By Day of Greenleaf, the Founding Yaiyr
‘An excellent introduction to Essene Yoga and its link to the Essene Tree of Life is given in Doctrine Ten of my (Day) book titled, Essene Teachings: The Book of Doctrines. I provide that article below.’
All of the spiritual and holistic wellness practices of the Nasarean Religion of The Essene Way can be considered to be a part of the overall set of Nasarean practices collectively called “Nasarean Essene Yoga” (also called “Yoga of The Essene Tree of Life”) or, for short, “Essene Yoga.” To understand why that is so, it is needful to understand that we Nasareans use the Sanskrit word “Yoga” (Nasarean Hebrew: Yihud; English: Union/Yoke) to describe both the goal – conscious Union with the Divine – of our practices, and also the means by which we progressively attain that goal. Anything that we s v nuccessfully do for the purpose of progressively attaining that goal – CONSCIOUS UNION WITH THE DIVINE – can be considered a yoga practice, a means (a “way”) by which we progressively attain – and then maintain and enhance – that goal.
The sentence at the end of the above paragraph is true whether or not we give specific “yoga names” to each of those practices that, taken together, constitute our Nasarean Spiritual Practice. For example, if I find that a certain practice helps me progress in my ever-deepening experience of Conscious Union with the Divine, whether or not I refer to that practice as a particular variety of yoga, it is nevertheless exactly THAT. That said, it is also true that the ancient Nasareans did specifically name quite a few things as yoga practices, giving them “yoga names” like “Love Yoga,” “Water Yoga,” “Air Yoga,” “Wisdom Yoga” and more. Each of the seven branches and seven roots of the symbolic Essene Tree of Life has a named variety of yoga linked to it – together making the fourteen primary types of yoga we call “Essene Yoga” – and each of those primary types of yoga have various sub-yogas linked to them. Thus, the total number of yoga practices is greater than those primary fourteen, but we don’t put a “final” number on the variety of practices since we each are free to discover additional practices that help us experience the goal of Essene Yoga: Conscious Union with the Divine.For an extremely detailed discussion of many practices and teachings related to Essene Yoga, read my (Day of Greenleaf/Day Owen) book on Essene Yoga and Meditation. A brief introduction to some of the practices of Essene Yoga is given in the following Commentary on Doctrine Ten. The first appendix that immediately follows that commentary is an illustration of The Essene Tree of Life whose seven branches and seven roots correspond with the Fourteen Primary Yoga Varieties. The second appendix to the following Commentary on Doctrine Ten is a list of the seven parts of an Essene Lifestyle Practice that is called The Sevenfold Peace; it is an important aspect of Essene Yoga Practice.
COMMENTARY ON DOCTRINE TEN
Each participant in the Nasarean Religion of The Essene Way is encouraged to do more than simply become a member of our church; each member is encouraged to become a lifelong student of, and practitioner of, our “spiritual practice.” By the term “spiritual practice,” I mean “yoga” or “true religion.” I will explain.
Yoga is a Sanskrit word that means union and implies two things: 1) The conscious union of a being with the Ultimate; and, 2) the means – practices – by which that union is realized.
Number one above is both the goal of yoga and the living experience of those that achieve that goal. Number two above is whatever we do that enables us to achieve that goal. Any system practiced by a being for the purpose of realizing conscious union with the ultimate is a yoga system.
All spiritual masters teach a system of yoga, a way of realizing conscious union with God, whether or not they use the Sanskrit term yoga. Moses taught yoga. Buddha taught yoga. Jesus (Yahshua) taught yoga. Yoga is true religion. Consider the word religion. The lig portion of the word religion stems from the Latin root ligare, which means union/connect. When a being has fallen out of conscious union with God, that being needs a re-union, a re-ligare (“re-ligion”). The goal of true religion is conscious union with the Ultimate (yoga), and the means by which that goal is realized are the various yoga systems taught by spiritual masters.
In my seven years of study with my Essene teacher, Malachi of Alexandria, I studied the yoga systems taught by the great masters. I will briefly describe some of the most important Sanskrit-language yoga systems, then will end with a brief description of Essene Yoga which, as you will learn, includes – but is not limited to – each of the following Sanskrit-language yoga systems.
Hatha Yoga: Hatha Yoga is a system of physical exercise that leads to the enlightened control of the body and mind by the Spiritual Self. Many people on this planet are not in control of body and mind and therefore suffer the consequences: physical and mental illness. Hatha Yoga leads to physical and mental wellness. It is the yoga system that most people think of when they hear the word yoga. It is associated with the postures – asanas – that are taught in most yoga classes.
Laya Yoga: Laya Yoga is the science of using the chakras to bring about progressively higher states of spiritual realization. It is the raising up, and transformation of, subtle energies via work on the chakras. This is the yoga of kundalini and tantra.
Karma Yoga: Karma Yoga is the art of flowing with, rather than resisting, universal law. The practitioner of Karma Yoga understands the spiritual axiom “As you sow, so shall you reap” (universal law), and therefore endeavors to sow only seeds of goodness such as love, joy, peace, and mercy. Karma Yoga manifests itself as creative work for the benefit of all. It is the yoga of work and service.
Bhakti Yoga: The word bhakti means devotion. Bhakti Yoga is the yoga of devotional worship of God/Goddess. It is the practice of loving God/Goddess so much that everything we do, think, or say is an expression of that love. In other words, our entire life becomes an act of worship. Bhakti Yoga is characterized by devotional singing, often incorporating the chanting of the names of Deity. Bhakti is the motivational context in which we aim to practice all the other yoga systems. In fact, it is the motivational context in which we aim to live life!
Jnana Yoga: The word jnana means to know. Jnana Yoga is the yoga of true knowledge, of divine wisdom. It is concerned with the ultimate questions of life, because those questions lead to the ultimate answers. The practitioner of Jnana Yoga asks such questions as: “What am I?”; “What is God?”; “What is the purpose of life?” Through contemplation and study, the answers to those questions become clear. But the purpose of inquiry is not to know just for the sake of knowing; rather, it is to know for the sake of serving. The better we know God, the better we can serve God. Jnana Yoga is characterized by the systematic study of spiritual texts and spiritual discourse with fellow seekers.
Mantra Yoga: Mantra Yoga is the yoga of “THE WORD.” It is the yoga of prayer and invocation. It employs mantras – “Words of Power” or “Sounds of Power” – to raise the vibrations of the practitioner and his/her environment.
Raja Yoga: Raja Yoga is meditation associated with the Crown Chakra, the seat of spiritual I AM. That meditation is often preceded by asking the questions of Jnana Yoga. It may also be preceded by some of the other yoga practices, such as Hatha. But its culmination is in peaceful meditation and contemplation centered in the Crown Chakra. Because it is associated with the Crown Chakra, it is called “The Royal Yoga,” as the word raja means royal and implies crown.
Essene Yoga: Each yoga system listed above addresses one or more important aspect of the spiritual life and, therefore, can assist a being in the quest for conscious union with God/Goddess/The Ultimate. But I consider the Nasarean Essene Yoga taught by Yahshua and Miriam to be the most effective system of all. It is the most effective, because it is the most complete: It does not ignore the other yoga systems; rather, it unites them in one grand synthesis called Essene Yoga or the Essene Way. It includes aspects of each yoga system listed above – and includes other yogas as well – and is presented in a simple, gradient fashion, so that anyone – even small children – can practice it. It is the yoga system I currently practice and teach.
It may surprise you to hear a Sanskrit word like yoga paired with an Aramaic word like Essene. Though some Essenes – including both Yahshua and Miriam the Magdalene – studied for a time in India, they had their own Hebrew word for yoga: YIHUD. What I am calling in English “Essene Yoga,” the Nasarean Essenes called in Hebrew: YIHUD ETS CHAIM, which means: Union (“Yoga”) with the Tree of Life. But as we learn in the following excerpt from Yahshua’s Sermon on Essene Yoga (that sermon is found in The Holy Megillah: Nasarean Bible of The Essene Way), after his return to “Israel/Judea” from India, the Lord purposely peppered his sermons to his Nasarean students with Sanskrit terms that he wanted them to learn.
151. Yahshua said, “Several of you have been to India
152. I recently returned from India after seven years of study and service at the Nasarean encampment near Benares.
153. Miriam and Yohanan also studied at that encampment, as did a few of the elders amongst this assembly.
154. Since returning from India, I have purposely peppered My sermons to Nasareans with Sanskrit words.
155. When I use a Sanskrit word or term, I do so because I want My disciples to learn the meaning of the word.156. “Original Nasarean Yoga spread in India moreso than anywhere else that it was introduced in this world.
