Ganesha - The lord of Buddi; learning and intelligence

Yesterday I walked the aisles of my local Indian grocery store and walked right into a colorful collection of Ganesha statues. It immediately dawned on me that this was the sign of the upcoming Ganesha Festival week in India, especially Mumbai and Pune.

I recalled seeing hundreds of large Ganesha statues being made on the street sides of the neighborhood of Wakad in Pune as I would drive back to my office from my daily morning practice at RIMYI. So obviously a blog post in honor of Lord Ganesha was in order. How could I have not thought about it earlier - but then most of my blog posts are not thought through or planned in advance - they have a way of simply coming to me and yesterday Ganesha came in all his colorful glory in all sizes and shapes.

Lord Ganesha has a special place in my life, both past and present. The front doors to my old home opened to a statue of Ganesha, that I had brought back from one of my trips from India. The elephant and elephant god has always had a special meaning. There are images of the elephant images sown through my entire house, including the table top that I am writing this blog on. Ganesha has represented the calmness and intelligence in my life. He has been my spiritual protector and guide. I left the statue behind in the old house. He is the part of the yoginess in me.

This week thousands will gather in Pune - the whole city will shutdown as they will take effigies and statues of Ganesha and immerse them in every waterway around Pune.

So other than being the son of Shiva, a god with an elephant head and a broken tusk - what is so unique about Ganesha? Well, he is a very unique diety. Ganesha is probably one of the most universally worshiped god in the hindu religion and its offshoots. The Buddhists and Jains worship Ganesha as well.

According to comments in Wiki, Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles (Vighnesha, Vighneshvara), patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom. He also represents the symbol "OM". Intelligence and OM are connected to the practice of Yoga.

So, I am trying to connect this all together on what has Ganesha represented for me as his presence has been woven into my life for many years - ever since I heard some relatives greet me with "Jai Ganesh". Despite such strong presence I have had challenges to my intelligence. I have had moments where my buddhi (mind) was completely destroyed. But Ganesha has remained in my life.

He takes central place in the little temple I maintain in my home. Not above, not below, just right in the middle. He represents the calm, the peace, the mind and body connection I strive for every day. There is not a day I don't visualize Ganesha in my mind. In moments of strife and stress, especially when I am challenged by anger and folks who have destroyed their own intelligence with pettiness and ego, it is the image of Ganesha that comes to my rescue and inspires me to remain calm and strong - not some ubiquitous yoga pose.

Yoga gives me the ability to self learn and heal. Ganesha gives me the courage to stand up and focus on my intelligence to remain calm and still. His broken tusk represents that there is beauty and art in imperfections. It represents that even the strongest can be broken, but the broken can stand up and become the strongest with their mind and intellect and compassion. Next time you see an elephant - you will see Ganesha.

I want to wish Skeptic Yogi all the best in her upcoming great day. next week.... let that be for eternity. Her last post was inspiring. I also discovered another great blog. Visions of Cody - by an ashtanga yogi in Boston. Its funny and thought provoking. I had an immediate connection to his posts. There are so many of us on parallel paths - its comforting and inspiring.

Namaste

The Yogi

Push for perfection or accept status quo - Are some battles worth fighting for?

Just as I was about to write this post about my experience in class yesterday (it was painful and unbearable!), my human resources manager walked in to complain how the tax department in India had not given her a refund she was owed for the last two years. She will lose the entire amount if it is not refunded to her before March 2009. By paying a 20% bribe she could get it all back, but she is reluctant to do it as she feels the company owes her that money (even though technically it was not the company's fault).

What does one do in this situation? I couldn't encourage her to pay a bribe, but at the same time, some battles are not worth fighting for. In the end no one wins. Without being judgement about the state of affairs of the Indian Tax Department, this battle I know will result her in losing the entire amount. So I asked her "Would you rather lose 100% or get at least 80%?". Her response was "I just want all 100%" implying the company give her a 100% and take the loss.

