POETRY THROUGH MEDITATIONS

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POETRY THROUGH MEDITATIONS
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The self as the object of absolute existential
interest and inner fulfillment as the final
destination of life form the central focus of
Erkin Beks book All Here. The book which
features 34 poems around the theme of existence,
yoga and meditation is also illustrated with
brush paintings by Korean master Jungwoong Lee.
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Like most practitioners, Bek was first introduced
to Yoga through the postural practice. He spent
seven years practicing at various studios in
North America and Europe and observed that Asana
practice complemented his periodic fitness
exercises and martial arts practices. It made me
feel good. It was a new way to keep my body and
mind balanced .It was the slowest and most static
practice that I have ever encountered. It was
very new and interesting to explore this slow
exercise. It was a very good stretching exercise,
which I found to be useful to feel better
physically in my body. This was enough to keep me
going. He explains of how he stayed dedicated to
a regular Asana practice.
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In the year 2008 Bek was introduced to an Indian
teacher, Rajesh Singh, and to Raia Yoga, one of
the mainstream paths of yoga. Through him and
many conversations later, Bek came to the
understanding that physical practice is a
preparation for meditation, and that meditation
is a pathway to experiencing ones own
fulfillment. Meditation has changed for me. I
used to sit long periods of time in what I deemed
to be meditation, keeping attention on breath,
observing myself, my environment, soaking deeper
into my centre of gravity, concentrating on
noticing thoughts and moving from thoughts to
breath.
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However, I have later understood that these are
mostly practices of concentration on oneself.
Most practices that are called meditations are
not actually meditations. They are
concentrations. Bek believes that letting go of
these concentrations and feeling free is the
essence of truly meditating. Most importantly, he
stresses that a meditation practice is what keeps
one anchored to life and is the source of eternal
happiness.
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A businessman by profession, writing the poems
were a natural progression to his meditation
practices. These spontaneous poems were first
shared with his Yoga teacher and friends who
urged him to compile them into a book. He says,
There are only 34 short poems and they all aim
to bring you to this moment of life right now, to
feel at home inside of you, so you can be at home
anywhere you are and that everything is all here
for you to be happy at any moment of life. If you
ever step aside, my poems offer a way to bring
you back right into your essential nature, where
happiness always abides.
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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and the Indian
subcontinent have been influences in Beks
journey of Yoga and meditation. But the
experience of India lies in the unseen he
explains, Having travelled throughout the
country, I have come to realize that the greatest
value of India is beyond anything that you can
see there. What you cannot see, in this yoga is
the greatest significance of India.
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Facing all the trials of our 21st century
lifestyle, Bek has long studied the ways to
maintain both a physical and internal balance,
questioning the mystery of existence and the road
to personal development and professional success.
Happiness and self fulfillment are fundamental to
this fragile balance, and these poems are an
expression of Beks own journey of self-
discovery.
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THANK YOU
www.allhere.net