Time and time again we hear people say, Life Is All About Making Choices, but what many failed to demonstrate is the weight of responsibility that one has to also take in making the choice. Making choices in life certainly has its values, and the right ones come with rewards. Having said that, the choices themselves carry their own liabilities, which may result in serious consequences and ramifications. However, people do commit the crime by being utterly ignorant about it.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
In Search Of Enlightenment – But really, are we?
A few days ago, as I was surfing the net for resources for my training manual, I stumbled upon an article on the search for enlightenment – the modern search, that is. The article breaks down the definition of enlightenment. It was interesting to find out how others define the same word in a variety of perspectives and in different contexts. One describes it as a freedom from feelings to feel fully without identifying with those feelings. Simply put, it means you do not suffer from any emotion and you are not governed or trapped by the nature of a certain emotion, say ‘grief’ as you are able to free yourself from the possibility of being drained by the emotion. Another one says that enlightenment is a readiness to surrender the ego to pure awareness. Those are the modern views that many can relate to. The traditional view backdates from Lord Gotama Buddha and was somewhat different, as in more spiritual.
Gotama Buddha explained that enlightenment is a state of Samadhi, a state of highest meditation where one removes the veils of ignorance, being aware of the huge, expansive and immeasurable feeling that knows no hatred. Gotama also had attained the 4 states of the mind; Metta – lovingkindness, Karuna – compassion, Mudita – joy, and Upeksha – equanimity. If you put those against the modern perspectives of enlightenment, the latter seems more achievable and the process of enlightenment manageable.
I say it is manageable because it can be found in a yoga practice. Then again, is that what the modern seeker is searching for? This is because yoga has been proven not to be just a spiritual practice but also a practice that offers more graspable goals of firmer abs, lower blood pressure and reduced stress levels. Yoga Journal says those are okay because practical goals can provide the essential foundation of sound body and mind. However, those goals need to be altered if one is earnest about finding that modern version of enlightenment as those gym-like intentions would eventually lead us into a lot of forcing, pushing and showing off in our asana practice. The Yoga Sutra mentions that, “numerous skills arise, but none are necessarily see by another (III:20) because the transformation takes place within the experience of the yogin.”
In this modern society where it is common to have many issues under one’s belt, it is important for one to have goals that are not overly idealistic so that one may be less likely to cling to what one wants or become deluded about one’s achievements. In general, the world has become a race of grabbing stuff and owning things. Letting go is a process that majority lack to foster. What many don’t realize is in reality, the more we let go, the more we benefit from the process.
Exploring the above, “ the enlightenment process is much more of getting rid of stuff than grabbing hold of it.”, says Richard Miller, P.H.D. Clinical Psychologist and founder of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Consecutively, it is illuminating to hear when B.K.S. Iyengar said that in “enlightened moments, one experiences instances in which one sees clearly and chooses wisely. Each moment is new and one responds to it anew. It is the first time that moment’s ever happened.” Now, have we yogis not experienced those instances before, especially after a really good practice? Because I know that when I have a strong practice, there is no moment in life that is not juicy. To me, that is enlightenment, as juicy and as simple as bliss is.
In a class practice, the practice of awareness and mindfulness play such a major role in our quest to find peace and harmony. Enlightening moments begin when we are constantly aware of our breaths, the one entity that has kept us alive till now. Being mindful of how our body moves, how amazing we feel with every correct step that we take are all enlightening moments that we can attain in class by simply being present, being focused in how we do what we do and yet aware of the things that surround us.
As a teacher and practitioner, I have observed how many people tend to be too dependent on their teachers or even their asana practice in their search for enlightenment. Although this is common among practitioners, ultimately, for the seasoned yogis, we find that a teacher cannot enlighten us but a gift a teacher can give is to reveal our deepest truths and aspirations. Then again, that can emerge from the depths of our own solitary practice. And like most gifts, enlightenment remains a mystery until we receive it, until our hearts are open and do not close.
