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Yoga

Yoga is a light…A Yogi’s Diwali

October 19, 2017

pc: Geetanjali Joshi

From ignorance, lead me to truth;
From darkness, lead me to light;
From death, lead me to immortality
Om peace, peace, peace

I learned the above shloka in the year 2009 when I went to SVYASA to do my Teacher’s Training Course. I found that I was the only one unfamiliar with it. When I went on to star teaching yoga myself, I learned from my students that this is a shloka taught widely in schools here in India. This shloka is found in the Upanishads and is a prayer to Light.

If you look at this shloka closely, you can see the definition of the word ‘guru’ in the second line. ‘Gu’ means darkness and ‘ru’ means light. A guru is someone who enlightens you; takes you from the darkness to the light. A guru gives you the strength to recognize your own ignorance and guides you towards your truth.

Diwali is then, perhaps, also a celebration of moving towards the light of truth and peace. We celebrate the triumph of good over evil, but we should also reflect on the inner darkness that exists in all of us and pray for it to be illuminated.

During Diwali we perform the Lakshmi puja, and many people also worship Ganesha and Saraswati during this puja. Ganesha is worshipped at the beginning of any puja and symbolizes that which clears the way to our goal. Saraswati is the goddess of books and learning.

A yogi carries the light (deep) of yoga within. As yogis we are on the path to truth, to the light, to peace in every moment of every day. When we unroll our mats we are lighting a diya to a practice that is our path to a higher truth. When we practice we are paying tribute to goddess Saraswati because the practice is a study of ourselves and humanity. And when we resolve that we will continue the practice no matter what, it is an invocation to Ganesha to clear the hurdles that may stand in our way.

For a yogi, every day is Diwali.

The colors of the Festival of Lights.

Happy Diwali!

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RIMYI Experiences

Finally some progress…

September 11, 2017

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Our goals form the blue print for our lives. As kids we think of growing up and becoming so and so. Once we become so and so our goals change to the kind of cars or houses we want. The kind of person we want to be with. More common goals are to lose 10 kgs before year end, learn how to swim, run a marathon, travel the world, complete a reading challenge.

My first ever goal in life was to be Nancy Drew when I grew up. As I grew up I became more laid back and wanted to spend all my time reading and writing. My only goal in life was to spend as much time as possible reading as many books as possible. I also wanted to write books for a living. I finally ended up writing code for a living and that period of my life is conspicuous by a total lack of goals to aspire to. Everyone else wanted promotions, raises, onsite trips. People were flaunting cars, homes and eligible marital prospects. One day I realized that if I didn’t start working out I would have nothing to wear since I had steadily outgrown many things in my closet. That led me to the gym and then to yoga class.

As with most yoga students my first goal was to touch my toes. I remember that I was elated when I first did that. Even more when I touched my forehead to my knee. Today I cringe at how bad my form was then. Lots of people want to do the headstand and handstand. Studying at RIMYI has made a lot of my goals accessible to me (Kurmasana for one).

As an Intermediate 2 practitioner you are expected to be comfortable in many variations of sirsasana. You’re upside down in all classes (unless you’re menstruating), so headbalancing is crucial for an Iyengar practitioner. There are bound to be many who topple over or come down for a little break. When this happens you hear everything from ‘Shouldn’t have had so many modaks’ to ‘You call yourself teachers!!!’ to ‘In Intermediate 2 for so long and still not able to sustain?!’ Usually accompanied by a barrage of Marathi.

When I was here last year I used to fantasize about holding the headstand for 10 minutes. I knew that was a prerequisite for the next level. I’d heard of classes where students have been upside down for 20 minutes at a stretch. All of last month I’ve worked on steadily increasing the amount of time I stay up. I started with 5 minutes and then held it for 8 minutes for a while. Then this morning I decided to be a little more adventurous and see if I could hold on for 10 minutes. And I did!!!

Needless to say, it felt amazing!!! Achieving these goals only prove that with only a little bit of discipline and smart work you are closer to your goals than you think. Even goals that are mere fantasies for you right now.

