You Think God - Brahmacharya

Guruji always used to say, "You take practice, you think God."

As I look around, I see there is a lot of practice going on, specifically asana practice, which is great, and inspiring in many ways;  but somehow the second part of Guruji's teaching seems to have been forgotten, overlooked, or conveniently  omitted, and what concerns me that this oversight of "God thinking" reduces our practice to merely circus tricks.

Guruji also said, "Yoga is mind-control."

His words were simple, and hit exactly on point.
In many ways, yoga isn't actually about our physical practice at all.  Rather, it is concerned with controlling our mental-world, and specifically, how we direct our thoughts.  If we are really yearning to practice yoga, and seek to attain the ultimate goal of waking up our inner Divine Nature, then we need to take Guruji's words to heart, and continually practice directing our thoughts towards God.

This is also called: Brahmacharya.

Literally the word brahmacharya means, "the path that leads to Brahman" or "moving in Brahman."

Brahman is the fabric of the universe, Absolute Reality. It has nothing similar to it and nothing different from it.  It is Infinity.  In Vedanta philosophy, it is described as saccidananda: sat (Existence absolute), cit (Consciousness absolute), and ananda (Bliss absolute).
(A concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy, John Grimes, 2009).

In his classic work entitled, Sadhana, Swami Sivananda states that there are three things essential for God-realization: constantly remembering God, cultivating the yamas (ethical codes of conduct), and making every activity an offering to the Divine (p.32).
He suggests that alongside ahimsa (non-injury) and satya (truthfulness) that brahmacharya is, without doubt, one of the most important virtues to develop through our spiritual practice.
I would go so far as to say, that without integrating a practice of brahmacharya there can be no hope of progressing in true Yoga at all.

This begs the question, how can we develop more in the field of brahmacharya?
I feel it begins by creating a clear intention to shift all of our thoughts, words and deeds into closer alignment with God.  This includes increasing our investment in all of the people, places, and things that encourage us to cultivate a more intimate connection to Brahman, and reducing our exposure to everything that pulls us further away.

We must start by developing our awareness around who and what are we surrounding ourselves with.  Are we generating positive thoughts or cycling in negativity?  What are we watching?  What are we reading?  How are we spending our time?  Are we wasting our energy chasing after fleeting experiences and momentary gratification?  Are we feeding our senses or our soul?

We need to examine and evaluate our mind, speech and actions to determine whether we are being propelled closer to the goal of Yoga - Self Realization, or driven by old habits of obsessive ego-gratification.  Is our yoga practice motivated by a desire for deeper union with "God," both within and without, or is it pushed by an insatiable hunger for the fickle affection of others, fame and fortune, or instant pleasure?

I practice asana because it is a very effective tool for directing my attention more acutely towards the Infinite.  I can see the direct results of this integration happening on a deeper level in my approach to life.  Taking the time to make contact with the pulse of this ancient life-force, even for a second each day, generates more internal positive energy then I can describe.  However, this is rarely a pretty process, neither is it a perfect one; frequently it is baptized through sweat and tears, and hardly ever do I have a practice that feels "YouTube" worthy.  It is a private sacrifice of my ego each day; and regardless of whether I'm crawling or floating, I know that I am aiming to align my inner world, and consequently, the rest of my life with Brahman.
And if I have nothing else to show for my efforts, at least I have that - an honest yearning for God in my heart.

David Williams is often quoted as saying, "Yoga is all the things you can't see."
I believe this to be true.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter what your jump-backs look like, how long you can hold a handstand, or whether or not you can grab your ankles in a backbend.  How your practice looks on the outside is inconsequential, what matters is the effect it is having on the inside.

Yoga is a path that leads to God-Realization, and if it isn't heading in that direction, you are on a different path.

When we start to nurture our practice with the understanding of moving in Brahma, we begin to engage the world with an different attitude.  We start to experience the beautiful art of self-surrender: "I am Thine; All is Thine; Thy will be done." We begin to ask questions like "how can I serve" instead of "what can this do for me."

Often brahmacharya is defined as celibacy.  However, celibacy need not only mean sexual restraint.

