๐๐๐๐ ๐ชท
is about clearing away
whatever is in us that prevents our living in the most full and whole way
With yoga, we become aware of how and where we are restricted in body, mind, and heart ๐ค
and how gradually to open and
release these blockages
As these blockages are cleared, our energy is freed. We start to feel more harmonious,
more at one with ourselves
became easy to turn inside
and connect with self
Our lives begin to flow or we begin to
flow more in our lives
"If we all lived #YOGALIFESTILE,
the world ๐ would be a better place"
Once a young man wanted to know the meaning of life. He searched high and low, he took courses and workshops, but still he could not quite grasp it.
One day, he went to hear a #Master speak. At the end of the lecture, the young man raised his hand and asked:
"Could you please explain the meaning of life?"
The audience chuckled at the eternal question and started to get up to leave. The Master replied: "That's a very good question. I have the answer right here in my bag." He took out a small mirror, captured a ray of light with it, and directed the light to the young man's face.
"Can you all see how I am catching the light and directing it to his face?" he asked. "Yes."
"The meaning of life," the Master explained, "is to gather Light and to take it where it's needed the most. Your purpose is to capture some Light and take it to some dark place in the world ๐ ."
Yoga Lifestyle is about two actions: "cleaning the mirror" and "spreading the Light".
The mirror is the mind and body.
They have to be clean and pure to catch the light in the first place.
Yoga lifestyle is therefore about purifying the mind and keeping the body healthy
Yoga lifestyle includes certain principles and values, some of which refer to the 5 rules of social conduct, #YAMAS :
#Ahimsa = non-violence
#Satya = truthfulness
#Asteya = non-stealing
#Brahmacharya = faithfulness
#Aparigraha = non-greed
"Mind in the past sinks into sadness, mind in the future is troubled by uncertainty,
only mind in the present brings lasting happiness as it meditates on the action at hand."
Mind is like Music... ๐ผ
Music is non-continuous.
Among the beeps and sounds of music, there is a lot of silence. There would not be a beat if it was not followed by a pause.
Similarly, there would not be Light if there were no darkness to illuminate.
Our mind is also non-continuous, although it often seems that it never stops working. But in reality, the mind has many bleeps and pauses.
What is a bleep in the mind?
The state of Pure Being. The state in which we can experience the Inner Self, or our individual vibration of the Universal Consciousness within.
When you begin to meditate, you first discover the ever-working controlling nature of the Mind.
But then, with a little bit of patience, the quiet moments beyond the Mind become more and more apparent.
With more steady practice, our inner witness learns to identify and rest our attention within those mental pauses to experience the Inner Peace
"DANKE๐๐ผNamaste"
What makes your life special ?
We remember certain times in our lives as special moments. We meet old friends and reminisce about the 'good old' times.
Have you thought about what made those times so special ?
Whether those special moments were filled with adventure and intensity, or were the most mundane moments, there is one simple similarity:
We lived in the present moment
We remember only those times when we allowed the richness of the outside world to interact fully with all of our senses. We kept ourselves open to the present experience moment by moment. Those experiences get recorded in our memories forever as special moments.
On the other hand, we do not remember when we were lost in thought.
We do not remember those times when we sat and thought about the past or the future.
Those times are just bleeps in our memory.
That is one simple truth about life
Our life is not the days we have lived but the days we remember.
Or in other words, our life is a
sum total of all
present moment living
"Meditate on the balance between effort and relaxation."
What's right with this picture ?
As a society, most of us are trained to pick out the flaws in every situation. From a young age, we are given cartoon puzzles that ask "What's wrong with this picture ? " and we have to find the differences between two almost-identical images.
Those are important exercises for critical thinking, but taken to an extreme, one's mind can only see 'the wrong' in everything.
As a follow up exercise, and to maintain peace of mind, one needs to practice
seeing the Right in every situation.
Below is an exercise that will train your mind to be content and see the good in everything
if you are reading this in the morning, ask yourself these questions and look for the answers during the day. if you are reading this at the end of your day, think about the day and try to answer these questions.
Pause right now.
Take a breath
And ask yourself:
โข Have i seen any Kindness today ?
(be specific: who, when, and where)
โข Have I seen a smile ?
or heard any laughter ?
โข Have I noticed any expression of Joy ?
Perhaps in a child, or their parent.
Or in a dog happily running through a lawn.
โข Have I witnessed any sign of Gratitude ?
Maybe from a colleague, or a friend,
or a total stranger on the street.
Make this a practice
Once a day, either in the morning when
you can remind yourself to notice all the
Rights in every situation, or at night,
to ask yourself these questions.
Kindness, Joy, Love, and Gratitude
Pay attention to them every day,
and you will personify these qualities
I love letter๐ from the Universe:
You are going to be OK
You were born to thrive, to fly, to soar wild and FREE
Don't forget you are loved, you are important, you are enough.
Let go of the struggle.
Release the worry.
Surrender the fears.
