Albuquerque

'Alba… what?' was the most popular question my friends asked some time ago. It's a place in New Mexico, US, with high desert climate, meaning lots of sun all year around, very low humidity, cold nights and warmth during daytime at least in autumn. We'll see what winter brings, but it shouldn't be much difference. East of the city is protected by the Sandia mountains, a natural barrier high about 3.200 m, which is easily accessible if you think the city is on an altitude of 1.600 m.  The west side of the city is open and can uplift you with magical orange, red and purple sunset views. There are trees, small bushes and flowers, but you see they hide the water resources deep in their core, protected sometimes with harsh elements like thorns. Large streets, avenues and boulevards are organized in an easily understood matrix, with two major highways separating the city into four major areas. The architecture of most buildings and the smell of roasted chilies in the air remind we are not far away from Mexico, but the faces on the streets also state we are in the land of Native Americans. 

Why would a very known and worldwide estimated ayurvedic doctor place himself in this particular spot is a question that still intrigues my mind and which answer is slowly being sensed. Nine month of Ayurveda study at his Institute will reveal that. The program is set intensively with twenty-three hours of lectures and estimated additional forty-seven hours of self-study on a weekly base. Among Sanskrt, nutrition, herbalism, yoga, anatomy, medical terminology and clinical assessments, the Ayurveda lectures are highly expected to be the most inspiring. The first orientation week offered the possibility for the knowledge hungry thirty-nine souls to get to know each other and adjust in the new environment.  Mostly American and a few foreign students will soon embark on a journey that will open the minds and reveal the hidden secrets of life. 

Change. This is the word that comes into my mind right now. The change was big, leaving home, friends, family and work behind; traveling for almost a day and half to find myself eight hours behind the usual time-zone, getting acquainted with the new house, roommate, climate, schoolmates, Institute, new way of life; finding organic food stores, the safest bike-able way to the Institute; buying tons of books,…

Grounding. This is the word that needs to happen, soon.  

The three qualities within and around us

Everyone who started practicing Hatha yoga had different motives to do that. It might have been a discomfort in the back, tight muscles in a specific area, everyday stress, an enthusiastic friend, deeper inner motives of finding who we truly are or just simple curiosity. No matter what the motive, after first couple of month we could start sensing the tiny benefits, again different for each individual. Underneath, we all could feel a calmer mind, a relaxed body, a sense of centeredness. The day after a yoga class would proceed in relaxed way, no matter what troubles would came across. We could stay grounded and be calm, just observe the vortex around us and act from True self.

Why is that? Let’s make a step back and discuss the three qualities or Gunas which pervade the Universe.

On one side the quality that is very obvious in today’s world is the active one, the passionate one, the hot one, where arguments and dissatisfaction among people exist. This Guna can be associated with the Sun’s energy during midday or the fruit that’s not ripe yet and thus sour, this Guna is called Rajas.

On the other hand its opposite, when we lack action and fall into passiveness, is the quality of inertia, dullness, delusion and ignorance. Its’ the time of the day when the dark night is out, and it’s the fruit that is rotten, this Guna is called Tamas.

And there’s a middle way, the joy, the happiness, the calmness, the centeredness, groundness and expansion, forgiveness and truth. It’s the time of the day when the sun rises or sets, it’s the fruit that’s perfectly ripe, this Guna is called Sattwa.

A yoga pose or Asana should bring Sattwa into our being. You know you are in the right Asana when the base is set, when the sole of the foot or the part touching the ground is placed correctly on the floor and the Asana builds up naturally, on its own; not with our mind going into each and single muscle making more tension and thus building the Rajas quality, nor letting go of all tensions and half asleep lying on the mat, thus building the Tamas quality. You know you are in the correct Asana when the active part is present and there’s still relaxation involved; you could hold the Asana for ages as it feels light, grounding and expanding at the same time, with complete stillness of the mind, being in the present moment, neither in the past nor the future. You are there, True self.

As in Asana, so in Life.

You just don’t react anymore from your lower instincts, invasive education and past negative experiences, although you are aware of them arising in you. You just observe them and let them go.

‘’Drop it’’ - you are True self.

 

 

My path to Yoga and Ayurveda and the next step

It all started back in 1994 at the University where among mandatory sport options, Yoga was on the list. ‘’That’s something for me’’ I said to myself, ‘’I won’t need to sweat here’’. And it all began there; in a big hall, during daytime, once a week, starting with sun salutations, shoulder stands, forward bends, back bends or just simple stretching. After two semesters the lessons finished and I felt I miss something in my life. Yes, I missed Yoga, so the next step was to take class.

At that time the only option was Yoga in Daily Life Association so I run to enrol. No matter the experience everybody had to start at first level. Which was fine. The building up of Asanas was slow, putting emphasis on the awareness of simple moves and stretches, simple breathing techniques, relaxing, observing thoughts, and guided relaxation. It brought patience and calmness into my life. After many weekend retreats and completing the last levels, a natural desire to start teaching yoga arouse.

The next step in 2003 was one month intense teacher training course at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Austria. A new perspective on Asanas, Yoga philosophy, meditation, mantras and chanting – Kirtan, vegetarian food, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga just gave a boost to start teaching a group of 20 people after graduating. I still remember the first lesson and how I was prepared in details for the first 90 minutes of Yoga teaching. Many years after I kept writing a diary where each lessons was carefully planned not just in terms of Asanas and Pranayamas but also Yoga philosophy topics. The structure of each lesson would be Sivananda style, but every class would be different with variations and was building up and progressing.

