Friday, December 22, 2017

Benevolence in Yoga

Benevolence in Yoga

The theme of my yoga instruction for the past one month was, “yoga to cultivate benevolence”. Last week, I wound up one of my classes in Savasana with a note: yoga is a quest to purify the body, mind and spirit; and an invitation to join the original intended design of our self. “How do we know we are in the right path”, asked Kevin when he got up after the Savasana. I knew Kevin and knew what he meant. Being a practicing yogi, Kevin did not seek an answer on how to measure the circumference of his biceps or how his balance in tree pose increased with time. His query was deeper- how does one know if are facing our “home” and we are in the right direction. We may be farther (like the prodigal son), but does our practice invoke that nostalgia? Have we accepted that invitation to clean the mind, body and spirit; and its unity: divinity!

What is the most important attribute of divinity? Benevolence, period. It is the altruism in love; unbridled compassion; and untrimmed service. If you see changes in your life (not getting upset when somebody, irrelevantly, honk you; or when you are able to think in their shoes; or when you are able to help somebody even without being asked (as St. Nicholas did), you may be in the right path. I could see many frowning faces, “why do we need yoga to do all these?” Fair enough. If you are able to do this, you’re already a yogi!

The theme is more relevant in this season of the year- a time to contemplate and evaluate. I happened to hear a good homily last week (very rare these days). The woman spoke about how we prepare ourselves to receive the abundant blessings. “Let it go”, she said. It may be a hug, a smile, a small talk, or an unsolicited service. Let’s do that without hesitation. The birth of Jesus heralds a new beginning: a life of love, compassion, service, peace, joy and hope; and a commitment to mend, guide, lead, protect and connect us with the divine. The goal of yoga is that union with the divine through practices in our life. One of the greatest yogis I have seen is Jesus; He is the personification of karma, jnana, bhakthi and Raja yoga. The warriors in your practice represent the grace you seek, the balance we cultivate, the resilience we foster, the humility we nurture and the accomplishment at the end. The manger, the shepherds and cattle are the heights of the humility endured by that great king.

I will continue love, compassion, service, peace and joy as the themes of my classes in coming days. We will focus on heart chakra and the heart “openers” I will bring several essential oils, including myrrh, to the class. These oils have the attributes of spiritual fulfillment and transcendence. Hope you may be able to join.

Peace, Love and Joy to you and your family when you celebrate Christmas; May God Bless you all abundantly in 2018 and years ahead.


Jay

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