In a nutshell, no matter how we define enlightenment or however much we want it, practice is utterly necessary. “Practice, practice, practice. All is coming.”, a famous advise from the late Guruji Sri Patthabi Jois. So lets enjoy our practice, make every posture count and each moment an enlightened one.
Namaste.
Azmi
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Practice with Intention, NOT with Tension
Taking the cue from the previous topic, I would like to share what I found in the Yoga Journals that was pinpoint perfect, which also happens to be the insight of my own practice.
It says that approaching our practice with thoughtful intention is one way to receive the benefits of yoga that go beyond the physical. Its identified as part of what separate yoga from pure exercise. It is also a way to practice being more conscious and aware of our actions - a lesson we can take beyond our mats.
When we start to set an intention, it starts to unravel why we practice. When you have identified why you do what you do, you can emphasize and take ample care as to how you do what you do. Consecutively you can move on to bringing considered understanding and focus to every action you take.
Let us cultivate this 4 states of mind in setting our most honest intentions ;
Lovingkindness - METTA
Compassion - KARUNA
Joy - MUDITA
Equanimity - UPEKKHA
Namaste,
Azmi
Why Do You Practice? UTMOST IMPORTANT!
Of late, I have been very disturbed by how people practice and their way of approaching yoga in general. Practitioners are getting complacent about their practice, dependent on the techniques and deluded about "higher" intentions and goals. I thought as yoga evolves to better fit human lives and to merge with modern societies, shouldn't it be more convenient and comfortable to arrive at certain goals and attain balance and equanimity in a shorter period? However, what I have observed was actually the opposite.
I found out that the general intention was to alleviate back pain, relieve from stress or become flexible but along the way, people tend to move away from their intention and start to join this ridiculous race of who have the longest hamstring or the most open hips! Instead of searching in our own bodies and understanding its capacity, we end up pushing, fighting, forcing our way to be who we are not. Then we ask our teachers why we get injured, why are we in pain and why we cannot come into a certain pose after a long time. Do I really need to answer this question? Yes I actually do. I started to do my research, called my teachers, looked up in the internet on yoga news, reflected on my teachings and delved into my students profile.
Eventually, I got the answers. Its our own honest intention and the yearning to learn. I mean common, you don't have to be told "spread your fingers wide" in downward dog 10 times to get it right or "don't bring your knees further than the line of your ankle" 20 times to feel that its right do you? There is so much that a teacher could share in his class but are our intentions enough for the teacher to see to deemed right to share more?
That is when a workshop manifests itself. When the teacher finally decides it is time to unravel more in a more personal environment where there is more time and capacity to focus and learn. Workshops are investments for those who are willing to learn and passionate about the practice. Workshops are the only time for both teachers and students to go deeper into the aspects of yoga, apply the techniques immediately after getting them and feel and experience the joy of the new revelation.
It is natural to assume that our practice and our life are totally separate, that we practice for an hour or so day and forget about it. But after a while, the two inevitably begin to merge. Like Kali Ray, founder of Triyoga said at the Asia Yoga Conference, "What is not Yoga? Nothing. Everything is Yoga."
Its no secret that we often do things for reasons we're totally unaware of. Sometimes our unconscious motives become clear only after a great deal of self reflection. So it is important to realize that questioning the intent of our practice inevitably leads to inquire about the meaning of life as well. We might as well be asking one day, "WHY ARE WE ALIVE?".
Namaste,
Azmi
Friday, June 17, 2011
Sharath Rangaswamy - Ashtanga Led Primary Series.. where everything applies.
When I opened my eyes at 5.00am on the third day, I thought I was going to feel so sore and wasn’t able to attend Sharath’s class. But as it turned out, I felt brand new and could not find the soreness in my low back, which I expected from all the classes and workshops in the past 2 days. I figured the heat patch worked on me! I had put 2 patches on the effected area the night before and felt great that morning!! So I got all worked up and excited to attend Sharath’s class with much enthusiasm.