Aga Khan Palace

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RIMYI Experiences

RIMYI – The Story So Far

August 15, 2017

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My third week here in Pune has begun and I think I can finally get my thoughts together to put into a blog. They’ve given us a day off and I thought a mid-week break is a great time to do some laundry, catch up on sleep and write this blog entry.

First things first: to my surprise and delight I have been put into the Intermediate 2 classes, which is a level above what I was in last year. And for this reason I think I’m finding everything a bit overwhelming. Or at least I have been so far, perhaps this week will be better..

POMELO_20170814212044_save I’m staying at the same place I stayed in last time. For some reason, ever since I got here, I’ve been unable to get a restful sleep. When you spend a lot of time upside down during the day, you just feel like crawling into bed. There have been times when I felt like I should sleep during the day, but strangely, I wouldn’t be able to! Then one day while walking home after a super long self-practice session, I realized what was happening. The backbends that I have been practicing daily are the culprits. I’ve observed that whenever I practice backbends, I am an emotional wreck for a while. It’s not something that I can distract myself from with inane stuff on Netflix. It’s a bit more serious. And it happens to a lot of other people as well. When you bend backward, your emotional centre is exposed and open. Sometimes this causes the flood gates to open. You remember insignificant things and start to feel bad about them. Or events that you thought you’d already dealt with come to the fore and you realise that things aren’t ok. It’s a barrage of emotion that erupt and possess you and bring you to tears. But if it’s an emotional detox, then it’s probably good to get this stuff out of your system to clean up your space. So despite the fact that I absolutely dread backbends, I keep pushing through. I figure that once I’m done purging all this emotion I’ll be able to sleep better. At least I hope so. Time will tell.

What I like about the classes I’m taking this year is that we are being taught to look at asanas from a higher vantage point. Instead of the technicalities of asanas, we are being guided on the syntax and semantics of our approach to yoga. I feel this helps in consolidating asana practice with the other limbs of yoga. And since I’m making it a point to spend some time at the library, I’m able to focus on the subject as a whole, instead of just the asana bit of it.

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I’m always reading something yoga related. Personal accounts of yoga journeys are my favorites. I had been meaning to read Elizabeth Kadetsky’s ‘First There is a Mountain’ every since I saw it on Amazon. I found it in the RIMYI library. Although the book is a bit long-winded, I feel a lot of students who are on a quest for ‘something more’ will find this book insightful. Now that I’m done with this one, I’ve started reading the first volume of ‘Astadala Yogamala’ which is comprehensive collection of BKS Iyengar’s speeches and articles through his entire career. To read him in his own words is to maybe come a little bit closer to the mind of the genius.

Mr. Iyengar’s own copy! Very exciting!!!

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RIMYI Experiences

The Use of Props

July 28, 2017

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Blocks and belts have become a permanent fixture in most yoga classes. If you are into this practice for the long term it might be helpful to invest in a few props right now. For me props are indispensable and I use them daily. Some I use more than others.

Mat – There are many different kinds of mats I use depending on what I’m practicing. I have a thick mat for when I need to practice the Halasana or any other pose where I feel I need some cushioning.

Most Iyengar teachers call your regular yoga mat the ‘sticky mat’. I own two sticky mats and I’ve had them forever. One stays in my car and the other one I use for my personal practice. And I’ve had these mats for over 5 years now. I think the best thing to do for your yoga mat is to wash it regularly and hang it out to dry. The stickiness somehow gets replenished and they are as good as new. Someone gave me this tip during my teacher’s training and I’ve recommended this to others. I haven’t heard any complaints from anyone (yet).

Floor – I think it was in a Manouso Manos workshop that I heard that the floor is your first prop. It gives you a solid foundation. It stays strong during your standing, seated, prone or inverted asanas. A clean, uncluttered surface looks inviting. In my teacher’s class it’s a clay floor. When it’s really hot I sometimes practice on the cool bare floor. In my house I get the floor cleaned every day so that I have a fresh palette to play on daily.

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Wall – I started practicing the Adhomukha Vrikshasana in Pune last year. I continued to practice it at home and have steadily moved away from the wall. When it comes to some asanas – like handstand or the headstand – you need to determine when you are ready to move away from the wall. In this way, the wall helps you in exploring yourself and taking risks, but at the same time staying available for you always, should you need it.

