Spiritual Evolution—Spiritual Revolution
How are the ancient sciences of yoga and Ayurveda sparking a global spiritual evolution? Mas Vidal, author and teacher, discusses how these timeless wisdom practices provide a methodology for healing ourselves, healing the world, and inspiring a future we can all work towards.
Mas Vidal, teacher of Yoga and Ayurveda, and author of the book discussed in this program, The Evolution Revolution: Yoga, Ayurveda, and the Rise of the Soft Power Culture. Mas Vidal integrates a background of athletics, therapeutics, science and ecology into a dynamic synthesis that has lead him to become an innovative voice in the field of integral Yoga and Ayurveda. He offers certification and educational programs internationally and maintains an active counseling practice that embraces Vedanta, Ayurveda and Vedic astrology. He follows the lineage teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda of the Self Realization Fellowship and Swami Jyotirmayananda of the Sivananda lineage.
His website is Dancingshiva.com, and you can find him on Facebook @dancingshivayoga.
YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: I appreciated the questions Mas Vidal asks at the beginning of his book- Am I evolving? What does it mean to live an evolutionary life? Am I living a life that is segregated from nature or one that embraces the world as a reflection of my own consciousness?” These are important questions to ask ourselves as we move along the path of yoga. As Mas talks about the philosophy of Vedanta which he practices, I see the very close relationship to the practices of Kriya Yoga which is what is practiced at The Center for Spiritual Enlightenment. These questions that he suggests that we ask ourselves are Self-Inquiry, one of the three pillars of Kriya Yoga. So many of us get stuck in thinking that having specific experiences in meditation are the evidence of our spiritual evolution, but as Yogacharya has taught us and Mas Vidal emphasizes in his book, it is about looking and listening to all of our life and the life around us, (the Kriya Yoga practice of Self-discipline) and understanding and surrendering to the understanding that we are all One with that—we are not separate, which is the third pillar of Kriya Yoga- surrender. I really appreciate Mas Vidal's way of articulating these ancient teachings, making them very relatable for our modern life.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I really enjoyed our talk about the transformative practices of yoga, Ayurveda, and Vedanta as a path of spiritual evolution. He stated it so clearly at the beginning of our conversation: there is no higher purpose than Self-realization, recognizing our true nature as divine. His exhortation to look at the world as a reflection of our own consciousness really points listeners in a great direction. I appreciated the markers of spiritual evolution that we discussed: a person begins to feel a greater connection to their surroundings and to the energy of all things; the increasing realization that you are the soul; there is increased attunement between the mind and body; the mind becomes more reflective and less reactive; and the mind begins to discern the difference between needs and desires. It’s a great list.