Here are excerpts of an interview I did with The Yoga House Mumbai (www.yogahouse.in), where I was teaching a workshop recently :

YH: Aditi, your upoming workshop, “Inner wisdom through outer body” sounds interesting, tell us something about it

AG: Well, the intention behind the workshop is to help students obtain a deeper experience from their Yoga practice. And I don’t mean deep as in an increase in flexibility but deeper as in moving inwards, discovering the Mind-Body equation. Most practitioners understand an intensive practice to be physically hardcore but a practice can be mentally intensive as well. When we come face to face with our own impatience, restlessness and fears in an asana, we are discovering something a lot deeper that never gets addressed, let alone worked upon. Normally, we take an asana class and for us that is Yoga. The practice of Yoga involves a lot more than just asanas. The emphasis on observing the breath, making the body and the mind still is not emphasized as much. As a result our consciousness stays only on the physical aspect of things. The inward journey never begins. I always tell my students that Yoga is about conquest of the Mind and not conquest of the body. Seek to control the Mind through the practice, understand why each posture affects us differently, not just physically but also mentally and emotionally.  And to be able to make that discovery one must make an attempt to go beyond the physical. In this workshop we will seek to understand our Mind,  and see how it affects not just our bodies but also our quality of life.

YH: So its going to be a relaxed, slow practice?

AG: An interesting choice of words. I have never quite understood why people address a practice as slow. Holding postures for some time, is a good test of the condition of the Mind. Can your Mind become still during a posture? Are you able to accomplish that? Or is it all over the place, waiting to jump to the next posture? If you’re feeling ‘bored’ during the practice, clearly your Mind is not in it, only your body is. And an asana is complete only when your body is aligned, the breath is directed and the mind is focussed and still. An asana isin’t just about twisting your limbs into one position and then thinking about when the teacher will ask you to come out of it. If you learn to dive deep within yourself, explore what’s happening to the mind during the asana, watching the breath, becoming aware of what’s happening there you are beginning to come close to what the yogis wanted you to discover through your practice. If you want pearls you have to dive deep into the ocean, pearls don’t float on the surface.

I often have people come and ask me, “Is your class intensive?” and I reply, “depends on what you’re definition of ‘intense’ is. What is intensive for me may not be intensive for you and vice versa. For me a ‘mentally’ intensive practice—one that brings me face to face with my Mind and emotions -- is more of a challenge than a physical one. I mean its easier to build strength of muscle, but its difficult to face our fears in a posture, confront our emotions of restlessness, irritability in the practice. And how will you face these things if you keep jumping from one pose to another? Where is the time to become still and observe? I’ve seen people practice asanas for 15 years and they do consider themselves very accomplished, and on a physical level it is, but if you ask them to make the body and Mind still for 10 minutes they can’t do that. What does that say? That for 15 years you are stuck in the doorway and haven’t moved forward. Asanas are only a doorway to something much greater that is waiting to be discovered. Don’t get stuck in the door. Move forward through an inward practice. In the workshop we will learn to perform a practice with awareness and mindfulness, allowing the Mind to reveal to us what we have within us. It requires courage and willingness definitely, but the fruits of such a practice greatly outweighs the efforts that one invests into it.

YH: What is the structure of the workshop going to be like?

AG: We will begin with Pranayama. Specifically, Anulom Vilom (Alternate Nostril breathing).  Talking about and discovering  the reasons behind the invention of this Pranayama, we will learn the basics of Svarodaya (Science of the Breath), move into a series of asanas discussing their origins, benefits and learn to bring mindfulness into the asana practice by holding the postures and allowing the breath to create expansion. Normally we deepen the posture by pulling or pushing ourselves into it, but a true practice involves expansion of asana by expanding the breath. We end with a deep meditation that will take you deeper into the recesses of the Mind, away from the physical, allowing you to surface back with awareness, clarity and serenity.

YH: sounds wonderful. Does one need to have any yoga experience to join the workshop or can beginners join it as well?