Burn that uncertainty and doubt to the ground. Use your incredible willpower and choose to allow your mind to cease all those thoughts and just be. You are not your thoughts, your body or even your emotions.
You are much much more.
You are strong,
YOU ARE POWERFUL, you are loved ๐ซถ
You are allowed to have a shitty day, it means you are growing, re-creating, being given an important message from your soul.
Slow down.
You do enough.
You are enough.
You have enough. In fact all you really need to ever do is BREATHE
If all you do today is breathe, you are doing just fine.
Quit doing.
Start BEing
Stillness is your friend.
Inner quietness is your ally.
You were made for this.
You got this.
I believe in you
I love you โค๐
โฆall we have is ๐๐๐
It's Great to be Grateful
A proven yogic method of being
one with the Universe is to
practice Gratitude ๐๐ผ
Saying "Thank you" fosters your own well-being, improves your mental outlook, and reduces stress.
Grateful people have more positive thoughts than negative ones.
When to be grateful ?
โข First, in your closest relationships
When was the last time you thanked your partner for something simple they did for you. "Hey, thank you for making that delicious dinner." When was the last time you left them a thankful note: "Thanks for being such an amazing person."
โข Second, with your friends
"I'm glad we found the time to catch up over lunch. Thanks for coming."
โข Third, at work, especially in stressful times
Be grateful to your colleagues and your bosses, even when the ego struggles with this idea. It sure is not easy, but your random acts of unexpected gratitude will make them pause and look at you in a different light. Which in turn will make you feel great.
There are so many more
ways to practice Gratitude
With your parents, kids, and even strangers on the street , etc
Try at least 5 'Thank you' messages per day in the next week, and experience the emotional ๐
alchemy in yourself and in others
"Your body grows from the food you eat,
Your mind - from the sensory-planted seeds.
What sensory seeds are you planting now ?"
Do Mess with Perfect ๐ชท
A Buddhist proverb states: "Everything is perfect with much room for improvement."
Another common phrase "Don't mess with Perfect" hints at the inherent 'perfection' present in any situation.
We often hear that things are as they should be, even if they seem hopeless sometimes.
However, in yoga, the recognition of that perfection is not enough. A Yogi takes a proactive approach, and strives toward their peace of mind through multiple tools (Meditation, acts of kindness, Bhakti surrendering of ego , Pratipaksha Bhavana etc)
As a yogi, you may accept everything as already perfect, but in addition, you would ask yourself: "What can I do now to make my mind more at peace, less agitated, and more focused ?"
With such focused mind, you can be of greater service to others,
instead of simply accepting things as they are. Sometimes, the Perfect has to be improved upon by making your mind more focused and at peace, and more useful to help those in need.
Before you must do something, before you step out the door, pick up your phone, or open your computer, please ask yourself:
"Will this make my mind more peaceful, and more focused ? "
... And choose your actions accordingly
Always be kind ๐
- โIf we truly live many lifetimes,
- ๐๐ก๐ฒ not make a choice about what you want to do in THIS lifetime.
- Instead of trying to do everything now,
- just make one simple and definitive choice.
- In your next lifetime, you can make a different choice.โ
- There is a practice of remembering all the positive and inspiring things that happened each day: a smile ๐ kind words .
- Another practice is to initiate a positive and inspiring event yourself.
- Have you tried smiling (kindly) at an angry driver ?
- ... Leaving some extra change in a parking meter for the next person ?
- ... Saying words of encouragement to a jogger ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ
- ... Or randomly writing a short note to a close friend to express how much you value their presence in your life ? Etc
Light the candle ๐ช
Deep down,
in your core,
in your heart ๐ซถ
that this pause is what's real
- โYoga is not for the person who eats too much, or who starves him or herself.
- Yoga is not for the person who sleeps too much, or who doesnโt sleep at all.
- The middle path is Yoga.
- The Yogi knows how much to eat, to sleep, to speak.
- That is the middle path. It is the Buddhaโs teaching also, the golden medium.
- You should go neither to that extreme, nor to this extreme.
- So, donโt abruptly cut off your senses.
- Allow the senses to enjoy the world, but donโt get carried away with them.
- If we know there is a limitation in everything, then life will be good to us."
โGot Agenda
Give It Up
For Peace of Mind,
Empty Your Cup."
"Mind the Gap that exists after exhale ends and before inhale begins. ๐
Mind the fleeting thoughts.
Mind the Gap that exists when one thought fades into the Subconscious and before another enters and attaches its sticky uniqueness to the mental screen.
This in-between Gap is Infinity
This present moment exists forever
On and on ... and on
There is only this present moment
This Gap is a pause in your physical reality
it is the entry point to Nirvana.
Nirvana is the Superconscious state,
Where past and future are mental illusions.
When your mind gains clarity, it becomes a clean slate
Without worry, sadness, fear, or confusion.
But in fact, that Gap is the only thing that exists.
That pause is the only thing that is real.
