Beyond Asana: My Outcome

This experiment helped me deepen my own personal sadhana practice and I become comfortable with meditating alone. Of course there were days when I struggled to relax or questioned if I was doing it “the right way”, but I just reminded myself of an Iyengar quote I had heard “Breath is the king of mind.” That quote took the strain and pressure off focusing my mind and allowed me to just sit in silence and focus on my breath, and things fell into place from there.

Starting a pranayama practice separately from my asana practice helped me grow and strengthen a piece of my practice that was once weak and deficient.  I gained the peace and clarity I had hoped, while discovering pieces of myself I had left unexplored. This experiment helped me to see my life’s path more clearly and strengthened my emotional immunity. I feel I have more love, patience and understanding for others because I have more love, patience and understanding of myself.

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The Yoga of Service

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

There are many ways to practice yoga.

I am not talking about how many variations of downward dog we can do or how long we should hold headstand for, rather, there are many approaches to dedicating ourselves to the aim of yoga; the emancipation of our inborn spirit from the limitations of our own perception.

The Bhagavad Gita tells us that one such path, is karma yoga, the yoga of selfless service in which one “Act[s] for the actions sake alone, without attachment to the fruits of action”.  Initially, this may seem like a pretty straight forward and overly simple approach to spiritual development.

“What? No handstand?”

Karma yoga is primarily a mindset, in which one performs acts for the collective welfare.  In karma yoga, one becomes an agent of the creation, in service of the creation.

This is a very different point of reference than our habitual tendency to perform acts for our sole gratification.

History gives us many examples or great heroes of selfless service.  Names like Mahatma Gandhi, Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu and Thich Nhat Hahn come to mind.

This list may seem a little daunting and, the truth is, you don’t have be Mother Teresa before you can be a conscious agent of goodwill and compassion.  Remember, karma yoga is a mindset, it’s more about how we approach what we are doing, than the result necessarily.

The path of karma yoga will look different for everyone, based on their particular circumstances and tendencies in life.  For some, listening attentively to someone (rather than interjecting Your better idea) is a selfless act.  For others, it may mean starting an orphanage in Mozambique.

Each of us has a particular role (dharma) to fulfill in the great playing field of the universe, one that inevitable requires that we take some action, of some kind.  Our very own heart beat depends on this principle.

Yoga practice brings peace and insight to our role within the creation.  Karma yoga is the way in which can foster greater good in the lives of others, indirectly supporting our own development.  As it turns out, we are not so separate.

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Becoming Who You Are

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”     

-C.G. Jung

I love the above quote.

Not only is it a privilege to grow into who you are, it takes courage.

The truth of who we are is always silently knocking at our door through all of our interactions and even our own thoughts.  Eventually the door must and will open.

New doors are opening at Axis as we prepare to launch our 300 hr. yoga teacher training.  Maybe “opening” is not the right word…. more like flinging open.

More and more I feel like Axis’ work is to be of service, to support individuals in becoming internally resourced so they can affect positive change within all of their life activities. This is not just an idea, I’ve seen it in action with all of the students who have come through our door.

And, as Jung eluded to, opening the doors of positive change is a process.  Even if we feel stuck in our particular circumstances, which can feel so daunting at times, the pathway is always there, silently beckoning.

The good news is that you do not have to “…become who you truly are” in isolation.  In fact, with the support of community, the journey can be a very joyous, empowering and even fun.

Whether it is through our latest 300 advanced training or one of our monthly community classes I invite you to open the doors of self discovery more fully, receive the support of the collective and contribute more courageously in all arenas of your life.

Yours in the Spirit, Tradition and Service of Yoga.

Derik

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Wanted: Sleep

Insomnia can wreak havoc on your life. And that’s just what this Axis Yoga Teacher Training student was starting to experience. The Axis YTT program provided the platform for this student to experiment with Ayurvedic treatment of insomnia. Ayurveda, the sister-science to Yoga, has helped many students deal with their own health conditions. Experimenting with the Ayurvedic principles they learn in class allows students to have a greater understanding of the benefits of this ancient system of medicine. Here we see yet another story of success.

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Wanted: Sleep – Vata Imbalance

In the most recent past I was experiencing vata imbalances. As a result, I wasn’t sleeping as well as I should have been; close to 3 hours a night at the most. According to the Ayurvedic Home Remedies by Vasant Lad, vata induced insomnia is caused by stressors and sometimes depression. Furthermore, my insomnia was becoming a problem. I was falling behind in my classes and not healing from strep a few weeks prior. Thus, I decided that my Ayurveda experiment was going to be designed to overcome my sleeping issues.

To begin, I basically followed a regiment recommended by Lad. This includes dietary remedies, oil massages, and meditation practices.

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Wanted: Sleep – Dietary Remedies

It was suggested in the Ayurvedic Home Remedies book to drink warm milk before bed. Considering that I prefer not to drink dairy milk, I substituted with almond milk. I thought this was also a good idea since the book also suggested that one add blanched or crushed almond to their warm milk as well. Moreover, I would also stir in nutmeg and cardamom. I enjoyed this nighttime concoction because I wasn’t drinking tea before bed and consuming.

One remedy I did begin with, but did not continue, was garlic milk. To put it simply, it was gross and I didn’t want to drink it.

Another dietary element I added to my daily routine was cherry juice. The book however, stated to eat a dozen or so cherries a day, yet it was not cherry season. Needless to say, I bought pure cherry juice from the store. I figured it would have near the same vitamins that help decrease fatigue and insomnia. I drank about a cup a day.

Lastly, I would not eat any food about four hours before bed. This way my digestive process would not keep me awake.

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Wanted: Sleep – Oil Massaging

When I first started doing oil massages I used sesame oil. However, after about three days I noticed that I began to break out. Then a previous student suggested that I try coconut oil. I would apply this in the morning and after I showered as well as at night before bed. Then again, when I applied oil before I bed, I massaged my scalp, temples and feet. This felt very relaxing and I did not continue to break out with the use of coconut oil.

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Wanted: Sleep – Meditation

As Lad suggested, I decided to practice a So-Hum meditation at night. In addition, I would focus on my third eye. It didn’t take long after beginning meditation for me to fall asleep. In fact, I find myself drifting off in class during this meditation practice.

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Wanted: Sleep – Success

It is difficult to pin point one specific remedy that worked the most. Unless I did them separately, I believe I would never truly know which practice was the most useful. Perhaps it was a combination of all of them. Therefore, I will continue them for the time being. Drinking warm milk before bed I believe is a great alternative for tea. It not only appeals to the warm side that vata enjoys; it calms my stomach as well. As for massaging with oil, it definitely relieves the tension on my muscles. Also, my skin looks and feels amazing. Lastly, mediation helps deepen my yoga practice as well as reaching a short-term goal. Concluding, the end result was accomplished and very successful. I am now able to sleep soundly for six to eight hours a night, while additionally discovering some other beneficial variables as well.

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Know the 3 D’s:

Diet, Daily Routine and Dharma. These 3 “D”s were what made all the difference for one Axis Yoga Teacher Training student. For the final experiment of the training this student aimed high, creating a plan to bringing forth the life that was meant to be. Read how this one experiment has created a life-long endeavor to live as one was put on this earth to live.

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