This didn't seem like a fair transaction to me. So I shared some personal experiences where I settled for something less than what I deserved, because I knew if I fought for that 20% more, I wouldn't get the 80% no matter how unfair it felt. At the same time I have engaged and seen other folks engage in meaningless battles, where there was no winnder. I am not sure if she got the message completely, but it certainly re-assured me of my decisions in the past to not engage in certain battles in life. Its better to accept "status-quo" in order to move forward vs fighting battles that you know you can't win. They result in unwanted pain and suffering and there is no learning from that pain. Some battles are just not worth fighting for!

So here is the connection back to my class yesterday. It was with the lady who I described as awesome from the class on Thursday as she so diligently focused on ensuring we spent time in executing all the small steps to get into poses. She also teaches the Tuesday AM class (yesterday). I was glad to see her. The theme was restorative and forward bends mostly in sitting down positions, Adhomukha Virasana, Sukhasana with forward bend, Badhakonasana in forward bend with head resting on bolsters.

These poses can be painful if you have not done some warm up stretches prior. She pushed us to extend and push down the sacrum in order to get the thigh muscles down to get extensions in the spine. It was a repeat of the class from yesterday, except that I had already tired myself out from walking for an hour prior to the class. I didn't ease into them, such as using a chair to rest my head on vs a bolster and blankets. In this quest to push, I was battling against my body and my body was telling me "NO"!. Was it Ego, was it intimidation or was it the quest to fight my own body that made me not get up and just get a chair. I went against my own gut feeling, because the teacher was pushing everyone to go for the maximum stretch.

Did I ever lose this battle! My glute muscle pain around the sacrum returned this morning with a vengeance and so did my right shoulder pain. I overextended myself as I fought the battle against my own body for the sake of perfecting the pose and showing the teacher that I could meet her expectations. I didn't let go of my Ego! Was it worth it? - NO! Will I suffer the consequences - YES! Do I expect to fully recover - YES! But, I expect to be in pain for the remainder of my time in Pune and then some.

Some battles are just not worth fighting for - that was my lesson for today!

Namaste

The Yogi

Power of Yoga is 4 months today with 3000 unique visitors - Yoga has lasted for 2000 years, Will it?

I posted my first blog on January 6th 2008 out of a desire to share my experience with the world - about how yoga had changed me and changed my life. I want to express my thanks to all of you who have read what I have to write, to the many who have commented and sent me personal emails. Writing this blog has inspired me to become aware of yoga philosophy, the real message and purpose of yoga beyond just the physical benefits. Just like yoga this blog has become inherent part of my life.

Yoga is a way of life. It is a system that is 2000 years old and still going strong. How does a system last for 200o years? I am asking that question to all of you who read this blog and come from all corners of the world. Please write to me, or add comments here. I look forward to hearing your point of view.

My biggest inspiration comes from my children, and the 30 children who are in their class, who learn yoga from me one day a month. The sequence and theme of my last class was requested by a 7 year old student. He wanted surya namaskars and surya namaskars he got. I found that simply "amazing"!

I look into the eyes of these youngsters who are only 6-9 year old but the passion and delight they have for yoga is par none. I observe that incredible joy and excitement when they line up to practice Adho Muka Vriksanasa (Handstand) and clap when each one of the finishes the pose. I am amazed by their devotion to the yoga philosophy. Unknowingly they are absorbing the true message of yoga. They spent 3 weeks preparing a puppet show to demonstrate yoga poses with their little fingers, as a way to thank their teacher. What more can their teacher ask for? It comes to them naturally and that gives me tremendous joy and happiness.

