as much as i would like to duplicate my experience in india, the more i realize how much of that country is just incomparable. i miss it so much; at least my experience of the AT is remembered every day just going out of my house; the yogic experience of living in the ashram is quite unparalleled.
I was one american female in my group; my bud jeff was the other, hailing from atlanta area.
So, the international ratio was quite nice, something that I miss about the experience. Getting different perspectives under one roof with one language, in the yogic tradition. South Africa, Malaysia, Canada, Peru, India, Danish, Scottish, French learning in english (!) this study of yogic therapy from an established hospital treating over 25,000 people. Through the cleansing rituals, we were puking and fainting right along with each other, so it was hard not to find common ground somewheres. we lived together and coexisted in this place devised for a little taste of direction, in a country well known for it's spiritual pilgramages.
also, the scenery...good lord. Gorgeous. Seeing wild cows in the street. Third world country smack in your face. Being sick just from the air...the unbelievable strength of the sun, bucket showers, one hour of service (karma yoga) a day, immense self study diving into the Upanishads...Amazing experience.
the people made it incredible, for sure. i was prepared for the worst, as i usually tend to do, and was pleasantly surprised by how many people just helped me because i asked them. it was quite a trusting experience. then, the more i engaged and realized nobody was out to get me, it became more of an unforgettable experience. interaction was cool. i learned what 'indian time' meant. the value of carrying 5 million copies of your passport around with you (pictures, too). i fell in love with the color combo of purple and orange. i dressed the part to fit in, even got my nose pierced in homage to the ladies fashion. a change that was nice way to bring a little bit of culture with me.
still...the chanting, the meditation room where i wept for joy at the immense feeling of peace and acceptance in there, the union of wonderful people learning to give a little more back. the daily yoga nidra sessions.
Really incredible.
How I learned was quite interesting as well; I chose to do an intensive training program, so as more of a disciplined approach. i wanted the full yoga treatment; so no coffee, no meat, no onion or garlic. of course no alcohol. a flush toxically as well as a spiritual one, i suppose...but whatever it did, it flushed beautifully. I came back a vegetarian and tea drinker, and definitely lowered my alcohol intake from before i left. feeling good, glad to have taken the plunge.
As far as my yoga teachings that grew from that experience, I can say it was completely different from what I have been taught here in America. Asana is our limitation here, and for alot of people, that's what draws them. And how couldn't it? Drew me into it, for sure. Yoga has this amazing way of making you feel incredible every time you do it, whether or not it's physical or even if it creeps into your psyche, so the full benefits, as the Indians teach, are just beginning to scratch the surface. It actually gets better the more we practice, and in different ways. yoga nidra (yogic sleep) chanting (mantra), dhyana (meditation), pranayama (controlled breathing), shatkarmas (cleansing practices) in addition to asana can actually restore the body's natural healing mechanisms, cultivating that feeling of freedom on all levels of the body (koshas). you feel great internally and externally, which is indeed a God-given right. Balance is what we should strive for, not perfection. Yoga is excellent for discovering your internal balance that we seem to lose touch with.
I can tell you one thing...that wasn't my first trip there. I will go back, and soon. Hopefully for a little bit longer; I think that was the only thing I regretted was not staying there longer, and traveling the country a little bit more. However, the peacefulness of the ashram made it easy to slide into the culture, I was grateful for that. I tried on an adventure by looking into something I wanted to immerse myself in, and I succeeded with flying colors, as that first step tends to always pay off.
if interested check out http://www.yogapoint.com; a great resource for all things yoga, as taught by the world famous Bihar School of Yoga, founded by Swami Satyananda. I hope to finally post some pictures on here at some point, stay tuned.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
..opening vishuddha?
Vishuddha, the fifth chakra, is located in the throat, governing a large amount of 'stuff' that happens there, which is aLOT. Your throat is where sound is willfully created as communication; how we reach out to people, whether through sound or not. How to ask for help, how to say you need something, how to say you're hurt is all in this center. The neck is also the home of the thyroid gland, the largest gland of the endocrine system, which governs our body's usage of energy and hormonal changes, which is extremely important regarding how you feel. Also, last but definitely not least, the channel in our nervous system where all of the brain's messages use to reach the body...no wonder we store so much tension there. Too much going on. It's regulating everything whether we speak up or not.
