About Us
EMERSON DEAN BROOKING, Ph.D.
During childhood I developed a loving relationship with my Lord, Jesus Christ. While finding deep, personal satisfaction as a follower of Christ, I recognize that God, as the enlivening power of the universe, is without form and without name. I understand the wisdom of Integral Yoga's® motto, "Truth is One - Paths are Many." Therefore all spiritual paths are honored at Panther Brook Spiritual Center.
Sri Swami Satchidananda, the founder of Integral Yoga®, expressed this well when talking of the finite and the infinite:
“If you go deeper into the philosophy and scriptures of all the religions, you’ll find out that they all say there’s only one God and that God is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient. If God is everywhere, how can God have one form and one name? All these forms and names are God. In the real sense, God is formless, nameless, abstract, the Absolute One. You can call it Absolute Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, Cosmic Intelligence or the Cosmic Force; or, according to the scientists, you can call it basic matter and force, the essence or the thing in itself. It’s impossible for our limited minds to grasp the Unlimited One. So, the finite mind takes a little part of that infinite that it can understand and says, ‘That’s God for me.’”
I know that the purpose of my life is to be Self- and God-realized, loving and serving God. My meditation/prayer practice and being of service to others are the most effective ways to fulfill that purpose.
In 1985, while in Thailand, I was initiated into the Serenity Meditation. Roy Eugene Davis initiated me into Kriya Yoga, including Kriya Pranayama, in 1988. Through my meditation/prayer practices, I have experienced the truth of Christ's words, "The Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21,KJV). Millions of people consider the beginning of their meditation/prayer practice their "spiritual birthday"- a date critical to their spiritual growth. Certainly that is true for me....
My training includes behavioral medicine, biofeedback, hypnotherapy, stress management, yoga, and the mystical practices of several religions. I am a certified Integral Yoga® teacher with over 500-hours training.
Integral Yoga® can be contacted at www.iyiva.org
As I learned more about yoga and began to practice its teachings, I learned to listen to the inner sound, the sound of OM, of God, who is always with me, surrounding me, comforting me. I discovered that, at the deepest level of my being, I am joyously peaceful at all times. Besides the increased joy and peace meditation/prayer brought into my life, I also experienced the other fruits of spiritual growth which are energizing and vitalizing, including a more loving and compassionate heart.
My degrees include a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Child and Family Development with emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. I have served in a variety of human service positions, including an institution for the developmentally disabled and a community mental health center. For many years I served as Chair of the Psychology Department at a liberal arts college.