157. The Hebrew letters – when rendered as Fire Letters as recorded by Gilgalah the Wizardess – are an excellent alphabet for spiritual symbolism and also preserve certain heavenly sounds of the Cherubim.
158. Even so, with the exception of Nasarean scriptures, Sanskrit has become the alphabet of the most spiritually advanced literature in this world.
159. For, with the spread of Nasarean teachings on yoga in India, vegetarianism spread amongst the population.
160. Now, in India, there is a larger population of vegetarians than anywhere else in this world.
161. Because of that, the population of India has become generally more spiritual than the populations of other lands, and many of their Sanskrit scriptures thus reflect that higher level of spirituality.
162. Wherefore, I use a sprinkling of Sanskrit words when speaking to Nasareans, and will introduce many in this sermon.163. “Yea, become intimately familiar with the meaning of the Sanskrit words that I am about to introduce.
164. But do not speak them to most Aaronites unless you want to experience the same fate as the man that threw sweet apples to a lion.
165. The lion was angered by the apples and ate the man!
166. Blessed is the apple that feeds a man!
167. Foolish is the man that provokes a lion!
168. Be prudent in sharing Sanskrit!”
In verse 159, Yahshua reveals that it was Nasarean Yoga that gave birth to the Indian/Hindu Yoga and the related practice of vegetarianism. In other verses he explains that Nasareans, shortly after the fall of the original Edenic paradise in Kush (Ethiopia), formed villages in the land that came to be called India – especially in the Himalayan Mountains where Nasarean Yogis settled in greatest numbers – and both Essene Yoga and the related practice of vegetarianism was spread throughout the region, though in progressively adulterated versions as other religious groups mixed Nasarean teachings with their own teachings. Many centuries later, many Nasarean teachings had made their way into several of the major religions that emerged in India, including various forms of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Only in The Holy Megillah: Nasarean Bible of The Essene Way do we have the original, unadulterated teachings of Nasarean Yoga that gave birth to the various Indian forms of yoga, meditation, and the key related practice of compassion-motivated vegetarianism.
Vegetarianism was a requirement of becoming a Nasarean, and the Lord Christ and Lady Christ made it a requirement of initiation into their Essene Yoga Fellowship (their circle of personal students/disciples). In that same sermon by Yahshua on Essene Yoga that I quoted above, he goes on to make that very clear:
169. “Vegetarianism is The Foundation – Ha Yesod – of a human life based on Compassionate Love.
170. Indian Yoga, as is Essene Yoga, is built on the strong foundation of vegetarianism.
171. In India, authentic yoga teachers will not teach more than entry-level yoga to students that are not yet vegetarians.
172. Likewise, Nasareans only initiate seekers into our yoga system if they have first become vegetarian and have fallen deeply in love with The Holy Megillah.
173. Seekers that are sincerely interested in taking initiation into Essene Yoga are asked to begin by reading the entire Megillah and, if not yet vegetarian, to become one.174. “Teachers of Essene Yoga are trained to offer introductory Megillah Bible Study Lessons and introductory Essene Yoga Classes for seekers that are not yet vegetarian or Nasarean, as well as to conduct Essene Yoga Fellowship Services for initiates only.
175. Non-vegetarians, and anyone that does not fully accept and deeply love The Holy Megillah, should not attend Essene Yoga Fellowship Devotional Services; those services are for initiated members only.
176. Those services are not for debating, arguing, or defending vegetarianism or the Megillah or our religion; rather, those services are an opportunity for Our initiated devotees to joyfully worship and fellowship together, and to receive teachings from Our ministers and priesthood.
177. Essene Yoga Fellowship is a mission of The Nasarean Religion of The Essene Way, a religion based on The Holy Megillah, and vegetarianism is a foundational teaching of our religion.
178. I say to all that become Teachers of Essene Yoga Fellowship, do not neglect to require vegetarianism of those that accept My Yoke.
This Essene Book of Doctrines – the book you are at this moment reading – is part of our introductory Blue Rose Study Course that can be enrolled in even if you are not yet a vegetarian. That course is the modern era equivalent of the introductory course that Yahshua is referring to in verse 174. If you are interested in becoming an initiate of the modern era version of the Essene Yoga Fellowship referred to in verse 177 above, all you need to do is complete the introductory course and continue studying the Nasarean Religion of The Essene Way with me and my authorized successors; we are that Essene Yoga Fellowship, and the book you are now reading is considered an entry point into both Essene Yoga Fellowship and the Nasarean Religion of The Essene Way. Those that become serious Essene Yoga students will receive detailed instruction in all aspects of Essene Yoga and all of the related practices… but it starts, as Yahshua said, with a commitment to practice vegetarianism.
Vegetarianism is such a central teaching/practice of the Nasarean Religion of The Essene Way that I will devote an entire doctrine (Doctrine Eleven) to that topic. In this Commentary on Doctrine Ten – on the topic of Essene Yoga – suffice to say that vegetarianism is a central practice of Essene Yoga.
The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga are given in both the Nasarean Genesis (Mattanah) portion of The Holy Megillah, and also in the New Testament (Godspell) portion where we find Yahshua’s Sermon on Essene Yoga. In that sermon by Yahshua, we read:
The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga
323. “Receive now The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga.
324. This list includes the same fourteen primary yogas listed in Mattanah, though in a bit different order.
325. I have included some examples of actual practices for each of the fourteen; those practices were not provided in the Mattanah list.
326. These specific practices constitute My version of Essene Yoga, the version of yoga that I teach, which is based on that taught by Beten-Jahlah in India.
Yahshua’s reference in verse 326 above to “Beten-Jahlah” is to an elderly Nasarean Wizardess/Priestess who, at the time of Yahshua’s period of study at the Nasarean encampment in India, was the chief teacher of Essene Yoga at that encampment. We pick up the same excerpt right where we left off:
327. “The fact that Essene Yoga is based on The Tree of Life is revealed in the full name of this yoga system.
328. That name is Yihud Ets Chaim, which means Union With The Tree of Life.
329. Essene Yoga is based on the Essene Tree of Life, which has seven branches and seven roots.
330. Each branch and root has a primary yoga associated with it.
331. Essene Yoga consists of Seven Primary Branch Yogas and Seven Primary Root Yogas and all of the sub-yogas of those primary fourteen.
332. Beginning the list at the Top Center Branch, the fourteen primary yogas are as follows.333. “1. Yihud im YHWH [Union with Yahweh] is also calledYHWH Yoga or Crown Yoga or HaShem Yoga.
334. Beten-Jahlah called it ‘Kether Yoga’, which means ‘Crown Yoga’.
335. It is comparable to what the Indian Yogis call Raja Yoga, which means Royal Yoga.
336. Both ‘Raja Yoga’ and ‘Kether Yoga’ refer to the ‘Crown Chakra’ of spiritual kings and spiritual queens.
337. This yoga is commonly expressed in the classic spiritual exercise called Seated Meditation.
338. This yoga can include words and/or other focusing agents but the experience optimally culminates in silent meditation associated with the Crown Chakra.
339. The words or other focusing agents help the yogi center himself/herself in Yah and enter the advanced stage of meditation called Samadhi.
340. When one is able to achieve Samadhi – Yah Consciousness – while sitting in meditation, let that yogi aspire to the most advanced stage of meditation: Walking Samadhi.
341. A Nasarean term for Walking Samadhi is Suach.
342. Suach means Smoothness of Tranquility.343. “An excellent Nasarean form of meditation that helps one to experience prolonged periods of Walking Samadhi is the practice called Hitbodet.
344. Hitbodet is focused attention on what you are ‘doing’ so as to treat every task as an art form and an oracle.345. “Even after achieving the ability to maintain Walking Samadhi for long durations, a yogi still also practices Seated Meditation because, unlike when one is moving around, seated in a quiet spot one can experience a particularly deep Tzafah, a session of Inner Gazing, a form of Raja/ Crown Meditation.”
Skipping some verses, we pick up where Yahshua moves on to name the second in the list of Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
397. “2. Yihud im Chokmah [Union with Wisdom] is called Wisdom Yoga.
398. Wisdom Yoga is the second of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga.
399. Nasarean ‘Wisdom Yoga’ is comparable to what in Sanskrit is called ‘Jnana Yoga’.
400. Students can begin to practice Wisdom Yoga by the simple act of contemplating the difference between, and the relationship of, knowledge and wisdom.
401. In regard to the difference, consider this: ‘it takes knowledge to become a master assassin; it takes wisdom to know why not to become an assassin.’
402. But knowledge is also a related part of wisdom; wisdom without knowledge would not be wise and would make bad decisions.
403. Wisdom includes knowledge but is also more than it.404. “Some esoteric arts related to what yogis call ‘The Third Eye’ are within the domain of Wisdom Yoga.
