As I was sitting in my fourth kriya ceremony last night, I got a dry itch in my throat. Grr…I coughed 3 or 4 times, but I did NOT want to leave! I’d been sitting there since 5 p; it’s almost 6 p, start time of the kriya ceremony. So I said “guru help!” and some thoughts flowed to me… “This cough is not real. It’s in my mind that I have to cough. It’s in my mind that I have to have water (which would require my getting up and walking to the courtyard to get a sip) to soothe this cough. Why do I need to cough? I don’t need to cough.” And just like that, it was gone. No straining to keep it in. Just gone, as if I never had the urge to cough at all. I felt as if I’d overcome the cough through willpower, with the guru’s help.

I reflected on so many things during the 2.5 hour long ceremony. One of which was how little I felt I’d donated — $10. I thought about how much I’ve spent on Bikram yoga and Ashtanga yoga in the past six months. I don’t spend near as much on kriya yoga, my chosen path! I must change that.

I also reflected on my practice, particularly doing all parts of kriya. Why did I stop doing them all in the first place? What do I need to do to start back? I have a thing about using yoga mats. For any type of floor stuff, I want to be on the mat. I figure I’ll just leave my mat rolled out in my room. I’ve tried this before with hatha yoga practice. It works.

Another thing I want to implement is a practice chart, so I can keep track of my morning and evening practice. I remember making out a chart in the past, but I didn’t print it out. Just tried to keep track on my laptop. But, out of sight, out of mind….I will print it out this time around.

The other thing is, well, this blog! I love to write. Any little idea or interest has sparked a blog.  I’ve started (and left) so many blogs! But this — the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda — has to be one of my favorite topics. Closely-related faves are the people, places, and things associated with this great guru, my guru. Being such a seeker and explorer at heart, I still find inspiration through other teachers and paths. I do tend to relate it back to Yogananda and SRF though!