AG: The practice of mindfulness and awareness is for everyone -- Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced practitioners.  Everyone seeks inner peace.  And with our lives in the external world getting more and more chaotic and fast paced, the need to calm the Mind is even greater today. Learning to be mindful and calm from within will help us cope with the stresses of everyday life. What we learn in this workshop will be simple and practical. And not to forget, it can be easily incorporated into your existing practice. Nobody is asking you to abandon your current practice, we are simply offering an addition to it – and one that you will greatly benefit from. As the great sage Patanjali says in The Yoga Sutras, ‘Yogash chitta vritti nirodhah, Tadah drashtuh svarupe avasthanam’, Yoga is learning to control the modifications of the Mind, only then can one rest in its true nature”. The texts highlight the importance of keeping the body healthy through asanas so that one may develop and maintain the practice of Meditation through which one explores the reality within. Hence if you go through the eight limbs of yoga (Ashtang) Dharana (Concentration) and Dhyana (Meditation) always follow Asana and Pranayama. Asana and Pranayama are meant to prepare you for the practice that lies ahead. Like I said, don’t get stuck in the door, move ahead. We exist in both the inner and the outer worlds at the same time, the only thing we need to learn is a way to create a balance between both. Meditation shows us how to accomplish that. Its fruits of clarity, serenity and stillness expand our sense of identity and we learn to live in the external world peacefully and meaningfully.

Staying afloat

There are times when you find yourself under water. You have no idea how you got there but you're there. Maybe it was carelessness. Or perhaps an overly optimistic dive into waters you didn't know ran so deep.
As you find yourself struggling for air, fighting for your survival, panic sets in and you start kicking and pushing, using all the strength you have to bring yourself up to the surface, where you know a breath of air awaits. Never before has that breath of air seemed this out of reach and never before has it seemed so vital.

 The harder you kick, the more you realize that your Life indeed depends on your pushing through. You could allow yourself to drown or you could use every iota of your now failing strength  to push through. "If I do end up drowning, at least it will be while trying to make it" you tell yourself. And you push with all your might. Suddenly what seemed like a losing battle now seems to be a conquerable one. The rise to the surface  seems slow, maybe its because you don't have enough strength or maybe the resistance is too much. But you can feel yourself coming up, the surface is now within reach.

That first gasp of air feels like the greatest gift anyone could ever give you. But did someone actually give it to you? Nobody gave it to you. You were the one doing the pushing, the kicking, the believing. the surviving. And you survived. You survived being under water. When everything within you had said it was impossible, that you were in too deep, you somehow found the strength to believe, to push through.

"One more time. Let me try a little harder this time", you said to yourself. And it was that one last push that brought you up. Up to that gasp of air that awaited you. Almost as though it was meant for you and no one else. Almost as though it had always been there. And when you found it, you discovered there was more, that there would always be enough. All you had to do was push to the surface. If you found a way to push to the surface, you'd know there was no need to gasp anymore. No need to believe that being under water was  forever. being under water was the end. It wasn't.

As you start to take Life in, you realize that you aren't under water anymore. You're just in it. That's one step forward -- not under, just in it. Suddenly you ask yourself  "How do I survive this? How do I get out?" Not realizing that the greatest gift that could ever be received has already been received by you --the gift of Life. A minute ago you were under water, now you're just in it. The gift of Life was given. But did you receive it? You're so wrapped up in yet another reason to worry about your survival that you forget to be grateful for the gift of Life --the gift that you were praying for a minute ago when you were under water. How quickly you forget!

Survival it seems is always at risk. And always on our mind. At first, you wanted to reach the surface, now you want to get out of the water. And so the kicking and pushing continues. But the resistance seems too much. Your will  seems too small., the battle seems too big. The water that you find yourself in, stretches beyond the horizon. The kicking and pushing that helped you get to the surface, now seem inadequate to get you ashore. Doubt and hopelessness creep in, closely followed by frustration. And once again, you ask yourself, "Will I ever survive this? How far could I go even if I tried?" And you give up. You prepare to embrace your fate, unable to push any further. Your limbs hurt, tears burn your cheeks and the pain of dejection threatens to overwhelm you before the water can. You stop kicking, You just let go.

