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Do you have a private life?

24/10/2018

Right now we live in a digital world. There is no way to avoid it. Even if we never go on social media, we all use the Internet. And I'm not knocking it – the Internet is a wonderful thing. It offers so much in the way of communication, knowledge-sharing and connection. But this digital world in which we swim on a daily basis (for most of us) is not private. There are many making a tidy business out of hoovering up our data.

You may well think – so what? Who cares about little old me? My few bits of data in the ocean of the Internet don't really matter. Well I guess that's true. But whatever happened to having a private life? Don't you think that you deserve it? It's getting harder to have. You use Spotify for your music; you chat to friends on Whats App; you plan events and outings on Facebook; you publish blogs (um... like this one) on the web; you make recordings of your life and publish photos on Instagram... and so on. And now (well, for some time really) Google want to give us the whole package with Google Home, a speaker that acts as an assistant to help you plan your day and hook up your TV, radio, music and anything you'd like to search for on the Internet (so neatly netting ALL your data in one scoop) Thanks Google! There is also Amazon Echo that does much the same thing. Recently I went in to a local hi-fi chain and tried to by a CD player and ALL of them came with the 'Google Home' app as a 'free extra'. No thank you.

But it is still possible to have a private life. You just unplug yourself. (And use cash in supermarkets.) You have the choice – at the moment, at least. When I went up to Hanmer for a retreat, I discovered my cabin didn't have wi-fi – shock, horror!! But actually... it was marvellous. All emails had to wait. No social media posts (for me to make or read)... just space... and time... and privacy. So one morning I woke before dawn and walked up Conical Hill through the forest. And I thought to myself "No one in the world knows I am here – but I do". And that's all that matters. Being here, now, just me. Later I listened to some music on a CD player and watched a DVD. I won't tell you what, cos it's private!

A walk in the forest fills me up and makes me feel better than any amount of web surfing. I ditch the digital 'noise' in my head for the sweet sound of rustling trees and birdsong. There is more wisdom to be found in a forest than in the whole of the Internet. And there is no one 'listening in' either.

Be free. Be you. Unplug as often as you can.

Namaste.

Sunrise is the perfect time for the Gayatri mantra

7/10/2018

I was thinking about my mantra practice and how I use it to help me calm down and focus. I find it very helpful to chant my mantra before settling into a seated meditation. I usually stick with one mantra for a while – until I don't. By that I mean that I am not tied to one particular mantra, though I tend to stay with one for a long time. I have a few that I go back to often.

Usually I know the mantra I want, I might refresh my memory by looking in a book or thinking about a recording I know. But recently a mantra found its way to me! (Well, sort of). I'm speaking about the Gayatri mantra. This is an ancient mantra that is so so beautiful. I found myself very moved by it, drifting into a transcendent feeling of grace. The first word I used to describe it was 'Cosmic'. The strange thing is that I felt this on hearing it, before I knew what the words actually meant.

The mantra was playing quietly in the background of a yoga session. I was immediately enchanted by the beauty of it. I didn't think to ask what it was. Next day, a freind mentioned a mantra that she was really loving and it turned out to be the same one!! Over the next few days I just kept coming across it – hearing it everywhere. It was calling to me. Soon I began listening and chanting along... I found I wanted to chant it several times a day!! I was hooked!! And all this without even finding out what it meant!

It turns out that the Gayatri mantra has a deep and powerful meaning. Like all the ancent mantras its meaning is layered and open to interpretation. I guess you would need to chant it for a long time to fully understand it.

The mantra came from the Rig Veda, an ancient Vedic text. It is mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, where it is described as a poem of the Divine. On one level the mantra is an ecstatic salutation to the Sun deity Savitur – giving praise and thanks for his light. In ancient times people worshipped the Sun because it was (and still is) the source of all life on Earth. Its energy powers our planet. The mantra speaks of our place in the cosmos – the endless, timeless dance of planets and galaxies. But the mantra is broader than the literal meaning – it is describing the Divine light of the creator, the formless, nameless 'One', of which we are all part. It humbly asks for illumination and 'right thinking' of the intellect (or ego) to connect and align with that light. It is a devotion, meditation and prayer of gratitude all in one.