As preparation to the class, I had done a 30 min Yin class on my own and also a session of nauli as part of the cleansing practice prior to the Ashtanga class. It usually makes me feel so much lighter. And it did. I arrived at the convention centre 30 minutes earlier. At first there were only a few of us there but in just 5 minutes, throngs of practitioners arrived and already making a bee line at the entrance. As much as I didn’t want to make any expectations out of the class, I did want to make the best out of this one, especially after paying so much money for it, a bad thought.
So much distraction was going on before the class actually started. What with the photo taking, people asking for autographs, and warming up into contortions beyond disgust. Luckily for me, I had a front row seat where there was nothing between me and Sharath. Meaning, NO distractions.
I was mending my own business and trying not to be bothered by all the fracas when I heard Sharath said ‘samasthiti’, which basically means Standing or in Sharath’s words, class begins. And so it began, the tradition of almost a century old, the culture of Sanskrit counting, the flow of ASHTANGA Vinyasa, right before you presented by Sharath Rangaswamy. Hearing him brought me back to Mysore when I was practicing with Guruji Sri Patthabi Jois. The flow, the energy went like a soothing river coming down from a mountain. I don’t remember him having us stop to catch our breath, but then I felt I was jumping back and through with a lot of ease.
That day I was determined to lighten my practice and to step back a lot more than I would usually do. I wanted to find out how its like not to be intimidated by all the other ‘super Ashtangis’, not to force anything and just go with what your body needs than what it wants. Gosh, how wonderful it was to practice humility and be able to retract back when you listen to your own body and without having this distraction of seeing and looking at others with judgment. One thing that Sharath did that was so enlightening was to emphasize the practice to bandhas and drishtis. It worked wonders for me that day.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Evolution - DAY TWO, Pt. 2. Jason Crandell Releasing the Spine
Before I bore you with what could be more lengthy stories of my daily accounts on the incredible experience and amazing journey at the conference, I thought I’d sum up the rest and put them altogether on this final account.
After that journey in Paul Dallaghan’s class, which had me thrown back with all the sensible new information about the Ashtanga system, I continued the journey and entered Jason Crandell’s “Releasing the Spine with Sidebends, Twists and Forward Bends” workshop. Having learned from previous lessons that expectations would just ruin and disappoint you, I came into Jason’s class without any and psyched myself to take everything in and allowed my body to analyze and experience it myself. The discussion and changing of notes I had with my student, Karin who like me, blessed and fortunate to be at the conference, confirmed the greatness and beauty of Jason’s classes as our notes were to be the same!
The first thing Jason did when he came on stage was, he addressed the class in reminding us not to over power in coming into a posture, not stretching the hamstrings, not jamming the sides and not crunching the belly but everything was to be done with the sense of awareness towards the spine. In fact, he urged us to do that in everything we do because the spine affects everything we do and everything we do affects the spine. He also told us that advance postures does not impress him so before we come to an advance posture, check on the intention first. If ego is involve, then best not to do it.
His way of lengthening the sides, lifting the diaphragm to open the ribcage, opens the heart in order to feel long and spacious in the spine. And that space will keep us open in our minds and receptive in our thoughts for us to go further in our journeys. He prevented us from going further than we should at the present because he wanted us to feel what was happening right here and now and just be happy with the present moment.
Many times when we practice difficult postures, we have this tendency to push and think that if we were to bend a little further, to twist a little tighter, to fold a little deeper, we would reach the final and perfect posture. Those actions represent our own demons that we need to battle with. And the way many of us do is by over stretching ourselves to a point of losing our breath, which is the only thing that protects us from harm other than our awareness. It’s almost like taking off our battle-suits and going naked against our enemies. So we need to have our breath and awareness always close to our minds before we do everything in our lives. With that, Jason closed the class with a soothing chant of OM to draw everyone back to their intention. What a beautiful class that was. The passion and dedication showed in every single thing he said.