And you discover its been a while since your last kick, your last push. And you discover that neither the water nor the dejection have overwhelmed you. You find yourself afloat. Giving up the kicking and the pushing enabled you to float. The environment that seemed overwhelming, the elements that supposedly provided the resistance are now carrying you, only because you let go and allowed yourself to float. No kicking, no pushing, just floating. Nobody taught you that, but something within you knew. And you realize its a far better way to be. Just letting go of the resisting and floating. And as you float, you find yourself noticing all that you took for granted. You find the sky is beautiful to look at. You notice that its a richer blue than you had imagined. You learn that it looks over you even when you're not looking at it. That it remains committed even when you're not committed to it. You find that possesses a softness that only a mother's embrace possesses. And you feel comforted. You feel held. You're not alone, you only thought you were.
You learn to observe and you discover that when you close your eyes its night and when you open your eyes its day. You realize the importance of listening. Listening to everything that being in the moment has to share with you. An infinte number of things can be revealed to you right now, if only you let go and listen. If you decide to just float and watch.

You discover that kicking and pushing may serve their purpose but sometimes its floating that really keeps you afloat. You slowly learn to trust and let go, knowing that the more you let go the lighter you feel and the easier it is to float. Until one day you discover that it doesn't matter if you reach the shore, for now its enough to just float.

How to be a good student of Yoga

If you have just begun your yoga practice and want to know more about how to approach this age old science, here are 6 tips every practitioner should bear in mind to get the most out of the practice.

1.       Clear your mind before a class:

We live in such a fast-paced world that we are constantly running from point A to point B, carrying around with us impressions, to-do lists and worries not just from our previous engagement or meeting, but also from the previous day. Try and arrive a few minutes before your asana class and calm yourself by sitting in silence with your eyes closed. Remember, Yoga is an inward journey that is made through the body. The inward journey can be embarked on only when the mind is made calm. Instead of engaging in idle chatter which only creates more stimulation in the mind, try and compose yourself and prepare to go within.

2.       Be considerate:

An important principle of your practice should be developing consideration for those around you. If you find yourself arriving late for class, wait until the initial prayer is completed and the teacher is ready to let you in. Try not make your presence felt by throwing your mat on the floor while others are in silence. Respect the environment that you are in by adapting to it. We often expect others to be considerate of us but rarely realize that we too must inculcate the feeling towards others. This consideration should not just be limited to other fellow practitioners, but should extend to the world around you. Yoga was not designed to just be practiced for an hour on a mat. It was meant to be inculcated as a way of life. Seek to understand its principles as much as learning the next asana.

3.       Approach the practice with humility:

Remind yourself that the knowledge that is being shared with you in class is an ancient one that was developed by Sages and has helped millions move towards peace, happiness and fulfillment. Humility is an important quality for a yoga practitioner and is often indicative of how much one has grown on the path.

4.       Surrender:

I often encounter students who come to class to ‘teach’. Surrendering to the teacher, regardless of how much one knows about the path, is a must to move forward. It also teaches us to be open minded to another perspective or method. Its good to remind ourselves that only an empty cup can be filled with something. If you wish to gain knowledge and understanding make sure you make yourself the right medium to receiving it.

5.       Make the right selection:

In today’s times when we have endless ‘styles’ ofasana practices available to us, its important to pick a style and teacher that connects with us deeply. Try not to get carried away by what your friends are doing. Remember that they are on their own journey and you are on yours. If a dynamic style practice suits your best friend, it doesn’t mean that it may be best for you. Take your time to make your selection. Approach different styles with openness, be completely present while the teacher is teaching and then ascertain whether or not the practice is right for you. Likewise with the teacher. See how much of the practice has manifested in the teacher by the way they act, talk and teach. When you find a style and teacher that appeal to you, give them your commitment and allow them to lead you on the path of sef-discovery and transformation.

6.       Make a commitment to yourself:

The practice of Yoga is an internal journey. And this journey is undertaken with commitment: a commitment to being a happier, healthier you. No matter what comes your way during the course of the day, keep that commitment to yourself by taking time out for your practice. Remember, in order for a seed to grow into a mighty tree, one must nurture and cultivate it with the commitment of sunlight, water and tender loving care. Your yoga practice is the nurturing you need to remain connected with who you really are and to not get lost in the mundane things of the everyday world.  Once you realize this, making the commitment will become easy.

