'Yoga' originates from the sanskrit word 'yoke' meaning 'to unite', reminding us to combine the actions of our body and mind throughout our life.
Before I started my intensive Yoga course, yoga to me, meant how long you could hold your headstand for, how flexible your hamstrings are, and how comfortably (if ever!) you could sit in padmasana - lotus position, for. Now though, I've learnt it's so much more than that. Yoga is about the harmonious and continued development of yourself and a truly holistic lifestyle. It is about internalising your awareness and action with reflection not reflexion to situations. It's about facing up to your fears of the past, future and most importantly, the present. And not comparing yourself or your journey with anyone else, in order to reach transcendence. It's about removing the mind from the actions of our body and our consciousness, and combining our physical health, heart, soul, digestion, socialising and communication (among other things), in order to fulfil our individual potential and find our Sva-dharma. Bhagavid Gita (chapter 2/48) provides a perfect example: 'Perform your action, and drop your idea of anxiety attached to the result.' Over the last 5 weeks I have immersed myself in an intense variety of yogic practises to enhance my life and mental and physical well-being. I've practised primary series ashtanga asanas, lying in savasana (corpse pose) for an hour for yoga Nidra to try and reach my inner consciousness, yin & hatha yoga asanas, hypnotic energy healing, Tantra yoga, kundalini awakening, ecstatic dancing, candle and eye gazing, hugging meditations, pranayama (breathing practise), himalayan mountain hiking, reading and mantra chanting, among a really busy list of entertainments recently. Each practise has given me a new awareness of myself and helped me discover which I enjoy best to help me live this earthly life to the fullest. I was discussing recently with my friend, and we both agreed that we wanted to dedicate our time in this meat and alcohol free town to exploring as many outlets of creativity as we could, and listening to every individual's journey with our newly heightened empathy, regardless of our opinions of their traditional or hippy life path. Leaving Rishikesh yesterday, I spent half an hour at the airport writing down what I think I learnt about myself on this part of my life journey. It has been a very personal adventure, but I concluded that one of the strongest lessons here has been my recurring need to stop comparing my own journey with others, and revel in the individuality of it however weird it sounds to you. The practises I have experienced have opened my eyes to new endeavours and seriously increased my knowledge to be able to justify and continue my eastern wanderings, and combine them along my journey for income and internal peace. I am continuing to learn patience, acceptance and the freedom of expression, so I hope you will join me on this quest for yourself as well, and forgive me for my often elusive nature in previous and future years. I want to leave you with one of the most important Yoga Sutras (chapter 1/33) to put into practise: "In relationships, the mind becomes purified by cultivating feelings of friendliness towards those who are happy."
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About meI enjoy writing and have had experience from my degree and through working on news posts. I hope to use this blog as a summary of extraordinary things I've discovered or witnessed in everyday life. Archives
March 2020
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