Higher Mind

the divine play of energy and consciousness

The yoga techniques, they are all about bringing us closer to our real self, at whatever level we are ready for. That readiness is always a balance of consciousness and energy, a moment in time of perfect equilibrium of these two, which in turn allows a third factor: spiritual energy and spiritual consciousness. Both flowing side by side, coming into the play within Divinity. Sometimes life's events bring us to this moment, sometimes its in meditation or yoga nidra. 

Sometimes we have an inner experience, an awakening and an Higher Understanding emerges, along with a corresponding Higher level of spiritual energy.

When it's life's experiences, we come to more clarity, more growth, and deep seated tension is released. We become happier, stronger mentally and emotionally.

When it is from the spirituality, the same happens, except the spiritual energy and consciousness also come up to a higher level. For these spiritual awakenings, we need our energy levels to grow, so we need to build up our nervous system on the physical level. With postures, cleansing practices and pranayama. Also our prana, which is on another level, in another body sheath other than the physical body. We always have a physical correspondence for the spiritual elements, and our prana has this relationship with the nervous system and energy flows. When prana is the main fuel for our body and brain, the spiritual development takes off like a rocket.

Another factor is management of one's pranic reserves. This is much harder to do in society, as our attention, and prana, is always being pulled this way and that way. The prana becomes scattered. The spiritual aspirant really needs their prana to be strong, and 'together'. so to speak. When we are always dealing with friends, family, work, travel, bills, food, sleep patterns, our wants and desires, etc, etc, then our minds have to quickly focus on one thing, intensely, then another. Which depletes the prana. What we eat, our habits, our intentions, they all affect the prana too.

spiritual guidelines help us keep our spiritual energy intact

The yamas and niyamas, one of their purposes is to make the prana strong, and stop our prana from dissipating. In turn, we are gradually building up the spiritual energy and spiritual consciousness.

The heightened states can initially be confused with an emotional 'up' state of being revved up, excited, like being 'high' on energy, or 'high' on elation. Because this is not a real spiritual 'awakening', but more an emotional release. Actually, this can also happen as the result of an awakening, but, often, the energy drops soon after. One of the learnings with spirituality is that the Higher states have an Inner calmness behind them. Because there is a spiritual calmness within us all, another of the hidden qualities.