Video Index
For your convenience — a resource with all of our study videos, with a quick look index and a listing with detailed descriptions. You can also browse playlists for All Videos and Yogic Shorts (not listed here) directly on YouTube. Enjoy the show.
- General Videos
- Preamble and Meditation Intro (001)
- Insight Series
- Overview of Purification - Body, Speech and Mind (I001)
- Integrated Ethics - Wisdom in Interaction (I002)
- The Pristine Power and Essence of Purity (I003)
- The Good Life - Selfless Integration - (I004)
- Practice Series
- Before and After Meditation (P001)
- Before and After Meditation (P001) - Invocation Clip
- Before and After Meditation (P001) - Dedication Clip
- Methods of Mantra Practice - "So 'Ham" Mantra (P002)
- Dealing with Distractions in Meditation (P003)
- Introspective Reflection - Scanning the Body and Mind (P004)
- Meditation Walkthrough - Fields of Sound and Breath (P005)
- Paths of Meditation - Laser of Recognition (P006)
- Reflection Series
- Haunted Hearts - Fear and its Dark Children (R001)
- Guru Principal by Swami Nihilananda Watapada (R002)
- Mystic Journey with Llama Derpa Tertön (R003)
- Good Morning and Mindful Day and Night (R004)
- Dealing with Desire (R005)
- Antique Series
- Context and Meaning of "That" in "So 'Ham" (A002)
General Videos
Preamble and Meditation Intro (001)
Overview on things to come and the basic lay of the meditation land. In this series, we'll be covering:
1. Practice: Meditation and supplementary practices, hands-on introductions for methods of cultivation.
2. Insight: Clear views and common-sense orientation to principles and axiomatic wisdom behind the process.
3. Antiques: Extracts from the teachings of classical traditions distilled to an essence that makes sense.
4. Q&A: Questions and answers on the stuff that boggles the mind on this peculiar path of inner evolution.
Includes a brief gloss on meditation in general, coupled with a snapshot of breath and mantra meditation practices.
Insight Series
Overview of Purification - Body, Speech and Mind (I001)
Purification of the body, speech and mind as necessary preconditions for progress and the attainment of balanced and wholesome states of being. Impurities, sustained through habitual conditioning and lack of introspection, hinder our progress, distort our experiences, and generate misery in our lives. Including:
- Preparing a Clean Receptacle - Pure Goods in Pure Container
- Acknowledgement of Impurities and Habitual Operation
- Attachment and Ego (Self-Attachment) as Roots and Drivers of Impurity
- Purification of Body (Taming the physical body, ethics in our interactions)
- Purification of Speech (As truthful, kind, meaningful, timely and well-intentioned)
- Purification of Mind (Purifying the faculties and contents of the mind)
Integrated Ethics - Wisdom in Interaction (I002)
Principles of interaction that lead to harmonic and fulfilling coexistence are a core aspect of the path of practice toward self-purification. A clear ethical foundation, rooted in reflection and wisdom, is the guide and guardian of our life in the world that we, through contemplation and experience, establish for ourselves. Including:
- Integrated Ethics: Principles of interaction that benefit all sentient beings with equal measure
- Discovery, extraction and validation of ethical principles, owning the responsibility for our lives
- Orientation: Self-centered vs. integrated perspective, the needs of the collective and myself in it
- Fundamental Rights of Beings: Unto their bodies, property, self-expression, freedom, and truth
- Positive and Negative Applications: Truth/don't lie; Protect/don't steal; Heal/don't harm
- Intention is Essential: Seek to act by your best judgment; oversights and accidents happen in life
- Field of Reflections: Being an empathic mirror of the world, adapting to the needs in each situation
- Fruits of the Mirror: Receiving the reflections of all relief, joy, and evolution we contribute to
- Mindset: Detachment, not attachment; Goodwill, not malice; Understanding, not ignorance
- Understanding: Insight into constitutions, conditioning, contexts, with emergent foresight
- Outcome: Harmonic and mutually beneficial existence and interaction; the shedding of our veils
The Pristine Power and Essence of Purity (I003)
