Today: “Project from the point of view of your consciousness” Yogi Bhajan

“Every normal person thinks, imagines, and projects through the mind. You ultimately identify with your mind and become dependent on the mind. The reality is that you should not depend on your mind. Instead, you should project from the point of view of your consciousness.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Be simple and unassuming – from the I Ching

Being as a wanderer, a tenant in the world, allowing everything to come to you and then depart in its time, and staying in touch with your inner being, you will attract the support of others and ultimately, great wealth.  Be simple and unassuming.  Empty yourself and the universe will serve you.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth – Jesus

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

A wanderer has no fixed abode; his home is the road. Therefore he must take care to remain upright and steadfast, so that he sojourns only in the proper places, associating only with good people. Then he has good fortune and can go his way unmolested.
The wanderer here described is modest and reserved. He does not lose touch with his inner being, hence he finds a resting place. In the outside world he does not lose the liking of other people, hence all persons further him, so that he can acquire property. Moreover, he wins the allegiance of a faithful and trustworthy servant – a thing of inestimable value to a wanderer.
The sun in heaven above, shedding light over everything on earth, is the image of possession on a grand scale. But a possession of this sort must be administered properly. The sun brings both evil and good into the light of day. Man must combat and curb the evil, and must favor and promote the good. Only in this way does he fulfil the benevolent will of God, who desires only good and not evil.

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Today: “Your basic necessity, the drive of your elemental self…” Yogi Bhajan

“Your basic necessity, the drive of your elemental self is to become a practical, grassroots, living consciousness – potential living consciousness to practical living consciousness.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Be strong within, peaceful without – from the I Ching

For self preservation in very dangerous times sometimes your true colors must remain hidden, not calling too much attention to your dissension.  At the right time, pent-up demand for change can lead to social revolution where change can be effected.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

One must not unresistingly let himself be swept along by unfavourable circumstances, nor permit his steadfastness to be shaken. He can avoid this by maintaining his inner light, while remaining outwardly yielding and tractable. With this attitude he can overcome even the greatest adversities.
In some situations indeed a man must hide his light, in order to make his will prevail in spite of difficulties in his immediate environment. Perseverance must dwell in inmost consciousness and should not be discernible from without. Only thus is a man able to maintain his will in the face of difficulties.
Prince Chi lived at the court of the evil tyrant Chou Hsin, who, although not mentioned by name, furnishes the historical example on which this whole situation is based. Prince Chi was a relative of the tyrant and could not withdraw from court; therefore he concealed his true sentiments and feigned insanity. Although he was held a slave, he did not allow external misery to deflect him from his convictions.
This provides a teaching for those who cannot leave their posts in times of darkness. In order to escape danger, they need invincible perseverance of spirit and redoubled caution in their dealings with the world.
Political revolutions are extremely grave matters. They should be undertaken only under stress of direst necessity, when there is no other way out. Not everyone is called to this task, but only the man who has the confidence of the people, and even he only when the time is ripe. He must then proceed in the right way, so that he gladdens the people and, by enlightening them, prevents excesses. Furthermore, he must be quite free of selfish aims and must really relieve the need of the people. Only then does he have nothing to regret.
Times change, and with them their demands. Thus the seasons change in the course of the year. In the world cycle also there are spring and autumn in the life of peoples and nations, and these call for social transformations.

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Meditation: LA747 921231 Fear 6, to command yourself

Yogi Bhajan Los Angeles December 31, 1992

Close your eyes, interlace your fingers and bring them above your head. Stick your tongue out; this is called the “snake’s tongue”. Move as you want, but do it very fast. Be conscious of the central channel, which goes form the navel point to the third eye. connect the two chakras. Do this for 12 minutes.

