THE AMERICAN MONK

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LESSON 1
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Tapping Into Your

Spiritual Core
Back in 1951, I was at the
Self Realization Fellowship
Lake Shrine near
Brentwood, California. I
spent much of my time there
practicing Kriya Yoga and
just meditating near the
windmill. To me, it was (and
still is) the most peaceful
place on Earth.

But on this particular day, I was

disturbed for some reason. And
although I can’t recall why, I know I
must have been sending out some
really negative vibrations because my
friend, Cheslo, picked up on my
unease.
"Gifts Come When You Least Expect
“How can you meditate when your mind is
Them, But Need Them The Most"
filled with butterflies?” he asked me.

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THE AMERICAN MONK LESSON 1! PAGE 2

I just shrugged. ahead. We work harder, we work longer, but it

seems we were just destined to struggle.
“Bagha Yoga. You know. Haven’t you been taught the And yet, there are those who seem to attract
Bagha?” good luck no matter where they go. Things
"just happen" to them. It's as if they're in the
I shook my head. I had no idea what he was
right place at the right time ALL THE TIME.
referring to.

Little did I know that the Bagha would change HOW DO LUCKY PEOPLE DO IT?
my life. Contrary to popular belief, you didn't come
into this world alone and unarmed. Inside you
But first, let's clarify something that everyone in lies a powerful tool that can turn every dream into
the West needs to understand: reality. This inner consciousness is a direct
connection to the source itself, your roadmap
There Is No Such Thing As Luck. to personal and spiritual success.

To utilize this roadmap, you need only to tap

Now, I know what you're saying, "Oh yes there
into your spiritual core--that part of you that
is... some people I know are very lucky. The
you refer to as "I”. This is your spiritual Self,
right job, the right house... everything just
your metaphysical center that allows you to
seems to fall into their lap."_ And I understand
create your life as you see it.
why you might think that way. It does seem like
luck is everything. I mean, when it rains it
The easiest (and most effective) way to tap into
pours, doesn't it?
your inner consciousness is through meditation.
But before you can master meditation, you're
Everyday, millions of people greet the day with
going to have to learn to manage your stress.
hopes of a brighter future but find that no
matter what they do, they just can't seem to get
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THE AMERICAN MONK LESSON 1! PAGE 3
Hot is the opposite of Cold. Dark is the opposite way to avoid the stress but rather, changing the
of Light. And Stress is the opposite of the state way you respond when it occurs.
of mind that we call "Meditation."
Remember those people who seem to have all
Stress is nothing more than our reaction to the luck? The ones whose lives just keep getting
change. Any change in our lives, whether it be better and better? The reason fortune seems to
good or bad, will cause some level of stress. smile on them is that they’ve learned to tap into
their inner consciousness.
Psychologists have listed hundreds of stress-
causing events, each with their own ranking that T h e y ’ v e
measures the amount of turmoil the stressor can discovered that
cause. Death of a loved one and the loss of a job when they
rank right at the top for example, while a flat tire ch a n g e t h e i r
or spilling your drink would rank much lower. attitude, they
But regardless of the ranking, stress accumulates can change
and can take a serious toll on our well-being. their altitude,
but to do so,
! Stress can cause headaches, nausea, they had to learn to manage their stress. Before
psychological problems and even heart- you learn to live life as an enlightened being, the
attacks. first step is learning to control your stress and to
! Stress lowers our white blood cell count, function in a state of meditation.
making us more susceptible to disease and
illness. In the guided meditation that you can download
! Stress can cause hyperventilation and at the bottom of this lesson, I’ll guide you
respiratory problems. through the Daisy Pond Technique. And you’ll
! Stress can cause a variety of digestive issues, feel your stress melt away as you experience a
including constipation, indigestion and whole new level of mind.
ulcers.

No Wonder We’re So Ill. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT STRESS?