Purity is the forerunner, pioneer, and the clearer of fields. Purity is the guide, teacher, and guardian of our life's journey. Purity is the ultimate revealer, the great absolver, and the final accomplishment in our existence. The fruits of evolution that unfold with purity at the helm are wonderful, yet purity unto itself, unconditionally, is our primary concern. Including:
- Purity of intention and pristinity of the spirit
- Purity as the beginning, middle and end of our journey
- Purity as a clearing and liberating force that drives our good evolution
- Purity for its own sake, not as a means to an end, and its spontaneous rewards
- Purity leads to clarity, actuality, and unveiling through freedom from distortions
- Purity generates a wholesome space for the integration and harmonization of our existence
- When challenges emerge and the shadows of the unconscious arise, it is our shield and defender
- The proud intellectual and the mechanical spiritualist are baffled before their own darkness
- Any God, divinity, unity, or sanctity that we may seek, is attained only via the path of purity
- With purity, all obstacles, fears and evils are overcome and transmuted into a new reality
The Good Life - Selfless Integration - (I004)
A fractured and broken self seeking to make its stance in a world of conflict and suffering — alas, the depths of tragedy in this self-shaped little box. Harmonic interaction and reconciled engagement are only ever realized through selfless integration with the collective. When we forego our petty private agendas, inquiring into and reflecting the authentic needs of other beings with a clear heart, the face of the world transforms, and we too are deeply transformed. Including:
- Fractured self and integrated self: Reorientation and reframing of the sense of self
- Discovering shared ground and universal threads of connection with other sentient beings
- Loops of action and reaction: Direct, indirect, and projected influences on our reality
- Integrated self as agent engaged for the integrated agencies of collective consciousness
- Equality and self-respect: Applied selflessness with responsible management of resources
- Elimination of reward conditionality: For assets, enjoyments, recognition, self-image, etc.
- Orientation via empathic reflection of the conditions and inner states of other beings
- Facilitating the expression of potentials, encouraging latent merit through recognition
- Engaging as necessary: Kindness and compassion tempered with detachment and equanimity
- Identifying authentic needs with criteria rooted in self-examination and shared principles
- All things ever as catalysts of evolution and purification, engaged for collective benefit
- Consummation of human potential on the training grounds of a conflicted world of plurality
Practice Series
Before and After Meditation (P001)
Overview of supporting practices before and after a session of meditation. Including:
- Dedicating Place and Time
- Seat and Scene of Practice
- Basic Purification
- Meditation Postures
- Initial Breathing
- Invocation / Declaration of Intent
- Practice of Meditation Proper
- Post-Meditation Phase of Reflection
- Dedication / Affirmation of Practice
Before and After Meditation (P001) - Invocation Clip
Invocation clip from the main "Before and After Meditation" video.
I am present and here again,
Returning to good inner works.
Let my body be still and at peace,
as the support of a balanced earth.
Let my heart feel calm and joy,
as the currents of a serene lake.
Let my mind grow clear and bright,
as the halo of the sun and moon.
Let my spirit move free and unbound,
as the celestial journey of the wind.
Veil will be shattered, mirror will shine;
Revealing the inner and outer entwined.
I am now here, I will practice indeed,
and nothing else will I heed or need.
Before and After Meditation (P001) - Dedication Clip
Dedication clip from the main "Before and After Meditation" video.
So I conclude.
I'm closer to peace,
My wisdom has grown.
My skill has increased,
My nature was shown.
This practice has merit
For me, one and all;
May all beings inherit
What the wise ones recall.
All is well
As the world must go on,
Breaking my shell
I am always reborn.
So I continue.
Methods of Mantra Practice - "So 'Ham" Mantra (P002)
Overview of several complementary methods of mantra practice with the "So 'Ham" mantra as our example. Covers tempo and length of recitation in relation to the breath, the rooting of the sound, the use of polarized syllables, the varying of pitches, and the function of melody. Extended practice with casting the "that" of the mantra as the primary elements and as pure wisdom.
