About Sahaja Meditation Public Programs

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Sahaja Meditation
Guidelines for Programs
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Background

• In 2007 Shri Mataji, in response to the slow
  growth of Sahaja Yoga in the US, asked us to come
  up with a new strategy for spreading Sahaja Yoga
  in America.
• The results of that effort - detailed in a
  previous slide deck - were presented to Shri
  Mataji and blessed by Her at Guru Puja in July of
  2008.

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Sahaja growth project
How it was done
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Summary-internal survey

• 90 out of 200 US-born Yogis responded
• Most were introduced to SY through family
  members, friends, posters ads
• Initially, 70 found it challenging to experience
  thoughtless awareness
• For getting established in SY,
• 1 out of 2 respondents required months
• 1 out of 3 respondents required years

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Summary-third party survey

• 1 out of 4 Americans surveyed on meditation
  expresses interest in SY Meditation
• Over half of the respondents interested in SY
  Meditation prefer to meditate by themselves
• 54 of those interested in SY Meditation say
  their lives are stressful
• Continued gtgt

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Summary-third party survey

• It should be easy to learn
• Prefer to learn and practice online
• Prefer to practice alone in sessions as short as
  15 minutes
• Should be spiritual but not religious

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Summary-focus groups

• Meditation is appealing
• Meditation and Yoga are different
• The meditation culture has some negative baggage
• No one had heard of Sahaja Yoga Meditation prior
  to this research
• Continued gtgt

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Summary-focus groups

• Most dont see the connection between the
  affirmations and its relationship to awakening
  of a spiritual energy
• Reaction to the picture of Shri Mataji -
• Women feel Looks peaceful, happy, calming,
  serene
• Men feel The picture is not necessary
• Continued gtgt

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Summary-focus groups

• Almost all feel the technique should be renamed
  Sahaja Meditation
• Many would consider going to a meditation class
  only after viewing a meditation video online
• Need a Web site of professional quality it is
  the first place Americans will go for information
• Alleviate suspicion about free religion

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Core Strategy

• Sahaja Yoga will now be referred to as Sahaja
  Meditation for all public engagements
• Endorsed by Shri Mataji at Guru Puja 2008 and
  again in Genoa in September 2008
• When possible, mainstream US yogisshould be the
  principal interface ofSahaja Meditation with the
  public
• Sahaja Meditation should reflect modern American
  values while maintaining its roots in ancient
  Indian spiritual traditions

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What Remains Unchanged/Intact?
Unchanged Intact
Shri Matajis message and teachings Continued use of video and audio media with references to Sahaja Yoga
Core values of Sahaja Yoga Giving Self-Realization, practicing collective meditation, performing pujas and havans
Sahaja techniques for personal growth Regular Meditation, foot soaking etc.
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Whats Changing, And Why?
Whats Changing? And Why?
Sahaja Yoga to be called Sahaja Meditation Yoga in the USA connotes hathayoga and its related physical practices, not meditation To attract mainstream Americans who are interested in practicing meditation.
Mainstream US yogis will be the principal public interface To help newcomers easily identify with individuals from culturally similar backgrounds
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What is Sahaja Meditation?

• Sahaja Meditation is a form of meditation
  developed by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi to promote
  balance, health, harmony and well-being.
• The word Sahaja means spontaneous and the
  practice leads to union with the self or spirit.
• The meditation practice requires approximately
  15-20 minutes and awakens a spiritual energy,
  residing within each individual.

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Public Program Strategy

• Sahaja Meditation should appeal to modern
  Americans and avoid pushing their buttons.
• Seekers should be brought along gradually, in a
  measured and individual manner, into the full
  knowledge and practice of Sahaja Meditation.

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Shri Mataji, Guru Puja 2008

• In the beginning you shouldnt tell them, or
  they will just shun you.

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Mystery

• Its okay to keep some mystery in it
• People don't value things that are just given to
  them
• Reveal the knowledge like a lotus blossom
  unfolding

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Four Phases

• Four phases of development for new people
• Phases cannot be defined by a prescribed time
  frame (like an 8 week or 18 week course)
• Progress of seekers through the phases must be
  individualized not everyone grows at the same
  pace
• Meetings need to be structured to accommodate
  this model of growth

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Four Phases
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Four Phases

• 1. Experience
• Focus on experience
• Get people to feel it
• As few concepts as possible
• Simple knowledge of subtle system
• Simple clearingtechniques
• 2. Knowledge
• Tie experience to the concepts
• Deeper knowledge of subtle system
• More clearingtechniques
• 3. Integration
• Religious aspects
• Deities
• Mantras
• Havan
• 4. Recognition
• Recognize Shri Mataji
• Puja

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Phase 1 Experience

• Very experience oriented very little
  information. They need to begin to feel the peace
  before going further
• The goal is to get them to the point where they
  feel it, they are confident they have it, they
  meditate at home, and know how to identify
  catches and clear them with bandhans, giving
  vibrations and foot soaking, balancing of the
  channels

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Phase 1 Experience (cont)

• They should reach the point where they know how
  to do basic meditations and basic clearing at
  home
• They will not know very much about the qualities
  of chakras or how the subtle system works yet,
  but will have learned how to identify which
  chakra or nadi needs clearing, and what to do