A lot is said these days about the quality of yoga teachers and while I agree that it is a subject that deserves much thought and discussion, I feel not enough is said about what qualities a student must possess to deserve a good teacher. Most people expect a good teacher out of a sense of entitlement, which may not be the best approach to have. The important question to ask ourselves is, “What sort of a student am I? Before I start to criticize teachers as good or terrible, let me first check my own approach or ‘bhav’ (feeling ) toward the practice”. Prepare yourself to deserve before you can desire. As the old saying goes, “When the student is ready, the Master will appear” Keep pursuing the practice with sincerity and honesty and soon enough you will discover the practice manifesting in your life in deeply enriching ways. The presence of a good teacher only being a small such part of it.

The ties that bind...and liberate!

I was inspired to write this post after seeing this touching picture of a son serving his mother in her final days by taking her on a pilgrimage. The man in the photograph has been identified as Kailash, and is a resident of Madhya Pradesh, India. When this picture was taken he was on his way to Badrinath (yes on foot!) so that his old mother could fulfill her desire of making the holy pilgrimage before her death. 


I am amazed that even in today's times, where people don't have time for anything but themselves, there still exist people like Kailash, who have put everything aside (even their own comfort) to serve their parents in their last days. Kailash is already being called a modern day Shravan Kumar and I would easily agree with this comparison. 


Growing up in a typical Hindu household, our growing years were filled with stories and myths that contained lessons in how to follow your dharma and make performing your duties your highest responsibility. Looking after and serving your parents was high up in the order of duties and Shravan Kumar's story inspired me so much that it made it all the more easier, at least for me. 


Shravan Kumar was known to be a dutiful son who considered serving his parents his most important responsibility. Both his parents were blind and when they expressed a desire to perform a pilgrimage before they left their body, Shravan Kumar took it upon himself to realize their last desire. Since in those times travelling was arduous and there was no way his blind parents could make it on foot, he created two baskets, that hung from a sling which was supported on his shoulder. He carried both his parents from shrine to shrine with such devotion that he attracted the admiring gaze of many during that time. One night as the three of them were taking their evening rest, Shravan Kumar's parents asked him to fetch some water to drink. Shravan Kumar walked to a nearby pond to obtain a water and that is when tragedy struck. Dashrath (popularly known as the father of Lord Rama), the King who ruled during that time was hunting in the same area and was waiting by the pond for the next animal to come by. Since it was dark Dashrath mistook the sound of water being collected to be that of a thirsty animal having its fill, and fired an arrow in the direction. After a moment's silence he heard the cry of a young man and rushed to the spot to find the arrow pierced through Shravan Kumar's heart. Filled with guilt, the King fell at Shravan Kumar's feet begging for forgiveness. Knowing that his last moment was near, Shravan Kumar requested the king to take the pot of water he had filled for his thirsty parents to them and died. The King found Shravan Kumar's parents nearby and related the events as they had transpired. Having lost their only son and filled with grief, Shravan Kumar's parents cursed the King, saying that he too would suffer the same fate: he too would die of grief after losing his son. This came true much later after Lord Rama was exiled into the forest, and unable to bear the pain of being apart from his most beloved son, King Dashrath died overcome by both grief and guilt.


Each time I hear Shravan Kumar's story I am filled with admiration for him. His desire to serve his parents and honour their last wish, touches me so much that I wonder if one can really inculcate such devotion, not just towards one's parents but also towards performing one's duties. 


