Let us, therefore, not be sure of anything,
Beside ourselves, and only that,
So that miraculous beings come running to help.

Crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute,
We shall finally be saying with tremendous eloquence
“Lead us.”
When we have totally surrendered to that Beauty
We shall be a mighty kindness.

-From The Zero Circle  by Rumi, Translated by Coleman Barks

Announcing New Samyama Recording

Click here to listen to sample tracks and to read full text Sample Samyama Meditations by Sheila Foster

What is Samyama?

The Patanjali Sutras say that Samyama is a technical term which describes the three-fold process by which the true nature of an object is known.

We use Samyama to become present to ourselves, to directly experience and know ourselves and what is in our hearts, and to begin to directly experience the fathomless Mystery.  Samyama is also a powerful way to become present to life, to others, and to open to what is as it is.

The practice of Samyama is one way to meet what is, to feel what we fear or don’t want to feel, in order to experience the Grace that is inherent in all situations, even the worst, most heart-breaking ones.  Every experience, no matter how awful, can open to grace, to love, to peace, if we are willing to feel what is.  We don‘t have to like or condone it-- we simply must feel it. 

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Some Things to Consider

• Where we place our attention is the difference that makes the difference between being in hell or being at peace, no matter what is happening.

• When we are present, we can directly experience and become intimate with our own True Nature and the true nature of anything or anyone.

• When we open to what is, we may feel pain yet we do not suffer.

• When we shut down, avoid, struggle with, or resist what is, we suffer.

• When we want anything to be different than it is, we suffer.

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10,000 Moments to Use Samyama

Well, there are not really 10,000 listed here, but certainly in a given day or week there are many, many possible Samyama moments if we choose to bring the practice into our daily lives. 

We can do Samyama when we:

• feel really good – it’s great to abide in The Heart consciously when things are going well and we feel loving, happy, spacious

• feel our longing

• have old or new wounds and traumas activated, feeling old losses

• feel really awful, lost, sad, grieving, angry, rageful, stoney, mean, blah, victimized, attacked, abused, nothing, deadened, numb, empty, in the void

• want to deepen spiritually, meditate, be in Silence, open our heart to The Heart, be with the Beloved/the Ma

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What is Possible with Samyama?

Samyama can assist us to dissolve painful psychological states and the layers of protection over our hearts.  Forgiveness, love, compassion, and joy arise naturally. We can give up struggling and agonizing. Samyama is not a method to fix something wrong.  Samyama consistently reveals so beautifully that there is nothing wrong, and no one needing to be fixed.  All is the Mystery unfolding.

It leads us to realize that every wound is a portal to the Mystery, and we can be utterly present and recognize that.  Samyama teaches us presence and how to be in the NOW.

Samyama helps us to awaken to the beauty of our Essential Nature as Love, and discover freedom, bliss, joy, and divine laughter.  Life becomes increasingly effortless, fun, creative, magical, and lived in the flow of the moment from an increasingly awakened place. Everything is realized to be the Mystery appearing in many disguises.

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