Blocks – My first blocks were foam ones that I got as part of a ‘yoga set’. Foam blocks work well when you’re just using them for minimal support. However, when I’m working on chest opening or the Setubandhasana, I prefer the sturdier wooden variety.

Chair – during my last retreat I shared a personal story about the Viprita Dandasana. Basically, I would have a horrible reaction to this pose. I would feel queasy, my heart would start racing and I would start sweating profusely in only 20 seconds. When I went to RIMYI last year the dreaded asanas was part of a the women’s only class. I resigned myself to 2 minutes of queasiness. But I was pleasantly surprised. The way Gulnaz explained the asana was so clear and concise and it opened up the asana for me. It was one of my biggest takeaways from my time there last year. An asana (or a problem) can seem unsurmountable until someone guides you correctly.

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Blanket – When I think of blankets I think of softness. I use my blanket under me when I do forward folds.

Ropes – I use these daily. Because I do traction for my back daily. Because you should do traction for your back daily. Because everyone should do traction for their back daily.

Belt – I use belts mainly when I need to work on shoulder opening in various asanas. In fact, watch this video illustrating an easy shoulder opening trick using the belt. Also, as most of my students know, I almost always use belts in the final relaxation.

Props ALWAYS enhance your practice. I know a lot of people think that they don’t ‘need’ props. I used to think so too, but I now feel that if you utilise your props well then you uncover nuances of the asanas that you wouldn’t otherwise.

Leave me a question if you have one!

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Travels

Resetting

July 15, 2017

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The last few months have seen me travelling almost every two weeks. Last weekend I hoped on a bus to Auroville. I was hoping to work on my book as well as take a break from my routine (which has become increasingly hectic). I’ve been to Pondicherry twice before and each time I’ve done the usual tourist trail. Tax free liquor and lots of leather. Also handmade soap and pretty incense. Can never resist some of that incense….

Long bus ride. Waiting to be picked up.

Pondicherry has long been known for it’s French architecture and quaint cafes. Usually you base yourself in Pondicherry and then take a day trip to Auroville to get as close as possible to the Matri Mandir. You shop in the boutiques at the Visitor’s Center and go back to your hotel in Pondi feeling very excited with your exotic purchases. This is how my last two visits to Pondicherry have been, with the exception that last time I took a tour of a few temples and the paper making factory. You can register for this tour at the government run tourist info center located right on the beach.

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This time I wanted to go off the tourist trail a little bit. We got lucky because my friend Joel (an Aurovillian) booked us into a heavenly guest house. Joel, incidentally, is an amazing photographer. For those of you who follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you may already have seen a lot of the work the two of us have done together. If you’re looking to get a few shots taken you should contact him. He does really unique and artful stuff. You can check out some of it here.

InstaFit_1499937145 Our days in Auroville were filled with cycling to the beach, eating at Bread and Chocolate (highly recommended) and lots and of pool time. We submerged ourselves in the pool every chance we got. I particularly loved the Krishna statue perched on one side of the pool. After seeing my pictures of the guest house a lot of people have asked me about it. Here’s your link to the Sharnga Guest House.

And we can finally surf folks! While in Bali earlier this year I looked wistfully at InstaFit_1499937303 everyone enjoying the sun and waves and thought…one day. Little did I know that the day would come so soon. If you’re in Auroville I highly recommend going to the Kallialay Surf School and book a surfing lesson. The instructors are professional and experienced. Our instructor Eddy was amazing. He broke down the lesson into simple and easy to understand modules. This ensured that we eased our way into the ocean and handled the waves well. His instructions and manner is so clear and concise that I would recommend him to even those who don’t know how to swim. You can surf even if you don’t know how to swim!

And as always, my favorite part of my time in Auroville was connecting to nature. Whether it was the pool, surfing the waves or eating simple organic food at the various kitchens – I felt we were always connected to nature and the earth. This helps in resetting your system both mentally and emotionally. I try and remain centred and focused through daily meditation, but some time living the ‘simple’ life allows me to revel in the feeling of wellness. Luxury vacations with a huge group of friends to exotic destinations full of new sights and sounds is great. But every once in a while it’s good to pare down to the basics and allow your mind and body to detox.