As I look around me I see children not just ill-treating their parents but also conveniently leaving them in old age homes to spend the last few years of their life in isolation and loneliness. It saddens me to visit an old age home and I often ask myself what makes this justifiable? Our parents spend every waking moment of their lives thinking about our welfare and we cannot even bring ourselves to spend time with them when they need us the most ? From the time a child is born, parents are only consumed by feeding time, bathing time, time to change, time to put the baby to sleep. And all of this happens at the cost of their own sleep, their own comfort. Why ? Because the baby has priority over everything else. When the infant grows into a young child, the same parents are consumed by a new set of responsibilities: wake the child up, give them a bath, get them dressed for school, feed them their breakfast, drive them to school, pick them up from school, feed them lunch, put them to sleep, take them to the park, bring them back, do homework, feed them dinner and put them to bed. Only after this do they find an hour or so for themselves. Perhaps this is why our scriptures say that parenting (when done with love and devotion) becomes a spiritual exercise. It becomes a way to lose the sense of me and myself. A parent performs the ultimate sacrifice of dissolving himself/herself and keep the attention on the child, serving it constantly until it becomes able to fend for itself. And I'm not even talking about the financial sacrifices that they have to make to give the child the very best. That in my eyes, is the least important when compared to the emotional and mental involvement that a parent has to make to take care of a child. By the time the child is able to support himself the parents become weary with age and realize their whole life has gone by in serving the child. Hopeful, that the same child they nurtured and gave everything to, would now  take care of them, allowing them to feel cared for and nurtured, they look towards the child only to be told that the child is 'too busy' with his life and has no time to call or visit. When the parent falls ill and as the end approaches, the child realizes that 'caring for' someone who can't fend for themselves would take too much investment in terms of time and energy and decides to place them in a home that cares for old people, not realizing that at such a time, the parents need their children near them and not some stranger for whom he/she is just another patient. Why don't we for a moment stop to think what would have happened to us if our parents had placed us in such a home that cares for babies and children, because they didn't want to invest their time and energy in bringing us up? How would we really feel at being 'abandoned', unable to relate to our environment? I'm sure we would be quick to call such a parent (and they do exist) self-centered, but what do we call ourselves when we do the same to them ? 


It is said that the child's first Guru is his mother and I believe this because I see such inspiring ones around me. Sleep-deprived, food-deprived, they rally on. Making their child their only priority. I cannot even begin to fathom the pain that a mother goes through when the child leaves her to live alone in her old age, because they consider her 'too difficult to live with' or because 'they need their own space'. Have we all really become so selfish that we can't look beyond ourselves? 


Its time for us to really put emphasis on the roles that we came into this world to play: as a human being, as a child, as a partner and as a parent. Performing our duties and playing our roles to the best of our ability is the highest dharma. And its only when we play our roles lovingly and with complete devotion that we can liberate ourselves. Indulging ourselves and losing ourselves will certainly not liberate us. For proof, look at the world around you.


We keep claiming that we are an evolved species but our actions don't come close to even defining the word 'evolution'. We keep saying that we've come a long way from our ancestors who lived in caves, but yet we continue to live like animals: chasing gratification of the senses -- living to eat, sleep and procreate. Its easy to indulge and get lost in your own desires and whims, and most of us are guilty of this, but we need to stop and ask ourselves if this is the reason why we were created. Were we really meant to live a self-absorbed life where we don't have time for anything but ourselves? Have we become so selfish that we cannot even for a moment think about our responsibilities towards those that brought us into the world? And I don't even mean providing for them financially, that is the easiest thing to do -- send them some money and my duty is done. Remember, we are thinking and feeling beings. We all need love and nurturing, irrespective of age. And it is this love and nurturing that puts a song in our hearts, that makes us bloom, even in our twilight years. More often than not, it is the human touch that heals and not the money. And today, we've learnt to give with the hand and forgotten to give from the heart.


So please, use this post as a reminder to evaluate where you are in your life. Can you look beyond yourself just for today? Can you selflessly perform your duties to your loved ones today? Can you reach out to them and give with your heart totally and completely today ? Today is more important than any other day because today may be the only day they have. Today may be the only day you have. 

Cleaning before Viewing

Today I happened to come across one of my all-time favourite books while cleaning my library. It is a simple collection of stories of some of the greatest sages of the Himalayan lineage. From Vashisht to Madhusudana Saraswati, the book essays some key stories from the lives of each sage and I often turn to it when I need strength or am in need of clarity. 


The lives of the sages, the great masters has always fascinated me. I have often wondered about what it took for ordinary people (seemingly so) to develop superhuman abilities and strength, and to me nobody portrays this better than the Himalayan sages and masters. They started out like us, full of fears, apprehensions, prejudices and weaknesses and then rose to overcome all of it to become a "Seer" one who sees and lives the Truth. Their examples paved the way for many who came after them. Some had loftier ambitions while some just wanted to deal and come to terms with the many struggles that one faces in everyday life.


