Fine-tune your life

The RIG VEDA, the most ancient and revered of Hindu Scriptures, suggests that purusharthas are the inherent values of the universe. "the cosmos is consdiered a living being , and the issues of law, prosperity, desrie, and freedom belong to it. There are not just human concerns or psychological concepts. When we engage then as human beingsl, we are aligning the microcosm with the macrocosm. The cosmos is all laid out and it's our job to get with the program.
PURUSHARTHAS means "for the purpose of the Soul" 

"I used the following practice today for the first time.It was extremely helpful for me to determine the specific areas of my life that I'm ready to balance out. Check it out and see if you don't get some personal awareness that will open you up to a new energy." Roxie Marie



The four aims are the pillars of a fulfilling life. In the following self-inquiry practice by Sally Kempton, you'll consider where your current priorities lie and how you need to shift them to create a deeply satisfying life. Don't worry about getting your whole life in order at once-do the exercise each week, and you'll become more in the tune with yourself, more present with the world around you.

Here's how:

Find 30- minutes in which you can be alone and undisturbed. Create a cozy space, and settle into it with a journal, a pen, a candle, and a comfortable seat.

Light the candle to signify that you are in a sacred space. "A candle symbolizes the flame of the inner witness," Kempton says, Breathe deeply, close your eyes, and relax for a few minutes.

Begin to think back over your activities of the preceding week. Consider all of the things you did related to you DHARMA. How did you serve your family, your community, and yourself? What were your obligations? Did you meet them with ease? What ethical tests did you face, and how did you deal with them? Record the answers in your journal.

When you've exhausted your thoughts about dharma, consider ARTHA. What did you do this week for the sake of your lifelihood? What did you do to maintain your health? What did you need to support yourself, Did you get it? Write the answers in your journal; note your concerns and anxieties.

Next think deeply about KAMA. What actions did you take solely for the purpose of creating more joy in your life and in the world? What were your greatest pleasures? What were your strongest desires? Were you able to realize them? Write your thoughts down.

Then record the activities you engaged in for the sake of MOKSHA. These might include yoga, medatation, prayer, chanting, spiritual reading, or self-inquiry. Did you find a feeling of freedom? Which areas of your life free constricted or burdened? What do you need to do to liberate yourself? Write down your answers.

When you've gone through each purushartha individually, analyze the balance between them. Looking at what you've written, see where your emphasis was in the past week. Which parts of your life were unattended to? Are you working too hard in one area? Not hard enough? What are the consequences of your priorities. Formulate a simple statement about the way the purusharthas manifested themselves in your life. Something like, "This week I worked hard to meet my obligations, but I felt burdened. I took the most pleasure from my friendships. I didn't find time to work toward liberation"

Finally, formulate an intention for the coming week. You might set an intention related to each of the purusharthas, or you could focus on one of two that need more of your attention Record the intention in your journal. Then say it to yourself-first out loud, then inwardly, Close your journal, blow out the candle, and ease back into your day with a new understanding of your soul's priorities.

Taking time each week to think about the purusharthas will enable you to see how your life's priorities are constantly shifting and let you do some trouble-shooting whenever unease and unhappiness arise. "Yoga is one of the great tools humans have for recognizing meaning, and the purusharthas let you see whether you are livinhg a good life." Kempton says. "If you are not finding joy in your practice there is somethinhg wrong with your practice. If you are not able to operate ethically, you'll know that changes are needed.

                                        ENJOY GOODNESS, AWARENESS AND PEACE