405. The Third Eye is related to the Sixth Chakra, a chakra that is associated with Knowledge and Wisdom and is linked with the Sixth Heaven of the Seven Heavens associated with our Sun.406. “Hatha Yoga serves as a sub-yoga – a practice – of Wisdom Yoga.
407. Because the Third Eye is associated with esoteric arts that should be engaged in wisely and purely for the sake of love, the purification and balancing practices of Hatha are indeed helpful.
408. Also, one’s Wisdom is worth little if it is not made manifest in the various areas of one’s life; it is wise to take care of one’s physical body by practicing Hatha Yoga.
409. And Wisdom can help us wisely select the appropriate asanas – postures – for our own body at each stage of life.
410. At every stage of life, Wisdom within Me advises selecting only asanas that are extremely unlikely to result in injury.
411. Hatha Yoga within Wisdom Yoga is safe and wisely sequenced, good for the body rather than dangerous or harmful.
412. Some yogis in India have begun to interpret the discipline of cleansing and purification to include such things as running a cord through one nostril and out the other.
413. That strikes Me as unwise; for, the cord can introduce various contaminants to your nasal canal and throat.414. “Studying spiritual teachings, including reading wisdom literature, is perhaps the most common practice of Wisdom Yoga.
415. Every time we study The Holy Megillah – or other spiritual texts – we are practicing Wisdom Yoga.
416. But we are also practicing Wisdom Yoga when we study books on the various sciences, acquiring knowledge in the various fields and then ‘baptizing’ that knowledge in the Nod of Wisdom to Love, the ‘Highest Wisdom’.
417. We are practicing Wisdom Yoga when we read a good book on the healing arts.
418. We are practicing Wisdom Yoga when we study math or geometry or philosophy to enhance our intellectual capacity to better serve goodness.419. “A common act of Wisdom Yoga that is performed repeatedly throughout the day is the consideration in various life circumstances of what would be the wisest decision to make or course of action to take.
420. If a yogi has been studying wise spiritual teachings, he or she is more likely to wisely implement that Wisdom in daily life circumstances.
421. We are practicing Wisdom Yoga whenever we offer our mind up to the light of the Divine Mind for the sake of the Nod of Wisdom to Love.
422. Then – and only then – are we Nasarean Philosophers.
423. Did you know that the meaning of the Greek word Philosopher is Lover of Wisdom?
424. Wisdom Yoga is the wizardly way of the Nasarean Philosophers, the Green Wizards of the White Rose.
425. One of our mottos is: ‘We are Lovers of Wisdom in service to Supernal Love’.
426. But that order – The White Rose – does not neglect the other thirteen of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga.
427. Such neglect would be unwise!
428. Nasareans offer our teachings on a gradient, giving to each student only that level of instruction that they are then ready to receive.
429. To Me, that seems wise!”
Above we learned that Hatha Yoga is a sub-yoga of Wisdom Yoga [it is also a sub-yoga of other of the Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga], and in my book on Essene Yoga and Meditation an entire Hatha Yoga routine given by Yahshua in his Sermon on Essene Yoga is provided with instructions on how to perform each “asana” (“posture”). But even before Yahshua teaches the physical postures of Essene Yoga, he teaches that the very first posture is internal:
9. “Each morning upon noticing that I am awake, I perform The First Internal Asana (‘Posture’) of Essene Yoga: I give thanks for the breath of life and, indeed, for the gift of life itself.
10. At that time, I sincerely and deeply appreciate the nutritive, life-giving qualities of the air that enters My lungs.
11. I tell you truly, The First Internal Asana of Essene Yoga is the internal posture that sets the stage for a successful day of well-being in Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss).12. “I make a sincere effort to practice appreciation – giving thanks – for life throughout the day.
13. I demonstrate the sincerity of that appreciation by cultivating My life, and My life-force, by practicing My spiritual path, My Nasarean Essene Yoga, every day.
14. Truly, a key element of Essene Yoga is the practice of the attitude of gratitude that is the perpetual appreciation for life and its various blessings, seen and unseen, now and forever in Yah!
15. That appreciation can become perpetual, and a good step toward that highest yogic state is to begin each day by noticing and appreciating that you have The Breath of Life.
16. Use First Appreciation of the Gift of The Breath of Life Upon Awakening – The First Internal Posture of Essene Yoga – and First Sip – appreciation for your first sip of water each day – as morning opportunities to launch an entire day full of appreciation for all the gifts of The Essene Tree of Life.”
He continues his description of Hatha Yoga, a sub-yoga of Essene Yoga; we also learn that Essene Yogis hold both a Morning Service and Evening Service at home – or wherever they happen to be – virtually every day:
17. “Today, My morning began as follows.
18. After performing The First Internal Asana, I communed with the Angel of Water at ‘First Sip’ and returned water to the earth in My urine, thus participating in The Wheel of Balance in Nature.
19. Next, prior to eating any food, Miriam and I performed Hatha Yoga as the first step of Our Morning Service.20. “Ha means Sun and Tha means Moon so ‘Ha-Tha Yoga’ means ‘Sun-Moon Yoga’.
21. The ‘Ha’ represents the Masculine Principle; it is the equivalent to the Nasarean Hebrew word Shemesh.
22. ‘Ha’ is only half of the word ‘Hatha’; ‘Ha’ needs ‘Tha’ to be balanced.
23. For, lo: ‘Tha’ is the ‘Cosmic Ma’ to the ‘Cosmic Pa’ that is ‘Ha’.
24. The symbol of ‘Ma’ (Tha), the feminine half of Ha-Tha, is the moon, for the moon symbolizes the Feminine Principle, as does the Nasarean word Shemayah.
25. Hatha Yoga is the yoga of balance, balance of the body-mind-soul, and balance between the masculine and feminine principles.
26. As a sequence of movements based on asanas (postures), Hatha is characterized by balanced movements and so I call it: The Yoga of Balance in the Movement of the Polarities of the One.
27. The physical postures – asanas – that include movement express balance in movement.
28. Thus the name ‘Ha-Tha’ is perfect: Ha (Sun/Masculine) and Tha (Moon/Feminine) in One Balanced Union (Yoga/Union).29. “The physical postures – asanas – are intended, together, to induce balance but must be sequenced wisely.
30. For example, after bending the back forward and holding that position awhile, it is good to balance that by bending in the opposite direction and holding that posture for an appropriate time.
31. “A Nasarean Yogi dedicates himself/ herself to performing a Morning Service that typically includes starting or finishing with Hatha Yoga, and an Evening Service that also typically includes – or is later followed by – Hatha.”
Instructions on how to perform a full Morning Service and Evening Service are provided in my book on Essene Yoga and Meditation, and in other materials made available to students enrolled in our Essene Mystery School.
Yahshua goes on to give the third of the Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
431. “3. Yihud im Ahabah [Union with Love] is called Love Yoga.
432. It is also known as Heart Chakra Yoga and as Devotional Yoga.
433. In Sanskrit, it is called Bhakti Yoga.
434. Some practices linked to Love Yoga are as follows.
435. Bhakti – devotional – service inwardly and outwardly, focusing on love in thoughts, words, and deeds, is the primary practice.
436. Bhakti is the motivational context in which the Essene Yogi engages in all of the yogas.
437. The Bhakti Yogi is always serving Supernal Love, even when sweeping a floor or preparing a meal.
438. Supernal Love is the Highest Love and is the subject of much devotional contemplation by the practitioner of Love Yoga.
439. That contemplation is an important part of Love Yoga, the Yoga of Divine Love.
440. That contemplation is a key meditation practice of Love Yoga.441. “Now here is an example of how a pranayama – a meditative breathing practice – can be used in Love Yoga.
442. The Love Breath is a practice of Love Yoga.
443. Inhale deeply as in the yogic ‘Complete Breath’, but envision that you are inhaling Divine Love.
444. As you briefly retain that breath, envision that the Divine Love is bathing your entire Beingness – including your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies – in Unconditional Love.
445. Then, on the exhale, envision that you are sharing that Divine Love with all Beings, radiating that Love into your environment.
446. Repeat this several times or more: breathe in Supernal Love, bathe in it while you briefly retain that breath, and then share that Supernal Love with all of creation on your exhale.447. “Love Yoga, like Hindu Bhakti Yoga, is also associated with devotional worship of the Deities, in our case, the Nasarean Deities.
448. This devotional worship often includes the chanting of Their Names and Attributes, a form of Mantra Yoga.
449. This shows that Mantra Yoga – an important yoga in its own right – is a sub-yoga of Bhakti Yoga, as it is also a sub-yoga of others of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga.
Yahshua next describes the fourth of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
450. “4. Yihud im Kowach [Union with Power] is called Power Yoga.