I, happen to be amongst the latter. While the loftier ambitions have tempted me many a time, I often found myself entangled in the challenges of every day life, unable to proceed on to loftier ambitions. However, each time I struggle with a weakness or a conflict I return to the stories of the Sages, wondering how they had responded to the many challenges that were thrown at them. Desperate to find a common ground, a common thread, that I can hold on to and find an answer to some, if not all, the questions that plague me I read and re-read the stories of these ancient Sages that remain a mystery to so many of us even today.


I am almost constantly drawn to the story of the mighty Parshurama each time I face one of my weaknesses. Parshurama is known to be the most skilled warrior there ever was. He had obtained and mastered the knowledge of every form of warfare known to mankind, which is why, all warriors, before going into battle, sought his blessing. Besides being a skilled warrior, he had also received the highest spiritual education from his father, who himself was a known and respected Sage. Parshurama, was also known to be a kind and loving son, who worshipped his parents as God. One day, a greedy king visiting the ashram of Parshurama's father asked for the Sage's wish-fulfilling cow to be handed over to him, as everything within his kingdom, by law, was owned by him. Upon being refused by the Sage, the King ordered both the Sage and his wife to be killed. 
Parshurama, upon seeing the corpses of his beloved parents, flew into a rage and stormed the king's palace, killing him, his entire family, and all his subjects. When he returned to his father's ashram, he was filled with guilt at his actions, knowing fully well that his spiritual education did not permit the killing of another human being. Saddened and tormented, he took over the reins of running his father's ashram and returned to his spiritual practices to overcome his pain and guilt. A few years later, news reached him that some of the King's relatives had escaped to a distant kingdom, and this angered Parshurama to such a great extent that he stormed their palace and killed each  one of them. Once again, when he returned to the ashram, he was filled with guilt and remorse at his actions and fell at his teacher's feet, asking why, he was taken over by such rage and felt unable to control himself. Once again, his teacher consoled him and asked him to stay focussed on his spiritual practices. 


A few years later, word got to him that a few of the deceased King's subjects had escaped to a distant land where they had begun life anew. Once again, filled by rage and a need for revenge, Parshurama rode out alone and killed all of them. This continued twenty-one times. Each time, Parshurama was overcome by the need for revenge and each time he would be overtaken by guilt and despondency soon after. Finally, his teacher sent him out to the great sage Dattatreya, telling Parshurama that if there was anyone who could help him, it was Dattatreya. 
Eager to overcome his weaknesses, that he realized, had now got a firm grip on him, Parshurama rode out to meet Dattatreya. Dattareya welcomed Parshurama and told him that he was now ready to finally confront his weaknesses and assigned him to an intense, long practice in the forest. Parshurama grateful to have found a true Guru, persisted with his practices and after many long years of sadhana (spiritual practice) overcame his weaknesses
and became a 'Master' (one who has mastered his emotions and mind) and is looked up to and revered even today.


Parshurama's story has been an inspiration for many. His struggles with his anger and his need to hit back feel so real to me. We encounter it every day of our lives. And I can vouch for this. As also, for the intense remorse that overtakes me after having hit back at someone, knowing fully well how unnecessary it actually is. Sometimes, my weaknesses feel like a web that I can't free myself from but Parshurama's story gives me hope. And faith. Faith that if he could do it, I can do it too. 


I am also struck by how the Gurus assigned their students to intense practices in the middle of nowhere (in order to remove all distractions and temptations), so that they could engage in deep introspection and sadhana, developing their internal strength to counter what the external world threw at them. It seems they understood, that one can't fight a war with half of one's strength. Hence, students were advised to retire, rebuild their strength through intense practices and then return to the world. I like to think of it as Debugging and Rebooting your internal system. You withdraw into your own space for a while, introspect, overcome and then come back into the world, armed with your internal strength to face what comes your way. Such an intelligent way to respond to Life ! We all need that time to withdraw and we should give ourselves that. There's no need to retire to a cave, just sit your room, or in front of your altar, close your eyes and try to go within. Perform a 'system scan' and see what comes up. Then face what you see and work at overcoming it. This is how the examples of the perennial Sages can be brought to life in the twenty-first century. And given our stressful lives, I think we are in desperate need to retire and withdraw to our own place to reorganize our mind, our emotions, just so they work positively for us and not makes us their slaves. 