I know I said at the top I want to make this ONE final account? But after writing on it, I figured that we could use a moment to assimilate all that is written and sink it all down to our system and make sense of it through our practice. Enjoy the new information and have a wonderful practice. Stay tune for the rest of the amazing notes coming up soon…
Next.. Sharath Rangaswamy – Ashtanga Led Primary Series (Where everything applies…)
Friday, June 10, 2011
Evolution - DAY TWO Pt1, Second Series is NOT Second SERIOUS!
Explore First Into Second Series of Ashtanga Vinyasa (Paul Dallaghan)
I decided to skip Jason Nemer's The Art And Science of Handstands workshop after finding out that it would be an Acroyoga class. Too circus-ish for me lah. And having registered for Paul Dallaghan's 2nd series class after that, I figured I needed more rest to prepare myself for it.
So I slept in and got up at 9.00am, did a short Nauli (stomach churning for cleansing) or what I considered as Nauli, 30 mins of Yin before getting myself ready for Paul's class. I don't know why I got myself worked up for this class, well... actually i did. It was because that was to be my first LED class for 2nd series, let alone being led by a world revered Ashtangi, Paul Dallaghan!
My egos and fears started to outdo each other inside me and it started to make me feel sick! Eventually when I got to the class, there were people who expected showing off their prowess, which made me felt sicker. Well, an Ashtanga class is nothing if not intimidating. But as soon as Paul walked in, all these stopped. He started to emanate grace by humbly smiled at everyone making me feel so much at ease.
It got better when he started his introduction by being so down to earth about his approach to the practice and by not regarding 2nd series as an intermediate practice as was previously regarded. He also explained the meaning of Nadhi Shodana (2nd series - cleansing of the nervous system) that requires breathing and stillness using a series of asanas to enter its purification process. Only then the body can emanate radiance and connect to whats happening inside. Thus, he told everybody to stop regarding Second Series as (squinting his eyebrows) "Second SERIOUS...".. LOL!!
We need to feel the connection and understand the relation between Asana and Vinyasa. Paul also emphasized the difference between 'compromise' and 'modify'. In a posture, one should NOT compromise by adjusting it by forcing to a point where one thinks one reaches a goal while the breath loses its comfort and the heart struggles to open. Instead, one should modify by humbly moving out of the struggle without losing the breath and to keep the heart open and yet staying with the principles of asana and vinyasa. He said, the point is NOT to push through but be patient.
With that, we moved through the practice and with Paul's guidance, I felt so liberated and did not at any point feel intimidated or forced. I stuck with the said principles although it was so hard to ignore this acrobat circus act next to me who was flying everywhere! Paul also said if we were to set a long time goal for our practice rather than a couple of months, we would achieve a better success rate than pushing through as that would actually make our practice worse. His way of recounting his own practice when he started out in relation to our practice brought such conviction that everyone can get to where they want through patience and perseverance.
In 90 minutes, Paul managed to carefully choose and integrate postures of the 1st and 2nd series and led everyone to the profound experience of Nadhi Shodana. At the end of the class, a girl shouted "Namaste!" from across the room, Paul looked up at her and said, "I prefer Goodbye. Its more professional, so Goodbye!" LOL!
Goodbye!
Azmi
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Evolution - DAY ONE
0710 hrs - Arrived at the Convention Centre after just 20 mins walking from Star Street, where I am staying. Registration was pretty easy and straight-forward. Could do better with the badge, it think, instead of just a printed plain white sheet of your time-table. After all it WOULD be a souvenir people want as a memorabilia. Even YogaZone did a much better one!
I took some time to get familiar with the layout of the conference, see where my classes are located so that I won't waste time looking for them after one another. I did have back to back classes today. Silly.
