Missing Tools
(Retreat account of a dedicated Yogini)
The answers and the tools for life exist for each and every one of us. However it can be challenging to find them from our minds. Sometimes there are people who come into our lives and see the answers and needed tools more clearly than we do. Then we need the courage to stop and be open-minded for the changes.
I am deeply grateful to Prasad. In his retreat he helped me to find my missing tools for life. There began the real development of self-knowledge towards a stronger balance and genuine love.
I realized many things in Prasad’s retreat in Finland. One of the main insights was that in my life, I had great deal of memories, people and things that I had not accepted. Without noticing I had in my mind a huge, energy-consuming war going on – just because I could not accept those things. I had built a huge wall between myself and others. Loneliness seemed to me a safe choice but the wall also took enormous energy, as well as closed behind it many interesting possibilities. In the retreat I found my internal courage and strength and the wall – now useless – began to break down. At the same time, I got a stronger grip on my own life.
It’s been incredible to see the huge change in life which results from cleansing the mind, the body and the environment. I was able to identify the greatest problems in my life from which the other problems emerged. Ever since the retreat I’m working daily on those issues. Day by day I feel stronger and more complete, both psychologically and physically. I have learned to draw my own lines, believing in myself and my strength, loving and nurturing myself, and hence also the others. You need courage to abandon yourself to the driving force of life.
Prasad spoke to us a lot about saving and targeting energy. His advice has been of tremendous benefit. The more I observe and control my thoughts (their quality, quantity, direction) the more I have energy for other things. Now I begin my day calm, focused and present, with yoga.
When you get a great insight, it is always a new opportunity. In the retreat I got a lot of insights. When you truly realize the power of acceptance and release, in life you open the doors for light. I even got out of tobacco, after 12 years of smoking. After the retreat when I got home, I lit a cigarette by old habit. I looked at the cigarette and I asked myself: “Why am I not able to stop?” I remembered what Prasad said in the retreat as a general example: “If you’re a heavy smoker, accept that you smoke, but accept also the fact that it destroys your health.” I understood that I had no other choice than to accept it. So I accepted it and asked myself with all my heart: “Do I really want to damage my precious body in this way?” I realized that no way. I stubbed out the cigarette and wondered what on earth had I done for 12 years. The strangest thing is that it really ended my craving for tobacco. Insight, acceptance, and letting go. I would never have believed quitting to be so easy. When the idea was felt with emotion it turned into a real insight and resulted in action. It is very important what kind of ideas you plant in your mind because they will give you the fruits to harvest in life. The power of thought is unspeakable. Every day is full of possibilities and options.
Gratitude
Two weeks ago, in India we celebrated the birthday of Lord Ganesh, the elephant God. This particular deity has always been very special for me for various reasons, primarily because of His appearance; He is the wise one whose head is that of an elephant and the rest of the body of a human. As a child He was an object of curiosity and wonderment. Just like me He is the favorite of everyone, especially the little children.
Lord Ganesh is invoked prior to all occasions. He is the source of confidence and strength, it is said that invoking Lord Ganesh takes care of all the obstacles in the path of any desired course of action.
The most important and beautiful part of this invocation is expressing gratefulness for existence. That’s why in India everything has become a deity, the Sun, the Stars, the wealth and the wisdom, all essential components of life are worshiped as deities. The reason behind this was always to be grateful for what IS and for what you have, and my short note today revolves around this topic. The essentiality of “Being grateful”. Read more…
Yoga Myths
When most people think of yoga, they get images of the Himalayas, incense, chanting and mystical gurus from India sitting in their caves or on the floor, cross legged and chanting OM in a deep ecstatic state of relaxation. Though Yoga has become a widespread practice during the last 30 years, misconceptions about this ancient method have kept people away from trying yoga or have created more and more confusion.
Here are some of the common Myths that I have heard of from across the world:
1. Yoga is a form of Physical Exercise:
This is perhaps the most common view of yoga, that it is a form of physical exercise. Yoga has classically been a spiritual practice, but nowadays yoga is better known as a sport or physical exercise because of its evident physical benefits and appeal.
2. You have to be initiated by a Guru:
In the initial stages, any teacher who can take you through yoga practice sincerely and safely is your Guru. For a keen spiritual seeker, anything and everything can become a Guru till the Master comes and then everything is dropped.
3. You have to be flexible to do Yoga:
Yoga improves your flexibility, along with your strength, balance and all aspects of your health. Any one can practice yoga to gain these. It will improve your flexibility from the point from where you begin. Yoga is designed to be practiced by all.