Our mind, our emotions and our body were given to us to experience this world. And they can either help us enjoy it or make us abhor it. Retiring to our own space and going within, especially when we feel broken or despondent, enables us to clean our instruments of perception -- the mind, emotions and the body.


So why is it so important to clean our instruments of perception? Imagine putting on a pair of spectacles that has a layer of dust on it. What would you perceive, if anything at all, through such an instrument of perception ? Wouldn't you spontaneously pull out a piece of cloth and wipe it clean ? Why ? Simply because you want to perceive correctly. Yet we pay such little attention to our internal tools of perception. Not realizing the value of cleaning them, or understanding how they affect our 'worldview' and our life at large.


If you want to see what lies within you and realize all that you can become, you have to clean the tools that were given to you -- the mind, the emotions, the body. The process of cleansing will help you develop clarity of thought and purity of heart -- both of which enabled the Sages to become conduits for the knowledge that was revealed to them -- both about themselves and the world they lived in. And armed with clarity of thought and purity of heart, they went on achieve superhuman strength and the ability to influence the world. 
Parshurama is simply an example, and who knows maybe even a myth. A myth that can definitely help us achieve our potential and realize our goals, should we decide to embrace it and apply its lessons in our everyday life. 


So each time you feel lost or despondent, don't lose heart. Just think of Parshurama and take some time off to go within. Face your demons and confront your weaknesses. Don't become their slave and live a life of fruitlessness. Use the gifts that were given to you to achieve all that you can. It will take herculean strength, but in the end, it will all be worth it. Just like it was for Parshurama.  

The practice of Yoga

Today I had a very interesting discussion with a fellow yoga teacher on yoga and how it is perceived in our modern world. We started with a discussion of how sometimes we have students in our classes who come in with preconceived notions about what a yoga class needs to be like. Never mind that most of them have never tried to understand the origin of yoga or what it espouses. Instead, they embrace a very lop-sided view of this ancient science -- its either too "passive" or a "big high" (depending on what 'style' they are practicing). Perhaps it isn't their fault entirely -- how many yoga teachers really understand what yoga stands for or why it was created in the first place?


