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Channelizing My Inner Fish

July 4, 2014

We’re in the 7th month of the year. Most of the year is gone. Now is a good time to look at those New Year’s resolutions and ask yourself if you’re on track. It’s also a good time to reflect upon how you’ve spent the last few months. Have you learned anything new this year? Have you added something to your routines/way of life/way of thinking? Is the quality of your life better now than it was a couple of months ago? Are you eating and sleeping better? Are you more fit and flexible? For the past couple of months I’ve been learning how to swim. Swimming was the bugaboo of my life. I was just so scared of … something. Now I can’t really figure out what I was scared of. Maybe every time I thought about swimming I thought about a massive angry ocean with a tornado going (I actually did.) And I also looked into the deep end of the pool and didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t see the bottom (so if I were to lose control the downward journey would be into a bottom-less pit).

But one day I told myself that I was going to give it another go. Give it my bestest shot. Which meant swimming as often as I could (even if it meant driving for 20-30 minutes to get to the pool where the really good teacher was). Which meant showing up and getting into the pool, even if it meant hanging out with the kids who couldn’t swim…and watching incredulously all those kids who could channelize their inner fish with so much finesse. I’m not sure where the fear went once I started to get comfortable in the pool. Even as I looked at the deep end, I realized that more than fear, I was looking at people with curiosity. How were they swimming? What was their secret to being comfortable in the water? And more than that, what was the difference between the way the swimmers approached the water and the way I did?

Lots of lessons for me (and maybe for you). 1. If you give it your best, you will eventually get there. 2. It’s good to observe others and learn from them. Just make sure you don’t compare. 3. Fear is only a perception. If you change your perception, you get rid of the fear. So far, learning how to swim has been the high point of 2014 for me. I hope that you a high point as well. If not, there are still a couple more months to go.

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Yoga

Day 1 – #7daysofniyama challenge.

June 27, 2014

niyama_1The niyama we’ll focus on today is Saucha – or cleanliness.  At the grossest level this is about keeping our living and office spaces clean.  At a little more subtle level this is about wearing clean clothes and keeping our bodies internally and externally clean.  At a still more deep level this niyama is about living as truthfully and purely as you can.  Your behavior, words and actions should reflect the truth and purity you believe in.  Is your house really clean and organized?  Or are there cupboards you’d be mortified if your guests saw?  Do you have beautiful laundry hampers that contain months of of dirty laundry?  When you go to your yoga class, do you make it a point not to step on other people’s mats and props?  At a deeper level, do you constantly share your feelings of helplessness, anger, hurt, depression etc with others?  We all go through a hard time once in a while, but do you constantly crib whenever you find a listener?  Analyze why you do that, and then stop doing it.  You are disturbing someone else’s peace and creating an imbalance in their energy.  Look around you and analyze if you live clean, think clean and eat clean.  If you don’t, make the change today.

Saucha can be divided into internal and external saucha.  Today we’ve covered how we can implement saucha externally.  From tomorrow we’ll look at internal saucha.  To maintain internal cleanliness and purity we must get rid of: kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and matsarya.  One each day, so tune in every day! 🙂

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Yoga

Yoga Challenge – #7daysofniyama

June 26, 2014

niyama
So we’ve looked at what, according to yoga, we can do without in our lives. But what about the rules that yoga tells us to live by? Starting tomorrow, join me for #7daysofniyamas. Niyamas literally translated means rules. I believe that the fundamentals of all cultures, religions and philosophies are basically the same. To be good, to be kind etc. So many of you may already be incorporating the niyamas in your lives. Lets take a look at the niyamas and see how yogic philosophy transcends race, cultures, countries, class, caste, religion etc.

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Yoga

Day 5 #5daysof yama – Aparigraha

June 22, 2014
yama_day5Today is the last day of our #5daysofyama challenge. Today’s yama is Aparigraha or non covetousness. This sounds a lot like Asteya, however while asteya talks the act of not hoarding/wanting, aparigraha is about non-attachment and possess…iveness towards that which you own. This includes intellectual and emotional possessiveness. The most common manifestation of Aparigraha is ego. The ego defines everything we associate with the ‘I’. It’s great to introspect and know who you are and intentionally try to evolve into a better version of yourself. However, sometimes our idea of the ‘I’ becomes a limiting factor in our lives. For instance, up to a month ago I couldn’t swim because ‘I’ was afraid of the water. For 32 years I’ve told myself that I have a phobia of water bodies. In my recent Goa vacation something in me snapped and ‘I’ told ‘myself’ to face this perceived fear. I can swim now . Don’t let ‘you’ hold a limiting factor about ‘yourself’. Let go of perceived attitudes, fears, ideas that you may be holding possessively because ‘you’ don’t allow ‘yourself’ re-define you. #yogachallenge #yogaphillosophy #day5
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Yoga

Day 3 #5daysofyama – Asteya

June 20, 2014

yama_day3Today’s yama is Asteya.  Loosely translated this means refraining from taking/stealing.  At a deeper level, this yama implies controlling desires and reducing wants, because as well all know, desires and wants are infinite.  This yama is also about freedom from avarice.  So come all ye hoarders and give away everything gathering dust in your corners.  According to Feng Shui, accumulated clutter attracts negativity.  Indian homes get a face lift once a year during Diwali when we start white washing and dusting our homes.  Instead of making it a yearly routine, focus on de-cluttering periodically.  You’ll be surprised to know that de-cluttering your surroundings has a calming effect on your mind.  Today take a good look at your closets (we all have skeletons of sizes and fittings past) and pull out something to donate or give away.  I did this in February, and a friend of mine did this a week ago.  Trust us, you will feel lighter.  If lightening your load by one item of clothing feels good, re-assess the rest of your wardrobe.  By now you may feel exhilarated (hopefully), so take a look at your kitchen cabinets and your bathroom cabinets as well!  Reduce.  Reuse. Recycle.

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