451. Physical exercises of all kinds through which we cultivate the power of our body in motion are one part of Power Yoga.
452. Those exercises can include the martial arts movements of Zahyen.
453. After all, the founder of Zahyen in this world, Judah, ascended and became the Chief Messenger Angel of The Branch of Power of The Essene Tree of Life in this world.
454. Power Yoga exercises can include the lifting of weights to build muscles in the manner of Roman soldiers but for different reasons; our reasons are to build a strong body in order to better serve Jah-Jah in the field of physical activity.
455. The Daily Walk is a form of exercise that builds the power of our lungs and heart and increases our endurance, an important aspect of strength
456. Hatha Yoga is an important sub-yoga of Power Yoga.
457. “The most important practice of Power Yoga is the intentional performance of acts of creative Love and Wisdom that birth powerful manifestations of goodness in our environment.
458. Now that is Power!
459. Another good exercise in Power Yoga is The Contemplation of The Nod of Wisdom to Love in Regard to The Manifestation of Power.
460. The Branch of Power of the Essene Tree of Life is the child of the embrace of The Branch of Wisdom and The Branch of Love.
461. It is that form of power that interests the Essene Yogi, not false or perverted or misused power.
462. Raising the ‘raw power’ – the Indian yogis call it kundalini – from the base chakra up to the crown chakra, spiritualizing that ‘raw power’, then sending it back down to the base chakra to be used in powerful manifestations of goodness, is another exercise of Power Yoga.
463. That exercise is called Chakra Yoga and is a useful sub-yoga of several of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga.
Yahshua next describes the fifth of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
464. “5. Yihud im Chayeh Olam [Union with Eternal Life] is called Eternal Life Yoga.
465. One important practice of Eternal Life Yoga is to become aware of the significance of The Cosmic and Terrestrial Spirals That Manifest as Cycles and Seasons.
466. That includes a study of various things including Nasarean Cosmology.
467. So, a practice associated with Wisdom Yoga – the study of Nasarean Cosmology – here serves as a sub-yoga of Eternal Life Yoga.
468. That is an example of how the dividing lines of the various yogas are very porous.
469. The yogas often intermix, and even a Primary Yoga can serve as a sub-yoga of one or more other yogas.470. “Another important practice of Eternal Life Yoga is to intentionally work with Gilgal’el – The Chief Messenger Angel of the Tree of Life Branch of Eternal Life – to discover your particular needs for Soul Development in this incarnation.
471. An especially auspicious time to do that is the evening of the week that is devoted to communion with The Tree of Life Branch of Eternal Life, which is the first evening of the week on the day after the Sabbath.
472. After reciting the Daberim haYihud – the ‘Words of Union’ or ‘Communion’ – with the Branch of Eternal Life, those that have been given the ‘Qol haKowach’ – the ‘Sound of Power’ – for Eternal Life chant that mantra.
473. Immediately after that mantra, or, for those not yet given that mantra, immediately after the Daberim haYihud (Words of Union), is an auspicious time to intentionally work with Gilgal’el to discover your particular needs for Soul Development in this incarnation.
474. An even more auspicious – but less frequent opportunity – is to do what I just described but with the additional ingredient that it is during the Month of Eternal Life on the Nasarean Calendar.
475. One can dedicate that entire month to this practice, performing it each of the four evenings of the Month of Eternal Life that are dedicated to communion with the Branch of Eternal Life.
476. Although I have pointed to particularly auspicious days to perform this practice, it can be practiced on any day or time; and the very best time for any practice – including this one – is when you feel called to it.477. “Another practice of Eternal Life Yoga is to work with oracles such as Qashab!”
QUICK NOTE FROM DAY: The Hebrew word Qashab – the last word in the above excerpt – means “Prick Up” your ears and implies Pay Close Attention! It is usually translated into English as “harken” or “give heed.” It is often used just prior to relating important information, or when the attention of your audience seems to be straying. In verse 477 we find Qashab! used as the name of a Nasarean deck of cards. Because that deck is similar to a Tarot deck and is employed as a sort of oracle or revelatory device, the word “Qashab” here is advising that the user of the deck Prick Up his/her inner ears and pay close attention to what is about to be revealed. Upon completing the translation of the remaining portions of the first English edition of The Holy Megillah – at the time of this writing there is still a bit of translation work to be accomplished though I have published the bulk of the text – I will then make available that deck of cards.
Yahshua next describes the sixth of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
478. “6. Yihud im Ma’aseh Kodesh [Union with Holy Work] is called Holy Work Yoga.
479. Karma Yoga, which is to perform work – activity – in the awareness that what you put out comes back to you, and with the intent of doing good for the cause of love in the arena of cause and effect, is the primary practice of Holy Work Yoga.
480. Karma Yoga is work with awareness of related karmic consequences coupled with a purposeful choice to harmonize your work with goodness in the cause of love.
481. The universe is doing the work of perpetual creation and perpetual spiritual development; to intentionally harmonize your work with that Great Work is Karma Yoga.482. “If your work that earns your daily bread is non-violent and ethical yet seems mundane or ‘unspiritual’, spiritualize that work by looking for ways to be of loving service at work.
483. Until your work that earns your daily bread is in harmony with your higher ideals, you can perform volunteer acts of Holy Work anytime, anywhere, even when it seems you are ‘off work’.
484. That volunteer work is called ‘Holy Volunteerism’ and is an important part of Holy Work Yoga.
485. You can also donate money from your seemingly ‘mundane’ job to support good causes including the Holy Work of the Nasarean Religion of the Essene Way.
486. That way, even your seemingly mundane work is spiritualized by serving a spiritual purpose.
487. That practice is called ‘Holy Philanthropy’ and is an important part of Holy Work Yoga.488. “Always remember: laziness is of the downward path of death and spiritual disease, while work – the holier the work the better – is the active path of creation and life and spiritual wellness.
489. Indeed, a bad attitude towards work often results in mental and emotional illness, even spiritual unwellness.
490. A good attitude towards work – even seemingly mundane work – is a common trait of physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy persons.
491. Even those with handicaps – physical or otherwise – can be uplifted by performing work with a good attitude.
492. Let humble Ebed – he that ascended to become the Chief Messenger Angel of the Branch of Holy Work – be your example of the right attitude toward work.
493. His attitude was the simple desire to be of help.
494. Be a helper and be happy!
495. If so, like humble Ebed, you will be exalted!”
Yahshua next describes the seventh of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
496. “7. Yihud im Shalom [Union with Peace] is called Peace Yoga.
497. A primary practice of Peace Yoga is the Nasarean Lifestyle of Peace that is called The Sevenfold Peace.
498. That practice involves doing what is necessary in order to experience progressively greater peace in seven areas of life.
499. The seven parts of The Sevenfold Peace are: 1) Peace With The Body; 2) Peace With The Mind; 3) Peace With The Family; 4) Peace With Humanity; 5) Peace With Heritage; 6) Peace With Mother Nature; 7) Peace With God and Goddess Immanent and Transcendent, First YHWH.500. “Another practice of Peace Yoga that is related to The Sevenfold Peace is called The Midday Peace Contemplation.
501. At midday of each day, a Nasarean Yogi of the Essene Way is asked to perform the Midday Peace Contemplation.
502. Each of the seven days of the week features a Peace Contemplation related to one aspect of The Sevenfold Peace.
503. The first of the seven parts of The Sevenfold Peace – Peace With The Body – is contemplated on the first day of the week.
504. The second of the seven parts of The Sevenfold Peace – Peace With The Mind – is contemplated on the second day of the week, the third part on the third day, and so on, the seventh part – Peace With YHWH – being contemplated on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath….525. “The Nasarean Hebrew word Shalom – Peace – means more than the simple absence of war between nations.
526. It implies a deep sense of harmony.
527. If you work for peace between nations but have not harmony in your own life, first seek peace within yourself.
528. When you are harmonious and peaceful within, you radiate peace wher- ever you walk, even in a group consciousness hell-realm such as a battlefield.
529. Raphah and Judah knew this, and they were great peacemakers.
530. Because Raphah ascended to become the Chief Messenger Angel of Peace (Raphah’el), it is she that you call upon when you perform Peace Yoga by reciting the Communion with the Branch of Peace.531. “An example of how Mantra Yoga is a sub-yoga of Peace Yoga is the use of the word Shalom as a mantra, as follows.
532. Inhale a deep breath, then exhale slowly, pronouncing shahhhhhhh for about half the exhale, then lommmmmmm for the last half.
533. That is one of My favorite mantras.534. “Before Raphah ascended to become the Chief Messenger Angel of Peace, she was a great healer, serving as the Ziqnah – Chief Eldress – of the Nasarean Tribe of Healers, the Raphaim.
