## Meditation 1. **What are the three components of OM, and where do they reside in the body? ** - A = life wind at the heart - U = upward-moving wind at the throat - M = the drop of enlightenment above the crown 2. **Gratitude in this meditation creates a bridge of light between your heart and your teacher. How could you form a “bridge of gratitude” with someone in your daily life?** Possible Answer: By writing a note of thanks, silently appreciating a parent or friend, or simply pausing to feel grateful for someone’s kindness without needing to tell them. 3. **This practice invites us to listen for OM on the inhale and HUNG on the exhale. How is this similar to nadi shodhana or yogic breathing?** Both involve awareness of the inhale and exhale as carriers of energy. In pranayama, winds and channels are purified; in this meditation, the same winds carry gratitude and compassion as sound vibrations. 4. **In this meditation, gratitude is described as a “sweet ache in the chest.” When was the last time you felt this kind of gratitude? How might you let it expand outward today?** Possible Answer: I felt this when my child smiled at me after a hard day. If I let that gratitude expand, I can be more patient with others and share kindness even with strangers. ## Asana 1. **After completing the main vinyasa, we explore four standing variations of Goddess Pose. Can you describe or name each one? ** - Goddess Open & Close – expanding and gathering the wings of the heart. - Goddess Up & Down with Slayer Mudra – rising and descending through strength and surrender. - Goddess Mandala – circular flow embodying completeness. - Goddess Snare of Hungkara (or Goddess Snare Dance) – dynamic, spiraling movement of purification and release. (If the last one is omitted, don’t count as missing — both names are accepted.)Q ## Sadhana 1. **Where are these lines in the sadhana taken from, and what famous teaching do they explain?** I swear I will reach the state Of a totally perfect being And then I will free Every single living being From the ocean of pain Of this suffering life. And I will lead them all To perfect purity. To accomplish all this I will now carry out Each of the steps On the path To the Lady of Illusion. These famous lines are taken from the Angel of Diamond sadhana. They refer to the famous teachings on the Four Immeasurables. These four are love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Each of these four can be found in the verse above. Can you find them? 2. **“Take the path to the left”. Why *left*?** Left is considered the feminine and is therefore connected to wisdom. Left is also irregular, and so it shows that we are prepared to step out of the normal, and to give ourselves a chance to do something extraordinary. Lastly, going left is considered to be a way to call out to the divine, to show that we are thinking of them, calling them, and reaching out to them. 3. **Give the three main points in the death awareness meditation found in these lines:** Recall the certainty And uncertainty of death. When we walk the path No matter with how many or with how much, Forced to leave it all behind. We go alone. 1. Death is certain 2. The time of death is uncertain 3. At death, only our practice helps **4. What resolutions do we make at the end of the meditation on the awareness of death?** 1. I will try to get the most out of this life by practicing well 2. I will start now 3. I will do the highest practices I can **5. What is the “highest practice”** In order to smash the chronic disease of taking care of ourselves, we determine to live a life where we “exchange ourselves with others,” as this is the antidote to the mighty devil of self-cherishing that leads us down the road to all misery. ## Pranayama 1. **How do we visualize the Blue Sky Body?** Begin by scanning slowly from the crown of the head down the front of the body to the toes, naming each part in your mind. Then trace awareness from the soles of the feet up the back of the body to the crown again. As you travel, invite softness and space into every fold and hidden place—behind the knees, in the palms, within the ears. Let the whole body feel like a hollow, radiant balloon, filled with open sky. Inside, there are no organs, no bones—only luminous emptiness. You are a vessel of light, calm and buoyant, your mind bright and clear. 2) **Why is the Blue Sky Body an important preliminary for pranayama and meditation?** When we begin to see our body as made of light, it becomes easier to work with the subtle body—its channels, winds, and drops. There are no physical obstacles to visualization; lungs and stomach no longer block our inner view. From Lama Quicksilver’s commentary on the Six Yogas of Naropa: “It will be much easier to work on our body of light if we are already trying to see it as perfect light.” This inner spaciousness also begins to reflect the true emptiness we seek to realize— not the absence of form, but the understanding that all appearances arise from how deeply we care for others. 3) **What does Nadi Shodhana mean, and how is it practiced?** - Nadi means channel—the pathways through which prana, the vital wind, flows. - Shodhana means purification or cleansing. Together, Nadi Shodhana is alternate-nostril breathing, a gentle technique that purifies the channels so prāṇa can move freely and the mind can rest clear. Nadi Shodhana brings balance to body and mind, preparing the ground for meditation by harmonizing the winds of compassion and wisdom. After Yogic Breathing and Blue Sky Body, begin this nine-round cycle: • Ida Shodhana (left-channel cleansing) Exhale left nostril → Inhale right nostril. Repeat three times. • Pingala Shodhana (right-channel cleansing) Exhale right nostril → Inhale left nostril. Repeat three times. • Sushumna Shodhana (central-channel balancing) Inhale both nostrils → Exhale both nostrils. Repeat three times. Exhalations begin and end softly, slightly stronger in the middle to clear the passage. Inhalations are smooth and unhurried. With steady practice, you may later explore breath-retention ratios such as 4:4:4 or 4:12:8—but only under qualified guidance. Rushing ahead can disturb the winds and agitate the nervous system. Pranayama should always be learned and refined under the care of a living teacher. ## Storytime 2 — Marpa’s Inner Pilgrimage **1. What realization caused Marpa to begin his journey of confession and offering?** He saw that pride and forgetfulness had dimmed his devotion to Naropa. He had stopped bowing inwardly, stopped offering gratitude, and understood that these seeds had made his teacher seem distant. **2. What is the purpose of the Ganachakra, or sacred feast, that Marpa was advised to perform?** It is not an ordinary meal, but a circle of reconnection—a way to purify broken commitments, honor the teacher’s companions, and restore the golden thread of devotion through offering and rejoicing. **3. How did Lady Niguma’s dream confirm Marpa’s progress on this inner pilgrimage?** Her vision of the trumpet and the lamp in the vase showed that Marpa’s three channels had become aligned and his subtle winds purified. He had become a clear vessel—ready to meet his teacher again. **4. What commitment did Marpa make as he prepared to meet Naropa once more?** He committed to reflect his teacher’s wisdom in the world, to remain humble and steady, and to let every offering—material or inner—shine as the gold of devotion.