See complete lecture video from 19921231

 

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Today: “You are nothing but a potential living consciousness” Yogi Bhajan

“You are nothing but a potential living consciousness.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Your actions should include everyone – from the I Ching

All your actions should include everyone.  That will ensure the broadest support.  Following this principle will calm controversy, dissipate challenges to your intentions and attract supporters who will rally around your initiatives.  The splintering of recent times will reverse and become a coalition once members of the community begin to recognize their vested interest in the success of the whole.  You can spark that enthusiasm.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

The mountain rests on the earth. When it is steep and narrow, lacking a broad base, it must topple over. Its position is strong only when it rises out of the earth broad and great, not proud and steep. So likewise those who rule rest on the broad foundation of the people. They too should be generous and benevolent, like the earth that carries all. Then they will make their position as secure as a mountain is in its tranquillity.
Here, in immediate proximity to the strong, light-giving principle at the top, the nature of the dark force undergoes a change. It no longer opposes the strong principle by means of intrigues but submits to its guidance. Indeed, as the head of the other weak lines, it leads all of these to the strong line, just as a princess leads her maids-in-waiting like a shoal of fishes to her husband and thus gains his favour. Inasmuch as the lower element thus voluntarily places itself under the higher, it attains happiness and the higher also receives its due. Therefore all goes well.
WATER FILLS UP all the empty places on the earth and clings fast to it. The social organisation of ancient China was based on this principle of the holding together of dependents and rulers. Water flows to unite with water, because all parts of it are subject to the same laws. So too should human society hold together through a community of interests that allows each individual to feel himself a member of a whole. The central power of a social organisation must see to it that every member finds that his true interest lies in holding together with it, as was the case in the paternal relationship between king and vassals in ancient China.

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Today: “If you live in absolute fearlessness” Yogi Bhajan

“If you live in absolute fearlessness, God will live in you because fear and truth cannot go together.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Dispense blessings to the world – from the I Ching

In a time of decrease and decay you can be one who helps reverse the tendency by dispensing blessings to the world. You can become the example that catches on and causes a return to generosity and shared prosperity, which will come in its own time.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

The lake at the foot of the mountain evaporates. In this way it decreases to the benefit of the mountain, which is enriched by its moisture. The mountain stands as the symbol of a stubborn strength that can harden into anger. The lake is the symbol of unchecked gaiety that can develop into passionate drives at the expense of the life forces. Therefore decrease is necessary; anger must be decreased by keeping still, the instincts must be curbed by restriction. By this decrease of the lower powers of the psyche, the higher aspects of the soul are enriched.
There are people who dispense blessings to the whole world. Every increase in power that comes to them benefits the whole of mankind and therefore does not bring decrease to others. Through perseverance and zealous work a man wins success and finds helpers as they are needed. But what he accomplishes is not a limited private advantage; it is a public good and available to everyone.
After a time of decay comes the turning point. The powerful light that has been banished returns. There is movement, but it is not brought about by force.
The movement is cyclic, and the course completes itself. Therefore it is not necessary to hasten anything artificially. Everything comes of itself at the appointed time. This is the meaning of heaven and earth.

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Elysium

My wife and I have subscribed to and been using Elysium supplements since February, 2015.  We began using Basis in 2015, Matter in 2020 and Signal in 2022.

With Basis, I experience  a noticeable increase in our available energy and endurance.  With Matter, my mental acuity has sharpened significantly.  With Signal, instantaneous available energy is noticeable during exercise.

These effects, and an increase in longevity are the main selling points of the products.  Here is what the manufacturer says.

The science of NAD+ is thriving as more research comes out of institutions like Harvard and MIT about the potential benefits of raising NAD+ levels. One recent and very important study co-authored by Elysium Chief Scientist, Dr. Leonard Guarente, showed that increasing NAD+ levels in mice reversed age-related endurance loss. We’re proud to be leading the way in translating this research to human studies. Our clinical trial results, published in November 2017 in Nature Partner Journals: Aging and Mechanisms of Disease, demonstrated that Basis can increase NAD+ safely and sustainably in humans. We have several additional preclinical and clinical trials in progress on Basis, as well as future products in development, that we will share with you soon. As a VIP you’ll have first access.