Sivananda school gave me profound introspection specially during many retreats; the mind revealed its unconscious stuff during two Sadhana Intensives, where performing Pranayamas nine hours daily was a norm. Teachings from Hatha Yoga Pradipika were our guidelines and I felt like an onion, peeling myself everyday and discovering which mental patterns impede me to act differently in my daily life. What a journey.

The next major shift was flying to India for three month in 2010. Staying six weeks with a direct Iyengar disciple and Vipassana meditator opened a new door in incorporating the preciseness and awareness into each Asana. Again the experience was profound, opening the touch and visible senses in an indescribable way. Again I faced my mind eye to eye.

Today I incorporate and pass forward to yoga students what I understood and felt during the past and present experiences with three different yoga schools and many teachers, for whom I’m so grateful and give all my respect.

Underneath I understand that the best teaching can be offered only when we give up our ego and we are the tool through which the wisdom flows.

Ayurveda sneaked into my life so easily as it is the sister knowledge of Yoga. I’ve started buying books in 2005 and moved on with on-line course, therapist course, performed cleaning techniques on myself, took herbs, diet and did Panchakarma which gave me the confirmation Ayurveda works in a very natural, human and nature friendly way. In India, 2010 I joined an Ayurvedic Clinic where was introduced into diagnosing and nutrition.

The passion is there, the time is right so the decision to leave my secure job in marketing for something unknown just feels right. Looking forward to study Ayurveda with dr. Vasant Lad in Albuquerque, New Mexico, US this October.

The five elements and three humours

The platform philosophy of Ayurveda is Samkhya where the last five components of the creation of the Universe are the five elements or Panchamahabuta.

The first element space or Akasha is the first element represented in nature as the container of each existence, the space that every object occupies. In the space every possibility is in its latent form, so everything is possible. It is associated with the sound; its qualities are light, minute, clear, subtle, and inactive.

The second element air or Vayu is represented as the movement and not merely the wind. The movement in our bodies is the movement of the mind, internal systems or organs, associated with touch, its qualities are mobile, dry, light, cold, rough and subtle in nature.

The third element fire or Agni is the first element which can be seen, the fire, the light and in our bodies represented as the digestive fire, the body temperature, and associated with vision; its qualities are hot, sharp, light, dry and subtle.

The fourth element water or Jala is the fluid element represented in our bodies as all bodily fluids and associated with taste, its qualities are cool, liquid, dull, soft, and moist.

The fifth element earth or Prithvi is the most solid, gives stability and supports the growth, it is associated with the smell, its qualities are heavy, dull, dense, hard and inactive.

If we carefully look and feel, we can detect these five elements all around and in us, not merely as visible elements but also as the qualities that build up our bodies and mind. We are part of the Universe and the Universe is in us.

The elements gather and form three different humours or Doshas. The Doshas are primary forces and subtle substances behind all physiological and psycological functions. They produce the body and also are the causative factors in the disease process.  These are:

Vata when Akasha and Vayu join, its predominant qualities are light, dry and cold,

Pitta when Agni and Jala join, its predominant qualities are hot, moist and light and

Kapha when Jala and Prithvi join, its predominant qualities are heavy, cool and moist.

Ayurveda teaches us how to understand and balance the Doshas.

Look for Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala and Prithvi in nature and yourself; have them balanced

Ayurveda and Yoga

Ayurveda and Yoga are two sister wisdoms coming from the Indian continent; some claiming to be 5.000 years and more old.

Ayurveda is the knowledge of life, where Ayur menas life and veda means knowledge. It is the Traditional Indian Medicine, which looks at life in a holistic way, taking into account not only the physical aspect of our being but also the emotional, mental and spiritual one. When diagnosing the Ayurvedic practitioner takes into account the constitution of our physical and mental body (Prakruti), which is our true nature we were born with, and looks for imbalances (Vikruti) that took place because of wrong food, activities, mental patterns and environment we live in. Health is reached when we are in our constitution we were born with. Each of us has a unique constitution so the procedures and cures are always done on case by case. Mostly they include a specific diet regiment, taking herbs and natural preparations, using internal body cleaning techniques, massages and also Yoga.

  

Yoga as seen in the West is mostly associated with stretching and making poses (Asana), performing breathing techniques (Pranayama), sometimes just sitting and observing the inner world or relaxing. Nowadays lots of different Yoga styles have emerged, but actually all Yoga styles that work with the body are Hatha Yoga. Yoga paths are more and they are known as: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, to name a few. This kind of yogis and yoginis are those people around the world who act from selfless impulse, are devoted, are aware of their mind and meditate or acquire knowledge from Holy scriptures.  The goal of all different paths is to reach the state where our Ego no longer exists, the state of Samadhi, Bliss, Self-realisation, or any other name used in different traditions to express the purest state of our being.

Being in the state where total acceptance exists,

NOT wanting and DOING anything,

NOT CHASING LIFE,

but just accepting and understanding the gifts LIFE IS BRINGING to us,

embracing everything with LOVE, with completely OPEN HEART.



There are many paths, the peak is One.

Changes

Some doors are closing and new ones are opening. Looking forward to changes.