Sunday, September 04, 2011

Isha Yoga

I am going to pen my experience of Isha yoga, Velliangiri Hills, Coimbatore where I spent close to 20 days, doing various courses and staying in the ashram. I will not go into the details of the programs, just recollect what my experience was..

 I landed in Coimbatore, coming from Saudi off the August heat, the weather was welcoming. As I drove across the city towards the Velliangiri hills I could see how small CBE was, just a compact fairly well laid out city. Quickly the feel was like I was driving thro some roads in Kerala, greenery and the cold air..

As I entered the ashram, it just got better. If my few human interactions in Coimbatore city were pleasant, with the people ever conscious of their language - polite and mild mannered, inside the ashram it was surreal. The volunteers had something about them that I've never seen in the outside world. The smile, the warmth and the care seems to come from a different source. The look in their eyes were that of a long lost brother or a mother. I am trying to overtly put in words my experience of the people without getting carried away.

 The volunteers! Why would they volunteer? Why are they so nice to everyone? The whole Ashram is run by volunteers -permanent and  temporary. I wondered what was 'wrong' with them, I just did not get it!  Yes I've paid for the course, but you just cannot put a price tag on their love..suddenly there were brothers and mothers around me with this sparkle in their eyes that I did want to know more about.

32 years of this conditioned mind, so used to the plastic smiles and the 'near and dear' that are more worried about my life and my 'culture' and how I should live it, than their own, ever judging and preaching, I just couldn't digest this acceptance of me as I am without any prejudice. They made me feel welcome and  I belonged there!

My Inner Engineering experience..

Firstly, it was the Inner Engineering. Trying to keep aside all that I have read, the various theories, philosophies and belief systems. I tried to 'just be' with what was happening in the program. I found myself very emotional and could see the walls crumbling deep within while we went out to play a series of games. A team game and me! I was always a loner, the egoistic moron may be that never enjoyed playing a team sport ATALL. Is that why I like martial arts? Ill save that for later. Here I was fully participating in these simple games and I am not sure when I was more physically and mentally alive to a situation. EVER. I cannot say the 'child' in me was out because honestly even as a child I think I was restrained as far as my memory could recollect.

Sadhguru always says the one favor we could do to ourselves is stop reading spiritual books. I could see why as my mind threw concepts and counter concepts to what was being said in the program. The mind hinders 'what is'.

 Before I could realize the Inner Engineering program was over. No out of the world experience. I have a tool to enrich and nourish my life energy and hence my well being. Just few days of practicing the kriyas, I could feel the lightness of body and the energy. May be its the wholesome food and the ambience of the ashram. So let me test it in the in real world and comment after 60 days(usually 48) of practice.

My Dhyanalinga experience..

The Dhyanalinga Temple. Let me not attempt to verbalize the experience and leave patterns in the reader's(if any) mind. Just 'be' there, the Dhyanalinga, the living guru will take care of the rest.

My Hata Yoga experience..

 Hata Yoga  was for just over a couple of days. Just 3 words -tiring, tiring and more tiring. I tried not to resist and was amazed how supple and flexible my 20 kg overweight body could get. Oh ya thats right, its twenty kilograms in words, like we write in a cheque. Can I write it off to someone? Hah, that would be nice..

I've done a few Hata Yoga programs with no disrespect to them I liked this one as they stressed on awareness all thro. This actually made the difference. Instead of struggling with postures I was flowing into them and it made a huge difference. One more tool picked.

My BSP experience...

Everyone there the volunteers the teacher, old students etc kept talking about this BSP program. Do it at any cost! BSP this, BSP that. So I decided to risk it, risk as in the day it ended was the day i was flying out of Coimbatore. A tight rope walk when i am let go and make the 90 mins trip from ashram to airport.

Anyways, I did it and am I glad I did it? Lets see..
Imagine the feeling you get when u look into the eyes of a really loved one. May be it is your mother, father, husband, wife, brother, sister a close friend or your child. This feeling of love, a connectedness beyond the physical form. Now imagine having the same feeling, the same connectedness for a total stranger you have never seen/known in your life before. How about having the same feeling staring at a plant ...this is the closest explanation I cld give to my experience of the program. Yes the state of connectedness wasn't permanent, yes the so called 'logical' mind took over, but the experience remains. 

At the end of the program everything was clear. I could relate to why the volunteers were the way they are. It was no more surreal. The externalities of life batters and bruises us to such extent that our innately sensitive nature, the naturally loving, giving, inner being goes dormant. This program brings to our experience this inner being that though might be for just a few fleeting moments makes us realize who we really are.

The only sad moment of my whole stay was missing Sadhguru's darshan the day I had to leave. I am quietly confident his Grace is always there for the willing, hmm even more so for the not so willing.

My days in the ashram were filled with tears, joy, laughter, gratitude, humility and this unbound, unconditional love never felt before...I always thought I was a loving person. I was not! Love with our boundaries isn't love, it is just gratification, convenience and the ego's expression/reassurance for territorial safety. I can safely say, I experienced love in its unbound, pure form.