0800 to 1100 hrs - Yoga Anatomy for Teachers (Continued Education for Teachers) PT1
First class started on time. Martin Kirk went around to introduce himself personally, which I thought was a humble thing to do. His energy was nice. Always smiling and speaking with so much passion and dedication. Finding out only recently that Martin is an Anusara Teacher, made that my first Anusara workshop - something that I would NOT have chosen due to its conflicting techniques to my more familiar Ashtanga but I thought, what a heck, why not? The information that was divulged to us that first part was incredibly insightful as I learned the evolution of life from its inception form of a single cell DNA to what we are today! The part that I still dont appreciate is even after 20 mins, there were still people coming in!! What a distraction!! I am also NOT keen in finding a partner to work with but this IS an anatomy class and some parts we do have to feel it on others. And the horrible horrible spiritual ego that thrived in that class was making me sick. What with people unnecessarily coming into some contorting stretches with a face expression of a prima ballerina. Geez, GET OVER IT DARLING.... YOu'RE BLOCKING MY VIEW! Nonetheless, I enjoyed the class cos Martin covered my most favorite muscle - the Illiopsoas and he also came up with some kewl moves that would certainly help me with my Ashtanga practice, which was coming up next.
1130 to 1330 hrs - Universal Principles of Asana & Vinyasa
After a quick bite of a danish pastry, I went in for my second workshop. I have been looking forward for this as Paul Dallaghan stand as an authority of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system. And true enough, his teaching made sense of the system, teaching us how to direct our attention to the right issue. He touched on Udiyyana bandha, the part that is often neglected and boy did I go further, jumped higher and felt ever lighter!! Woo Hoo!! Paul was also a funny man showing if it looked cooler for those who always thought tucking the elbows in the ribcage for Chaturanga was absolutely necessary. HAH! there you go! A lot of old techniques were challenged by newly thought-out ones. It was amazing, true evolution of the yoga practice and vinyasa system. Although I know the ego in this class would be even more horrible but I didn't allow myself to get effected by not bothering to check out the others. HAHA!! ANd in the end, I learned more and absorbed more.!!
1400 to 1700 hrs - Yoga Anatomy for Teachers (CET) - PT2
The second part, we covered shoulders and knees but hardly absorbing as it was rushed through. At one point I fell asleep cos Martin spent too much time story telling and the point when he raved about how Anusara being bio-mechanically correct as opposed to other practices, I lose interest. As the workshop was drawing to a close, I got so restless and wanted to leave for my next class, telling myself - STICK TO ASHTANGA!!! Oh well, I gave anusara a try but it got egoistical on me. However, don't get me wrong, I did learn new things that were helpful, so i took whats necessary and dunk the rest.
1730 to 1930 hrs - Thai Yoga Massage
My last class today was almost missed cos I was feeling hungry and tired. But then, I thought, having a massage on an empty belly and feeling tired was perfect! I was initially skeptical about the teacher because her credentials didn't really impressed me. However, like all the classes, I went for the fun sake of it. Martina Lee not only had a nature of a true Yogi, she also made me feel at ease for being without a partner. I did eventually found a partner and a very good one at it, a Pure Yoga staff, Aida. She was very willing, skillful and receptive to information and feedback. A few times I fell asleep at her hands and if it wasn't for a really bad odor from this eastern european man next to us, I would be dreaming. Nonetheless, Martina's simple to follow sequence and technique has just put another skill under my massage belt.
2000 hrs -
Hurrah!!! What a day full of insights and incredibly amazing new information. I walked my way home with a big smile thinking and thanking my sponsors without whom all this evolution in yoga would not have evolved in me. (Eating his Napolitana pizza)......
Namaste,
A
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
In Search of Knowledge at EVOLUTION 2011.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
First Class got No Class
It seems like there's not going to be another X-Men movie that can beat The Last Stand (2006) where the Phoenix reigned. First Class lacks the class of the modern day X-Men and their authority to their own prowess. I mean Emma Frost should just lose that diamond look she could not carry and might as well be naked and blond cos what a BORE she was! Even the invisible girl was more memorable. The best of the lot? The villainous Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and Charles Xavier (James McAvoy). Thank god for them who were the most suave and happy with who they are and actually BE what they are.
With the rest, just close your eyes and imagine. You'll get more punch and excitement out of it. Until you re-pick and watch X-Men The Last Stand again, keep your eyes closed cos The Last Stand could literally live up to its name.
The Last Stand, Taking A Stand, As The Last Men. X-Men.
Die hard mutant,
A
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