535. It was Raphah that, in the section of the Megillah called Matriarchs and Patriarchs, spoke ‘The Seven Precepts of Illumination for the Way of Shevet Raphaim’.
536. Within those precepts she lists various therapies that, together, constitute The Golden Path of Healing.
537. That ‘Path’ or ‘Way’ is the discipline of restoring harmony to parts of the body that are experiencing disharmony, thus inducing wellness.
538. That practice – The Golden Path of Healing – can thus be considered a subyoga of Peace Yoga.
539. In the light of the above, you can understand why Raphah’el is often called The Chief Angel of Peace and Healing.
540. Healing is related to harmony, and harmony is related to Peace.”
Yahshua next describes the eighth of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
541. “8. Yihud im Shemesh [Union with Sun] is called Sun Yoga.
542. The various practices related to Essene Sun Yoga are all performed within the context of Nasarean Cosmology, a cosmology that thinks very highly of the Sun.
543. According to Nasarean Cosmology, the Sun is the visible representation of Supernal Light – the Light of YHWH – and is the home of The Seventh Heaven of this chain of worlds.
544. The Megillah reveals that The Seventh Heaven within the Sun has within it a Crown Chakra that is the Highest Crown Chakra of this chain of worlds.
545. A ‘chain of worlds’ are those worlds linked by the fact that they share a Sun as their common point of origin and their common point of eventual return, as well as sharing it as their common Central Lighthouse, their chief source of Living Light, the Fire of Life, Shemesh.
546. I tell you truly, within the Sun, indeed, is the Highest Crown Chakra of this chain of worlds, and that Crown serves also as the doorway out of this chain of worlds into the next highest chain of the ascending spiral and beyond, just as your own Crown Chakra also serves as the doorway out of your body.547. “But also know this: Just as you have a Crown Chakra but also have other chakras, so it is with the Sun.
548. The Sun has an outer body, intermediate bodies, and a Spiritual Body as does man, and, like man, all of those bodies are interpenetrated by the Seven Major Chakras of Essene Yoga and also countless other chakras that we call ‘Additional Chakras’.
549. Thus the Sun itself has its own Seven Major Chakras and countless ‘Additional Chakras’, a chakra, really, simply being a spiral; big spirals get named and noticed, but there are countless small and subtle spirals as well.550. “Our Sun is an extension of the First Sun that emerged from Still Zero and is related to every star of the heavens just as all humans are one family.
551. In Nasarean Cosmology, our Sun is believed to be a star that is closer to our world than the others, and all stars are ambassadors of YHWH.
552. Unlike the common belief of this age, Nasarean Cosmology affirms that our Sun is the center that the planets of this chain circle around, and that many other stars are circled by other world-chains; but that is a mystery studied by Great Nasarean Wizards.
553. However, one need not be a Great Wizard to perceive that our Sun enables life – including our own life – to exist and flourish in this world and, therefore, deserves our sincere reverence and appreciation and heartfelt love expressed in acts such as the various practices of Essene Sun Yoga…..
Yahshua then read aloud a long section of The Holy Megillah about the sun, including prophecies from the Nasarean Book of Enoch; it is to lengthy to include here but I encourage you to read it in the Megillah or in my book on Essene Yoga. We pick up the above teaching on Sun Yoga just after Yahshua finishes his reading from the Book of Enoch:
597. Yahshua closed the Megillah and said, “Later in The Book of Enoch, it is made clear to Enoch that humanity must choose between the heliocentric ‘Blessed Future’ or that of the dark future based on false power and false suns.
598. One that would learn to practice Essene Sun Yoga does well to begin by contemplating his or her personal relationship to the various bodies of our Sun including its Spiritual Body and, in the light of the excerpt from the Book of Enoch, to dedicate oneself to help bring about the heliocentric ‘Blessed Future’ and thus help prevent the dark future as one way to serve YHWH.
599. Another good initial practice of Essene Sun Yoga is to apply Jnana Yoga/Wisdom Yoga to it by studying everything written in the Megillah about the Sun.
600. One of My favorite practices of Essene Sun Yoga is to do the Hatha Yoga asana called Salutation to the Sun outdoors in the sunlight.
601. I love to raise My arms to the Morning Sun in a devotional attitude toward The Seventh Heaven and the Living Light that sustains our Light Body.”
602. Yahshua then demonstrated both the Simple Salutation to the Sun and the Full Salutation to the Sun.~~~
603. After having demonstrated the Salutation to the Sun, Yahshua continued his remarks on Essene Sun Yoga.
604. The Lord said, “In that excerpt from Enoch it was stated that ‘the people were enlightened by the encoded wisdom in the rays of the spiritual Sun, which are hidden within the glorious beams of light from the physical Sun.
605. In the light of that verse, one can clearly see that an important practice of Essene Sun Yoga is to expose oneself to the ‘glorious beams of light from the physical Sun.’
606. This act of literal union with the Sun by exposure of your skin to its rays feeds you in ways that you know not.607. “Most mornings, Miriam and I follow our Hatha Yoga and Morning Service with a time of sunbathing that We consider a key practice of Sun Yoga.
608. This Daily Sun Bath is typically later in the morning than ‘First Sun’ – ‘First Sun’ being our first exposure to sunlight on a given day no matter how brief – and is of longer duration, though not so long as to cause a burn.
609. My favorite way to perform Silent Meditation is flat on My back on a blanket beneath the Sun, naked.
610. It is when performing that type of Sun Yoga – Sunbathing Combined With Silent Meditation – that I most notice ‘the encoded wisdom in the rays of the spiritual Sun, which are hidden within the glorious beams of light from the physical Sun’ just referred to in that excerpt from The Nasarean Book of Enoch.611. “When sunny – even in winter sun – I sunbathe naked, provided I can find a place to lay My blanket without shocking other people!”
612. The assembly laughed, and Yahshua continued: “If the weather is freezing, I might skip sunbathing.
613. Not many days per year do I skip at least a bit of sunbathing!
614. On cloudy days, I get what sun I can, sensing the location of the sun behind the clouds, knowing that at least some rays are reaching My skin.
615. Miriam is the same; We are both dedicated Sun Yogis!
616. Yet another reason that We are perfect for one another!”
617. Yahshua and Miriam each smiled, and then Yahshua continued speaking….624. “Just by reciting, with sincere reverence, the Communion – ‘Words of Union’ (Daberim Ha Yihud) – for the Sun, one is practicing a form of Sun Yoga.
625. It is best to do this outside, in the Sun.
626. Though that Communion is typically spoken on the morning of the fourth day after Sabbath, you can also perform it as an act of Sun Yoga on any other day you like.
627. The following extra-short version of the Sun Communion is one you can try.
628. Facing the Sun, as naked as practical, say these words out loud: ‘Holy Sun, I bathe in your Fire of Life.’
629. Feel free to compose your own words of Solar Communion, and to vary your words from time to time, as you like.
630. I do.
631. I also have several favorites of each root and branch communion – including the Solar Communion – that I return to again and again.632. “One more example of Essene Sun Yoga is called Centering With The Sun.
633. Whenever you want to feel more centered, simply center yourself with the Sun by orienting your own crown chakra to the crown chakra of the Sun.
634. This is best done outside beneath the Sun.
635. The Sun is always centered in the ultimate center that is Yah.
636. When you center yourself with the Sun, you simultaneously experience being centered in Yah.”
Yahshua next describes the ninth of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
638. “9. Yihud im Ruah [Union with Air] is called Air Yoga.
639. I have just taught you about the great significance of the Sun.
640. But keep in mind this fact: There is no fire without air.
641. Shemesh – The Fire of Life of the Sun – shines in Shemayah, not without her.
642. Yea, Holy Air and Holy Sun are partners, as are the High Priest and High Priestess of the Temple of Light within the Sun, Abraham and Sa’arah.
643. Sa’arah is the creative whirlwind, and that whirlwind is not without air, The Breath of Life.644. “The first practice of Air Yoga that I teach is to begin each day by giving thanks and appreciation for the Breath of Life!
645. “Another example of Essene Air Yoga is the yogic ‘Complete Breath’ and any other pranayama one might choose to practice.
646. I consider the ‘Complete Breath’ to be the only essential pranayama, sufficient for the successful practice of Essene Yoga.
647. Even so, some Essene Yogis choose to learn additional pranayama exercises.
648. Some examples of additional pranayama exercises – each of which is an example of Air Yoga since each is related to the breathing of air – now follow.649. “Because I have already taught The Love Breath – an inhale/retention/exhale linked to the ‘Complete Breath’ – I won’t repeat it here.
