And that little warmth, which then triggers my heart to feel joy permeates my whole system...lifting up my spine, allowing my circulation spread out contentment, form a smile in my face, feel alive and ultimately share this great feeling.
Such pleasure in such simple things, eh?
That's all it takes...
wiggling my toes in the sun.
Patitas al sol.
Today i feel an urge for sharing. Sharing to the world, to who will come across these writings, and also to myself. Sharing much of what i've discovered, learned-still learning, admire, believe in, admire. It might come out as a bit scattered, but the more i think of it, the less i want to attempt "structure" my thoughts, my impulses and feelings.
Ok, so it's about yoga and the yoga teachings i've been immersed in. There is no way i can publish/translate all i've learned--its so personal! plus, it's an on going journey. The same sanskrit words, the same mantra, the same idea/concept shifts, modifies, deepens every time!
So, at least let me set that (which is kind of obvious): YOGA.
As you read, just take the time to evaluate, take in, inquire within yourself and your surroundings what these words mean to you. That's the beauty of it, i believe.
We are all individual unique beings, alive at a precise moment of our lives, experiencing personal circumstances, feeling, beating and vibrating our own existence. Yet, so connected to each other and the universe.
The great teachers I study and learn from:
Krishnamacharya-- considered the "founder" of Yoga, since he began the huge journey of bringing back yoga to the world, creating access, the link to it's wonderful system. From him, his students, we know yoga today: Iyengar, Indra Devi, Pattabhi Jois, TKV Desikachar.
TKV Desikachar-- son of Krishnamacharya and longtime student, is one of the world's foremost teachers of yoga. Founder of Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (in Chennai, India..where i plan to go!) and cofounder of Krishnamacharya Healing and Yoga Foundation. His teaching follow his fathers principles which though considered traditional practices, he is a true believer of adapting to modern's life circumstances and each individuals need.
Left: Tirumalai Krishnamacharya
Above: Krishnamacharya and his son TKV Desikachar
The rest, let it speak by itself:
"Yoga approaches the individual from the inside, through the mind. Yet each individual is not simply a mind, but a system. Actually, each of us is a conglomeration of a vast system. This system is more than my body, which is nourished by food. It is more than my breath, more than my relationships, more than a faith. Any influence upon one aspect of the system will affect every other aspect. What we experience in Yoga is a conscious influence and change in the overall system. We may choose to begin with the body, the breath, our food, or our relationships. Whatever the point of beginning, we change the totality of the system. It is impossible to overstate the possibilities of this gradual approach to well-being in our lives."
"'Who am I? From where have I come, where am i going? Why this suffering, this darkness, this confusion? What is to be done, to be left undone: what is to be said, and what left unuttered? By what bond am i bound? Is it all by cause...or without cause?'
And with faith or doubt, hope or horror, the cycle draws each man and woman toward the finality of death, the waiting mystery.
The quest for happiness, for tranquility, transits through these fundamental conditions and questions. All of the world's great religions and philosophies provide solace for the journeyer. It is the gift of Yoga to create that union of body, mind and spirit capable of truly understanding and existing within the serenity offered by eternal truths..." (Pg. 83, Health, Healing and Beyond, TKV Desikachar)
Most important, according to me,
is to provide necessary health, so that we can digest the food we eat,
sleep well and remember what we have been taught and what we have studied-- Krishnamacharya
"We seek to understand our most intimate mystery: the human being. How are we formed, how do we function? What is the source of our physical and mental suffering, and how are brought back to well being? What are the limits, if any, of our capabilities? What is our place in this vast universe, God's measureless creation-- and how do we assume it?
Obviously no one can offer definite answers to these questions. But for anyone inclined toward such inquiries, we live in a most fortunate age. We have at our disposal two different approaches to our questions: the intellectual accomplishments and extraordinary tools of modern science, coexisting with a legacy of thousands of years of human experience and it's divinely inspired, hard-won wisdom. In short, we have two broadly conceived ways of observing the human being...they are not mutually exclusive, as increasing numbers of open-minded health practitioners of each approach are coming to recognize." (Pg. 101, Health Healing and Beyond, TKV Desikachar)
"Our lives are almost entirely governed by our actions and their consequences. As the Yoga Sutra state, any action can reveal its results immediately or in the course of time; those results can be good or bad, and they are part of a continuous process-- one action influencing another ad infinitum. Dhyana is the quiet meditation, the reflection we bring to the consideration of action.
One example is the so-called "worst case scenario". We reach a firm decision about something we are to do, but before acting we reflect upon the possible negative effects. Whether we leave our decision unaltered or changed in some fashion, the reflection (Dhyana) helps bring clarity of mind and precision of action." (Pg. 111, Health Healing and Beyond, TKV Desikachar)
"It is within our capacity to be the healthiest humans who have ever lived on this planet. TKV Desikachar
One example is the so-called "worst case scenario". We reach a firm decision about something we are to do, but before acting we reflect upon the possible negative effects. Whether we leave our decision unaltered or changed in some fashion, the reflection (Dhyana) helps bring clarity of mind and precision of action." (Pg. 111, Health Healing and Beyond, TKV Desikachar)
"It is within our capacity to be the healthiest humans who have ever lived on this planet. TKV Desikachar
"Illness is an obstacle on the road to spiritual enlightenment.
That is why you have to do something about it." Krishnamacharya
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
(om shanti shanti shanti)
(om peace peace peace)
--Fía.
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