The Mind: Its Projections and Multiple Facets presents the mind as an intricate map of interrelated mental patterns, attitudes and dispositions which we can balance through meditation and awareness. The book contains eleven lectures given by Yogi Bhajan, who brought to America what is known as Kundalini Yoga. Additional explanations and charts help explain what total to 81 Facets. Then, there’s pages and pages of meditations dedicated to the archetypes and attitudes as they exist in varying combinations. It’s a lot to digest, but a good book to read a little bit at a time.
Lessons for Creative Yogis:
As far as Projections of the mind, a third of them relate directly to the process of creating. We ALL have each of these archetypes residing somewhere within our mind. I’ll list one thing that’s said with each of the three Aspects (thought patterns), since they relate to aspects of creativity:
1) ARTIST – “This aspect gives you extraordinary sensitivity to sensations, emotions, and impressions from nature and other people. Its basic urge is to create, elaborate, and express such sensation.” This would occur in roles of actor, doer, or originator. When in balance, “moderation and dedication are essential,” for there comes an openness, curiosity, wonder, and impatience. Sound familiar?
2) PRODUCER – “An aspect that seeks and gives the ability to enhance, extend, and utilize anything that enters your sense of domain.” This part relates more to the doing and completing. The creating and having created, rather than the creation itself. Out of balance, you may tie ‘productiveness’ to your sense of worth, or lack the confidence to begin, but when balanced, “you put things in to sequences that lead to desired consequences. You organize resources in yourself and others to deliver a project, goal, and creation.”
3) MISSIONARY – So, this one is “to pursue the expression of an essence through time.” This aspect of a creative life involves how you think about your work, as opposed to how you do the work or the work itself. It’s about how you approach your creative life. When you take the long view, what’s your vision? What’s the mission statement? How do you interact with, take advice from, and extert influence upon, other people? I like this: “strong actions combined with non-attachment make life a dance with much creativity and gratitude.”
I have to say I found myself reaching for a grain of salt less frequently than I would have expected when I began this book. I do always find various philosophies on personality to be fascinating and the meditations found in Kundalini Yoga practices to be powerful. I’m hoping I’ve sort of wrapped my head around the crazy, complicated diagram in the back of the aspects, projections, and facets, but I certainly haven’t absorbed everything in this book. I’d be happy to lend you my copy… it’s got a lot of underlining and circling in parts, like an old college textbook. ~Jordan
GROUNDING YOGA 