650. However, I will point out that the very same breath can be linked with Divine Forgiveness or another Divine Attribute, in which case one inhales forgiveness – or other positive attribute – and bathes in that forgiveness while briefly retaining the breath, then shares that forgiveness with the world on the exhale.
651. I call that breath, The Forgiveness Breath.
652. When helpful that breath can be personalized, visualizing on the outbreath the sharing of forgiveness with a particular person or situation.653. “Another pranayama that you might like to try is one that I developed at the Nasarean encampment outside Benares; I named it The Prayerful Ascension Breath of Shemesh and Shemayah.
654. Perform it as follows.
655. With the palms of your hands pressed together with fingers pointing up – the traditional ‘Hands-in-Prayer Position’ – held still in front of your belly, you begin to lift your hands – keeping them in that same Hands-in-Prayer Position – upward as you inhale a complete yogic breath that culminates about the same time that the hands have reached a bit above the head to form what I call ‘The Standing Candle of Light Posture’.
656. Retain that ‘Standing Candle Position’ for a moment while simultaneously retaining your breath, then – with hands still pressed together – begin to return the hands to their first position in front of your belly while you simultaneously exhale.
657. At the end of that exhale, wait a very brief moment before beginning your next inhale.
658. That constitutes the motions of one repetition of The Prayerful Ascension Breath of Shemesh and Shemayah, though I have not yet described the mental contemplation that accompanies each repetition.659. “The mental contemplation linked to each repetition of The Prayerful Ascension Breath is as follows.
660. Immediately before beginning the first motion of the ‘Ascension Breath’, assume an attitude of prayerful appreciation for both Shemesh – the masculine principle – and Shemayah – the feminine principle – and affirm their mutually successful ascension and then, throughout each inhale, contemplate the two complementary principles of He and She, Shemesh and Shemayah, rising up your spine in the Spiral Dance of Ascension – Him spinning around Her, Her around Him, both mutually spinning around the all-attractive Still Zero that is the center of All – while you are raising your hands up to Standing Candle Position.
661. Once in Candle Position, retain your breath a comfortable moment or two; envision that you are a Living Candle of Supernal Light of Limitless Love.
662. On the exhale, as the hands – still pressed together in Prayer Position – slowly return to the starting position, envision that you are reaching into the lower levels of The Cosmic School System – lower rungs on the ascending Spiral Ladder of Being – as a Hand of Christ-Light (Merciful Compassion), thus ascending even higher spiritually according to the Formula Of Ascension made clear in the section of the Megillah pertaining to Abdiel.
663. That formula is: ‘the lower we extend our Love, the higher we ascend.’
664. Having returned to the beginning position with hands in front of the belly still pressed together with fingers pointed up, again assume an attitude of prayerful appreciation for both Shemesh and Shemayah and affirm their mutually successful ascension while you pause your breathing for a very brief moment.”
Yahshua next describes the tenth of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
665. “10. Yihud im Mayim [Union with Water] is called Water Yoga.
666. First, understand that one reason – not the only reason – that Nasarean yogis, like so many of the Greek philosophers, pay so much attention to four key elements – Fire (Sun), Air, Water, Earth (Soil) – is that they correspond so well to the human body.
667. Sun/Fire corresponds with the Spark of Life that enlivens humankind and all of nature.
668. Air corresponds with your breath and the subtler, feminine aspect of human nature.
669. Water corresponds with the fluids of your body.
670. Earth/Soil corresponds with the denser parts of your body such as the flesh and bones.
671. “A fundamental practice of Water Yoga – Union with Water – is to be aware of your already existing union with water and to deeply contemplate the significance of that union.
672. “Reciting the Communion with The Root of Water of The Essene Tree of Life is a practice of Water Yoga, as is – for those that have been initiated into it – the chanting of The Sound of Power for Water.
673. “Water purifies the body, and is used in many Nasarean Purity Practices including the Daily Bath, all part of Essene Yoga.
674. Because Nasareans, unlike most others, strive to take a daily bath, many call us ‘The Daily Bathers’.
675. Though there are certainly plenty of days when even a Nasarean might miss a bath, most days we take one.
676. Why not turn that water bath into a Water Yoga practice by being conscious that Holy Water is cleansing you, and then giving thanks for that cleansing, each time you bathe?
677. “One of The Seven Primary Therapies of Essene Physical Therapy is called, Internal and External Water Therapies; any of those water therapies can be considered Water Yoga.
678. Even the simple act of sipping water – at First Sip or any other time – if done with an attitude of appreciative communion with the element of water, is Water Yoga.
679. “A very important practice of Water Yoga is to act on behalf of The Angel of Water to protect and preserve pure waters from the practices of the polluters.
680. Also important is to refrain from polluting the waters of your own body.”
Yahshua next describes the eleventh of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
681. “11. Yihud im Adamah [Union with Soil] is called Soil Yoga.
682. Gardening with high awareness of the link between our physical body and Living Soil and the foods that come from Living Soil, is Soil Yoga.683. “Living Soil is fertile soil; cultivating soil fertility is a wizardly form of Soil Yoga.
684. One symbol used by Nasareans for Living Soil is the image of the earthworm; when you see that symbol, think of Essene Soil Yoga.
685. Intentionally propagating earthworms in your garden soil is also a form of Soil Yoga.
686. With the earthworms, introduce also plenty of compost, having first introduced some dried animal manure to the poor soil to begin to activate it.
687. Straw that has been used as bedding in the barnyard is an excellent base ingredient for compost.
688. Even by itself, after being placed in a heap to age for a year, the ‘activated straw’ – activated by animal ‘droppings’ – can bring poor soil to life.
689. Lo: Essene Soil Yogis are, in fact, Soil Alchemists!690. “Because the Root of Soil and the Branch of Eternal Life meet on the trunk of The Tree of Life to form the Second Chakra, and because the second chakra on the human being is the region of the sexual genitalia, it makes sense to list Tantra Yoga as a practice of both Soil Yoga and Eternal Life Yoga.
691. Tantra Yoga can be considered a subyoga of many primary yogas.692. “When you chant the Communion – Daberim haYihud/Words of Union – with The Root of Soil of the Tree of Life, and likewise when you chant the Qol haKowach [Sound of Power] for that root, behold: you are practicing Soil Yoga.
693. “Protecting Living Soil from the foul practices that destroy it, that good work is also a practice of Soil Yoga.
694. “Regardless of what your other jobs in life may be, do not neglect being a gardener if you are a Nasarean yogi.
695. Consider this: the Mother Ovum itself is a garden and Jah-Jah and Elohim are Master Gardeners!”
In regard to Yahshua’s reference in verse 692 to two different items that are recited/chanted in relation to The Root of Soil of the Tree of Life – the “Communions” and the “Sounds of Power”– the illustration of the Tree of Life that will be provided at the end of this doctrine as an Appendix will include the “Communions” for each branch and root; that illustration will not include the “Sounds of Power” since they are typically given after you have become an initiated member of our church.
Yahshua next describes the twelfth of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
696. “12. Yihud im Chaim [Union with Life] is called Life Yoga.
697. First a reminder that, when sharing Essene Tree of Life teachings with children or new converts, it is important to explain the difference between the Branch of Eternal Life and the Root of Life.
698. Because the Branch of Eternal Life and the Root of Life share the word Life, new students can become confused.
699. ‘The Branch of Eternal Life’ refers to our many lifetimes on The Cosmic Wheel of cycles within cycles and the karma that results in our life circumstances expressed in those many lifetimes.
700. ‘The Root of Life’, on the other hand, refers to the life-force or living-force that manifests in the natural world.
701. Nasareans call that life-force Chai [pronounced khah-ee].
702. “Though we mostly associate pranayama practices with Air Yoga, I am going to share one called The Circuit of Chai that is great for Life Yoga.
703. But first, I will impart important background information about ‘Chai’ and some related words.~~~
704. “Chai is the pulsation of life that vibrates even in unexpected places like stone, though in a much slower rhythm than in plants and animals.
705. Nasareans understand that this rhythm – this pulsation that expresses itself as waves of vibration – is the heartbeat of The Spiral Dance of Shemesh and Shemayah.
706. Beten-Jahlah and I, in Sanskrit, call chai prana.707. “Within the One Whole Pulse of Chai that manifests as waves of vibration is a masculine-dominant half and a feminine-dominant half.
708. In Sanskrit, Beten-Jahlah and I call the masculine-dominant half of the One Whole Pulse of Prana, Shaktiman-Kundalini.
709. In Nasarean terms, that is when Shemesh – the masculine power that the Taoists call Yang – leads the dance.
710. The term ‘Shaktiman-Kundalini’ means ‘Masculine Spiral Power.’711. “In Sanskrit, Beten-Jahlah and I call the feminine-dominant half of the One Whole Pulse of Prana, Shakti-Kundalini.