No, this isn’t a trick question. In order to
Of course, everyone responds to stress effectively manage your stress, you’re going to
differently, but you can be sure that extreme change the way you view the stressors.
stress lasting for extended periods of time will
eventually wreak havoc on your body. For most people, stress is seen as obstacle, a
roadblock in their path to success. The event
SO, HOW CAN YOU AVOID IT? causing the stress becomes a bad thing,
You can’t. Life is all about change and change is something that will slow us down and could
what causes stress. The secret isn’t in finding a possess the potential to keep us from getting

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“Change your attitude however, and you’ll discover

that there might just be a better destination than the
one you had originally sought.”
what we want. … and as long as they maintain a clear mind
and a positive perspective, they can attract and
create anything they want.
DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT FOR YOU?
When we think of stress, we think of negative They also know that stress—and the negative
things. Failures, downfalls and pit-stops that effects it has on our body can cloud our mind
delay us from reaching our chosen destination. and keep us from discovering the incredible
And sometimes, that's exactly what these events being we really are. So, while they may not know
seem to do. But this kind of response is the result what changes are coming, they are comfortable
of Ego, that limited and usually selfish with the idea of change itself.
perception that puts our own interests above all
other things. They have removed the stress of worry and
dread and replaced it with a calmness that can
Ego tells us that the world is cruel. That it's only come from their spiritual core.
greedy and unfair. Ego assures us that we must
do what we have to, regardless of the cost, if we “It is not work that kills men, it is worry. Work is
expect to find any success in this material world. healthy; you can hardly put more on a man than he can
Ego expects things to go wrong, because that's bear. But worry is rust uppon the blade. It is not
what has always happened in the past. movement that destroys the machinery.”

The truth is, the events in our life happen - Henry Ward Beecher
because they're supposed to happen. They may The Secret of YOU
bring us new perspective on a situation or they
might cause us to step back and reflect. If we So, let’s get back to this attitude thing for a
view these events as negative roadblocks, we risk second. How can we possibly change our
missing the message they bring. attitude when life is hectic, stressful and
unforgiving?
See, those “lucky people” know that the
Universe is actually a rewarding and generous In the upcoming lessons, we’re going to look at
place. They know that. our attitude under a metaphysical microscope.
We’re going to examine it and break it apart
“Like Attracts Like” piece by piece. You’ll also learn some techniques

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to help you overcome the emotions and inside your head. I need to pay this bill, I need to stop
destructive programming that in truth, are what at the store. Oh, I forgot to call him... Yikes! What time
have been holding you back. is it? I need to pick her up!

As I said, all of these things are coming up, so I At any given time of the day, most of us are
won’t go into detail here. But I do want to say bombarded by an array of unrelated and
this: random thoughts. It is a byproduct of our
lifestyle, our multi-tasking, always on the go
existence that demands we cram as much as we
THE SECRET OF YOUR SUCCESS IS YOU? possibly can into every single second. The result
That’s right Y-O-U. Everything you’ve ever is a constant state of confusion, marked by
wanted, everything you’ve ever dreamed about memory lapses, stress and the feeling of being
and every conceivable success, talent, skill, that overwhelmed.
you've ever imagined is completely and totally
within your grasp. You have an awe-inspiring You can't create in this state of mind for the
ability to literally create your own reality and simple fact that you can't concentrate on your
then create it again if you choose to do so. intentions long enough to get anything done.
There's too many other thoughts flying in, all
And this fantastic ability doesn't require any demanding your attention and pulling you away
college degrees. You needn't have a Mensa IQ or from the peace you're so desperately seeking.
possess super-human strength. In fact, the only And so, I invite you to meditate with me.
thing you need to turn your desires into reality is Learn how to quiet your mind trough the
a mind and a little intent. technique I will be revealing at the end of this
lesson. Discover the peace that has eluded you so
Okay, maybe a lot of intent but intent is easy far and use it to propel you to the next step in
to come by, so that shouldn't be a problem. Just your evolutionary chain.
as humankind evolved from the caveman into
the intelligent beings we are today, we can take
the next leap on our evolutional ladder and
IS YOUR MIND A PLACE OF OF STRESS OR
discover the real magic of the Universe.
Everything you need to have, everything you A PLACE OF PEACE?
Do you need some help in managing your
want is in your possession right now. You just
stress? Answer these questions and find out!
need to learn how to use it. And that's why I've
started this series with Meditation.
! I have trouble sleeping at night.
! I seem to worry constantly.
In order to create and construct your perfect
! I am uncomfortable with change.
reality, you'll need a focused and intentful mind.
! I have stress-related illnesses such as
But you can't reach this state without first
headaches, joint pain or nausea.
removing the chaos that is bouncing around