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Phase 1 Experience (cont)

• Engage with new people
• Allot time to be in a listening mode and allow
  the new people to talk briefly about why they
  have come to Sahaja Meditation and what they
  expect to get out of it and, as time goes on, to
  talk about their experience with the meditation

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Phase 2 Knowledge

• Knowledge of the subtle system
• Slowly but methodically introduce qualities of
  chakras, more clearing techniques, causes of
  catches - similar to earlier beginners courses
• More information the Beginners Guide and some
  existing course materials may be fine until new
  materials are created

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Phase 2 Knowledge (cont)

• Possibly play public program talks of Shri
  Mataji, allowing them to hear more of Her message
• If people are really enjoying meditation and have
  established it, this information will inform and
  expand their experience and they will find it
  very relevant!

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Phase 3 - Integration

• Introduction of mantras, brief introduction of
  deities as aspects of the divine, as universal
  qualities
• Sahaja Meditation and how it is related to
  religion
• Havan
• Possibly reinforce feeling that vibrations come
  from Shri Matajis photo/video

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Phase 4 - Recognition

• Recognition of Shri Mataji
• Puja
• Sahaja Yoga

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Shri Mataji, Guru Puja 2008

• You can use my photograph, but the realization
  should not be from the photograph, but from you,
  then only you can be a guru. There can be ladies
  or men both, can become gurus, and spread Sahaja
  Yoga all over.

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Picture

• A picture is essential, but not at the center of
  attention and not in an altar context
• Do not put flowers, candle, or incense around the
  photo
• Avoid the impression that the photo is absolutely
  central to the meditation experience it can
  make Americans very uncomfortable.
• The program instructor should be the focus.

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Chakra Chart

• Have a chakra chart at the front of the room,
  ideally with an inset picture of Mother
• e.g., something like pictured
• Use a chart which has no text or easy
  understandable descriptions of the subtle energy
  centers (no Sanskrit terms)

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Take-home Photograph

• Have it available on a table for people to take
• Explain we keep it out of respect for the
  teacher, as is common in Eastern tradition
• Explain we personally find that it has a strong
  energy and helps our meditation, invite them to
  try it, to experiment with it, if they would like
• Never force it or insist they cannot meditate
  without it

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Talking Points

• Relate personal experience
• Discuss how Sahaja Yoga links to traditional
  American values
• For example, notions of liberty, freedom,
  equality, independence, inclusiveness,
  empowerment, innovation and pioneering spirit,
  opportunism, and justice
• See prior Growth Team slide deck for more details

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Talking Points (cont)

• Good for stress reduction, productivity, peace,
  balance, health, harmony, and happiness
• Empowers you to use awareness to guide yourself
  in right direction
• Easy to do
• Make your own choices
• Be in control
• You don't need to become an expert or a yogi to
  gain benefit

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Address Why Its Free

• This is a major issue
• People are very suspicious of free
• Think there must be a catch
• Address it proactively, according to your
  discretion
• We are experts that volunteer our time to teach
  meditation to the public
• There is dignity and respect if we frame it this
  way
• It is our way of doing community service

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Videos

• Dont introduce videos right away
• Connection should be established with teacher
  before introducing video
• Consider waiting 3-6 weeks or more before showing
  video
• Keep video portion of the program short
• 10-15 minutes maximum
• Maybe every other week

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Phase 1 Activities

• Work on them
• Explaining clearly what you are going to do
• Help them relax
• From the beginning, show them how to work on
  themselves and on each other (as Shri Mataji
  recommended to us in the summer of 2007)
• Homework
• Set expectation that there is homework
• Have to go home and do what we do in class
• Won't get much out of it unless meditate everyday
• Check up on them ask if they are meditating at
  home

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Phase 1 Activities (cont)

• Teach to take bandhan and meditate at home
• Focus on experience
• Teach to focus on attention inside
• On hands
• On top of head (Sahasrara)
• On subtle system

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Phase 1 Activities (cont)

• Gradually over some weeks, introduce
• Clearing left and right channels
• Foot soaking
• Ice treatment
• How to use info from subtle system to change how
  you feel
• Avoid esoteric/advanced clearing techniques
  (e.g. shoe beating, 3-candle treatment)

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Minimal Information

• Let people pull it
• Don't push or volunteer too much
• Wait until they are ready
• Use intuition
• Experience based
• No handouts on chakras

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Materials

• New Materials will be created to support this
  approach
• For now, if we selectively use what we have, it
  can work. They dont need much in Phase 1.
• Give out something on how to meditate. After a
  few weeks something on foot soaking and or
  balancing. Very little else is really needed for
  Phase 1.

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Please Remember

• These are guidelines, based on research and
  feedback from yogis and the American public.
• They are extremely valuable, but are not a new
  set of rules, to be followed strictly.
• They are an expression of a new approach, which
  we all need to adapt to the situations we face,
  using our own wisdom and discretion!

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Shri Mataji, Guru Puja 2008

• Whatever you teach, you must practice.

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use only. Please do not distribute further
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