Face adversities. Expand perception.

Adversity forces us to expand our perception.

One who has the ability to perceive, has the ability to rise beyond the cloudiness and gain clarity in taking the next step. The eyes of perception goes through different layers-- its experiential, not from any book knowledge.

On one hand, i do get really upset when situation get difficult and sticky-- on the other hand, as time prolong, i am being direct to look at things is another situation that may be favorable to me.

Honestly, we do need the shit in our life to learn and grow.

A teacher once said ( i can't remember who): the journey uphill is not easy, but that's where you get the best view.

Jack Ma, a well-known entrepreneur from China, who started AliBaBa group;

Today, he was been seen in many TV programs and interviews of his success and shines are all publicize--- but how many people has got the chance to witness his darkest moments, his many times of failures and rejections he faced before he actually made it to the top today?

He once mentioned in an interview: Those who doesn't have the courage to face the negativities in life, will not know the way to success.

While in the tradition of Ashtanga Yoga practice, students are not encourage to talk or question. The only thing that we are required when on the mat is--- get down to practice. 

Sri K Patthabhi Jois had a very famous line " 99% practice, 1% theory".

This has comes to me in many different interpretation over the years--- With this sentence, i understand that each of us holds a unique path. We can be listening to the experience of others, reading the stories of others' life... but we can never perceive it unless it is our own experience. 

I remembered many times, i can be having a really bad shoulder pain, or the dull pain in my hip joints was happily staying on or even with a full body of aching muscles---

when i voiced out my many concerns about the practice and whether of my body can sustain through---- i would be slammed by a " no- concern" facial expression and a sentence.... " go and practice".

And, i am being taught to handle my own issues...  while students may tend to want the teachers to take responsible of their problems.

I am being taught to face my challenges with courage, though i am not at my optimized condition--- that's the reality of life, good or bad, life still goes on--- so does yoga practice.

What surprises me all the time, is how i actually manage to complete my practice, the aches had sort of dissolves along the way and those bugging pains seem to become peanuts and peas.

Probably that's how we define that yoga practices has the ability to " leave the world a better place than we first entered."

How beautiful or how ugly our world is--- depends on the ability to perceive what is in front of us.

Firstly. Roll out the mat.

18 May, 2014

Today marks the 5th anniversary for the passing of the late Sri K Pattabhi Jois-- a well known Ashtanga Yoga teacher in history.

I've never met him in person, in fact during my first trip to Mysore in 2009; we missed the chance of meeting him in person for by a couple of months.

However, i've heard so much about him & read a lot about his works of life. Though he'd left physically, his spirit is very alive in each of his students along the years he had been teaching. 

I learnt about him from the tongues of the many teachers that i got chances to study with--- i could see how their eyes beamed whenever they are recollecting memories of guruji ( as who they call Pattabhi Jois). The magic that had happened to them with guruji is still burning brightly--- continuing the baton to inspire the next few generations.

After hearing his life stories from various teachers, i totally salute to how he threw himself to complete faith; left home with that few pennies in his pocket, travelled few kilometers daily just to learn the knowledge of yoga from his guru ( krishnamacharya).

He must be a big rebel for his behavior, given the culture and practice back then in his time in India!

The beautiful thing that i appreciate from Ashtanga Yoga, is there nobody claim credits or owns or even trying to patent it.
Rooting from few thousands years of tradition, each teacher who are involve in this practice is keeping the lineage alive-- so that the future generations can benefit from this scared knowledge.

I like the idea of people just simply appear on their mat--- be it doing a home practice, or joining the crowds. 

I love seeing people walking into the studio and rolling out their mat--- whether rain or shine, clear or hazy sky--- they may be feeling happy or upset, no matter how life has been treating them--- just roll out the mat first.

As the mat spreads out, we choose to open doors--- we want to work things out--- we desire to figure out the mess inside us--- we decided to be clear of our identity--- 

we take responsibility of whatever has been happening to us--- we are open to face any dilemma that shows up within us--- we learn to grow up and have fun---

we choose not to hide and suppress our emotions--- we want to be brave enough to face uncomfortable emotions--- we are ready to work our ass off and build our empire of joy!

As warned by some practitioners who has been doing the second series, how emotionally crazy the one can experience as the practice progress. 

While i've sort of finally learn to manage a little more of those emotions exploding from kapotasana ( thanks to the super prying open of the heart centre)--- i recently keep having this dull and upset emotions while being bind into the Yoga Nidrasana  ( the total opposite of kapotasana anatomically). 

Once i even had to pause my practice, sat down and cry my heart out--- and subsequently the sadness will appear whenever i'm in that pose.
I hope i can get through this phase soon, it feels just terrible!













   

Ashtanga--- masculine or feminine?

My first thought of the Ashtanga method was very masculine, i used to attempt those challenging poses with brute force--- i was not exactly right.

As i am sticking to it, i slowly realized that it is very much a feminine- supported practice. Instead of fighting to mould myself into the pose; i started to soften all resistance so i can breathe into the pose, more comfortably and deeply.

On my personal experience, the incorporation of partnership from both masculine ( demand of strength and endurance) & feminine ( the full support of breath manipulation & softness) comes slowly through regular practice ( daily).

On one side i can be really impatient with the progression ( masculine), on the other hand i do constantly remind myself to respect what my body condition has to offer and release any expectation ( feminine).
Before, I've tried exploiting my body in order to fit into my ideal practice--- i injured myself. Till then, i learnt to be compassionate to myself and allowing the wound to heal and recover properly.

Just like in any relationship, the balance of the yin & yang within, around and with others--- it takes a great deal of time and effort to straddle towards a more balance and harmonious circle.

I like how Sharath always described the practice of Ashtanga as to climbing Mount Everest-- how those  challenges line ahead of us makes the practice more fun; which applies to our life too:)

"if everything comes easy, there will be no fun"

While those difficulties can ignite the fighting spirit within us; we too need to learn to surf smoothly on the creative energy of breaths--- and enjoy the waves of fun!

#100happydays, whats next?

Recently i realized there is this trend going on about being happy "deliberately"--- which i don't quite get the point.

The game started with a whole package of 100 days, and each day the participants will do the listed activities to prove they had accomplished that mission = they had a happy day.... #100happydays... familiar?  

The first question i thought was.... are you really happy, or just satisfied with the mission you'd accomplished upon showing it to the world on a social media?

Second question was... How does this " pseudo happiness" gonna last? Then what will happen on the 101th day? 

Third... Each task, is just gonna be done ONCE on that particular day? Its like a crash diet-- its not given enough time to incorporate into your lifestyle. Pretty sure you're going to ditch the plan after a day.

Pardon for my personal opinion i ranted out above, a lot of my friends around me are doing this--- i've not objection about that, just a strong view point on my individual side. 

Some says " fake it till you make it"...

Trying to be happy, is it really happy? Or is it an action to avoid the realistic emotion.

I strongly believe, that if one is really happy.... the amount of happiness is immeasurable--- not by number of days or numbers of activities. It just happens.

If one is upset and unhappy--- it is important to go through those aches and down-spiral realistically( i mean, that's life isn't it?) -- as a reflection of current situation, and probably making some changes about it. 

It is OK to be upset, its not something horrible to feel down.  

Else, creating " fake happiness" is just like sweeping all the trash under the carpet-- accumulating more issues and in the midst losing your real self too. 

I mean, this is too just my personal view. #justranting #readwithopenmind