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! My life feels chaotic and out of control. wash it out or sweep it out. You'd let light in to
! I get angry when things don’t go my way. take away the dark. In the same way, you can let
! I am dependent upon other people for my relaxation in to take away the stress. And guess
livelihood. what the best form of relaxation is?
! I feel often overwhelmed and frustrated.
That's right: MEDITATION.
How many did you check? If most of these
statements apply to you, don’t worry. I’m going What if...
to show you how to turn your stress into a
peaceful state of mind. How is that possible? ! You could welcome change without fear?
Because stress and relaxation are the same thing. ! Calm your mind and enjoy a peaceful,
serene existence?
Now, you're probably going to take exception to ! Redirect your energies into something more
that and as well you should. Let's think of it this productive?
way... Polarity states that all things have an ! Relieve all your stress-related symptoms?
opposite and the opposites are actually the same ! And most importantly--Turn the unknown
thing, only differing by degree. into new opportunities for growth?

So, let's see how we can apply this principle to

stress. LET MEDITATION OPEN THE DOOR
In my life, I've seen a lot of things and traveled
to a number of places. I've met a wide variety of
HOW WOULD YOU FIND THE OPPOSITE OF people from the most enlightened to the
STRESS? seriously frustrated. And no matter where I
You have two options--you can enhance it or went, no matter who I met, those with the "luck"
reduce it. Obviously, we don't want to enhance you're looking for all had one thing in common:
stress so let's try reducing it instead. Put your meditation.
stress on an arbitrary scale at the 100 mark--
that's some pretty high stress. Now, our objective I myself, have lived a life full of adventure,
is to get you to the zero mark or at least, very activity and discovery and have been blessed
close to it. with success in a range of creative endeavors.
So how do we do that? I've been able to enjoy these things not because
I'm "lucky," but because I've learned to use a
If you were to remove the stress altogether, you'd series of techniques that allows me to connect
be fully relaxed, wouldn't you? That makes with my inner consciousness and literally create
relaxation the secret to defeating stress. Think the life I want to have.
about it for a second: if your goal was to remove
dark from a room, what would you do? You can't And that's what I want to share with you.

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THE AMERICAN MONK LESSON 1! PAGE 7

And that’s what I want to share with you. With meditation, you can:

For many of us, the idea of sitting still for any !Increase your blood flow.
length of time sounds impossible. Clear our !Lower your heart rate.
minds? You’ve got to be kidding. We have !Decrease muscle tension.
become so enveloped in our “rush-rush” society, !Relieve headaches.
that we’re multi-tasking all the time, even in our !Reduce anxiety attacks.
sleep. !Alleviate allergy symptoms.

But when we meditate, the multi-tasking stops. In fact, meditation is such a powerful tool,
The mind relaxes, allowing us to find our studies have shown that regular meditation can
balance and tap that all important spiritual even strengthen your immune system and help
core. We become more productive, more you ward off illness and infection! All you have
centered and certainly more at ease. to do is learn to quiet your mind.

Through meditation, we can achieve wondrous Lesson 1: Download & Listen To

things, from ridding our bodies of illness to The Daisy Pond Meditation here.
manifesting our innermost desires. And the
beauty of meditation is that it's not as difficult
as you might think. By learning to silence that
ever-churning chaos inside your head, you can
finally discover the true meaning of the word
"peace." Your thoughts will be clearer, your
ideas more vibrant and you'll be able to literally
"see" your way into a new and exciting future.

The American Monk | Burt Goldman | www.theamericanmonk.com/online/lessons/meditation-guide