Amonines: Opening for Awareness to enter your life

There is nothing in life that is not Asha

Everything that is stressed in NâmLiving tries to activate Awareness.
Living in Awareness, which is the same as Attunement in Abbah, is called Optimal Living.
Asha is as Abbah appears in 'I/World'.

Yoginâm, 2023

It is also Abbah that is remembered in Asha
Whereby every aspect of life as it appears
In the phenomena and circumstances of daily living
Is demonstrating Abbah as Asha is its face
There is nothing in life that is not Asha
It is in Asha that Peaceful Acknowledgement
Awe, Wonder and Guidance are optimally realised

Yoginâm, The Book of Nâm

Nâm Retreat of Silence and how it was experienced

This retreat is an instrument to open the door to awareness and the deeper layers of who we are. The five daily meditations—known as Attunements—follow a rhythm of chants, recitations, drumming, and silence. Participants do not actively engage but are invited to be present with an open attitude. This is a challenging invitation, as being truly open and present necessitates the "self" stepping aside. Often, mechanisms such as fear and resistance come into play, obstructing trust and surrender.

It was remarkable how, on the first day, I had to overcome strong resistance when you began singing. I felt trapped, anxious, and drawn into something I didn’t want. However, I allowed it to pass… everything within me—through my body, spirit, mind, and soul. It turned out to be the exact opposite: a liberation. I felt freer than ever.

I am grateful for what Yoginâm brings to the world. What he conveys through words and energy feels so unconditional and open-hearted. Life is joy and celebration!

Sofie

Once in surrender and trust, one may experience a sense of being lifted up, especially through the recitations, another participant shared. Whether one is aware of it or not, the attunements, recitations, and HarpMoods possess a transformative quality that bypasses the mind and understanding, initiating a process that is not restricted to the moments when one sits down for meditation:

I noticed that the peace, a kind of thoughtlessness I experienced increasingly during the attunements, at some point continued in the moments between the meditations. That way I moved very pleasantly throughout the day.

Marketa

In particular the presence of Yoginâm with the online HarpMood at the end of each day is invaluable, guiding the retreat in such a way that hidden barriers can surface and dissolve:

Yoginâm is not just playing the harp; It really comes to you.

Mike

To read the feedback of all the participants and to book click here.
The next opportunity is April 26. You are most welcome!

If taking part in the Nâm Retreat feels like too big a step you might consider one of our Weekends of Silence first. The next one will start on March 20.

The longer Personal Meditation Retreat

I wish I had discovered the Nâm Retreat of Silence much earlier. Can I also attend for a longer retreat?

Emerging from silence after five days, one participant remarked that she would have liked the retreat to continue. And indeed, longer retreats are available.

The programme is called the Personal Meditation Retreat and, as the name suggests, it can be tailored to individual needs. It offers the opportunity to withdraw from everyday life and live according to one’s own rhythm; to recover from a challenging period or burnout; or to stay in an environment that supports a creative process that requires focus and clarity.

Depending on individual needs, the retreat may include two to four meditations per day, silence throughout the entire retreat, or only during certain parts of the day. For those wishing to engage in contemplation and reflection, a guiding text is also available.

The programme is normally offered for a maximum of five days. However, there are two occasions in the coming year when a longer stay is possible: from 19 to 31 May, and from 14 to 26 July.

If you are interested, please click here for more information and to book your stay.

The Feast of Lesser Light and its significance

December 21 is celebrated across cultures as the day of the solstice. From this day onwards, the sun will gradually ascend, remaining above the horizon a little longer each day until it reaches its highest point. The Feast of Lesser Light is celebrated on this day, but what is the significance of this celebration within Living Nâm?

The Feast of the Lesser Light is a celebration in which people come together in order to celebrate that in this togetherness Asha is realised as the Way in which we aspire Attunement in Abbah. It is the Feast of darkness that searches for the Light. In Asha we recognise that this Light is not coming from somewhere, but that we are the wick that needs to be lit.

Yoginâm, 2023

The celebration itself is a ritual that includes songs, dance, and recitation. The recitation provides continuous support for Attunement throughout the day. The songs and dance are a celebration in joy, not for amusement as Yoginâm says, but with the purpose to open the participants for a certain reality.

This is how one of the participants experienced the Feast:

It was chilly outside, and daylight faded early. In the Ardennes, clouds hung low between the hills. Silence enveloped Asharum Amonines. But inside, a lovely wood fire crackled as we enjoyed warm tea and reunited with old friends while meeting new faces. The winter solstice was approaching, the shortest day of the year. From then on, the days grow longer, and a little more light will surround us each day. In Asharum Amonines, we were able to experience the entire feast in Nijár with Yoginâm. Online, indeed, but we were there above all in our hearts. It was a celebration to remember. With fourteen participants in Amonines, it was pleasantly busy and lively, yet quiet and subdued at the same time. Every moment possessed its own intensity.

We recited Yoginâm's texts in unison, we listened, touched to our very cores by the beautiful singing, and we danced as one, united by the compelling sounds of live music and, of course, the HarpMood. Time ceased to matter; the celebration felt endless and, before I knew it, it was over. Next year again, at the same time, in the same place.

Marjolein