And even though our precious ego resists
To give up its reign, you still feel
Deep down, in your core, in your heart,
that this pause is what's real.
When the mind pauses,
you experience
who YOU REALLY ARE."
Life has itโs ups and downs, We call them SQUATS ๐๏ธโโ๏ธLET IT BE . . .
Wonderwoman meets YOGA ๐คธโโ๏ธ
You do not have to be a yogi to do yoga
You do not have to look like a hero to be a hero
You do not have to be runner to run ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ
You don't need to be a
body builder to lift weights ๐๏ธโโ๏ธ
Wherever we think too big, our lightness is lost. Our muscles tighten, we cramp. That is also the reason why many people fail to establish new habits in the project.
Pressure to change something triggers cortisol. Cortisol means stress. And stress in turn means that we can not learn.
Change arises when we simply act without brooding over the ultimate goal
โจ Realize your Inner Flow ๐โโ๏ธเฅ
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐เฅ ๐๐๐ & ๐๐๐๐๐ โฎ๏ธ ๐๐๐๐๐
Just remember, when we were kids what we used to do? We used to shout, play and enjoy
Every CHILD is nothing but a bundle of joy but as we grow up, somewhere, we lost that JOY
How do we get back to the
innocence
we were born with?
There are three things that stops us from being joyful like a child.
3. Stress
2.Prejudice
3.Insecurity
๐Stress we can get rid of by making using of the breath. There are a number of '๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ
that help us relax and get back a lot of energy.
๐Second is to get rid of prejudice. There are many types of prejudice. This is all because of lack of a broad vision and wisdom. Wisdom is to rise above prejudice and see the
WHOLE WORLD ๐ AS ONE FAMILY
๐Third is insecurity. Insecurity of what? 'Oh, there is nobody for me. Who will take care of me?' I tell you, there is so much love and compassion on this planet, and there is a
higher power
which is all LOVE
and it will give us what we need when we need.
Gurudev ๐ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
"Some people run on Dunking', Yogis run on ... Thanking '." ๐
Don't you feel good when a passerby gives you a friendly smileโบ?
When a driver waves you on to let you go first ?
When you receive a Thank You card from a friend ?
These small acts of kindness make you feel good. They make you want to do something kind in return.
Share a gentle smile with strangers, be a patient driver, and reach out to old friends with kind words.
It is as though you pass on the Feel Good Torch. Someone hands it to you with a smile, a kind deed, or a caring word. And now you feel that you need to pass it on to others.
Others will also feel that they need to pass it on. Thus, kindness continues to spread from person to person. Imagine the whole world doing small acts of kindness all the time, passing the Feel Good Torch.
When you make another person feel good, even for just a brief moment, you pass on the 'Feel Good Torch' to them. Now it's their turn.
A Yogi lives for that ripple effect, spreading Gratitude and Kindness. Knowing this simple secret to creating Kindness, a yogi is mindful of their every word, action, and even thought
But really, it's that simple. Just keep on Thanking '.
โHug ะฐ tree,
shift your Energy and raise your
Vibration of Love ๐."
So, how do you go about connecting
with a tree ?
Find a tree that seems to beckon to you.
Place your hand on the tree ๐ฒ
and close your eyes.
Allow yourself to feel its Life Force Energy.
You may sense this energy as a vibration or a feeling of warmth.
Take several deep, cleansing breaths and allow the energy to begin to envelope you.
When you feel moved to do so, just wrap your arms around its trunk.
You can even put your face to the bark.
Stay in the position for as long as you feel guided. Be sure to thank the tree for allowing you to share in its energy.
Non-violence is a foundational principle of Yoga. Yoga teaches us to examine our actions, words, and even thoughts.
Non-violent attitude is the foundation for inner peace
if you would like to maintain your peace of mind in any situation, practicing Ahimsa (Sanskrit for non-violence) is essential
Non-violence is simply a habit.
As with any habit, it can be developed and ingrained deeply into your nature.
For that, conscious daily awareness is necessary.
Take a moment in the morning each day to pause for a minute and mentally instruct yourself to be more mindful of your language, thoughts, and actions.
Likewise, take another minute at the end of each day, to pause and examine your day and extract any lessons from it
โWhen you do something, do it with one hundred percent of the mind. Donโt do it half way.
Whatever you do, do it with full concentration.
That is Yoga
"To Achieve Anything in Life
Train the mind to have Clear Unwavering Focus"
Think about successful business people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
Or famous athletes like gymnast Aly Raisman and swimmer Michael Phelps.
Or even our politicians.
They all have one quality that propelled them to achieve great heights: clear unwavering focus.
Our mind is an incredibly powerful tool when it is focused. All too often, however, our minds are distracted. In fact, many of us are addicted to distracting our minds, instead of focusing them. This habit of mind distraction prevents us from achieving great things.
But any habit can be unlearned, and a new useful habit can be developed.
Yoga offers a simple (though not easy) solution:
Meditation Practice ๐งโโ๏ธ
(training the mind to be more focused)
