The Practice of Atma Vichara

 

Approach

The practice of Atma Vichara is vibrantly alive. It is reliable, completely confident and assured. Atma Vichara experientially confronts the profound enquiry “Who am I?”

If you applied your mind persistently to the question “Who am I?” even as an intellectual exercise you would conclude that you are not the body, not the thoughts, not the events that you experience. These things are happening and are arising in something, something which is enduring and constant. That something is the power of knowing itself, the power of awareness, through which the world is experienced. It is that power which constitutes I. This is not something to be found, it is something which already is but is not recognised.

“To see the self is to be the self, that is how the self is known” ( Sri Ramana Maharshi)

The practice of Atma Vichara is not an intellectual exercise. Unlike other meditations it is a practice of being rather than of doing. Progressively we learn to drop the urgency to do and have and get. In its place there is natural alertness, attentiveness to the presence I, to the spontaneous presence of this feeling I, without thinking about it.

 The traditional method of influence and support has always been through taking refuge in:
Satyam (truth and reality)
Yogam (practice and change)
Guram (teacher and teachings)
Sangham (community of practitioners)

Throughout time teaching has been given in multiple forms to be accessible to the level of understanding of the seeker. Given below are methods of Atma Vichara. Come to satsang, engage in community, use this life for enquiry and exploration. Seek out guidance and practice, however you understand it – do it. That is the only way, anything else is avoidance.

How to do the practice

Version 1
The practice of Atma Vichara- 1
Version 2
The practice of Atma Vichara-2
Version 3
The practice of Atma Vichara- 3

Pointers to the practice

Pointers to practice 1
Atma vichara pointers- 1
Pointers to practice 2
Atma Vichara pointers- 2
Pointers to practice 3
Atma Vichara pointers- 3

To understand and follow the approach, guidance is available with the opportunity to put questions and clear doubts. The YogaLiving community is established to provide these functions within the timeless tradition that has communicated between teacher and seeker for millenia.

Those who wish to make contact or ask questions can do so through contact us

• TV interviews to view

  View 2 television interviews with YogaLiving teacher Derek Thorne about life teaching meditation and reality

• Essential Teachings

  The essential teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi provided in plain english versions

• Events, practice days and talks

  Receive the teachings at practice days and talks:
  NEXT EVENT OXFORD October 16th
  Other events throughout 2010

• Summer Retreat – Who Am I?

  A unique & transformative annual retreat for all spiritual seekers. Glastonbury Somerset July 2011

• Practice book – how to do Atma Vichara

  A unique and powerful book for all spiritual seekers. Clearly describing the practice of Atma Vichara and its context in life.