Related: Context and Meaning of "That" in "So 'Ham" (A002) - https://youtu.be/IAgueMQYj1s
Dealing with Distractions in Meditation (P003)
Exploration of a range of methods and strategies in dealing with distracting thoughts and external disturbances during meditation. For distracting thoughts, covering:
- Ignoring: Neutral Reaction (Inconsequential and transitory)
- Returning to Breath (Establishing basic calmness)
- Switching the Meditation Object (When directly linked to distraction)
- Transforming the Mental Space (Uplifting lethargy, dampening hyperactivity)
- Altering the Meditation Object Modality (Pacing, pitch, focal length, etc.)
- Evaluating the Merit (Worthy: Welcome but postponed; Unworthy: Repudiated)
- Deconstructing the Formation (Analyzing our attachment, root and formation of thought)
- Overpowering and Obliterating (Last resort measure: Elimination through raw power)
For distracting sensations, covering:
- Choosing the Practice Location (Reasonably free of inbound sensations)
- Practicing Tolerance and Indifference (Non-reactive attitude)
- Modulating Sensory Focus (Distant/near/intermediate, quiet/loud, etc.)
- Dampening the Senses (Blindfold, earmuffs, blanket, etc.)
- Changing the Practice Location (Excessive intrusion into the senses)
- Re-evaluating the Problem (External or internal)
Introspective Reflection - Scanning the Body and Mind (P004)
Self-knowledge is an essential fruit of our meditative practice. Through the practice of meditation, our sensitivity to observing physical and mental phenomena will increase. In today's training, we look at methodical techniques of introspective meditation, scanning through the various layers of the body and the mind, to deepen our self-awareness and meditative access. Including:
- General Introspective Reflection: Covering Our Being with Awareness
- Awareness of Internal Phenomena as Gateways to Deeper Awareness and Practice
- Physical Body: Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal, Neural, and Muscular systems
- Vital Body: Subtle sensations and energetic presence in focal areas
- Perceptual Mind: Workings of the landing plane of inputs from our senses
- Reactive Mind: Formation of valence or positive, negative and neutral reactions
- Cohesive Mind: Generation of structures, meanings, narratives and self-identity
- Causal Mind: Dynamics of unconscious, subconscious and surface-conscious awareness
Meditation Walkthrough - Fields of Sound and Breath (P005)
Walkthrough of a basic meditation session: A set of practice spliced with guidance and brief insights. We cultivate our minds and bodies in preparation of a well-rounded foundation for our being and becoming, for our evolution, and for deeper and more advanced practices. With this, with each session practiced with sincerity, our wisdom and ability grows and expands. Including:
- Orientation and invocation atop the seat of meditation
- Initial stillness via breath, initial concentration with the base mantra
- Four cardinal fields of energy and awareness embodied in our vital body
- Application of mantra/sound with pitch to bring attention to a particular field
- Application of breath and attention concentrated in and around a particular field
- Splicing the practice of voice and breath, or separate practice of the modalities
- Self-reflection and affirmation, practice routine and priority, and concluding notes
Paths of Meditation - Laser of Recognition (P006)
Two Ways of Meditation: Creative and Executive. Brief notes on the approaches, both valid, and in time complementary. Followed by a walk-through discussion on the "Laser of Recognition" method.