See also the Time Magazine article

The Science of NAD+, Explained

The coenzyme NAD+ has been called “the golden nucleotide” by one scientist, and the “linchpin of energy metabolism” by Scientific American. It’s the subject of countless preclinical studies indicating that increasing NAD+ levels in lower organisms may have a variety of positive effects on health. We’re especially interested in NAD+ at Elysium: We’ve demonstrated that our first product, Basis, increases NAD+ levels in humans, and we’re working on research to better understand how the gut microbiome affects systemic levels of NAD+. If you’re new to the science of NAD+, here are a few facts to get you started.

NAD+ is a coenzyme found in all living cells.

Coenzymes are colloquially referred to as “helper molecules” because proteins  —  large molecules made of amino acids that do the important biological work in the body  —  require them to do their work. (And they’re called coenzymes because most proteins are enzymes.) If you think of a car as a protein, getting you from place to place so you can go about your life, the gas (or battery if you have a Tesla) is the coenzyme, without which driving is impossible.

But gas (or batteries) can also be used to power any number of other things, from yachts to spacecraft. So too with NAD+, whose chief role is transferring electrons in redox reactions, including oxidative phosphorylation, otherwise known as the metabolic process our body uses to turn food into energy.

Nobel Prize-winning scientists discovered NAD+ more than 100 years ago.

NAD+ was first discovered by Arthur Harden and William John Young in 1906. In 1929, Harden and Hans von Euler-Chelpin won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on fermentation. They determined that fermentation required the presence of an enzyme (“zymase,” actually a mixture of enzymes) and a coenzyme which they called “cozymase,” now known as NAD+.

Euler-Chelpin further identified the structure of NAD+, which is made of two nucleotides, the building blocks for nucleic acids (the same thing DNA is made of). The role of NAD+ in fermentation, a metabolic process, foreshadowed the critical role that NAD+ plays in metabolic processes in humans.

The science of NAD+ is evolving as more research emerges.

Several important discoveries about NAD+ followed the 1929 Nobel Prize. The most recent discovery happened at MIT, when Dr. Leonard Guarente, founder of Elysium, and Dr. Shin-ichiro Imai observed that sirtuins  —  a family of proteins that have been shown in the laboratory setting to be influential in impacting healthspan  —  only function in the presence of NAD+. (Reminder: Sirtuins are the proteins that do biological work; NAD+ is the coenzyme that allows that work to happen.)

So why are scientists excited? An increasingly detailed picture of NAD+ shows its many functions, from energy creation, to sirtuin activity, to a wide range of other enzymatic activities including mitochondrial function, chromosomal integrity, gene expression, epigenetic and posttranslational modifications, and calcium signaling.

Learn How Basis Increases NAD+   

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Today: “when you hear the truth, you also get exposed to your own lies” Yogi Bhajan

“People are afraid, because when you hear the truth, you also get exposed to your own lies. You don’t want to hear that. All right, it is a choice. Don’t hear it now. One day time will tell you in another way. That will be very painful.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Use your intuition in choosing the way forward – from the I Ching

Use your powers of contemplation to discern the right path forward.  Don’t rely on others’ judgement or popular beliefs. Use your intuition in choosing what you will support and what you will oppose.  Be cautious with moving forward, as the time is fraught with pitfalls.  Take time to assess the situation so that any movement is supported by deep understanding.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

Contemplation of the divine meaning underlying the workings of the universe gives to the man who is called upon to influence others the means of producing like effects. This requires that power of inner concentration which religious contemplation develops in great men strong in faith. It enables them to apprehend the mysterious and divine laws of life, and by means of profoundest inner concentration they give expression to these laws in their own persons. Thus a hidden spiritual power emanates from them, influencing and dominating others without their being aware of how it happens.
This describes a man who understands the secrets by which a kingdom can be made to flourish. Such a man must be given an authoritative position, in which he can exert influence. He should be, so to speak, a guest – that is, he should be honoured and allowed to act independently, and should not be used as a tool.
Conditions are such that the hostile forces favored by the time are advancing. In this case retreat is the right course, and it is through retreat that success is achieved. But success consists in being able to carry out retreat correctly. Retreat is not to be confused with flight. Flight means saving oneself under any circumstances, whereas retreat is a sign of strength. We must be careful not to miss the right moment while we’re in full possession of power and position. Then we shall be able to interpret the signs of the time before it is too late and to prepare for provisional retreat instead of being drawn into a desperate life-and-death struggle. Thus we do not simply abandon the field to the opponent; we make it difficult for him to advance by showing perseverance in single acts of resistance. In this way we prepare, while retreating, for the counter- movement. Understanding the laws of a constructive retreat of this sort is not easy. The meaning that lies hidden in such a time is important.

