In yoga philosophy, Samadhi is a blissful state of consciousness induced by complete meditation. Like almost everyone else, I find it challenging to reach that state. In fact, I can think of only once where I came close to entering it.
It was at the end of a 4-day hike through Canyon de Chelly in Arizona on the Navajo Rez. I was a on a vision quest with a group of people led by a shaman named Alberto. So as the others climbed out of the canyon to a waiting bus, I decided to sit on a boulder and meditate awhile as I gazed out over the canyon. Several people were lagging behind so I figured I had time.
Within a few minutes, I moved into a state of consciousness I’d never achieved in meditation. I lost track of time, my thoughts faded to nothingness, and I literally became the canyon. Yet, at the same time, I was aware of myself seated on the rock. I was in bliss and I didn’t want it to end.
Vaguely from a distance I heard a voice calling my name repeatedly. I slowly came out of it, and realized that Alberto was yelling at me from the road above. The bus was full and everyone was waiting to go. He’d been shouting my name off and on for several minutes. So I climbed down from my rock and rejoined the others.
I told this story to my meditation class recently as a I prepared to read a couple of passages about samadhi from an adaptation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, written more than 2,000 years ago. It wasn’t until a couple days before the class that I was struck by an ironic synchronicity that I’d overlooked. The book which I had selected was called, Yoga, Power and Spirit: Patanjali the Shaman. I’d picked it up a couple of years ago because I recognized the author, Alberto Villoldo. Yes, Alberto, the same Alberto who had yelled at me from the road to get off the rock, and hence out of samadhi.
Trish didn’t think this was much of a synchronicity–more of a case of awareness– maybe because Alberto hasn’t surfaced in the present in any form unrelated to my meditation class. She has a point, but it still struck me as meaningful since I hadn’t consciously connected my canyon story with the book I was using for the meditation on samadhi.
Here’s a portion of what I read.
Meditating by a lake,
the yogi becomes the lake,
Meditating by a fire,
the yogi becomes
the flame,
the crackling branch,
the oak,
the acorn.
She becomes one with the object of her meditation.
She becomes the red-rock canyon wall
or soft and green like the moss.
She smells the rose and there is only the fragrance,
No thought of roses
She achieves samadhi.
Great post. I think I've also only achieved the state of Samadhi once and this was in the Austrian alps. I feel two factors helped: Not really trying and being in the midst and peace of nature with magnificent scenary.
Thank you so much for your insights, Vicki, Trish and Rob. I agree with all of your comments. Not many years ago I was experiencing a few of life's periodic melodramas that seem to always come to us in clusters, and I was extremely tired of trying to cope in myriad directions at once. Before going to sleep one night, I finally quite earnestly asked my Higher Self, Dream Helpers, etc, to PLEEEZZZZEEEE bring me a "happy" dream! All night I dreamed about playful puppies, giggling babies, flowers of every color, and I peeked under a house and there was a garden of exquisite crystals growing under the house! The dream was wondrously happy! I awakened so refreshed and smiling and ready to get back into the mundane trenches!
Maybe last night's dream was another of those….uplifting and promising that our lives here are only a part of the whole picture! I'm grateful! cj in MU
Connie, losing teeth is a common dream theme, usually related our concern about losing face over some matter in our lives. Losing a 'partial' could relate to a concern about losing something that you consider a part of yourself.
But if it were my dream, I would say that the ecstatic crystal experience signifies fulfillment, a merger with your higher self, a completion…closing the gap signified by the missing partial.
When I was a small child I used to have a recurring dream of going to a crystal city with a crystal palace with lots of doors. It was the most beautiful place.
Periodically throughout my life I have traveled there again and opened new doors and I am always sorry to leave.
I have also revisited it during some meditations and trance states and have often seen "elders" standing around a huge crystal.
You will see it again. I am sure with you mentioning it that now I will see it again soon, it seems to happen when people talk about seeing or dreaming this.
You are still being affected by your experience because I am quite positive it wasn't just a dream but that you literally visited this place. Sit and meditate on it and remember and see what you are told.
Gypsy – as a Gemini, I'm equally challenged to remain still too long. But Rob's class is great. I can actually stay still for 15 minutes!
Nancy – try it after hiking.
Connie – incredibly cool dream!
the southwest has always had that sort of impact upon me nancy – a deep spiritual connection – and cj what you describe in terms of the bliss sounds so much like my near-death obe – in terms of bliss – i don't mean bliss that can be defined – i mean PURE BLISS – "crystal clear bliss" – neat story, cousin! oh, and perhaps "partial" is just that – yourself being only "partially" ready for the whole of bliss – ie, still more to do here???
wv=lableg – lab leg? label?
What a lovely story, and what a unique experience of oneness-with-all! I don't know if this is synchronistic, but somehow it feels as though it is. In my sleeping dream last night, I saw a fellow whom I definitely don't know, but in the dream I knew I knew him, and I asked him, "Where have I met you?" He just smiled at me. He was sitting behind a counter of some kind, and he had vivid, bright, green green eyes, beautiful eyes, that could be seen seemingly forever, and a soft sprinking of freckles across his nose, and seemed ageless. He held out his hand and said, "Come, go with me". Without hesitation, I followed him. Then I suddenly realized I had lost my partial, (my lower front teeth appliance), from inside my mouth, and I was horrifically embarrassed and had no idea where to look for it. It had been there when I had brushed my teeth. The fellow smiled and said, "Don't worry. Come with me". We got into some type of moving vehicle, and he said, "I have your partial". Then he held out noth his hand. I expected to see my partial there, but instead, he was holding a handful of the mmost exquisite crystals I've ever seen. He picked one of them up and, holding it between his thuimb and forefinger, said, "Come close. Look into it." Again, I didn't hesitate. I leaned and looked inside the crystal, and I swear, I've never experienced such bliss in my life! It was as if I BECAME the crystal…bright bright lights and colors unlike anything on this planet, more radiant than a child's kaleidoscope, and I was inside it but can't explain that. There just aren't any words. I didn't want to ever leave that crystal. But the fellow gently closed his hand around the crystal, re-opened it….I seemed to be "shocked" back into my body, out of the crystal, and in his hand was my partial. I reached out to take it and woke up. I've never had any sleeping or waking experience like that in my entire life, and I wanted desperately to go back into the dream and back into that crystal! I have no explanation for this, but God knows I do pray to someday have that experience again, and maybe I'll become the crystal and STAY the crystal. I've been up and around this morning, but am still not fully back on terra or back in my body. I realize this doesn't make sense. But that crystal still seems to surrounding me and I don't want to move out of it. And where does my "partial" fit in? I have no clue. cj in MU WV: gellown
Very interesting. I definitely see what you are saying here.
Although I have never achieved this state, I have had some wonderful experiences. I can see how a hike might facilitate this state. Maybe I should try meditating after exercise. Endorphins? Or maybe it had more to do with your natural surroundings.
well, an intriguing series of connections regardless – and how beautifully you told the story of your vision quest, transporting us there to the boulder – absolutely loved the passage – maybe i'll stick it here beside my screen – loved it – one of the things i so need to more fully develop is discipline [i'm a leo so a bit disadvantaged or challenged to start with] and when i read your stories such as this one i am always inspired by yours –
very neat post! thanks!
ok, so the wv here is "rests" – see what i mean???