But, the choice remains to communicate; and most of us are in the large percentile of people that choose not to, for whatever reason. I chose not to in the past because I didn't want to step on any toes, to cause less friction, so I chose to swallow my individuality to blend in. There's more than that, though, on a deeper inquiry; I also want to keep things as they are, which is frankly vaguely unhappy. I cause less tendency for joy in that decision as well; it's a scary thing to ask for what you want and actually expect receiving it.
So here I am, whether I like it or not. I am choosing to open vishuddha, to explore some feelings I may not have thought about approaching in a while due to some irrational fear. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that I am never as alone as I think I am; and that this reaching out, even if it is online, is better then keeping it all to myself. We are in this all together, we could all use a little encouragement, love and support from time to time, and I would relish to give it.
so, besides choosing to be more self expressive, what else am i?
i am an elegant goofball that tries not to take myself too seriously. i firmly believe in only living beautiful places, doing yoga every single day, and listening to a great soundtrack while i am doing anything. i love to teach, i love to play and create, and i love working to be present (even though it isn't necessary most of the time).
i am a certified yoga therapist, vinyasa teacher, and reiki practitioner traveling this path of practice since 2004, and have been trained in the Integral Yoga tradition in America, the Indian Bihar Yoga tradition for therapy, and became attuned to perform person to person Reiki, also in India. I work with everyone, for the most part; there really isn't any shape of person or age that I turn away. No one is too fat, old or young for this practice, and i welcome most challenges with open arms. It is extremely rare that no one walks away unhappy; if you are taking the time to better yourself, then it is always a great investment.
if you are here because you need coercing, then i can tell you it's a great ride. i began my practice as a new year's resolution, after attending a few classes in years prior that seemed to echo that I could use more of a yoga practice in my life. 7 years later, i still stand by how impressive this practice is in helping you to understand and read yourself. Reflection is important in this fast paced world for self preservation, as we are pulled opposite ways often; this way helps you to ground, connect, surrender, strengthen, and grow.
i hope to include you on a journey of self exploration on a cellular level, which is frankly a huge part of yoga...not just where you put your foot or how high you can place your leg; it has everything to do with our motivations, our thought processes that wrap the entirety of our lives, how we handle situations, the works.
so check back often to learn more of my musings of the mat...as it stands, i learn something new each practice, so it should stand to reason i will have more to offer in the future.
bless.
But, the choice remains to communicate; and most of us are in the large percentile of people that choose not to, for whatever reason. I chose not to in the past because I didn't want to step on any toes, to cause less friction, so I chose to swallow my individuality to blend in. There's more than that, though, on a deeper inquiry; I also want to keep things as they are, which is frankly vaguely unhappy. I cause less tendency for joy in that decision as well; it's a scary thing to ask for what you want and actually expect receiving it.
So here I am, whether I like it or not. I am choosing to open vishuddha, to explore some feelings I may not have thought about approaching in a while due to some irrational fear. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that I am never as alone as I think I am; and that this reaching out, even if it is online, is better then keeping it all to myself. We are in this all together, we could all use a little encouragement, love and support from time to time, and I would relish to give it.
so, besides choosing to be more self expressive, what else am i?
i am an elegant goofball that tries not to take myself too seriously. i firmly believe in only living beautiful places, doing yoga every single day, and listening to a great soundtrack while i am doing anything. i love to teach, i love to play and create, and i love working to be present (even though it isn't necessary most of the time).
i am a certified yoga therapist, vinyasa teacher, and reiki practitioner traveling this path of practice since 2004, and have been trained in the Integral Yoga tradition in America, the Indian Bihar Yoga tradition for therapy, and became attuned to perform person to person Reiki, also in India. I work with everyone, for the most part; there really isn't any shape of person or age that I turn away. No one is too fat, old or young for this practice, and i welcome most challenges with open arms. It is extremely rare that no one walks away unhappy; if you are taking the time to better yourself, then it is always a great investment.
if you are here because you need coercing, then i can tell you it's a great ride. i began my practice as a new year's resolution, after attending a few classes in years prior that seemed to echo that I could use more of a yoga practice in my life. 7 years later, i still stand by how impressive this practice is in helping you to understand and read yourself. Reflection is important in this fast paced world for self preservation, as we are pulled opposite ways often; this way helps you to ground, connect, surrender, strengthen, and grow.
i hope to include you on a journey of self exploration on a cellular level, which is frankly a huge part of yoga...not just where you put your foot or how high you can place your leg; it has everything to do with our motivations, our thought processes that wrap the entirety of our lives, how we handle situations, the works.
so check back often to learn more of my musings of the mat...as it stands, i learn something new each practice, so it should stand to reason i will have more to offer in the future.
bless.
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