People in the ashram don't live their lives, they celebrate it. Whatever they do they give their all. Abundance there has a totally different meaning. They might not have the material comforts that is normally related to 'abundance' but their abundance transcends the externalities and they flow through this life with no friction and embrace life. Being there is like living, feeling, experiencing this poem of life every moment. They work, they eat, they pray, they play they do all of this with so much poise and grace. They just flow!

All I have is this feeling of gratitude to Sadhguru and I thank whoever/whatever it is for the chance to experience it this lifetime..

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Lets see who will win! "vegetarians" or "non vegetarians'

An appeal to all my dear folks that has come thus far and decide to read what I've got to say. Don’t take yourself  seriously, more so don’t take me too seriously!!! I am neither a negotiator between the two camps nor an authority or a moral police. Just my views on the matter and how I deal with it!

I am encouraged to write this as an offshoot of this 'poll' that’s going on in Facebook that reads ' Lets see who will win! "vegetarians" or "non vegetarians' .Well I am not sure what the purpose of this poll is other than doing a headcount of people segregated by their eating habit deciding to take a poll in Facebook.

I see various types of ppl here, let me try to 'qualitatively' categorize as ..the quantitative result will be given by the poll.... for ease of use I am going to use V and NV to represent the obvious..
  • NVs getting offensive, mostly with statements that has no substance. Their offence is purely their attempt to cover their defensive nature cos though they outnumber the Vs in the poll deep within they know something is not right - in them. It’s like the highschool bully who is most likely the one with highest inferiority complex.
  • Vs to add fuel to the NVs complex and make things worse, making statements that exudes of moral superiority and looking down at NVs. Mostly their comments are filled with Bollywoodisque depiction of the poor animals, how they are slaughtered..yada yada- hey but the truth is -its the truth! The animals are hapless and factory farming indeed is the greatest sin by humans of all other sins
I am(gradually moving towards ‘am’ to’ was’) the hardcore non vegetarian that can kill (pun intended) for a good biriyani. Instead of classifying myself as a Vegetarian or a Non Vegetarian let me coin myself as a Minimalitarian(Patent pending) I am not moving toward ‘Veganism’ if you insist to put a tag on me for anyone’s approval or disapproval but purely for the sake of MY health and longevity. I do not want to paint a picture of my social consciousness, environment etc, but all those are true as well. I am changing because I see reason and honest enough to deal with my craving for a plate of biriyani! I eat it cos of my addiction to it and nothing else!
Protein? Endurance? Really? This is how I deal with  my addiction: 
  • I strive to dissect and conquer  my craving for flesh(ah that sounds scandalous! Is TOI reading, damn I am not a celebrity), I just observe my breath and it works 9 out of 10 times.
  • Living in Saudi, I just make food choices that’s healthy and that has least carbon footprint -I don’t eat those organic vegetables flown in from Holland or Australia for example.
  • I sincerely am striving to phase out all animal and animal products(read milk, cheese, eggs etc) because I am totally convinced I will be much healthier, active and more at peace with myself not consuming the same.
  • My minimalism is not focused on just my food habits but extended to all actions that can directly or indirectly affect sustenance of life in this earth. This includes not wasting food, energy in all form and cutting down on all 'indulgence'.
I do not even want to get into whether God made us this or that or what our religious texts says, may be God didn't know of factory farming then and how 'smart' and 'efficient' us humans are in exploiting our fellow beings -plants and animals. God would have totally revised his doctrines or sent messengers to revise it if he knew what He was getting into.

For those who talk 'Science' and the usual canine teeth defense, please go hunting and eat the flesh like the canines do!

 I know as much that if we have even an iota of concern for others, leave alone others leave alone the degenerating wildlife, if you love your children you will do your bit to let them have a better environment! If you are not old enough and worry about a child growing in the family atleast be selfish about yourself! Going the way we are going in 20- 30 years I am not sure how India is going to show up -ecologically, depleting water reserves, rising temperature, degrading soil and all we want to do is grow fodder and feed animals so we could have our roganjosh and 65. Please let's channelize our 'josh' on what is right!

One changed mind, one small step at a time. Not out of compulsion, polls, FB ridicule but out of sheer introspection and action based on the truth.

 We need not leave a 'track record' that says I was a vegetarian all my life -90 years! or I am a vegetarian 'convert'' for the past 11 years 300 days and 5 hrs. Stop getting obsessed with your numbers and deal with it with an all-encompassing approach! Have a close hard look at your lifestyle- of which eating is just(and should be) just a part of it and see how 'less damaging' your life is to other beings -directly and indirectly.