The whole idea of creating a more celibate environment, is to purify not only one's body, but more importantly, one's mind, so that all faculties of attention can be one-pointedly focused in unbroken communion with the Source of all existence.  When we actually start to feel this Reality as the ancient Source of all things, pulsating both within, and all around, we can begin to practice yoga continuously, uninterruptedly, all day long, in everything we do.
Another one of Guruji's favourite quotes comes from Patanjali Yoga Sutras "sa tu dirgha-kala-nairantarya-satkarasevito drdha-bhumih" (1:14).  "Practice becomes firmly established when done continuously, without break, for a long long time, with sincere devotion." 

Lara Land has been talking about brahmacharya all month, and wrote an exceptional piece on her blog, Adventures in Yogaland, at the start of September.  I hope you will read it.  There is so much to think about and talk about on this subject - that it might possibly take us a lifetime to introspect and put it all into practice!

One thing is for sure...  Ashtanga Yoga holds so much more promise then just the physical aspect of asana, and we must start to actualize All Eight Limbs in our daily experience.

This is where the growth is.  This alone, will take us on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.

Om
Harmony

Finding Inspiration in Parkour

Jeff inadvertently found the inspiration for my blog today.  He started showing me all these videos on a discipline called Parkour.  You may be familiar with it as something called "Free Running."

It made me start thinking though, how Parkour shares many similarities to Yoga.   It is a philosophy of living.  It is a discipline and a daily practice.  It is not about gymnastics.   However, it is about connecting deeply with an internal force of energy and moving efficiently, and effectively through space in unison with this flow that is within us, and all around us.

It changes one's perspective on life.  Using the body as a platform for discovery, it unravels our preconceived ideas about what is physically possible, and in doing so it frees our minds from the constructs we've built to control our reality.  

These restrictions were once adopted to protect ourselves; but eventually they grow and begin to strangle the joy from our lives, and we become enslaved to our limiting ideas about who and what we are.  

Pakour is about becoming connected to a flow of movement.  To the force of prana (cosmic energy) that thrives and pulses within us.  There are no limits, no boundaries, except the ones we create in our mind.  It forces us to breakdown the prison we comfortably enclose ourselves within.

Through daily practice, there is a possibility that we can potentially evolve, transcend, and become more then human.  Facing our fear of death (abhinivesha) and courageously moving beyond it, we hope to realize our true identities as embodied, divine beings.

It encourages Play.  It dares us to Change.  It makes us question whether we are really, truly Free.

I hope these videos inspire you to keep Exploring and Playing in whatever form that might take.  Explore yourself, your capabilities, and your infinite potential.

Become ONE with God.  This Is Union.  This IS YOGA.

Time for a Spring Clean!

Jeff and I started a cleanse this week.  We are combining a couple of different cleanse ideas and kind-of creating our own thing (and doing our best not to cheat too much!)  As it is Spring after all, which is a great season to do a little proverbial housecleaning both internally and externally!

We are using the guidelines from the 21-Day Clean Program, which involves having a smoothie for breakfast, your main meal at lunch, and then something liquid, a fresh juice, smoothie, or soup for dinner.  We are also following the diet restrictions (with a few exceptions) and taking the supplements from the Wild Rose Herbal D-tox.  Of course we actually are pretty terrible at not "cheating" on these kinds of things... but we are doing our best to stick to it, and also, we're not getting too down on ourselves or throwing the whole plan out the window if we do slip a little from time to time.

The first couple of days I felt super hungry and pretty tired, but I'm starting to feel a little more energized and am beginning to find my rhythm again.  The most important thing to set yourself up for success on a cleanse like this, is to be very clear about the parameters at the beginning, and then be sure to stock your fridge and cupboards in advance with quick and healthy snacks and food for those times when you're super hungry and need a fix.

We filled our fridge with fresh berries at the start of the week, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries... delicious! We also have ready to eat carrots, celery, cucumber, rice cakes and hummus.
Everything is washed and ready to go!  No excuses to snack on something illegitimate.
We're also stocked up with lemons, baby spinach, ready to eat salad mix, kale, hemp, chia seeds, and tons of frozen berries for smoothies.
As well, don't forget the vegan protein / probiotic / all-in-one smoothie mix.  Personally, we like Progressive Nutritional: VegEssential All In One.   However, there are many great products out there that are comparable, and some may even be superior, but this is the one we're enjoying right now, and it is easy to find, which makes it a good choice for us.  
At the end of the day, when I'm feeling hungry or weak willed, and all I really want to do is just relax and fill my belly with chips and salsa, Jeff repeats what our friend Rachel told us helped her make it through... "drink some water and know that I love you."

