Yoga Practice in the Park.

In “I feel pretty”, an image conscious adult played by comedienne Amy Schumer revered her reflection in the mirror. The confusion in her mind after an accident and the ensuing drama was fun to watch. What impressed me was the message: be yourself. In the end, two resounding questions remain: “who are you?” and “what were/are you thinking?” We all had been there at some point and strive to reset. Removing the ignorance of conditioned existence is the goal of yoga, a path we tread through detox, strength, balance and the mindfulness.

I have set “reinventing through yoga” as the theme of Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu (LSSB) event this year as part of International Yoga Day on June 21^st. I am excited to organize the morning yoga practice this year too- on June 3^rd, 10^th, and 17^th from 7.30 -8.30 AM in the Cambridge Chase Park in Aurora! (1359 Haversham Dr., Aurora, IL). No yoga experience is needed- just you, your breath and a mat; rest, covered.

There are umpteen definitions of yoga in the modern world: yoga helps to stretch, bend, flex and get the full the range of motion of body to enjoy the life to its fullest to the more philosophical one- yoga helps to clean your mind, body and spirit. This clean trio enhances their union; the union we are intended to be in the first place when we are designed. It’s a beckoning to that original design. The mind, body and spirit cleansing through grace, grounding, balance, humility, strength, ahimsa (non-violence), swadhyaya (self- teaching) mindfulness and pranayama will be reflected in these three weekends. Remember: “Sharing, listening and building community builds collective resilience…” The opportunity to watch, observe and learn in a group setting makes one to hone the skill, cultivate passion and develop perseverance – the key for success. This is the plan:

Day 1: Cleansing through yoga. 7.30-8.30 AM on June 03 2018: We will practice various breathing techniques and detox poses. End the practice with meditation.

Day 2: Warrior in you! 7.30-8.30 AM on June 10, 2018: A smooth flow incorporating warrior poses depicting the grace we seek, stability we need, balance we foster, humility we nurture and the ensuing exaltation in yoga practice (and life). We will end the practice with Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

Day 3: Yoga for Balance. 7.30-8.30 AM on June 17, 2018: Beyond the physical, strength means our ability to face influences that may affect us- it is our ability to “Prevent the deviation of mind”. We will practice Pranayama techniques; poses and counter poses in sequence (including sun salutation and moon salutation)

Three of my good friends (Pradeep, Karen and Tey) would also lead the classes. Karen is a Life/ Wellness Coach and certified yoga instructor. Her yoga practice embraces ashtanga philosophy, pranayama, meditation and self-love in a nurturing ambiance. Tey teaches classical Hatha based on the International Sivananda Yoga Vendanta practice. As a recording artist, Tey has produced eleven albums, three of which feature Meditative Spiritual Music. You may find her at www.teymusic.com  We are planning for a live music yoga on 17^th. “Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees it”, believes Pradeep.  Pradeep has made yoga his way of life. His students follow the same path to benefit from the millennium old treasure to the humankind.

It’s an opportunity to synthesize your philosophy and vision on yoga; and an occasion to interact with a group of committed people who believe in its benefits and practice it with dedication; it’s a "crowdsourcing" in yoga. Hope to see you all.

Love,

Jay

Let it go…

I struggle to explain Prathyahatra - the least known limb in ashtanga yoga- in my yoga classes. “It’s a bridge between what we bring to the yoga practice (asana) and what we get out of it (meditation), it’s the withdrawal of the senses into the mind like a turtle withdraw the limbs into the shell, it’s the withdrawal from sensations and associations which could be excruciating in the beginning”, I say. Let those pass you, let it part with you, a brighter side awaits you.

“The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside

couldn’t keep it in, heaven knows I've tried” (“Let it go”, from Disney’s Frozen) I never thought a Disney song would become handy to teach the philosophy of Prathyahara.

My long time mentor and boss left the corporation recently. Having worked with despots to control-freaks, it was a loss for me. I met him recently over the counter in a bar. When asked for the last piece of advice, he said, “It is hard to let things go especially when you’re at the helm. It is one of the hardest decision we may make. Train yourself for that”. Changes are permanent, embrace it, he added. Losses are excruciating; preparing for that is art, science, psychology and medicine. We may face those situations at work, in friendships and relationships.

I am ready; let it go; let all storms pass through; don’t let it paralyze you; it will make you stronger (“What doesn’t kills you makes you stronger”, Friedrich Nietzsche.) Sometimes, it’s a strength to surrender and let that go.

Love,

Jay

(“Contentment is not the fulfilment of what you want, it’s the realization of how much you already have”, unknown)