Athletes of all walks of life are now more and more realizing that to be successfull, besides enthusiasm one must have internal balance, a well-rounded personality and focus. We have tried to gather some of the ideas of well-known athletes and authors. We invite you also to write to us about your experiences on body-mind connection or spiritual aspects of sports. Send it to ssac@juventina.orgg or mail to SSAC P.O.Box 3, Brooklyn PA 18813 USA.
1.Interview with Kiiran from Albuquerque
2.Michael Murphy on special experiences of athletes
3.Take spiritual warrior advice from an expert
4."The" innergame by Timothy Gallwey
5.New excavations found in Greece
6.Hornet stomach juices for athletes ?
7.Rites of passage / the basics
8.Spiritual warrior program for Columbine highschool ?
9.Spiritual warrior principles
10.Dan Millman and the "Peacefull Warrior"
11.The InnerMost Game by Dr. Richard H. Siegel
12.Clearing the way with spiritual martial arts
For other links on sports philosophy, see:
RITES OF PASSAGE :
The liberation of ourselves as “rites of passage” :
In our programs for youths and adults alike, we give practical techniques and principles to work with this endeavor of the soul to find and strengthen itself, getting to fulfill its true purpose. A variety of methods coming from many traditions are used: yoga and meditation, Zen stories and koans, martial arts, tracking and outdoor observation, vision quest etc. The main core of all teachings is the science of Tantra, or "The science that liberates the mind from dullness", aiming at freeing us from our past, making us fully conscious and yielding a sustainable happiness. We have to pass through seven stages to achieve it, represented by the seven layers of the mind and reflected in various cultures and teachings in mythological symbols and stories.
Stage 1: Freedom from the senses:
Here we mean the non-attachment to either pain or pleasure. This is achieved through quieting our basic desires, experiencing them as a means of physical subsistence but not as a means of fulfillment. It is important to keep the mind from getting excessively absorbed in things which are superficial and bring only fleeting pleasure.
Stage 2: Freedom from the intellect :
Intellectual knowledge is an important tool which allows us to assess things in a rational way, but it can become a bondage when we fail to open our minds to new possibilities. The intellect must be used vigorously, but at the same time, there must be a readiness to let go of personal conceptions when they impede progress. Fear and insecurity
foster attachment to familiar thoughts and habits. By challenging our negative mental states we can move beyond their tyranny and increase in sensitivity and positive feelings.
Stage 3: Freedom from intuition:
Intuition has to be checked by the values operating it. Intuitive knowledge can lead us to discover great things, but without the knowledge of when and where to apply it, it could lead us into disaster.
Stage 4: Freedom from concern about the mundane world:
The heart-knowledge or the discrimination of what is eternal and what is transitory is the basis for the formation of values. It requires first a sense of detachment, then true discrimination can take place. The goal of all rites of passage is to develop this awareness which will give stability and wisdom to any person. But like all the other stages it needs constant effort to be sustained.
Stage 5: Freedom from egocentricity or action-awareness:
The so-called knowledge of the heart as gained in the previous stage will not last without a constant desire for the infinite, but if we think that we are doing all that effort, we become entrapped in egocentricity. The struggle to surrender the ego to a higher power is the issue in this stage. By letting go of the limitations of the ego’s perspective, a broader mental state can be achieved.
Stage 6 : Freedom from being:
Once the ego has been transcended, one is still limited by awareness of events or being. True infinite and unqualified happiness can only be achieved when even one’s awareness of one’s existence is relinquished.
Stage 7 : Pure freedom:
What does pure freedom mean? It means that we are in a state of pure potentiality, where everything is possible. Our experience happens in a oneness with the rest of the universe. But unlike in the previous stage, personal awareness is suspended. This state has been termed nirvana,nirvikalpa samadhi, satori, enlightenment, salvation etc. Individuals who have experienced this state are at a loss for words to describe it, but consider it an ecstatic and unforgettable state.
A rite of passage would be considered any passage from one stage to another. It may take place at any time in our lives. We invite you to experience any one through our various programs especially the "Spiritual warrior" training for men or women (2 days) and "Young spiritual warrior" program (7 days) for boys and girls. For dates and places check "programs and events"
Spiritual Warrior programs for Columbine highschool ?
The incident at Columbine highschool has shown the need to address the problem of misguided youths without mission and meaningfull "rites of passage". SSAC is proposing the Spiritual Warrior Training Program and the Integrated Personality Program.
SADVIPRA Spiritual Warrior training programs:
What is a "spiritual" warrior?
A spiritual Warrior is a man or woman that has conquered his/her spirit. He/she has understood that in order to be a human being he/she has to keep a connection with his deepest inner spiritual self. To connect to this spiritual self means to be able to accept, express and channelize all the feelings and emotions within oneself. In traditional cultures the young men and women were taught and tested in controlling their instincts and feelings at the time of puberty. They had to do "rites of passage" into adulthood.
As a spiritual warrior, one has to "fight" with those so-called internal enemies such as lust, anger, attachments, jealousy, backbiting, etc. and in the end make friends with them. A spiritual warrior does not become victim to pain and pleasure anymore, rather he/she will be ready for all sorts of sufferings, he/she will see sufferings as an asset to guide him in the right direction instead of something to run away from. Only when a just cause presents itself in front of him/her, he will act decisively, without arguing about it, without thinking twice. He/she will "do or die". He/she will not run back to the father or mother and show his/her face in defeat. He/she will not do a senseless act of foolishness. He/she will not be exploited by a mindless ideology. He/she will stand his own man/her own woman.
Tantra yoga as propounded by the Ananda Marga Yoga society is a universal concept practiced in all ages. Tantra means to expand and liberate the human mind. We find similarities in the kabbalah and other teachings. Through yoga and meditation one achieves not only good health, concentration and inner peace, but also mastery over all the 50 inner feelings or drives. But without practical experience in life-like situations, one will not learn how to control them.
The Spiritual Warrior training is a series of fine-tuned exercises and challenges that build up to a climax of a test of courage designed to make oneself aware of the inner enemies and how to deal with them. The first step is being aware, the next step is feeling and experiencing these drives and then learning to play with them as well as using them for a good purpose.
What has happened in Denver and other violent outbreaks in high-schools is that the need for our kids to express these drives has been misguided due to lack of opportunities for them to do activities that address their emotional life in a proper way.
Spiritual Sports and Adventurer's club has come up with a weekend program and a one-week camp that makes the participant face his/her inner enemies and at the end brings him/her closer to understand His/Her mission in life.
The second category of training involves a month long internship with a strict and disciplined routine including yoga, meditation, martial arts and gardening.
Also, SSAC offers various outdoor adventure programs such as rafting trips, hiking and canoeing.
After going through various training programs, we suggest to every young man or woman to do a few months of service and learn about different people in different cultures and their needs. So Volunteers for Social Service offers various projects all over the world in which any adolescent can get involved for any length of time from two months to one year. For more information on service projects, e-mail service@juventina.orgg or write to Volunteers Social Services at P.O. BOX 86, Hop Bottom PA 18824
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