Preparation: - Establishing the intention, - Setting a stable posture, - Undirected calm natural breath
Directed attention: For each (Root, 3rd Eye, Heart):
- Breath to a center, set presence, - So'ham: attention, churning awareness , - Recognition and sorting of what emerges, - Strong breath/HUM, targeted like laser: empowering/shattering truth/illusion, - Silent space of integration
Integration: - Breath into each: Three branches, - So'ham into each: Simultaneous attention, - Recognition of the aggregated experience, - Crown focus: Alignment and ascension, - Silent space of integration
Closing: - Reflection on the experience, - Gratitude & dedication, - Exit & living integration
Reflection Series
Haunted Hearts - Fear and its Dark Children (R001)
Fear is a primary and primal state of mind, a fruit of evolution for our survival. Yet fear will run amok when ungrounded in actuality — and for those who'd rather exist with a peaceful mental baseline, the taunting work of evaluating and addressing fear and its children is not optional. Actionable threats should be reviewed with reason, appropriate response models should be implemented. Internal haunting should be reflected upon with introspection, the self should be immunized against self-generated ominous disturbances. Do not assume the worst. Do not assume the best. Be a neutral realist. Whatever that life may dish out for you, it's all fuel for your evolution. Embrace it for all its worth.
Guru Principal by Swami Nihilananda Watapada (R002)
It is I Swami Nihilananda Watapada, hanging like the banyan tree of upside-down in the holy Sanskrit scriptures, presently here for the teaching of all your spiritual knowledges. Here we are firstly understanding the grades of the Sad-Guru, the Chit-Guru and the Ananda-Guru, as they are respectively determined. We are also explaining the Deep, the Deepak and the Deepsit levels of guruness, and how the guru is the revealer of the unbroken mandala in which all the moving and the non-moving things are moving and not moving, and with utmost respect to that principal.
We should like to elucidate upon the origin of all the things, thusly the spiritual knowledge of the first poet that confuses even the too many gods, and how the universe is created with the playing of the water and the fire, and how is the transcendental spiritual abode that is free of pollution and the absolute truth as we meditate upon it. There is also the local and the universal guru and furthermore there are at least the 32 elementary natural gurus that we should like to study from. When you are earnestly devoted to the guru and remember the guru-mantra and its meaningful imports, then surely such enlightenment will come like a wonderful burst into your soul. Namaste!
Mystic Journey with Llama Derpa Tertön (R003)
Llama Derpa Tertön. Veteran reincarnator. Liminal psychoarcheologist. Seeker of lost wisdom treasures encoded in the elements and the ethereal space. Explorer of deep dimensions and brewer of ancient essences. Progressive revelation for the dork age, harmonic teachings tuned with the churning of the wheels of time. Chasing rainbows and crafting archetypal enlightenment continuums. Hum's the word. Go flying inwards.
Good Morning and Mindful Day and Night (R004)
Good morning. Wake up mindfully. Take your moment transiting back into the waking world. Recollect yourself, touch the nature around you, breathe peacefully to the tune of nature. Shape your intention for the day. This is the first significant passage of your day. Make it a habit to pause and reflect: We have our inner, introspective world. We have the world of nature's essences. We have the social world of interactions. We have the great arch of meaning for all that we do. Recall these. Establish your islands of clear awareness and connection as the day courses toward the night. At the day's end, relax and recollect, preparing for your peaceful rest.
Dealing with Desire (R005)
Pushes and pulls of our existence. We need to deal with them, we need to navigate wisely. That wisdom begins with recognition, clear understanding, and introspection. We separate need and want. We comprehend and contextualize desire. We understand its ephemerality, the waves of its coming and going, the hallucinatory nature of the "objects" we pursue. In time, we wane down the pull and push of desire, and with our sustained practice, we substitute a higher taste and path of fulfillment to occupy the space desire once held in our consciousness. We recondition ourselves.
Antique Series
Context and Meaning of "That" in "So 'Ham" (A002)
Exploration of the historical roots, textual context, and actual meaning of the "So 'Ham" mantra. Insight into the "what" of the "that" to convey general bearings on the statement's significance and its import into our practice. Variant pronunciations of the mantra. Breaking the shell of conditioned existence, graduating from the golden cocoon of subjective reality, reaching for the "thatness" of unity.
Related: Methods of Mantra Practice - "So 'Ham" Mantra (P002) - https://youtu.be/hV6hYc-L2E0