Yogis of Tibet pt 2

I finally finished watching the Yogis of Tibet. The second half of the film shed some light on the secluded yogis and offered more interviews with monks and nuns and even The Dalai Lama. Several were shown offering their interpretation of the meaning of "what is a yogi?" Answers varied, but all loosely came back to being one who follows a path toward finding his or her true self.

I did not get the impression that Tibetan yogis practiced mush asana...more that they retreated to the mountains and did a lot of meditation. Many participated in some elaborate types of kriya or other posturing rituals to show devotion to the Divine. The film showed yogis talking about the health benefits of certain posture and rites; the narrorator always said something about the fact that the yogi has very reluctant and cautioned people not to copy the actions without a true guide or they might cause themselves harm.

The other message of the film focussed on how the Tibetan monks and nuns were able to keep their compassion knowing how the Chinese brutally destroyed their home and their people. It just seems so unfair for this invasion to have occured to the most peaceful people in the world. I have thought about this, too. Esp when I learn more about The Dalai Lama. He says your enemy is your greatest teacher...you learn patience and compassion from finding your way to work with your enemy. A young Monk in the film said that it might be because he is young, but he still can not fogive the Chinese, and he is too young and did not witness the atrocities.

Another nun (Western) said that if it weren't for the Chinese going to Tibet and driving people from their homes, the rest of the world may never have had the chance to participate in the religion and culture. The Chinese went to Tibet to eradicate their culture and Religion, but instead, drove the issue to the highest levels of visibility throughout the world and brought a great amount of attention to Tibet and its people.

Yogis of Tibet

I started watching Yogis of Tibet. It is a film intended to communicate and preserve the life of Tibetan yogis, who, since the invasion of the Chinese, have dwindled in numbers and begun to lose some of the tradition that has been strong for a thousand years. My children have been watching it with me, but, as their minds wander, so does my ability to watch due to their activities. So far, the film has presented a brief history of Tibet from the time they were spiritually united by a Buddhist monk to the Chinese invasion, and interviews of yogis and monks about their experiences of the invasion. It has just started to interview yogis in retreat...I must pause.

Doing something right?

Tonight at Vinyasa I thought no one was coming. At 7:40, I hear footsteps. Two people come in for class. I teach what I thought was an invigorating class...but at one point the man walks out. Hm, OK. I continue. He returns. After class, I finish the intake for them and the man asks me a question. "Do you have any of your classes online?" I was not sure what I heard, but he continued, saying that it was a great class and he'd like to do more. I said I was not at that point in my yoga teaching yet, but would consider it. It was a compliment! I was happy!

Composting

I have wanted to compost for a long time. More and more I find people who are doing it. I just found this on the Chittenden Solid Waste District Web site: http://www.cswd.net/composting/

An affordable composting system! And lots of great info on Composting.

Eating is Yoga

Satchidananda's Words recently were not particularly eye-opening...but struck a (good) chord with me. I have always thought about how I eat. I notice that I eat rather fast, and I find myself hurrying my children. Since my journey into yoga, I have tried to be a better example for my kids.

Instead of standing to eat (which I did often) I remind myself to sit at the table with them. I try to always eat WITH them and not after. I encourage them to try everything, and if they do not like it, they do not have to eat it. I do not encourage a "clean plate" but they do have to eat the dinner if they feel hungry later. I provide small portions. I provide healthy food often. And although I want them to enjoy eating and eat within a reasonable amount of time, I try not to rush them.

Sometimes I find myself inhaling my meal. I have let my mind wander so much that I forget to feed my body, to the point that it is lusting for food. Then, it does not taste the food, but suck it down and give me a stomach ache.

As Satchidananda said, "God gives us thirty-two teeth. Why? To chew well."

Control your Happiness

Another weekly words from Satchidananda...on the vein of linking happiness and detachment. He talks about how you should just accept things that happen to you and do not complain. It is "God's Will" so to speak. It's a very interesting thought. Where do we learn how to complain? Right from birth...complain about a diaper, gas pain...basic needs! But once they are satisfied, we are happy.

But then we learn to complain about unnecessary things. My purse does not match. My car's not new. Then we learn to be unhappy. Once we become attached to things, our unhappiness begins. Satchidananda says to stop complaining and start accepting. "The simple way to be always happy is to accept everything: profit or loss, pain or pleasure, praise or blame. Nobody needs to give you happiness. It is your own. You are happy, but if you want to make yourself unhappy, go ahead until you learn to be happy."