4. You must be vegetarian to practice Yoga:
This is not true. There are tremendous benefits of being vegetarian on our psyche and physical body but it is not a requirement in order to practice yoga.
5. Yoga is mainly for wimps or women:
Yoga is for those who are conscious and are making efforts towards self-evolution through working on their body and mind. In that sense its for everyone, men and women alike.
6. My style of Yoga is the only authentic style:
The needs of individuals vary according to their physical structures and capabilities, therefore it is best to start with a yoga practice that is suited to your own individual needs. It is best to find a teacher who is able to prescribe the postures that are best suited to your particular needs. Yoga is fluid, don’t let yoga fanaticism limit your explorations. If you practice yoga diligently and with a proper understanding of its holistic nature, you will surely realize great benefits in all spheres of life including physical and spiritual.
7. Yoga is boring:
It is interesting and beautiful to watch the workings of your own mind, breath and body. Taking the awareness deeper into the body and mind through the practice of yoga and meditation is very interesting especially when you start making more discoveries about yourself and then use this wisdom to generate peace in your life. Thus, yoga is a way of life, and Life is interesting.
8. Yoga is just a passing fad:
The first evidence of yogic texts goes back 5000 years, though physical asanas and other new disciplines have sprung up within the last fifty years. Yoga, in its spiritual aims and techniques, has always been a part of Indian culture and lifestyle.
Slumdog Yogi
In the back alleys of South Bombay, a small Municipal school gives shelter to a “paper bag” making unit and a Dream. A dream, that’s growing slowly but steadily over the last 3 years. A small batch of 12 boys from economically difficult backgrounds started building steps towards empowering themselves through the path of Yoga. Over the last 3 years hope was baked in the furnace of diligent practice and hard work, and sincerity nurtured the spirits of these boys who have achieved the stuff dreams are made of.
Read more…
7 Days to Self-Love
Dear Lovely People,
Self-Love is a very important aspect of our personality. Accepting ourselves for what we are and loving ourselves the way we are, working and dedicating our energies to growth and evolution is such a beautiful journey.
This journey starts with loving ourselves first, as Oscar Wilde once said “To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance” Read more…
Love
As far as Love is concerned, I will be happy to present my own views. Though it is a difficult job. Remember, these views are the products of my experiments, contemplations and experiences. Similar case is with all other aspects of life and my interpretations on them. I do not force anyone to follow them as I believe that everyone has been blessed with an intellect good enough to analyze and reflect on the varied aspects of life.
No Pain – No Gain.
Dear Friends,
We are all well acquainted with pain. For those of us who practice physical asanas it’s more of a love-hate relationship with physical pain. Many times this physical pain helps in giving us a deeper lesson of life as was realized by my dear friend and a fellow Yogini Misa Derhy. Her struggle with one particular posture called the “cow-face” Gomukhasana made us contemplate a lot on the topic of pain and here’s what came up in my mind.
Spiritual Evolution
The other day I happened to browse through a book written by Richard Bach. One of the verses said,
“If the child we were asked us today for the best we’ve learned from living, what would we tell, and what would we discover in return?”
I was particularly touched by this verse as it sent me back into the past for a while when I used to wonder about this process of life, process of crawling from womb to the grave without even being aware of it. Marvel at our lonely world of confusion and chaos, with us snuggly inside the amber of menial existence just like an archaic fossil, rotating round and round with the wheel of time. When will the end begin? Or are we just chasing a distant dream and playing Dice with Destiny?
Equal Vision & Vedantic Teachings – A thought
As we struggle through the vagaries of modern age I can’t help but wonder where the humanity went wrong.
As a bomb brings down a sky scraper, as a landmine maims a child, as a youth explodes himself for his “religion” and as millions die of starvation every year I am affirmed that some thing went wrong some where in our evolution as a society. The distribution of population on basis of religion, color, geography and monitory capability has reached its helm.
Panchaklesha – Afflictions
avidyasmita-raga-dveshabhinivesha-klesha
- Patanjali Yoga Sutra ch 2 verse 3
Imagine if we had a list of variables that cause us suffering wouldn’t it be good to just work on each of these obstacles and get rid of them to make our lives smooth flow?
Patanjali in his yoga sutra gives us a list of such causes that can be worked upon. Once the aspirant gets rid of the causes of suffering he/she starts identifying with the “atman”-The self. This self is pure and infinite, it is love, existence and knowledge in itself. Once the aspirant knows the Self nothing else is desired.