712. In Nasarean terms, that is when Shemayah – the feminine power that the Taoists call Yin – leads the dance.
713. ‘Shakti’ means ‘Feminine Power’; ‘Shaktiman’ means ‘Masculine Power’; ‘Kundalini’ means ‘Spiral Power’.714. “Understand this: Shaktiman-Kundalini and Shakti-Kundalini are always equally spiraling around one another; by ‘dominant’, we mean only that one is having their turn leading that One Dance that is the One Whole Heartbeat of Prana/Chai.
715. In Sacred Geometry, we study the Double Helix Spiral Dance.
716. That dance is but another name – a very descriptive name – of The Dance of Shemesh and Shemayah, The Dance of Shaktiman-Kundalini and Shakti-Kundalini.
717. The dance is equal in that each dancer takes the lead an equal amount of times.
718. When the first step of the dance is by He, that means Shemesh is the leader of the dance; that step is half of one round of the dance.
719. When the first step of the subsequent half of that round is taken by She, that means that Shemayah is the leader of that half of the round.720. “The first half is The Mating Dance Of The Planting Of Seed In Shemayah By Shemesh; the second half is The Harvest Dance Of The Great Mother, She that attracts.
721. Both Shemesh and Shemayah are present and fully participating in each half of each whole round in The Grand Spiral Dance Of Creation And Spiritual Evolution.
722. Both the masculine and feminine are dancing around a central column of Still Zero that is mutually attractive to both, being All-Attractive Yah.
723. Even the relatively attractive feminine principle – Shemayah – that is attractive to Shemesh, is attracted to All-Attractive Yah.724. “The Eternal Dance goes round and round and round in orgasmic pulsations of alternating Cosmic Plantings and Cosmic Harvests, the cycles within cycles within the Eternal Now that is Absolute Duration, each round being divided into a masculine half and a feminine half of the circle, the Yin and Yang.
725. Thus are the seasons and cycles an expression of the Dance of Shemesh and Shemayah, the Dance of Life, and that Life is expressed within the Mother Ovum in pulsating rhythmic waves of Chai/Chi/ Prana.726. “As Shemesh and Shemayah are the masculine and feminine aspects of Chai, and as Shaktiman-Kundalini and Shakti-Kundalini are the masculine and feminine aspects of the Sanskrit equivalent of Chai – Prana – so also are the Taoist ‘Yang’ and ‘Yin’ the masculine and feminine aspects of Chi.
727. Again I say, Chai, Prana, and Chi, properly understood, are equivalent names for the One Whole Dance, and each tradition also has names for each half of each round, the masculine-led half and the feminine-led half.728.” Know this: The Breath of Life is the Whole Breath that includes both the inhalation and exhalation.
729. It is in that sense that Nasareans call Chai/Prana/Chi ‘The Breath of Life’; for, without inhalation, there is death, and without exhalation there is death; only with both inhalation and exhalation do we have life.730. “Behold: each round, if subdivided over and over and over to form progressively smaller sub-rounds, will always be ‘self-similar’ in that each ‘sub-round’ or ‘sub-cycle’ is dancing – expressing – the very same cosmic pulsation of ‘He’ and ‘She’ spiraling around each other while, simultaneously, both are together spiraling around a central column of Still Zero.
731. That is because everything is created in the image and likeness of The Holy Creative Trinity, which is the masculine and the feminine centered and crowned by Yah, the Still Zero.732. “You are now prepared to understand the following pranayama practice of Life Yoga.
733. This practice could be listed as a practice of some others of The Fourteen Primary Yogas besides Life Yoga, but I list it here because it is a pranayama that is focused specifically on the topic of the movement of Chai, the Universal LifeForce, within the human being.734. “I call the following practice, ‘The Circuit of Chai Breath’.
735. Perform this pranayama practice of Life Yoga as follows. [Day: That exercise is lengthy and will be skipped in this Book of Doctrines but is included in my book on Essene Yoga.]
Yahshua next describes the thirteenth of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
789. “13. Yihud im Simchah [Union with Joy] is called Joy Yoga.
790. Joy is the fruit of a well-lived life that results in a relatively high-degree – relative to other human beings of your era – of Bliss Consciousness.
791. The goal of Joy Yoga is, as the term declares, Union with Joy.
792. The various practices of Joy Yoga are the various means by which Nasarean yogis seek to experience Union with Joy.
793. I will name several such practices, but first want to remind you of the last word spoken by the Nasarean woman, Simchah, at the time of her ascension unto Elkush: PLAY!
794. Her last word was intended as her final teaching on Joy Yoga before ascending to become the Chief Messenger Angel of Joy.
795. Like Simchah who became Angel Simchah’el, Beten-Jahlah and I emphasize the importance of various forms of ‘play’.796. “In a world where the ‘Group Consciousness’ includes violent warfare and abundant murder and mayhem – such as in this ‘Contested World’ – it is far more challenging to remain joyful than when you reside in a higher heaven where the vibrations are far more harmonious.
797. Yea, I tell you truly, to find joy amidst a violent Group Consciousness is not easy, and even the Lord and Lady have shed tears at the human folly that leads to so much pain and discord in this world.
798. The key to experiencing joy even amidst a violent world is to view everything within the scope of spiritual evolution and the belief in the Ultimate Universal Salvation of all Beings that will bring Ultimate Joy to Universal YHWH, the All.
799. That way, all the sad things that you see can be viewed as heading for eventual healing and salvation and can thus be incorporated into an attitude of peaceful joy regardless of outer circumstances.800. “In light of the above, I hereby spontaneously invent a new practice within Joy Yoga.
801. It is as follows.
802. Sitting comfortably with erect spine, deeply contemplate the significance of the fact that Simchah’s final word was ‘Play!’
803. Then contemplate the various things that you have discovered that most seem to fill you with joy, including – but not limited to – various forms of play.
804. Then ask yourself: ‘Have I been playing enough lately?’
805. And: ‘Have I been doing enough of these things that fill me with joy?’
806. Even if you have been playing enough, see if you can think of ways to play even nicer, even fairer, ever-more joyfully in daily life circumstances, come what may.~~~
807. “Another practice that I have developed for Joy Yoga I call, ‘The Art of Happiness’.
808. This is an example of how Wisdom Yoga is also a sub-yoga within Joy Yoga.
809. It is an example of Wisdom Yoga because it involves conducting a life-long study of ‘The Art of Happiness’.
810. Keep a journal of your ongoing observations; feel free to change your mind as your understanding of ‘The Art of Happiness’ increases.
811. Incorporate what you learn into your practice of Joy Yoga.812. “Another practice of Joy Yoga – this one developed by Beten-Jahlah – is called ‘The Fourfold Joy Contemplation’.
813. This is the practice of contemplating joy in each of ‘The Four Bodies of the Human Being’ as you move through daily life.
814. Those are the four bodies represented by the four levels of The Essene Pyramid: 1) The Most Physical Body called ‘Etsem’; 2) The Subtle Emotional Body called ‘The Feeling Body’; 3) ‘The Subtle Thinking Body’ that is especially related to the Sixth Chakra; and, 4) The ‘Soul’ that we call ‘The Spiritual Body’.
815. You make ‘fourfold joy’ – joy in each of those four bodies – an object of contemplation.816. “A related practice to the one just given is as follows.
817. Make it a daily practice to also cultivate – not only contemplate – Fourfold Joy.
818. “Here is The First Key Precept of Joy Yoga: ‘There is no lasting joy without forgiveness of self and others.’
~~~
819. “Here is The Second Key Precept of Joy Yoga: ‘The most joyful hearts are the most forgiving hearts.’
820. “Here is The Third Key Precept of Joy Yoga: ‘Joyfulness and resentment cannot occur simultaneously in the same person; thus, ‘The Art of Joyfulness’ includes ‘The Art of Forgiveness’.
821. “Working with – perhaps I should say ‘playing with’ – The Three Key Precepts of Joy just given is a great practice for Joy Yoga.
822. “Here is an assignment: Think up a good Joy Yoga practice of your own and practice it!”
Yahshua next describes the fourteenth of The Fourteen Primary Yogas of Essene Yoga:
823. “14. Yihud im Em Erets [Union with Mother Earth] is called Mother Earth Yoga.
824. Some examples of Essene Yoga practices linked to Mother Earth Yoga are as follows.825. “A good place to begin is by contemplating deeply the words of the Daberim HaYihud – the ‘Words of Union’ or ‘Communion’ – for the Root of Mother Earth, the Center Taproot of The Essene Tree of Life.
826. In Mattanah, the ‘Words of Union’ for the Root of Mother Earth, our beloved ‘Earthly Mother’, are as follows.
827. ‘Earthly Mother, my body is one with your body.