Many of these youngsters are yoga masters of the future. When they grow up many of them will pass this knowledge of yoga on to the future generations. This is how yoga has lasted for 2000 years and will continue to last till eternity. I feel blessed to be part of this way of life and I am heartened by this insight. Thank you Nina for sharing the same insight with me. Thank you kids for making it all worth while with your devotion and delight to practice yoga with me. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Namaste

The Yogi

O' Canada! - A trip to Eionn Finn and Insiya Rasiwala's heavenly abode in Ucluelet, BC

A few weeks back I found Eion (pronounced Ian) Finn's bliss blog on the net; one of the links on the yoga blog glob http://www.itsallaboutyoga.com/. His life mission on his blog states the following :

"My life mission is simple but crystal clear: to fill my heart and soul completely with the energy of Nature, to absorb it into my being and to radiate it out into the world as Positive Energy. Teaching Yoga is one of the forms that this Positive Energy is spread, but mostly what I am sharing is a Lifestyle... a way of being where Body and Mind are in harmony with Nature and Community. Enjoy all of these offerings."

It totally captured my attention. Turns out Eion is an expert Vinyasa Yogi and an avid surfer. He teaches a form of power yoga in Vancouver BC along with his wife Insiya (what a beautiful name!) Rasiwala who is from Mumbai India and an expert in Ayurveda and Vinyasa style yoga herself. She is also a surfer. Coincidentally, Eion is a graduate of the same university as I, Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Eion is also an avid surfer and combines yoga and surfing. He has developed a number of great yoga videos, including yoga for surfers. He is a well known yoga personality in Canada and does many workshops. He and Insiya also own a heavenly place appropriately name "Pacific Soul" in Ucluelet B.C. Its on the pacific coast of Vancouver Island, the surfing capital of Canada and known for its winter storm waves. They offer yoga retreats in Ucluelet, Costa Rica and Bali. Pacific Soul is available year around as a vacation rental when Eion and Insiya are not residing there.

I drove up to Vancouver B.C. followed by a long but gorgeous trip to Ucluelet from Vancouver this weekend. It included a 2 hour ferry ride from the beautiful Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, and then a scenic drive through the mountains, valleys and rivers into Ucluelet. The weather cooperated yesterday and gave me a chance to hike around Pacific Soul. I took many pictures of nature surrounding the area, including a deer and the bald eagle that perches on a tree across from the living room. Though I didn't get a chance to practice yoga with them, as they were not in Ucluelet, I did get a chance to relax, breathe, read, meditate with my photography, and simply observe the nature around Ucluelet and Tofino BC.

Tomorrow I will return home. Despite the long drive, it was worth the trip. To see the the majestic and tall snow capped mountains of B.C. made me very nostalgic. It reminded me of a trip to Whistler B.C., the ski capital of Canada, some years back with the family when my older daughter was just one and the younger one was yet to arrive. It was a heavenly trip and I remember feeling uplifted as we drove through the Canadian Rockies.

Eion and Insiya's Pacific Soul's interior is something out of a home interior design magazine. The aesthetics and design corresponds to their perfection in their yoga style. Its very modern yet very simple. There are yoga books and videos everywhere in the house. I took a lot of pictures. Enjoy the slide shows and Eion is right -Yoga is a way to radiate the positive energy we can absorb from Nature. Being with Nature is being in harmony with the body and mind. That is the essence of yoga!

Namaste

The Yogi

No Yoga Today with Nuvana

Since I am in resting mode and waiting for physical therapy to start next week (I found a therapist who is also a certified anusura yoga teacher), I didn't make it to Nuvana's place for yoga therapy. Instead she advised I roll up a towel and sit on it while I work and try a supported "supta padanga gusthasana" on the stair case at home. Worthwhile try. I have mostly just tried to relax the leg with the pigeon pose folding of my left leg. The pain continues to sustain itself and experts tell me it could be sciatic pinched nerve.

I do plan to attend her her back-care class at sunset yoga center tomorrow http://sunsetyoga.com/ which should be less taxing and more rest-full. In the meantime enjoy another one of my iyengar yoga video picks from youtube. It has no music but a nice set of surya namakar. And for those of you interested in expressing an opinion please visit my alter ego at http://haveopinion.blogspot.com/. May the sun shine in your life with vigor and energy of surya namaskar pose! And sunshine is renewable energy!

Namaste

Iyengar style:


Ashtanga Style just for kicks: