...don't be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth...

Friday, October 7, 2011

Going In

     Beginning my third trimester as a pregnant Ashtangi.  It has already been an experience I could never have anticipated.  When I became pregnant, I was certainly ready to have the experience, ready to be a mom, but absolutely unprepared.  How could anyone possibly be prepared for this until they've done it once?  The past six months have been filled with lessons in detachment, surrender and allowing.  I had always seen myself  as a pregnant yogi doing a full and powerful Ashtanga practice with reasonable modifications.  If you have read my previous entries, you know that the first trimester dashed that idea almost immediately.  In six months I still don't feel as though I have developed my "pregnancy practice" and as I write this I become aware that there is no point to even imagine such a thing manifesting.  If I had to chose one word to describe this experience it would be "different". Different from every other pregnant woman I have observed in my classes.  Different from the pregnancies I have observed in friends and family.  Different than I could have imagined for myself.  Different from one day to the next. 
     My sister once stated that during pregnancy your body belongs to the baby.  While I certainly feel that my body is my own, it's purpose is devoted to the wellness and development of another's life.  There is nothing that does not affect in some way the growth of the child and the yoga practice has to honor that - talk about ego reduction!  Not that the ego hasn't been fighting for it's place.  The frustration of loosing the ability to do a pose, overnight - ego.  Getting on the mat and trying to determine the difference between what I think I should do and what I want to do - ego.  Completely avoiding, for months, primary series because it doesn't feel good - ego.  On this last one I was recently challenged by one of my own teachers to practice the primary series, mindfully and examine what this "doesn't feel good" story is all about.  Reluctantly, I did.  It was difficult and fascinating!  As I moved through the practice, I modified as I needed to, not at all attempting to do the practice as if I were not pregnant, but observing in every moment what dialogue came up, what emotions arose, etc.  I learned the difference between very real inner warnings "don't do this, not good for the baby" and feelings of avoidance based on frustration or even disappointment that I could not do a thing (like bind - in basically anything)  Body image stuff came up, very personal stories played out in my mind.  By the end of it, I think I had developed even more compassion - for myself certainly but also for any beginner on the Ashtanga path, attempting this primary series for the first time. 
     A deeper and for me profound understanding of primary series also came out of this little experience.  I felt for the first time how insistently this series of Ashtanga asks you to "go in".  The entire seated practice is directing and demanding that you pay attention to the inner spaces.  This became uncomfortably apparent when I currently have no inner spaces accessible.  All of the forward folds, the twists that take you into yourself, etc are taking you from your external perceptions towards the internal - feel the belly draw in, feel the hips fold in, feel the rib cage twist in.  And course, as we know, the physical experience and the mental and emotional ones are interconnected.  Reluctance to experience the physical inside often reflects reluctance to become aware of inner world's in these other fields.  It gives me even more respect for the Ashtanga system.  There is so much intention.  Before allowing you to do the expansive and opening positions of second series, this yoga makes you first become intimate with yourself.  It's amazing!  And no wonder I wanted to avoid it almost from conception - that inner space is home to another now.  Of course I also learned that there is a way to practice the primary series and also honor that, to modify, not as the ego directs but as the baby needs.  And I learned that I can still experience the inner spaces but it is with a very different energy, it is softer, it is communicative - I have to engage the baby and my pregnant body - the ego cannot just rush in, there is no room.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Self as Witness

Guruji, Shri K. Pattabhi Jois head of the Ashtanga Yoga lineage, has been quoted as saying “Yoga is knowing where to look for the soul.  That is all.”  A simple statement about something very difficult in practice.  Where in fact does the soul sit?  And how does yoga bring us there?  Yoga, the eight limbs of spiritual practice, is a method of discovering the pure, true, divine form of the self.  The self that yogis call Atman.  All encompassed practices provide tools to that end including the behavioral codes, the yamas and niyamas; the physical postures, asana; the breathing practices, pranayama; the subtle practices of sense withdrawal, pratyahara and concentration, dharana. 
    The practices ask us to move through challenging experiences and turn an inner eye to our own reactions, to access and to learn about ourselves.  That inner eye is Atman.  As you move through your asana practice on your mat, or as you sit in a meditation or pranayama practice, allow yourself to become an observer.  Settle yourself into a space in the center of your head as a witness.  Following the movement of the breath, without controlling it, observe.  Notice the sensations of the body, notice pains or tensions and realize that as witness to the physical experiences of the body, you are not that pain in your knee, you are not the body.  Notice the movements of the mind, like images or words flashing across a movie screen, you can watch the mind’s activity and realize that as witness to your thoughts, you are not that question about what’s for dinner, you are not your thoughts.  Notice your emotional experiences, your mood, feelings and reactions.  If you can observe from a place of detachment that you react in anger to certain situations, or fear, or joy, you are the witness and as witness you are not your emotions.  It is the self that remains unattached to the experiences while gaining insight and learning through them that is the true you, Atman. 
    It is not an easy task and this is one reason that we often begin with the asana practice.  The mind is strong, powerful and tricky.  But when we turn the mind to become witness to the physical experience, as we move through this asana to that, feeling pains and resistance, we make mental statements about our experience and have emotional reactions about our experience.  As our mind observes our body's experiences, we come to accept and acknowledge that the sense of self, the “I” is not the body.  Each repetition of this experience solidifies it in truth and we are able to move to more and more subtle layers, the mental experiences and emotional ones.  With even more practice we come to realize that the thoughts that arise during practice, “I’m too short for this pose.” or “I will never move on in the series.” or even “I am terrible at this!” are just words that arise in reaction to the experience.  As practice continues and a pose is improved, you realize you weren’t really too short.  Then, then next pose is given, and you realize that thought of never moving on was not truth.  And whatever judgment we pass on ourselves eventually losses all power and application.  If even beliefs and judgments from the mind are transient and proven false over and over, then we accept that the “I” cannot be the mind.  Most difficult is dealing with the emotional level, but the same process is applied here.  With every experience emotional reactions begin to change.  You are less quick to anger, and fear becomes something you learn to move through, and even joy, happiness and hope are enjoyed but not clung to because they are recognized as experiences the Atman has and do not alone define it.  This is where the yamas and niyamas become innate and our true nature.
    This is the practice of non-attachment that Patanjali explains in the Yoga Sutras.  Yoga teaches us how to release our tendencies to identify with these things outside of ourselves: our bodies, minds, emotions.  These are things the self is capable of experiencing but the self is not that.  In an asana practice, there is constant fluctuation.  We have good days and bad days, tight days, open days, energetic days, lethargic days.  But as these fluctuations swirl we find an inner steadiness.  Even as the practice fluctuates from one pose to the next, one breath to the next, we challenge ourselves, to stay, ground, center and steady.  This inner hum of calm is Atman, the self that has the experiences but can remain unaffected by them.  This is the place that a yoga practice directs us to, this is where we look for the soul.




“To know what you are you must first investigate and know what you are not. And to know what you are not, you must watch yourself carefully, rejecting all that does not necessarily go with basic fact ‘I am’. The ideas: I am born at a given place, at a given time, from my parents and now I am so-and-so, living at, married to, father of, employed by, and so on, are not inherent in the sense ‘I am’. Our usual attitude is ‘I am this’ or ‘that’. Separate consistently and perseveringly the ‘I am’ from ‘this’ or ‘that’ and try to feel what it means to be, just to ‘be’, without being ‘this’ or ‘that’. All our habits go against it and the task of fighting them is long and hard sometimes, but clear understanding helps a lot. The clearer you understand that on the level of the mind you can be described in negative terms only the quicker you will come to the end of your search and realize your limitless being.”  Nisargadatta Maharaj

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Practicing for Two


    I practice Ashtanga yoga and I’m pregnant.  It sounds like a confession, I know, but I didn’t realize how many very strong and differing opinions come flying at you within the yoga community when it becomes known you are carrying a little one in your belly.  Of course most are well meaning and joyously offered, others - not so much.  What I can say for sure, from my experiences as a teacher and now being pregnant myself, every expecting mother is different.  You will find that one piece of advice has an equal and opposite.  The variations abound, among doctors, mothers, yogis and midwives, not to mention, who really need not be mentioned, all others who fall into none of the above mentioned categories.  My intention here is not to offer advice but I will say this one thing in that vein, become informed and trust your instincts.  Know what is happening in your body and your baby’s and use the tools that yoga has already been providing you with, mindfulness and the art of self-study.
    My true intention here is only to share my experiences so far.  As I mentioned, I practice Ashtanga, a method that many consider to be extremely physically challenging and dynamic.  And many warn against practicing during pregnancy, claiming it is too aggressive.  While I would definitely not recommend beginning an ashtanga practice during pregnancy, it is a practice I have done for many years and felt secure continuing from the very beginning of the pregnancy.  Of course, the baby had other ideas, but I get ahead of myself.  First of all, pre-pregnancy I had been working through third series, a very intense practice.  And the week before I actually knew I was pregnant I attended a one week workshop in which I practiced my full 2 1/2 hour practice.  Full second series into third, including tic tocs, for those that are familiar.  And I felt great!  My practice continued to feel great as I learned that something amazing was happening within.
    The first interference I noticed was in twisting poses.  Almost immediately, these were uncomfortable.  I honored that awareness and began modifying, first by twisting less intensely, then by twisting only into open space, avoiding compression of the abdomen.  Postures like mayurasana, where the body balances the abdomen over the elbows, were eliminated immediately as were posses that caused a jarring to the body, like nakrasana, which I exchanged for push-ups, so I didn’t really get to escape this challenging strength building posture.  I also began to do my tic tocs with assistance so that there were no hard landings.  Back bending felt amazing and still does at nearly 4 months.  I also noticed quite soon that the breath and heart were labored and seemed to be working really really hard.  To accommodate these changes, which are related to the increase in blood volume and the relaxation of muscle tissues, I would take frequent rests.  Then, at about 7 weeks, the nausea hit and hit hard.  I was almost completely out of commission for almost two months.  I gave it a go many times, hoping that the movement of prana would help alleviate the causes of the rolling stomach.  Um, didn’t work.  At all.  All the ups and downs of sun salutations only made it worse and I was lucky to get through a 15 minute practice.  I accepted it, or at least accepted that I had to work on acceptance.  I would have random good days where I was able to get past the standing practice and on those days I rejoiced.  It was only a couple of weeks ago that the good days began to arrive more frequently and my practice gained a little momentum.
    So far, post nausea, primary series is uncomfortable.  Forward folding, not so pleasant as I just don’t feel any room.  My forward folds are pretty deep, so I am accustomed to the pleasure of simply lying over my legs.  The pregnancy has changed that experience, so I give the majority of my attention to second series, which has been feeling fantastic.  Of course, every day, at this stage, my body is different and everyday another posture drifts out of reach.  Pasasna was the first to go, aside from the previously mentioned mayurasana and nakrasana,  exchanged in favor of a wide-leg squat where I bind around one leg and twist.  The backbends of second performed on the belly had to be adjusted for a while by shifting weight into the pelvis and away from the abdomen.  Now however, even that is unavailable and I do the best I can imitating the postures while on hands and knees, sort of cat cow with one leg raising at a time accompanied by back arching.  It’s working, I think.  The rest of the backbends are fantastic.  Leg behind head postures feel great though I take much longer to get in to assure length along the front of my body and work more deeply into the hips, good for me anyway.  Some binds are no longer available as I thicken nearly everywhere, not just the belly, and resting is still important to allow the heart to calm and the breath to deepen.
    It is an amazing process, learning how to adjust the practice so drastically in such a short amount of time.  It is teaching me about the need for a flexible mind and flexible expectations.  It is teaching me about my own ego reactions and what I tend to get caught up on.  For me, who has worked with their body nearly life long, through dance and yoga, who feels their world and expresses themselves in very physical ways, it is a fascinating challenge to allow these daily changes that I have no control over.  It actually has nearly nothing to do with me.  My body is owned and operated by this baby and that means that the yoga practice belongs to the baby too.  I am learning to joyously release the reins and allow nature and this little blessing to guide me.
                      

Monday, May 9, 2011

the power of transformation in yoga







Each time I visit Mysore, India, I am amazed at the number and diversity of students that are practicing here.  I think of how incredible it is that all of these people have committed to yoga and particularly the Ashtanga practice, considering it is Mysore, to such a degree that they return year after year.  It is not an easy thing to make your way to this place.  It takes a lot of planning, probably also saving and making very difficult decisions in order to organize your life to make this possible.  I think that is one reason Guruji, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and now Sharath require regular visits for students to be considered for teaching authorization.  It takes a great deal of dedication, commitment, even devotion to the practice.  My cousin came along with me this most recent time, it was her first visit.  Though she has been practicing yoga for many years, she is relatively new to the Ashtanga practice.  I saw her experiencing her yoga here and I saw the questions beginning to form in her mind and spirit.  "Is this my practice?  Am I going to commit to this method?  Am I an Ashtangi now?"  Regardless of the answers she will eventually come to, this is a place I myself have experienced and I have seen it in others. I am coming to believe this is a threshold that nearly everyone who begins a yoga practice comes to, maybe more than once in their lifetime.
    We all come to our yoga practice for different reasons.  Maybe we are rehabilitating an injury, aiming to relieve stress, were dragged in by an enthusiastic friend, or simply find it fun.  In the beginning we are excited, looking forward to the next class, wondering what new pose we will be discovering this time.  It is like the honeymoon stage of a relationship, where everything is an adventure and each party is displaying their very best characteristics.  The yoga can continue in this way for quite a while, a regular sojourn to spending time with yourself, moving your body and focusing inward, being in the present moment.  You are connecting to it in fun and enjoyable ways.  But like relationships, your yoga experience may eventually reach some obstacle.   Something that begins a shift and you start to feel that now this is work, its not so fun any more.  "Why am I doing this again?"  It can be a very disheartening place, to look at something that once was so exciting and now no longer brings you joy.  This is where you may feel you have a decision to make.  What is your yoga going to be for you?  Rejoice!  This is an amazing place to be.  It is no longer a ride that you are being taken on but a path you choose to walk.  This is where your yoga begins a powerful transformation from providing entertainment to providing opportunities for personal evolution.  You may decide that this is more than occasional exercise and personal time, that this is a lifestyle commitment you want to make, that this practice is something that extends beyond the mat and the hour an a half that you are on it.
    There is a belief in yogic philosophy that we are called to the practice, usually due to having practiced it before in past lives.  We are drawn to the mat in order to continue our work.  I have found that for whatever reason a person begins their yoga practice, if they practice long enough and consistently enough, it inevitably develops beyond the initial intention.  As we approach obstacles in the practice that feel like work, we may miss the fun stuff.  How do we maintain a regular practice when it is no longer fun?  Is yoga supposed to be fun?  These are very difficult questions, especially the second, but I think it is more important to redefine fun with regards to the yoga practice.  In fact I prefer to use the word joyous.  Definitely we can find joy in our yoga practice.  And more importantly we will receive from our yoga what we are willing to put into it.  Now this is powerful isn't it!  We can have a devotional experience by bringing devotion to our mat.  We can have a fun class by bringing an attitude of joy and a lighthearted approach.  Just because the yoga has become something that is transformative and about self-study it doesn't mean that we need to drown in seriousness.  What it means is that we become the directors of our yoga and begin to develop a grander view of what brings happiness and contentment on the mat.  It is no longer about trying some fancy new pose, although sometimes that is still there, but joy is found in discovering that over the course of weeks, months or years we have come to know ourselves so much more deeply and grown into better versions of that self.  When those are the types of rewards we receive, we are much more willing to do the daily work, to approach those obstacles with joy and an open heart because we know what is possible to be found on the other side.  And we are happy to give ourselves those practices that are just about having fun because we know we need that too.  Yoga is about growth and self-awareness and within that we need moments to experience the results of our efforts.  It is the work that allows us to appreciate the play, the fun practices where everything just feels really good.
    So when you find yourself in that inevitable place asking why on earth you put yourself through this day after day remember that this is an opportunity choose a new way of practicing and a discipline of transformation.  When you have found the practice that feeds you and the method that inspires you it will be an easy shift.  It is this type of commitment that has me on my third trip to Mysore, India, soaking in the energy emitted by all of the many other students who have made similar shifts in their practice.  Transformation is there.
 

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Upcoming Events and Workshops

LIFE STUDIES FORUM
Trip to Mysore, India Panel Discussion
with Alexandra Santos, Angelique Sandas, Patrick Nolan and Kino MacGregor
Tuesday (Moon Day), May 17th: 6:30 - 8 PM
LIFE STUDIES FORUMTrip to Mysore, India Panel Discussionwith Alexandra Santos, Angelique Sandas, Patrick Nolan and Kino MacGregorTuesday (Moon Day), May 17th: 6:30 - 8 PMWhat is Mysore and why does it matter?  While this experience can be a wonderful source of growth for all who can make the journey, there are many questions that need to be answered to make the journey more enjoyable. Miami Life Center will host a Panel Discussion where you get the chance to ask everything you want to know about this small city in South India where students have traveled from all parts of the globe to study with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and R. Sharath Jois. All details as to the culture, travel accommodations and many other frequently asked questions and concerns will be discussed. Some of the Teachers from Miami Life Center, including Alexandra Santos, Patrick Nolan, Kino MacGregor and Angelique Sandas, who have personally taken this journey will be your guides. We look forward to sharing the experience and details to enrich your Yoga Journey.  No fee to attend!


Four Week Introduction to Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga
with Angelique Sandas
June 8th - 29th, Wednesdays: 5 - 6:30 PM

-Are you ready to take your yoga practice to the next level?
-Do you feel intimidated by the traditional Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga method?
-Do you want to try out Mysore Style in a relaxed, safe space
with other beginners?

Then start here with our Intro to Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga courses. Whether you are a total beginner to yoga or an established yoga practitioner curious about the Mysore Style method you can start here. Get the inside scoop on why this way of practicing yoga is safe, proven and effective and try it out without any conditions. Ask questions, experiment with yoga and discover increased health, joy and passion. Come prepared to be inspired and step into the heart of yoga.
Sign up today to reserve your spot. Space is limited.

FEE: $75
(FREE! All Intro to Mysore Courses include a complimentary free one month of Mysore practice upon completion).

Angelique Sandas - Ashtanga Weekend

Friday, June 24 at 6:30pm - June 26 at 1:30pm
Arati Yoga
Plaza el Pinar, Calle Ciruelos, Jurica
Ciudad Queretaro, Mexico

$2,000 pesos or
$1,850 pesos before June 1st.
No refunds after June 20th. 

Cuenta Perfiles de Banamex
Jorge M Martínez Dávila
no. 454 - 11538
CLABE 0026 8004 5400 115389 

mii.ashtanga@gmail.com
442 125 3738


 

Monday, April 18, 2011

EHow.com vids - 30 of them! (not kidding)

Hello Hello

I returned from India more then two months ago now and been getting back into a groove.  A more rythmic and quicker paced groove than before I left.  Lots of things happening, shifting, evolving.  It is fun to discover the future as life unfolds.

So one of the projects I recently worked on was a couple sets of videos for EHow.com

Please check them out!



click on the pic

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Wanderlust Festival ~ Miami Beach

We are all seekers in some way, aren’t we?  There is some inner sense of unfulfillment, a not-quite-contentment.    It is a feeling that drives us to study and gain knowledge, to create art, to travel and discover new worlds, to challenge ourselves and to explore the truth of our nature.  We somehow know there is an endlessness to life and living and we extend ourselves as far as we can to experience as much as we can.  It is certainly this spark of knowing there is something more that drove me first to experience the self expression possible in dance and creating dance and then to experience the inner vistas of the self through yoga. 
    To me yoga is and probably always has been about developing self-awareness and then using that awareness to grow, transform, evolve.  It has taken me all over the world, from Chicago to Thailand to Miami Beach to India in seeking deeper connection to this practice that creates a deeper understanding of who I really am.  We all come to our yoga practice for different reasons.  Maybe we are rehabilitating an injury, aiming to relieve stress, were dragged in by an enthusiastic friend, or simply find it fun.  I have found that for whatever reason a person begins their yoga practice, if they practice long enough and consistently enough, it inevitably develops beyond the initial intention.  It is no longer about trying some fancy new pose, although sometimes that is still there, but joy is found in discovering that over the course of weeks, months or years we have come to know ourselves so much more deeply and grown into better versions of that self.  When those are the types of rewards we receive, we are much more willing to do the daily work, to approach those obstacles with joy and an open heart because we know what is possible to be found on the other side.  It is powerful!  And it is important to give ourselves these experiences in whatever way we find them, on whatever path we walk. 
    I was recently in Mysore, India studying at the Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute, the home and heart of the Ashtanga Yoga lineage.  Hundreds, even thousands of people from all over the world find their way to this city each year to practice this method to connect to the energy of the birthplace of the modern revival of yoga (Mysore is where Krishnamacharya taught for many years - he is considered the grandfather of modern yoga and most yoga methods can be traced back to this man.)  It is not an easy thing to make that trip, takes a lot of dedication, commitment and even devotion to the practice.  They are in search of transformation.  The Wanderlust Festival honors this drive, creating a space for us to explore our desire to connect, learn, grow.  I am excited to be a part of this energy, to contribute to it, to flow with it and allow it.
    To be seekers is our nature.  Travel, art, study - all of these things bring us more understanding of ourselves and our world.  We realize how alike we really are in those subtle layers where it really matters.  We see ourselves in everyone and everything and this naturally changes the way we exist in the world, the way we interact with others and our environment.  Its about connection really isn’t it?  What we are seeking is connection.  Maybe it begins by seeking knowledge of the self that results in greater understanding of our relationship with everything outside of ourselves or maybe it occurs for you in the opposite direction, experiencing the wide wide world gives a deeper awareness of the true nature of the self.  So, go! Explore!  Seek!  Grow!

Wanderlust on Facebook

Me! Teaching at Wanderlust

Friday, January 14, 2011

Mendhi

This may be the last post for a while as today is the last day I will have a computer at home...  I know, so sad - but look forward to a more when I return home in two weeks!  The other day my cousin and I went in search of Mendhi.  We were told there were some boys on Devaragas Rd near K.R. Circle and were drawn a map and everything.  Devaragas Rd is like the busiest shopping area of the city center in Mysore, but we had our map.  According to the map and our reference these boys would be sitting just down from Food World on Devaragas Rd at the end of the street where it meets K.R. Circle.  First, the rickshaw driver has no idea where Food World is and drops us in the middle of the block.  We head off toward K.R. Circle looking for Food World and our artists.  Get to the circle and nothing - walk all the way around the circle, nothing.  The circle is a huge roundabout with several corners, we check up each block from the circle, nothing.  We begin to head back up Devaragas along the other side of the street from where we began - at this point frustrated, tired (we had already spent hours at the pool and stopped by a silks shop to pick up an order that was not yet ready.)  A long day was turning into a fruitless day.  Just as we were both about to give up, we decided to walk just a bit further and TaDa!  There they were, basically directly a cross the street from where the rickshaw driver had dropped us in the first place.  Now, check the vids...



Thursday, January 13, 2011

More Mysore - Palace Lights

Yes, I have more videos of Mysore, India.  In two days I will be loosing regular access to a computer so I don't know when or if at all I will be able to upload more videos for the rest of the trip.  So, following are two videos of a visit I made to Mysore Palace.  Every Sunday night at 7pm the turn on the lights (you will see what i mean)  It is quite an event, the lawns are packed with visitors, many locals I think, some Indian tourists and a scattering of Non-Indian tourists.  It is beautiful and excessive...  check out in the second video that after the lights are on there is a band playing what sounds like British marching music. 



oh India - you're so crazy...

Here a few videos of random India-ness:

sorry i just had to...


this was on the way to bylakuppe - a sudden traffic jam on the country highway type road with tons of people in the midst of commerce, all seemingly transporting selling etc the same harvest...


At the end of the last video i say "goodnight" completely contradicting the fact that i introduce the video saying it is morning - the truth is that it was morning, very early, still dark and i had a bit of yoga head having just finished practice that began at 4:30am, that is my excuse...

Monday, January 10, 2011

stupid yogi... tricks are for kids

I have to share a little story with you.  Yesterday was conference here in Mysore.  Each week, the students gather to listen to lecture from Shrath (used to be Guruji) and ask questions.  The lecture that Sharath gave was great, about focus, and the purpose of yoga being to find steady state of mind throught purification of nervous system, etc.  When he opened it up to questions the first was "Do all students need to progress to the same palce / postures in asana practice in order to reach enlightenment."  (paraphrasing here)  Sharath quickly and succinctly andswered "No."  Pause.  Then he smiled.  He said that each of us is different and it is possible to reach enlightened state just by practicing primary series.  So another student had a follow up question regarding this and is it really possible to reach enlightenment by practicing primary series and what is Sharath's definition of enlightenment... "  So Sharath explains that it is necessary to really only be able to do one posture comfortably and long enough to turn the senses inward and reach meditative state conducive to progressing toward enlightenment.  Primary series may be enough to prepare the body, nervous system, mind so that this is possible.  It has to do with the way the practice is done, with what intention and focus, not with the postures themselves.  The follow up questioner then commented that Guruji once said that intelligent person can reach enlightenment from primary series, less intelligent person, second series, even less intelligent third series, and so on, etc.  Sharath laughed " I must be the stupidest...  I practice all the series."  laughing again.  It was fantastic! - humble and amused.  Then of course he went on to explain Guruji's meanig with that statment - that students should not be concerned with more poses, what's next, getting the next tricky posture.  But instead should focus on the inner work and becoming steady in the postures they are already doing.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

bylakuppe - buddhist colony and golden temple

Greetings from India.  I recently went on an excursion to Bylakuppe and the Tibetan Buddhist colony there.  I got some video of the the colony and the Golden Temple.  Evidently they do not allow video to be taken inside the temple, however I did not know this until leaving...ooops!  So enjoy some forbidden footage from my visit: