c'est la vie

When we are faced with testing times, there are a lot of things we abuse the world for and questions we ask ourselves. When we earnestly ask and really want to know, we do get the right answers. It could be a message at the back of a car "Jesus loves you, ask and he shall give" (Pls Note - Not advocating 'born-again-anything-religious'), it could come as a word of wisdom from someone you hardly expect to be wise, a book left on the table of a waiting room with some insight, a negative behaviour from someone you put on a pedestal even....a whole lot of messages. One only needs to be aware and open.  

Why this ranting? I have practiced Yogasanas intermittently from childhood....I dont say Yoga, I say asanas. And thats all I have done....and maybe some pranayama and meditation. The recent teacher's training course I joined would also have been just another yogasana exercise, except that I was in the right phase of life to appreciate what it really meant to lead a Yogic way of life. I had been asking all these questions and personally the answers here seem most satisfying. I felt elated that the Yoga is THE answer and jumped into it headlong, only to have huge limitations and blocks imposed on me to practice it in its entirety and the testing times only getting worse. The more I think I want to work on some obstacle, cirscumstances change to test me with the biggest of them all, as if mocking me to rethink if I really am capable of it. The need for attachments being the most difficult of them all. Attachments to things, food, habits, behavior, desires, pets, acheivements, and of course the biggest of them all...People. Attachments lead to expectations which lead to disappointment, the obvious cycle. Even without expectations, they can cost you a lot of emotion.

It isnt that easy to appreciate the principles of Karma and Dharma when faced with situations where you need to be detached-yet-attached in the temporary worldly way for as long as your soul inhabits the human body. As always it is easier to intellectualise than to practice. But my path is set and there is progress and a lot of Peace that comes with it and that Quality of Peace is...to say the least, ADDICTIVE!

Stepping off the philosophy halo effect (if the reader is still reading!), we all ask at some point - why me? Anything isnt really that big a deal if you detach yourself from it. We are just slaves of our thinking and the mind plays dangerous games. Some may want to move away from it, or some may want to revel in it. Its a CHOICE and that choice is entirely in our hands...no amount of harping on Destiny takes that Choice away.

There are different paths to feeling the Peace.....the yogic path is one of them...a path that has worked for me and a whole lot of others apparently. It then becomes my duty to share it with whoever needs it (just have to find a less boring-sounding way :-)).