The workshop Align Yourself with Dr. Alok Pandey and James Anderson from 7-9 January, 2021 from 10.00 am – 11.30 am had an overwhelming response from the participants.
Sixty people registered for this three-day workshop from all over the world. It was truly an enriching and uplifting experience for all concerned and the two facilitators balanced and harmonised together to provide a beautiful working basis for self-alignment. The concept was firstly understood and finally seamlessly put into practice.
In all yogas, one has to align to the right kind of forces in order to progress. In Integral Yoga, self-alignment is of capital importance. Inner alignment is required to build a bridge with our soul and open our nature to the psychic change, which is the foundation of all inner work.
We live in separation and oblivious of our Source so the true purpose of alignment is to fulfil the Divine Will in creation, both at an individual as well as a collective level. Society sets us a goal and we are taught to align ourselves to that goal which is only an alignment in ignorance. Something in us is always looking for deeper alignment to fulfil its own agenda as Sri Aurobindo puts it — to fulfil God in life is man's manhood.
During the first two days, Dr. Alok Pandey lucidly and beautifully placed the concept of alignment firmly into context. So the question arises, how to align? We have to discover our goal and we find that by looking within. We turn inside. In the midst of society, we ask ourselves the following existential questions:
- Where do I come from?
- Where am I going?
- Who am I?
The more we align to the divine Will inside us, the more we proceed along that grand trunk Road that life itself has carved out for us. With aspiration, we fix our eye upon the Goal and as that settles, our life begins to align.
To move forward, we need to be conscious of the forces that surround us. It is very important to become aware of the motive force behind our actions and develop an ability to discern what is helpful and what is harmful for our inner progress.
We cannot stay within if we are tied to many strings on the outside. The more we are attached, the more we suffer. A certain degree of inward detachment is necessary to stay focused on the Goal and live a life aligned to Truth and the Divine within.
The last day facilitated by James Anderson was deeply experiential and practical. Aligning yourself is not a technique or method but practice and practice is not necessarily the process of sitting in many hours’ meditation or concentration; it is also simply ‘being’. When we are connected, attentive and present, we can observe our inner movements and place the torchlight of our consciousness on everything we see. We can do this through the vehicle of the body. The body is the perfect barometer of our inner states and on it, many psychological disruptions can be resolved. It is a process of inner alignment and when we align we automatically heal.
When the psychic influence dominates our consciousness it leads to the process of psychicisation which provides the perfect foundation for the spiritual descent, the transforming radiance of spiritualisation.
In inner work, we work on inner change through the psychic influence. Every crease in our nature can be resolved. Simultaneously, by being present from the top of our body to the bottom, we become conscious of a descent through our being and we engage the consciousness to facilitate its downward flow.
So the framework and understanding was explained andconsolidated during the first two days and the detailed practice was offered and revealed over the final session.
Feedback:
“Wonderful course! Experiences were so vivid and the aspiration increased. Thank you James and Alok da.”
“Excellent! One of the best sessions, Very crisp and to the point. The practical session was very inspiring…. I am blessed and grateful to get an opportunity to be a part of this programme.”
“Aspiration makes us look for knowledge and light but inertia/ nature, age-built habit patterns pull us again and again in this battle-like situation; so sessions like these rekindle he aspiration… many thanks to both Alok da and Mr. James.”
“It was beautiful … beyond words.”