So my earnest appeal to all my NV friends reading this blog is this:

  • If you are a daily meat eater try making your serving smaller! Focus on not wasting any meat, buy and eat only what is required that whets your appetite/craving.
  • Once you've made your servings smaller and are comfortable, try having a healthy vegetarian (read healthy, french fries isn't healthy nor is cheese pizza) meal once a day
  • Once you are there try making meat eating to just 2-3 days a week, then to 2 weeks and to month..you get my point.
  • Once you are comfortable with that make it 1 day of indulgence with your favorite meal (1 Biriyani for example in my case)
  • Focus on % rather than a boolean answer - are you a vegetarian or not.
  • Remember the vegetarians, many of them dont know what it is to be a vegetarian. Ask Ambani for instance.
  • Focus on eating healthy and eating food tht's local produce. Focus on eating less and wasting even lesser. You are doing great already!
  • If you don’t want to deal with the problem as an isolated issue and want a natural change go here. The craving will evaporate in thin air. It no more remains ‘suppressing’ it becomes natural. Again it wont be an on –off switch , change is gradual and it works!
If you are 'typecast' as an  NV because you have an occasional biriyani but you have a car and still walk or cycle whenever possible and  use your resources all around in a mindful manner you are more a 'vegetarian' than Mr.Ambani. Mindfulness and moderation in  action is better than hypocrisy.

For those who give this typical answer 'Its every person's individual choice', if you dissect your statement and look within you will find its just a defence you create for your weakness for an indulgence or a deep rooted habit.

 Now my dear V friends please don’t jump on your seats! The biggest problem with you guys is you think you are superior and mostly your attempt is not to genuinely make people see reason and change but its more about flaunting your bloated ego in this air of superiority. So bring some humility into your lives! Most of you are what you are because your parents fed you ghaas bhoos since birth. You might be doing as much damage to the environment in your own chosen ways. If in doubt gain ask Ambani!

P.S: I have nothing personal against Ambani(like he cares and I am his contemporary) but he is the most apt living example on earth of what a you can call a  Vegetarian Killer -consume, take, exploit, destroy... all of this within legal boundaries because -you can! Its like killing animals and not consuming it, like the kings that kill their ‘game’.

Lets keep  our living habits ethical,  minimal and be true to ourselves. No need of fighting over this 'ism' and miss the point all together!

If you are in a stage where you know its just your addiction an you are changing and want to know of how you can eat healthy and balanced diet go here. Dr Shah is doing a great service to clear all doubts on how 'balanced' a vegan diet can be and how less damaging we can be on the environment. Unlike Rich Roll's interview I shared earlier where you read alien or abusive sounding words like 'marine phytoplanktons, adaptogens, plant-based proteins and oils such as flax, coconut, and hemp' in Sharan you'll find Indian recipes and topics you can relate to. We dont want to create factory farming of a different kind trying to deal with one.I’ve said this earlier and I ‘ll say it now, obsession with any ‘ism’ will eventually lead to fanaticism(Patent pending).
 Simple close to source wholesome food will do!

You can go here if you want to get convinced what we are doing is just 'craving'  and 'indulgence' under the blanket of 'personal choice' and not necessary for healthy happy living- for yourself and others!

If you want to still stick to your gun, please do and feel free to foul mouth me as 'anonymous' and 'whet your appetite' :-) Cheers!

Bhavatu Sarva Mangalam!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Being romantic....valentine's day etc..

Dictionary meaning of romance:  (noun) a baseless, made-up story, usually full of exaggeration or fanciful invention.
(verb) to court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness

Romantic : fanciful; impractical; unrealistic: romantic ideas.

What is to be romantic?


 Romance comes from retaining your child like behaviour and the love for life and the child like amazement at all the things around you. To a child anything is possible, everyone is lovable, the childs mind is a mind devoid of impressions, baggage and expectations. The child's actions are spontaneous and not orchestrated or deliberate.The more we manage to retain that child like mind, the more romantic we are in life. The giver has no dearth of romance in his/her life.


In relations being romantic is sensing what is required and doing or saying things without being asked for -in all relations..your partner, parent, child or a friend likes, that abundance in love and zest for life is romantic to me.

Thanks to media and commercialism and 'believe all you see' innocence and malleable minds in people, romance is tied to only the relation between a man and a woman and focussed around the fancy stuff that can be bought, written words that can borrowed to express 'one's' love. I dont have a problem with chivalrous men as long as the man sees even a woman past her prime and  with missing teeth as deserving as a damsel he is courting.


Current day take on romanticism is nothing short of narcissism.

Is buying a bunch of flowers on Valentine's day romantic? To me its academic, its just going through the motions...Why do something that you don't mean, why say things that you didn't feel? Romance is not in a printed card or an expensive candle light dinner. It is in being spontaneous, being unconditional and it does not 'show up' based on a date or a day. Romance is this smile that comes from within that emnates optimism and unbridled faith in our loved ones and  fellow human.

Well if you ask me the flowers are better off left in the plants. They are more beautiful there. Can't we enjoy their presence 'as is'? Hmm..