A lot of times, I find people who claim to 'do' yoga, when all they're really doing is a few asanas. Asana and Pranayama are only two rungs on the eight limbed ladder of yoga, as formatted and presented by the sage Patanjali. Yoga, as I understand it, was meant to empower an individual to realize his own potential. And all of the steps mentioned in Patanjali's eight limbs (Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi) were meant to lead an individual to this realization. I know that the term 'realization' means different things to different people but to me realization (or samadhi) is nothing but the realization of your own potential. A lot of times we see adepts showing extraordinary powers and we all sit amazed thinking, "What a great soul this is." Great, yes. But he too, I would imagine, would agree with me when I say that this display is nothing but a glimpse of all that lies within us, and which we fail to realize in our lifetime. 
Being Indian, this is something I can vouch for: we put our saints on such a high pedestal that we fail to understand that they are nothing but humans who have realized their own infinite potential. We tend to create a separation between them and us thinking they are 'above' us for some reason. Instead, what would be wonderful is to look upon them as a source of inspiration, understanding that we too can become all that we want to be if only we make an effort to discover and understand what lies within us.  
Practically speaking, yes its hard to take time out for ourselves in the world we live in today. Perhaps because we feel that all that we have to accomplish in this life lies only in the external world. Hence, introspection seems pointless, if not a ludicrous idea. 
For example, one of the things the world we live in today teaches us that relaxation is sitting in front of a TV watching programs in our free time and we don't realize that true relaxation is not just of the body but also of the mind. So many of us can vouch for the fact that we wake up tired even after sleeping for 8 hrs straight. Why? Because our mind is working even in our sleep! So when does it get to relax ? Never. Is it surprising that so many people in the world are complaining of nervous disorders, personality disorders, anxiety, depression, etc. Why? Simply because we don't give the mind a chance to relax. Our mind is constantly 'on' something, expending most of its energy on unnecessary things. As a result, when we really need to become focussed, we realize our attention span cannot be held by anything for very long. And a scattered mind can never attain its objective. Only a focussed, one-pointed mind can. Patanjali mentions Dharana and Dhyana -- Concentration and Meditation -- in his eight limbs to emphasize the need to harness our energies and become one-pointed so that we can attain the final goal: realization. And each of these limbs or rungs lead to the final goal, confirming the validity behind their inclusion in this blueprint for realization.  
Yoga is much misunderstood today. And while I know I'm not in a position to clear this misunderstanding on account of my own limited understanding of the subject, I would like to offer my perspective on why it is more relevant in today's times than it was when it was shared with mankind thousands of years ago. So what makes it more relevant today than ever? For starters, your asana practice doesn't just twist your limbs to increase your flexibility but also gives your inner organs like your digestive system and the endocrine system a stimulation so that they can do their job properly keeping you healthy and keeping disease at bay. Pranayama or regulation of the prana (very loosely referred to as breath for the purpose of understanding. In actuality, it is the life-force that rides on the breath) calms your nervous system, pumping oxygen into your lungs and expelling stale air. Amongst a host of other benefits, it also tones your blood, increasing a person's vitality and raising one's energy levels. It is a well known fact that Pranayama done at the start of the day, will infuse enough energy within you to get you through the entire day. I would imagine this to be a perfect recipe (as opposed to stimulants) for those long, demanding days at work. 
The practice of Yama and Niyama is just as important and pertinent to yoga as a strong asana practice. Both Yamas and Niyamas help us build our character by showing us how to relate with the outside world while also building a relationship with ourselves. Very often I notice our inability to relate to other people, and I feel it is this inability that leads us from one failed relationship to another. One of the aims of yoga is to strengthen your interaction with the outside world, while nurturing the inner self so that one can balance the internal with the external. As long as we are in the human body, we have to live in both these worlds -- the inner and the outer. And also find a way to balance both. Both Yama and Niyama show us how to accomplish this. 
It is my belief that without the practice (or at least an honest effort) of Yamas and Niyamas one can't really claim to be practicing yoga. I often encounter teachers who have a very strong asana practice but their conduct in everyday affairs shows very little display of the principles of yoga like Yama and Niyamas. What's worse is that this strong asana practice becomes the foundation of their elevated opinion of themselves while also serving as a barometer of another's practice for them. I think that while building a strong asana practice with the right understanding --that it is only to ensure that the body doesn't become an obstacle in the fulfillment of our goals -- we must make an honest effort to apply Yama and Niyamas in our everyday lives. While this is hard, it can be accomplished with persistence. And the adepts or masters of yoga are living proof of this. They too started somewhere and if they achieved such magnificent success why can't we ? 
I once encountered a yoga teacher who, needless to say, took a great deal of pride in how she twisted and turned her body in asanas, but when you asked her to sit in meditation (or Dhyana -- as Patanjali refers to it) she couldn't sit still for more than two minutes. So much for being a practitioner of Ashtanga or the eight limbs of yoga !
What I'm trying to say here is that the conquest of the body is easier than the conquest of the mind, which is the ultimate goal of yoga. If one hasn't brought the mind to stillness, or calmed one's emotions, the asana practice is pointless. Your asana practice is only an entry point so to speak. The journey has yet to be made. 
I've personally been in classes where one comes out feeling a surge of adrenaline, ready to run a marathon, and not really infused with a sense of calmness and inner peace -- a definite sign of the mind having come to its natural state of equilibrium. 
So why is it so important to leave a class with a sense of calmness ? Simply because it's only when the mind becomes still or even comes close to stillness that it can really recharge itself. And it is this recharged, one-pointed mind that ultimately reveals to you its latent powers. Your latent powers. And the day you realize these latent powers within you, that day you will be realized. That day, Yoga will have fulfilled its mission.