The Company you Keep

It is easy for us to veer off course when striving to find our True Self. Desires and attachments bombard us, layering thick upon our koshas throughout our daily lives. But even if we can not keep the path clear, reading inspiring words or seeking advice from those that have attained spiritual transcendence or wisdom through Divine study can help boost our own spiritual transformation.

The Weekly Words this week touch on keeping holy company. "The first foundation of spiritual practice is satsanga, or good company. Through satsanga, your mind will dwell on good ideas and, slowly, you will be transformed. Your bad habits and all that is undesirable will slowly go away and give place to new, holy ideas."

When you listen to negativity everyday, you fill up with this, and it leaks out of you. If you find yourself in a bad place, change scenes. Seek to find something more divine to surround you and absorb. Imbibe happiness and exude bliss.

Getting harder to keep up

It is getting harder to keep up with the yoga blog. As my training winds down, and my teaching schedule ramps up, I'm already finding that I've stopped thinking and started doing. Less thought, less "meditation" on ideas. And I have to get cranking on my research project.

We're also coming to the half-way mark on the year. 6 months and have I kept with my resolutions? Time to check in and get it going. Still practicing nauli often and neti as needed. Like now with my nasty cold.

Serving humanity

I'm thankful to have the weekly words from Satchidananda coming to my inbox once a week because it reminds me to write in my yoga blog!

This week the newsletter talks about being prepared and finding opportunities to serve. The service is not just to God, but to Humanity, to Nature. By serving everything, you serve God. Satchidananda's words add that it can be as simple as picking up a banana peel...you may be saving someone's head. "You can serve not only people. Serve the road, for example. If you see a piece of glass on the road, pick it up and put it in the right place."

And put effort into serving. For example, if you borrow something, and it is not working properly, serve it by fixing it. Even though you did not break it, fixing something makes it better for everyone. It's a kind payment for borrowing.

I think Satchidanada would also agree that when you serve, serve without expectations. You serve from your heart without attachment of recognition. Not with the thought that you will receive gratitude or payment for serving.

Veni, Vidi, Vinyasa

I came, I saw, I practiced yoga. I gentle twist to Ceasar's famous quote.

I held vinyasa this evening to 4 young women who I think enjoyed the class. For me, It felt wonderful teaching a harder class and playing around with more poses.

Bio at YVT

My Bio is also available on the Yoga Vermont instructor directory.

Mommy duck is at Yoga

I have not written in a while. But this morning my son had a conversation with himself that made me smile. He was in the bathtub with his rubber duckies: mommy duck, daddy duck and baby duck.
Baby duck asked, "Mommy Duck! Where are you?"
"I'm going to yoga."
"Oh! Can I come with you?"
"Yes."
"Daddy duck, we are going to yoga. Bye!"

Mourning

This week's Weekly Words of Wisdom states "Do Not Mourn". Satchidananda says that by grieving, "the soul becomes unhappy. It feels: ‘I am free. I am moving freely. I am happy; but, in my name, he or she is sad.’ You make that soul sad by your feeling sad." He suggests that we instead be happy for that person and recognize that death is a liberation from the body.

I understand his rationalization, and the concept that death ("maha samadhi") frees our soul from the constraints of the physical body. But I disagree that we, the souls in bodies still in Earthly form, should not mourn. I think mourning is a natural response to losing a loved one. People should let themselves experience grief. It is only through knowing sorrow that we know what is happiness! It is the same as feeling love for another human...only through love can we know true love of our True Self.

If someone lived a full life, and they have a terminal illness causing them pain, then when they die, accepting their "release" is easier for others. A loved one of that person has watched the pain and felt the pain of that illness and may be able to find happiness in their loved one's death. But if someone dies in quick accident, ripped suddenly from the many lives of people around them, then a period of mourning is a fundamental rite to allow for healing.

I also disagree with Satchidananda's explanation that our sadness causes the dead soul to be sad. If the soul is dead, they are free from emotions. Once dead, a soul ceases these feelings...so mourn all you want without guilt!

Vinyasa

Taught my first vinyasa class for YVT today. One person, a friend, participated. Thank you Mike!

Communion

Satchidananda's Weekly Words this week are about how to find real communion with God. He basically says that to find true communion with the Divine, one must first seek communion with others on Earth. It is by seeking fellowship with other humans, other beings and everything in Nature, that we can find a way to communicate with and be closer to our Universal Self. If you can not love others, how can you love your True Self?