To order the complete CD of the sample music
playing on this website,
email us at:
mantrameditationmusic @gmail.com
(916)-944-8505
The Goodness Finder - August 2009
Dear Friends,
In the upcoming months we have planned an exciting variety of workshops for you. Our hope is to continually make available fun and valuable workshops, classes, and events that will bring you and your family health, harmony, and happiness ... at very easily affordable prices.
September will be a busy month for me, as my daughter Sesha and her husband Rama will be welcoming their new baby into the world.
This coming October we will host two 2 1/2 hour ayurvedic workshops at a very reasonable $20.00 each workshop. These will be facilitated by Nicole Wilkerson from New Leaf Ayurveda.
In November, we will invite you to a workshop in the basic principles of Feng Shui and how to apply them.
So keep an eye out for our announcements and I will look forward to seeing you there.
Namaste,
Uddhava dasi
Dear Friends,
Often times it's difficult to quiet our minds. The "hustle and bustle" of work and family keeps us busy with ongoing and neverending "To Do Lists."
If you're looking for an easy and simple way to experience peace and calm, japa meditation may be what you've been looking for.
Japa meditation uses mantras, or sacred sounds, to take the mind away from material stresses. By engaging in japa meditation, material worries melt away as you place your attention on the mantras.
How to do Japa Meditation:
Mantra~
Gopala Govinda Rama Madana ~ Mohana
This meditation can be practiced sitting in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. It is also nice to walk along the river or in a park while practicing this meditation. You will need a set of japa beads. These are available at Lotus Garden Meditation Center.
Take your set of beads and start with the first bead on the side of the head bead and hold it between the thumb and second finger of your right hand. As you hold this bead softly say the mantra and then move your fingers onto the next bead and repeat the mantra again. Continue chanting the mantra on each bead until you come back to the head bead. You have just completed one round of japa. As you softly repeat each mantra try to keep your mind focused on the sound and gradually you will experience control of you mind, as well as a welcoming sense of internal peacefulness.
We recommend that you allocate a number of rounds to complete each day. Each round will take approximately four to five minutes to complete. Two to three rounds is recommended to begin with and then steadily increase to six or more.
Lotus Garden Meditation Center offers free meditation classes throughout the week. If you would like more support in cultivating your meditation practice, we're here to help. Visit our website for a schedule of classes.
There was once a king who had two sons. As the king was nearing the end of his life, he had to decide which of his sons was truly noble and would be the most benevolent caretaker of his people, ruling the kingdom when he was gone.
He called one of his sons and asked him, "My son, I want you to go throughout the kingdom and find one truly good person and bring them back to me." So the prince traveled throughout the kingdom in search of a good person. He first visited the most obvious places like the places of worship and pilgrimage and met the teachers and students. He traveled over the entire kingdom, interviewing old people who should be wise because of their age, and young children who should be innocent because of their age. Each person he met seemed to be a good person, but as he began to delve deeper, he was able to discover flaws in their character or behavior. He was able to find fault in each and every person he met. After one year of searching, he returned to his father and told him he was unable to find one truly good person in the whole kingdom.
Now the king called his second son and asked him to find a bad person and bring them to him. This son traveled to all the seedy parts of the kingdom. He visited the prison and places where the prostitutes worked. He interviewed all kinds of people. At first, each person seemed bad, but as he got to know them better, he would find something good in each and every person. At the end of one year, he realized that each person had at least one redeeming quality and he couldn't take anyone back to his father. So he returned and apologized for not finding a truly bad person. The father embraced his son and said, "You are worthy of being king. I have found my replacement."
In truth, every living being is a pure spirit soul, a spark of the Supreme. In some of us the natural good qualities are apparent and in others they are more covered. However, a good man sees the good in all, while a bad man sees only the wrong. This doesn't mean that we don't recognize faults and take appropriate measures to make sure that innocent people are not harmed. But we need to make the effort to see the good in others and love them in spite of their faults. Even the fault finder has good in them.
There is a saying that one person looks at the full moon and is overwhelmed by its beauty while another person notices the pockmarks on the surface. Every one of us is like a small moon, reflecting the effulgence and beauty of the Supreme. We need to soberly ask ourselves: Do I see the good and positive things in people or do I see their faults? Am I a fault finder or a goodness finder? The answer determines whether we will taste the sweetness of spiritual love.
Community Outreach
Mercy San Juan Hospital
On July 8th, Uddhava introduced "Yoga and Meditation Relaxation" to hospice volunteers at Mercy San Juan Hospital. The hospice volunteers have the difficult, but much needed task of working with patients that have a short time to live. Uddhava supported the volunteers by teaching them relaxation exercises, deep breathing techniques, chair yoga, and mantra meditation. Participants were able to experience how these techniques can aid in helping them to cope with the daily stresses of their work. Each volunteer was given japa beads and a mantra card to assist them with incorporating meditation into their lives.
The Atrium of Carmichael
Lotus Garden has begun a partnership with the Atrium of Carmichael where classes in "Yoga and Meditation Relaxation" will be provided on a monthly basis, free of charge.
On August 18, Uddhava conducted a class for the residents there. At 80+ years old, there wasn't a lot of movement going on, but the ladies enjoyed some deep three-part yoga breathing and simple stretches. Accompanied by her daughter, Sesha, Uddhava also engaged participants in Kirtan, the singing of beautiful, ancient sacred mantras, while she played her guitar and sang.
Participants found they were able to experience a deep sense of inner calm that occurs while engaged in this time-honored practice. They learned that mantra meditation has profound benefits, and that it's easy to incorporate a few minutes of this simple process into one's daily life when needed.
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Our Mission
The mission of Lotus Garden Meditation Center is to contribute to the welfare of all by teaching the principles and practice of the ancient science of yoga and meditation at little or no cost to the public. We provide a variety of programs through events offered at our own facilities, and at public and private venues.
We are a non-profit organization 501(c)(3) committed to helping people live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives through programs we offer at our center and in the community.
Tax Deductible Donations We appreciate donations, however small or large. Donations are used towards continuing our community outreach programs and furthering our mission. Please send donations to: Lotus Garden Meditation Center, 7225 Lincoln Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608.
For questions or for more information about our community outreach programs, call 916.944.8505 or e-mail
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Gem of Wisdom
"One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses, is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled."
~Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 6, Text 7
New Student Special!
14 Days for $14
(pay $14 at your first class then come to as many classes as you like within the following 14 day period)
New student introductory special valid at Lotus Garden Meditation Center for first time students, includes Hatha Yoga, Little Lotus Yoga and Tai Chi.
Bring a friend for yoga at Lotus Garden Meditation Center and your friend takes the class for free. Offer valid for first time students only and includes Hatha Yoga and Tai Chi. Yoga teachers have coupons available upon request.
Now the king called his second son and asked him to find a bad person and bring them to him. This son traveled to all the seedy parts of the kingdom. He visited the prison and places where the prostitutes worked. He interviewed all kinds of people. At first, each person seemed bad, but as he got to know them better, he would find something good in each and every person. At the end of one year, he realized that each person had at least one redeeming quality and he couldn't take anyone back to his father. So he returned and apologized for not finding a truly bad person. The father embraced his son and said, "You are worthy of being king. I have found my replacement."