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Today: “Creativity and love come from your sensitivity” Yogi Bhajan

“Creativity and love come from your sensitivity. A developed sensitivity in character gives you commitment. Commitment in turn gives you more sensitivity of character. They are interrelated. That is how this planet runs.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Be in tune with the tendencies of the the time – from the I Ching

So much potential that can produce great abundance is held in check by petty usurpers of power.  Rather than meeting their struggle for dominance, it is more advantageous to allow the current part of the cycle to play out as the tide turns and moves the opposite way.  We cannot personally challenge the laws of nature with any great effect.  Rather, be in tune with the tendencies of the the time and use them to advantage.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

It is not given to every mortal to bring about a time of outstanding greatness and abundance. Only a born ruler of men is able to do it, because his will is directed to what is great. Such a time of abundance is usually brief. Therefore a sage might well feel sad in view of the decline that must follow. But such sadness does not befit him. Only a man who is inwardly free of sorrow and care can lead in a time of abundance. He must be like the sun at midday, illuminating and gladdening everything under heaven.
It often happens that plots and party intrigues, which have the darkening effect of an eclipse of the sun, come between a ruler intent on great achievement and the man who could effect great undertakings. Then, instead of the sun, we see the northern stars in the sky. The ruler is overshadowed by a party that has usurped power. If a man at such a time were to try to take energetic measures, he would encounter only mistrust and envy, which would prohibit all movement. The essential thing then is to hold inwardly to the power of truth, which in the end is so strong that it exerts an invisible influence on the ruler, so that all goes well.
hunder rolls, and the wind blows; both are examples of extreme mobility and so are seemingly the very opposite of duration, but the laws governing their appearance and subsidence, their coming and going, endure. In the same way the independence of the superior man is not based on rigidity and immobility of character. He always keeps abreast of the time and changes with it. What endures is the unswerving directive, the inner law of his being, which determines all his actions.

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Today: “You are never separated from God” Yogi Bhajan

“You are never separated from God or your soul. You come to this planet not to seek anything. You come to recognize God and realize your soul.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Shuniya.  Silence.  Stillness. – from the I Ching

Shuniya.  Silence.  Stillness.  Through contemplation our intentions can manifest graceful form and beauty.

 

 

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

True quiet means keeping still when the time has come to keep still, and going forward when the time has come to go forward. In this way rest and movement are in agreement with the demands of the time, and thus there is light in life.
Keeping the toes still means halting before one has even begun to move. The beginning is the time of few mistakes. At that time one is still in harmony with primal innocence. Not yet influenced by obscuring interests and desires, one sees things intuitively as they really are. A man who halts at the beginning, so long as he has not yet abandoned the truth, finds the right way. But persisting firmness is needed to keep one from drifting irresolutely.
In human affairs, aesthetic form comes into being when traditions exist that, strong and abiding like mountains, are made pleasing by a lucid beauty. By contemplating the forms existing in the heavens we come to understand time and its changing demands. Through contemplation of the forms existing in human society it becomes possible to shape the world.
This hexagram shows tranquil beauty – clarity within, quiet without. This is the tranquillity of pure contemplation. When desire is silenced and the will comes to rest, the world-as-idea becomes manifest. In this aspect the world is beautiful and removed from the struggle for existence. This is the world of art. However, contemplation alone will not put the will to rest absolutely. It will awaken again, and then all the beauty of form will appear to have been only a brief moment of exaltation. Hence this is still not the true way of redemption. For this reason Confucius felt very uncomfortable when once, on consulting the oracle, he obtained the hexagram of GRACE.

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