So, if you were wondering what's going on with us, and why I haven't exactly been feeling a tidal wave of creative energy this week, this is the reason.  I've been lost in a bit of a detox fog... but the clouds are clearing now, and it looks like we're moving into a sunshiny summer!
Hang On... there's only 10 days left in May! 

Back to West Coast Living!

We are back to Victoria - back "home" - and oh how good it feels to have a "home" to come back to... and one that is so stunning at that! Lucky Us! We've been visiting the ocean every day, and enjoying the intrinsic beauty of nature, just taking it all in - it's been a sweet return to this island paradise.

The air is clean, the sea breeze is refreshing, the sun is shining, and the food is fresh, nutritious, and delicious! We feel so blessed to be able to call this place "home".

We've returned from India with a new certification to teach at a more advanced level, which was the main purpose for our visit to Mysore.

In addition to this however, we were blessed with the opportunity to reconnect with many colleagues and dear friends, with whom we shared and learned as we reinforce the strong bonds in the international community of Ashtanga Yoga practitioners and teachers.

In a way our time there was a bit of a "graduation."

A time to reconnect with the lineage of this tradition, and to have Sharath express his full confidence in our ability to transmit the teachings of this practice, and to go on teaching what we have learned with full authority.

Now that we are back, we will focus on continuing to build and educate the growing community of Ashtanga Yoga Practitioners and Seekers here in Victoria with deep gratitude and humble sincerity for all that we have had the blessing to receive!

Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah Hari Om!

Why Practice?

Have you ever had one of those practices where ever posture felt like punishment?

Well, that was my practice this morning… there was a lot of self-pity “child’s pose” happening after each asana, along with some overly dramatic moaning and groaning as I chipped my way through the cement in my body, and even more so, in my mind.

I’m not sure if it was because today is the winter solstice, with the longest night of the year, but I was certainly feeling the heavy weight of the darkness pressing in on my thoughts as I slowly crawled my way through this morning’s yoga practice.

It made me think about why I choose to practice in the first place.

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself, “Why do I practice this Ashtanga Yoga?”

It certainly isn’t the easiest type of yoga out there.

It demands commitment right from the beginning, and doesn’t allow much room for flirting.

It requires a certain amount of trust in the process, courage to confront your fears and face your shadows, and the stamina to go the distance, even when it feels like more work then reward.

The practice demands all of this from a student before it will reveal the depth of its richness, or offer its bounty for the body and spirit.

For me, I practice because it carves out space within my body, and creates clarity in my mind.

It realigns me day after day with a higher purpose, and a more noble way of being in the world.

It teaches where to let go, and where I should hold on.

It strengthens my ability to bring forth the qualities such as patience, compassion, joy, forgiveness, peace, truth, and love.

It shows me that surrendering to something greater then myself is not as scary as it might seem, and that through renouncing the results of my effort, I find true freedom and release.

Today was one of those days. However, I was reminded that although I may not always feel fantastic during the practice, I somehow always feel better by the end, just for making it through, and doing my best on any giving day.

The practice is our mirror for life. As we polish the mirror daily, we can see more clearly the truth of who we are, and gain deeper insight into the ways we choose to live.

But it really is not so important to know why I practice this Yoga.

The real value is in answering this question for yourself: Why Do I Practice?

Dare To Change

Change.

We love it, we fear it.
We seek it, we resist it.
We are both thrilled by it, and terrified of it.

Change.

Its promise moves us into the morning.
Its challenge drops us into night’s sleep.
Ever on the horizon, leaving a trail of evidence close behind.

Change.

We adore it, we abhor it.
We need it, we avoid it.
We continually crave it, and combat it at every corner.

Change.

It is ever present; but can never be caught.
It is our healer and destroyer, the great physician, the last mortician.
It breaks our heart, and renews our spirit.

Change.

It is the shadow of Time.
We are imprisoned by it, bound to it, there is no escape.
It holds the key to our freedom.

Change.

We can never step into the same river twice.
A person is never the same from day to day.
We can start over at any time.
We can choose who we want to be in every given moment.
Choose Wisely.

Change.