The Avatar Project

How Does Meditation Work? In meditation, our goal is to gather up all of our resources and focus them towards the activation of a higher level of potential within ourselves. The practice of meditation is meant to move us to ever-higher levels of consciousness. There is an eternal stream of Life, flowing through everything that exists. It transforms into everything imaginable, and yet it's underlying essence remains unchanged. This is the source of all life, growth, healing, and transformation. It is this stream which carries us to the heights of meditation. Unfortunately, many people get too caught up in effort during meditation. We often try to make something happen: we make an effort to receive, we visualize intensely, and we pray with all of our might. We believe there is something that we must DO in order to connect more deeply with the source of life within us. We think that conditions must be met, requirements must be fulfilled, and everything needs to be

The Yogic View of Evolution Introduction to the Yuga Cycle Most people see evolution as a gradual movement upwards; a continual climb towards higher potential. We know that in many ways our lives are better than our ancestors, and we assume that their lives were better than those that came before them. But what if we are not currently at the peak of what has been achieved in the history of humanity? According to the ancient yogis, evolution is not a linear process; it is cyclical. They described evolution as a cycle that moves from absolute knowing and enlightenment, to total darkness and illusion, and then back again. We are constantly moving from light to dark and dark to light, and one complete revolution is called a "Yuga Cycle".  This teaching can get very deep but I just want to introduce the topic here so that you may better understand where we are as a collective. The world can begin to look very different from this perspective. An understanding of t

Shoulder Workout for Rock Climbers Today I will be sharing my go-to shoulder workout with you. I have experimented with many shoulder exercises over the past ten years and this workout is by far my favorite. At the end of the day, I want a workout that is quick, effective, and requires minimal equipment or setup. The reason that I actually do this workout is that it takes less than ten minutes and the only piece of equipment you will need is a resistance band.  Shoulder health is a necessity for rock climbers. This workout will help to make you stronger and healthier by addressing the imbalances created by climbing. As your shoulder health improves, there will be a positive effect on your posture. Improved posture leads to more efficient breathing, and if you can improve your breathing, your entire body will begin to function more effectively. Sounds great, right?! The workout itself consists of 4 movements that we will do as follows: Left arm - 5 reps then h