The Seers and Hearers
(Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Mental Health Group)
The love of God uplifts and enlarges us. I can never think of myself anymore as exclusively in this body; I feel that I am present in all bodies. I have no awareness of race or other distinctions at all. In my perceptions, just as I feel my own consciousness in every part of my physical form, I feel you all to be a part of me. Everything that is living I feel within this body. I know the sensations of all. It is not imagination; it is Self-realization. This consciousness is far beyond telepathy. It is awareness of the perceptions of every being. That is the meaning of Christ Consciousness.
~ Paramhansa Yogannada
The Seers and Hearers
(Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Mental Health Group)
Is designed to help people balance their mental health using Paramhansa Yogananda Techniques.
When Paramahansa Yogananda became aware that there was racial separation when he came to America, he created an Afro-American Center/Association for his black brothers and sisters… Where he shared with them all his teachings. Here is an excerpt from May/June 1927 East West Magazine that I came across and a photo of him with his black brothers and sisters.
Swami gave a class in Washington for colored students and had an earnest class of about fifty people. They held a social gathering on March 5th, where Swami played the Hindu Esraj, and the Burleigh Singers sang Negro spirituals. On this occasion, Swami appointed Mrs. Minnie C. Mayo as the leader of the Afro-American Yogoda Satsanga Association in Washington.
“This center has a beautiful home of its own at 14 Iowa Circle, N.W. Public meetings are held each Sunday night at 5 o’clock with a lecture, music, and healing vibrations. On Wednesdays the Afro-American Yogoda Center students meet to transact business and review the Yogoda exercises.”
I have been on a Journey of self-discovery and self-healing with my own mental health and I have realised that there is a thin line between Mental Health and Spirituality… As a child and growing up into my adulthood…I could see and hear spirits, I could predict what could happen to my friends and my dreams would come true… I never really took any of these things seriously but when I studied for my MSc in Consciousness, spirituality and Transpersonal Psychology … I realised that these were gifts, but gifts that the medical world or some professionals may find hard to understand or relate to.
Some of these experiences can be known or diagnosed by a doctor as schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar, depression, out of body experiences, feeling like you are not in control of your body, depression and feeling stuck.
From a spiritual perspective, it can be seen as being psychic, telepathic, clairvoyant, intuitive etc…
People who have mental health just like psychics are able to see, hear, feel, sense, taste, or have intuition beyond the boundaries of the physical world. Our thoughts are real just like talking to a real person, but we are not taught this information. The only difference is someone with mental health isn’t trained to know how to use their sacred gifts.
In order to understand and go beyond our gifts Swami Kriyananda a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda said that we have to love ourselves and God…which is true…
If we are honest with ourselves and ask ourselves how or why did our mental health began… It would have been generated from an internal separation from ourselves or others. A separation from a relationship, losing a loved one, toxic relationships, not trusting yourself, lying to yourself, codependency, addictions etc.
Which may have triggered, thoughts of how am I going to survive without that person, I need that drug, or alcohol to help me cope… Which can then turn into negative thoughts, suicidal thoughts, self harm etc.
There are many more triggers that have an affect on us. Those who have been through traumatic experiences, especially from childhood, we develop a natural sensitivity, which makes us weak and we live a double life pretending to be strong.
From experience, it’s important that we fill ourselves with self care, spiritual food such as affirmations, meditation, healing etc. We have to protect our minds with God, a High Power or Consciousness that can help us to enter into our inner mind and body temple of peace and calmness.
Paramhansa Yogananda said, “You must stand unshaken amidst the crash of breaking worlds.”
We have to strengthen our spirit and soul. As soon as we choose love and God. God protects us right away…All Priests, Shamans, Saints, Sages, Spiritual Teachers and Leaders know this truth…I am not saying that we should not go to the doctors or professionals for our mental health… Because this is an important part of our healing journey… But Paramhansa Yogananda states in his book… Harmonizing Physical, Mental & Spiritual Methods of Healing.
“The physical, mental, and spiritual laws of healing are all God’s laws. They are not separate, but different aspects of the same divine principle of healing. The division created by supporters of each method is caused by ignorance. Each of these laws gets results when practiced rightly. Why deny that doctors can cure? Or that mind can heal? Or that faith can restore health? Lahiri Mahasaya was so great because he was not one-sided. He was balanced. He never ridiculed doctors; in fact, he had many doctor disciples. Lahiri Mahasaya would sometimes give an herb to a sick disciple, and to others he would merely say, “You are all right.” Occasionally, he would recommend a doctor. It depended on the nature of the ailing person. I have sometimes told people to go to a physician. God can work through them. One must have a sane view. After all, who created all the plants and chemicals from which medicine is made? It is God who is the sole creator of everything, and it is He who works through His physical, mental, and spiritual laws.”
~ Paramhansa Yogananada
I have seen and know that there is a lot of undiagnosed mental health in BAME communities where people are afraid to go to the doctors or seek some kind of help… I also say this from my own experience…Paramhansa Yogananda saw us and knew what we needed…I have been using his techniques for nearly three years now and they are helping me to understand myself more in many ways… There is a difference between knowing information and applying the information that we know. He was a teacher of unity and saw us as special Divine Children of God…
We have to understand how powerful our thoughts and emotions are. Until will are able to really realise this, will we be stuck in a parade of thoughts in our minds, until we believe in the power of our healing thoughts, through higher spiritual wisdom and truths…
Paramhansa Yogananda says in the book Divine Will Healing by Mary Kretzmann…
Most people cannot heal themselves because their own thoughts are poisoned by the habit of thinking of chronic sickness. It is strange that the people who are always well never seem to believe that they can become sick. But if they happen to become sick after having enjoyed fifty years of good health, and are then unable to keep well for three months, they believe that they can never get well again. Right at this time, if a strong mind can revive the will of a patient who is paralyzed with sickness, then he himself can change his thought and energy, and thus heal himself.
No one can heal us except through the hidden power of our own thoughts.
~ Paramhansa Yogananda
Here is another saying by Paramhansa Yogananda that will be our mantra for our group…
The love of God uplifts and enlarges us. I can never think of myself anymore as exclusively in this body; I feel that I am present in all bodies. I have no awareness of race or other distinctions at all. In my perceptions, just as I feel my own consciousness in every part of my physical form, I feel you all to be a part of me. Everything that is living I feel within this body. I know the sensations of all. It is not imagination; it is Self-realization. This consciousness is far beyond telepathy. It is awareness of the perceptions of every being. That is the meaning of Christ Consciousness.
~ Paramhansa Yogananada
This is a very deep message that we will take inwardly as we heal ourselves together…
The Seers and Hearers BAME Group is new and is something that I am trusting my Guru and God with as it naturally unfolds…Even though this is a BAME group white ethnicities are welcomed…The first group will start on Wednesday 27th September from 5 pm - 6 pm and will be monthly from then onwards. It is free, donations are welcomed.
The link to join is below
In the likeness of Paramhansa Yogananda Group that he created for us, our group will include:
Prayers
Chanting/Music
A lecture - Listening to the words of Paramhansa Yogananda or a reading.
Sharing our experiences
Affirmations
Healing Prayers