According to Douglas Brooks, a professor of religion at the University of Rochester, the Gayatri mantra is truly sacred. "The sensibility it evokes is more important than the literal meaning. It's an offering, a way to open to grace, to inspire oneself to connect to the ancient vision of India," he says. "Its effect is to inspire modern yogis to participate in the most ancient aspiration of illumination that connects modern yoga to the Vedic tradition." I couldn't agree with him more.

I experienced this mantra in my heart before I knew its literal meaning. This is a powerful, sacred mantra and I am blessed to be able to hear it and to chant it. I feel that this is a great mantra to chant when you wish to be of service and need guidance as to the best path to take. Align yourself with the highest power and you can't go wrong! There are many versions of the tune. It is worth noting that often the mantra is mispronounced by Westerners. I found a very helpful video on Youtube by Jorma Pohjola that explains it and how to chant it correctly.

May this beautiful mantra fill you with light and love and blessings.

For more information about mantra meditation, check out my little mantra book.

The enigma of Go, the surrounding game

3/10/2018

Recently I've discovered a new board game called 'Go' and I'm getting just a little addicted. The game is an enigma. It is very simple to play and yet it is utterly complex – a real workout for the old grey matter! Relatively unheard of in the West (I was unable to buy it at the largest games and toy shop in Christchurch), it is probably the most popular game in the world!! How can that be? Because its origins are in central Asia – and in those countries EVERYONE plays it. In Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan the game is taken very seriously, with professional players and major tournaments.

The Chinese name for Go is Wei Qi, which means 'surrounding game'. Legend has it that the game originated in China 4000 years ago, where it was used as a means of teaching military strategy. If the term 'military strategy' is a bit of a turnoff, hang on... This game is so much fun! You use black and white pebbles to play on a grid and the idea is to surround your opponent and claim the most territory. With just a few simple rules to learn, you can start playing it pretty quickly. But mastering it is another matter... My partner and I have been learning it together by playing online at Online Go School. This is helpful, as although the rules are simple, working out who has won is more complex. The computer does it for you. It also alerts you if you make a move that's not allowed, so you are unlikely to develop bad habits as you learn. The picture below shows my recent defeat – I was white.

The apparent simplicity of this game is deceptive. Though making use of black and white counters, a bit like draughts/checkers, it is nothing like that game. I would liken it to chess – except it is more subtle and layered. I think the appeal (at least for me at a beginner's stage) is that your fortune can turn very suddenly in the course of one move. You can be winning and then one mistake and you are fighting for your life. You can use a strategy of out and out attack, or use a more slow and defensive approach. You can have a grand scheme – or a little skirmish. No matter what you plan, you will still have to deal with whatever your opponent throws at you – a bit like real life! Another appealing aspect of the game is that it has so many potential moves and strategies. Mathematicians have calculated that with the 19 x 19 grid, there are more possible Go games than atoms in the known Universe!!! That's mind boggling!!

Though the game originated in China, it was quickly taken up in Japan where it had a significant cultural impact. It continues to thrive there, with 10 million Go players, 500 of which are professionals. In typical Japanese style, the game has been elevated to the status of a martial art, with players progressing up through various levels of expertise, or 'Dans'. There are professional tournaments, offering large amounts of prize money. It is thought that to be in with a chance of being a top player, you need to attend 'Go School' from the age of 6. And many children do.

In 2016 a team of computer programmers from the UK challenged legendary Japanese Go player Lee Sedol (a 9th Dan) to a 'best of five' game tournament with their Artificial Intelligence 'AlphaGo'. I won't tell you who won – you can find out in a fascinating documentary on Netflix, Alpha Go.

If you want to learn how to play, check out the British Go Association website for the rules of play. But the only way to really understand it is to actually play it. Have fun!

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Do you have a private life?

Sunrise is the perfect time for the Gayatri mantra

The enigma of Go, the surrounding game

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