

Still, however, whenever I hear the word "lifestyle" I tend to think of the future, or the way I did my past, or the way I'm going to do my future. But, lifestyle is just the New Now that you are always in.

The main practice, therefore — and here I just want to do my civic duty and make sure it's clear that I have said this, that this is what I think.

The main practice is called the holy instant. It's about tuning-in to the New Now. I used to call it the Conscious Pause. It's the same. But, when you pause consciously and you be attentive to the New Now, you will start experiencing the holy instant, this inner wow-ness about things. Not so holy that it's otherworldly, but the world you are in starts morphing into more obvious awesomeness.

It is not actually morphing into more obvious awesomeness, but you are seeing it a little more clearly. You are seeing it a little more accurately. You are seeing the Awesome Event with a little more accuracy, which means that previously we were fogged over to the Awesome Event.

You and I have been in the middle of the Awesome Event the whole time with fogged over perceptions.

The value of the practices, the value of the homework, is to help squeegee your glasses clean, to squeegee your mindset clean. The gist of that, the simple way to think about it is you stop thinking, momentarily. That is how you squeegee your mind clear. You won't go unconscious. You will find yourself being here a little more consciously. And right in that moment, as the homework, the holy instant homework, you say, “What is the truth here, really?”

So, the practice is, walk around and say that to yourself a lot. When you are not walking around, say it to yourself a lot. And mostly, whenever it occurs to you, say it and get yourself to do it.

All it is is exhale and be attentive to the New Now. It helps if you say the words, “What is the truth here, really?” because that helps you get out of your habitual commentary, which is the smear on your glasses.

So, you say the sentence, “What is the truth here, really?” That helps you think less.

The phrase "thinking less" confuses people. But, it simply means, "Relax." You won't disappear. You just start having an increasingly tension-free experience.

When you think less, you don't go unconscious. You actually start going Superconscious. You are still right here, but with a little clearer view.

And so, the practice is, “What is the truth here, really?”

Do it when it occurs to you, a zillion times a day. But, again, do it when it occurs to you. Don't put it off. Don't think, “Yeah, I'll do that as my future lifestyle.” “Yeah, that's a good idea. It's a cool homework.” “Yeah, that's a good homework. I'll get into that because I want to know what the truth is, really.”

Because, you are making an assessment about what's going on. And you are living your life based on your assessment. But, there is probably the lurking suspicion within you that there is more to know, that you could have a clearer assessment. And, pretty much, if there is suffering in your life that is the clue that you could have a clearer assessment.

And so, be willing to do the homework a lot. "What is the truth here, really? What is the truth here, really?" Be able to say the words easily. "What is the truth here, really? What is the truth here, really?" It is not difficult, luckily.

So, say the sentence and then put a comma in your normal commentary. Just saying the sentence will put a comma in your commentary. But, then, deliberately pause, pause, pause, for as long as you can stand it. You will find that, wow, you're right here, you're right here, you're right here, you're right here. It starts feeling like you are more present.

The more present you are, the more alive you are going to feel. Duh!

The more you wish you were somewhere else, the more you will be in conflict. No wonder you're feeling tired. You are always wishing you were somewhere else!

So, "What is the truth here, really?" Comma, comma, comma, comma — and just do it a lot.

So, I just wanted to make sure I said that again. “What is the truth here, really?” What is the truth here, really?

That is the homework because Yoga is the inquiry into Truth. That's what it is. It's the inquiry into the nature of Reality.

What is the truth here, really?

What's really going on here, really?

OK.

So, the main homework is the holy instant, the Conscious Pause. "What is the truth here, really?"

And, be sure you have the sense that you are not just wondering to yourself about what the truth is. You are Googling the Answer.

Because again, remember, your mind is connected to the Internet of Infinite Mind. And so, you are not just trying to figure out the answer with the data on your personal mind hard drive. You are learning to Google it.

And so, when you say, “What is the truth here, really?” you might want to preface the question with, “Dear Jesus, what is the truth here, really?” Or “Dear Krishna,” or whatever symbol has meaning for you in terms of there being a bigger thing going on. “Dear God, what's really going on here, really?” “Dear Universe.” Because when you speak like that, you are "joining."

Again, that's part of what Yoga means. You're joining. You're yoking.

The more you join and yoke, and you Google whatever you need to know whenever you need to know it — the more you do that —the more you will convince yourself that your mind is connected to the Internet of Infinite Mind.

At that point, the word Yoga starts to morph. Instead of only meaning "to yoke" or “to join with," you realize it also means "Union" or "Unity." And that, therefore, "Oh, wow, Big Mind is my mind. It's the already-existing way things are. I am yoked. I am joined."

That is the double meaning of Yoga. Yoga means, "to join," but it also means "Union." Joining is the technique. Unity is the realization.

But, a better word than Union or Unity is Singularity — and union is a cool word. Don't shy away from using the word union. But, the word "union" still sounds like separate things joining together to form a union — whereas, that is not what's happening.

What's happening is the already-existing Oneness, the already-existing Singularity in infinite display. We are simply waking up to that fact.

And so, you "yoke" or "join" until you realize, "Oh, wow, I don't even have to yoke I'm so joined. The Singularity is just the way it is."

Then, it is no longer a matter of GETTING ONLINE. It's a matter of walking around with the realization of, "Oh! I am Online. I am Online. I am Online. And, therefore, I can Google whatever I need to know whenever I need to know something."

The more you do it, the more inspired you will be in your actions. Things will seem to work out better.

The more you do it, the more it works.

The more it works, the more you are willing to do it.

And you are doing something, remember. You are making up your mind about things. And so, increasingly make up your mind to Google it, to join, to yoke, to GET ONLINE. Until you realize, "Yes. The Oneness is my mind, already. Big Mind is my mind."

It is not egotistical to say that. The Oneness is your mind. That is not egotistical. That is a clear assessment, finally. Thinking you have your own little mind is egotistical. Thinking you are anything other than The All in specific identification is egotistical.

All of this is super, super, super interesting.

And so, do the homework more.

With Love and Pranams,
From Erich

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