828. I will walk softly on your flesh.
829. I will defend you from the hand of the spoiler.
830. I will be kind to animals: I will not hunt; I will not eat animal flesh.
831. I will help the Earth become once again a garden paradise!
832. Oh Mother, I nurse at your breast!’833. “Every time that you deeply contemplate these words, behold: you are performing an act of Mother Earth Yoga.
834. But the greatest practitioners of Mother Earth Yoga are those that, having contemplated those words, implement those words in daily life.
835. And the greatest of those Mother Earth Yogis are those Nasareans that take formal initiation into the Green Lions, for that is The Green Army of Ishshah’el and her general, Peter the Pen.836. “Those that have been initiated into the use of the ‘Qol haKowach’, the ‘Sound of Power’ for the Earthly Mother, can consider the chanting of that mantra to be an important practice of Mother Earth Yoga.
837. Typically, the ‘Sound of Power’ is chanted following the recitation of the ‘Words of Union’.838. “Here is another excellent practice for Mother Earth Yoga.
839. Contemplate how your bones, flesh, blood, and breath are linked with the bones, flesh, blood, and breath of Mother Earth.840. “Here is an assignment for those that aspire to practice My yoga system.
841. Contemplate the following assignment and then carry it out.
842. Create a list of other practices that you think would make good Mother Earth Yoga practices.
843. Practice those practices!
844. I tell you truly, a ‘practice’ that remains on a list without being practiced is poorly named!845. “This talk I am giving today is accurately titled an ‘Introduction’ to Essene Yoga.
846. Behold: I have given but some of the possible Essene Yoga practices related to the primary fourteen yogas, and mentioned just some of the many possible sub-yogas related to each branch and root.
847. You will learn others as you continue to study and, I hope, will create some of your own!848. “What is the difference between being a Nasarean in a general sense or being a Nasarean Yogi?
849. Ideally, there is no difference.
850. But in practice, there is a difference in the way I use those terms.
851. If a person is a member of the Nasarean Religion of the Essene Way but does not sincerely and diligently persevere in Essene Yoga Practices, that person is Nasarean but not a ‘Nasarean Yogi’.
852. In other words, a Nasarean Yogi puts more effort into diligently following the practices than a member who does just enough to retain membership.
853. A Nasarean Yogi performs both a Morning Service and an Evening Service nearly every day.
Detailed instructions on how to perform Morning Service, Evening Service, the Noon Peace Contemplation, and all of the practices of Essene Yoga – including Yahshua’s Hatha Yoga and Meditation Practices – are provided in my book on Essene Yoga.
I will end this Commentary on Doctrine Ten by sharing two sayings – one from Yahshua and one from Miriam – on the topic of Essene Yoga, then will provide two related appendixes, one on The Essene Tree of Life, and one on The Sevenfold Peace Lifestyle Practice. The following sayings of Yahshua and Miriam make clear that their “Yoke” is their “Essene Yoga System.” Persons that want to become their disciples are invited to “Take their Yoke” – which is to study and practice their Essene Yoga as members of the Nasarean Religion of The Essene Way and the affiliated Essene Yoga Fellowship – if they agree to the membership requirements, including the one that will be the topic of Doctrine Eleven: Vegetarianism. [Persons not ready to make those membership agreements may still study some of our teachings by becoming members of our affiliated “Friends of the Essene Church.”]
Essene Yoga Is “The Yoke” of Yahshua and Miriam
Yahshua said:
110. “Our true disciples are those that sincerely take Our Yoke – Our Essene Yoga Teachings and Practices – and diligently progress on that path.
111. Those disciples live in Us, and We live in them.
112. That is the nature of what in India is called, ‘The Guru-Disciple Relationship.’”
Miriam Said:
56. “You have been yoked to false masters!
57. Throw off the false yoke and experience The Yoke of The Gospel of the Lord Christ and Lady Christ.58. We force none to take Our Yoke.
59. We force none to become Our disciples.
60. We will teach you Our Saving Way – Essene Yoga – if you truly want to be taught.
61. If not, leave now, with no condemnation or negative judgment from Us.
62. For, each person must answer their own inner calling.”63. Miriam paused, and seeing nobody depart, continued to speak.
64. “Those that become Our disciples must be willing to continue learning for the duration of their life, step-by-step, initiation by initiation.
65. For, lo: the levels of initiation within Our Mystery School, yea, and within life itself, are many.
66. We are ‘Nasareans’ not because we are ‘perfect’, but because we live and teach The Way of ‘Ascension’ via The Four Pillars of Discipleship in Essene Yoga.
67. That ‘Way’ is ‘The Essene Way’, which is the Way of Holistic Wellness in Supernal Love as Hands of Merciful Kindness, The Hands of Christ.”
I will now share those two previously promised appendixes to this Commentary on Doctrine Ten, the first being an illustration of the symbolic Essene Tree of Life, the second being a list of suggested practices related to The Sevenfold Peace Lifestyle Practice.
Appendix Two of Doctrine Ten:
The Sevenfold Peace Lifestyle Practice
A foundational spiritual practice of our church is called The Sevenfold Peace. It is both a lifestyle practice and a meditation practice. The Sevenfold Peace lifestyle practice is outlined below:
1) PEACE WITH THE BODY. Nasarean Essenes practice peace with the body via such things as: eating only natural vegetarian foods, pure air, pure water, occasional fasting, taking daily walks, practicing Hatha Yoga, etc.
2) PEACE WITH THE MIND. Nasarean Essenes practice peace with the mind via such things as: positive affirmations and creative visualizations in the form of the Essene Tree of Life Communions and Noon Peace Contemplations (given by Yahshua and Miriam in The Holy Megillah: Nasarean Bible of The Essene Way); positive thinking; constructive daily activities for the mind to focus on; abstinence from garbage television programs; etc.
3) PEACE WITH THE FAMILY. Nasarean Essenes practice peace with the family via such things as: Conscious Emotional Equanimity through the art of WATCHING, UNDERSTANDING, and WISELY CHANNELING our emotions; positive and wise interaction with all family members and anyone else in our immediate environment; radical forgiveness; unconditional love; etc.
4) PEACE WITH HUMANITY. Nasarean Essenes practice peace with humanity via such things as: creative work for the uplift of all via right livelihood and right volunteerism; ACTIVE PARTICIPATION in the group effort of the Essene church to spread the teachings of the Sevenfold Peace all over the planet; non-support of activities, products, or institutions that create disharmony and violence in the world; support of activities, products, or institutions that create harmony and peace in the world; etc.
5) PEACE WITH CULTURE/HERITAGE. Nasarean Essenes practice peace with culture/heritage via such things as: studying the writings of the great spiritual masters of various religious traditions; listening to the great musical masterpieces that have been passed down through the generations; viewing the great works of art — paintings, sculptures, craftwork, — that are preserved in museums; becoming aware of our own ethnic cultural heritage; becoming aware of the ethnic cultural heritages of others; etc.
6) PEACE WITH MOTHER EARTH. Nasarean Essenes practice peace with Mother Earth via such things as: planting trees (the average American uses up the equivalent of seven trees per year; thus, we each should try to plant AT LEAST seven trees per year); being in conscious harmony with all the forces of nature represented by the seven roots of the symbolic Essene Tree of Life; recycling; supporting environmental causes and groups; drive less, walk more; maintain an organic garden; support organic farms by purchasing their products; EATING LOW ON THE FOOD CHAIN: BEING VEGETARIAN IS THE ONE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, etc.
7) PEACE WITH GOD/GODDESS. Essenes practice peace with God/Goddess via such things as: The complete dedication of our life to the spiritual path for the sake of enhanced communion with God and Goddess Immanent and Transcendent; total surrender of the personal ego to the higher “I AM” (Yah Within) in the realization that WE ARE; self-realization; service to all creation motivated by love for the Creator; being in conscious harmony with the various spiritual forces of God/Goddess represented by the symbolic Essene Tree of Life; the practice of various Essene yogic techniques and meditation practices given by Yahshua and Miriam; ECSTATIC APPRECIATION for the FREE GIFT which is LIFE (Indeed, Life is a free gift; we did nothing to earn our existence as units of “I AM.” The fact that we “BE” is a manifestation of the GRACE of God/Goddess; AND SO WE APPRECIATE AND CELEBRATE THAT GIFT); progressive mastery of the Essene spiritual practices via sincere study within the MYSTERY SCHOOL operated by the Nasarean Religion of The Essene Way.
The above is not intended to be a “complete” list of all possible practices for each of the seven parts of THE SEVENFOLD PEACE; rather, the list is intended to be “suggestive.” The reader is invited to think of additional ways to experience the blessing of SEVENFOLD PEACE!
