It’s been almost 15 years since my first formal yoga practice. It started with Kaivalydhama institute at Marine Drive in Mumbai. They have some very relaxing asana practices they teach to beginners with focus on the breathing. The studio’s sea facing location made the yoga experience all the more relaxing.
I had been going through some mental and physical health problems. Allopathic medicines had been fairly useless. At best they didn’t really solve the problem, at worst they caused side effects. So, I, the very urban and rational person who had in general rejected traditional Indian stuff, now looked towards it for a possible solution.
It was at this time when the Patanajali buzz happened. Swami Ramdev was teaching pranayam via TV! In general, in traditional culture, this is totally frowned upon. The idea has always been that you learn these practices from a Guru or trained teacher. But here Swami Ramdev just went all out with ‘TV yoga’. First my dad started doing those pranayams, and then I also tried it out. I have to say it was really good.
The pranayams that Sw Ramdev encouraged, were considered really advance in Kaivalyadhama. For example, in Kaivalyadhama they only told us to do 3 kapalbhaati breathing, that too very gently. While Swami Ramdev is probably world famous with his loud and so many kapalbhaati sequences broadcasted via TV. Anyway, I didn’t think much about all this. The Sw Ramdev pranayams were super helpful. I also had a friend who said he was bed ridden due to some back problem for many years in his life. He got out of bed and became a competent person in society only due to Sw Ramdev’s pranayams. So a lot of people criticize Sw for exaggeration and fake claims and attacking a lot of other competitors under the guise of “foreign products” and false ingredients. But the fact remains that his yoga has, in deed, rejuvenated the lives of many, many people.
In many spiritual circles Swami Ramdev is not the most well regarded due again to the exaggerated claims and his political escapades. But he was the one that got this wave of Yoga and “Bharat” to the common people of India. And for that I truly commend and thank him. He has made pranayam in India, a household phenomenon. Was sorely needed.
Soon with traditional Ayurvedic medicines and yoga, I got back to “normal” health. Things were good. And since then I also moved away from being a very westernized urban thinker. I was open to “Indian stuff”.
After a few years, I found Sadhguru and Isha Foundation. Which became my long term support for health and wellness. But also beyond that. Yoga soon became the foundation for my experience and understanding of the world.
It’s truly amazing how regulated breathing and some physical movements can have such a deep impact on the human system.
Spending a year at Isha Yoga Center as a full-time volunteer truly built a spiritual foundation for my life. From there, I have explored and invested a lot into it.
After leaving the ashram in 2008, I started solo traveling and started my own company. Both of which may seem unrelated to this post. But they aren’t because they led to a much deeper exposure in life. I soon realised that I didn’t have any avenue to really discuss any of my thoughts, given all my myriad experiences. And that’s when I started this blog in 2013. It was an attempt to develop my thinking and understanding in this deeper direction. And I had to do this, because to deepen my sadhana I needed to truly understand my mind.
Prayer by itself is not sufficient to bring about peace of mind. What is much more effective is coming to understand the workings of the mind and learning how to tackle the mental afflictions that disturb it.
— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) June 19, 2018
This blog really helped me deepen my sadhana. It helped me focus on my spiritual inclinations and break away from social boxes of being this way or that way. It also helped me as Dalai Mama says above, understand the workings of my mind. And opening up about our real interests has a whole lot of associated good stuff. 🙂
Another yoga practice I did in those years from 2008 to 2013 was going into Silence. Amidst all the work, studying and social engagements, every Sunday I switched off. Everything. I just went into Silence in my room. I did that for years… it was amazing. Sadly that practice stopped after a few years due to some social engagement that I had to be part of. Since then I have only managed 2-3 days in a year of Silence.
It was only in 2016, that I started looking out for other spiritual sadhakas. Until then, apart from this blog, I didn’t have any sant sangati at all. And as soon as I started looking for them, I found so many places and aspiring sadhakas. 🙂
Earlier this year in Tiruvannamalai, I spent a lot of time into Ramana Maharshi’s Updesa Saram book – the essence of his teachings. And it has been a very insightful read about the various types of spiritual paths – Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, Kriya. And the nature of it all.
I make it a point now to mention “formal” meditation or yoga practice whenever I talk about these practices taught by someone. Because it’s very much possible that one is cycling and it becomes a meditative experience. Or one is just sitting outside on a windy day when the blasts of wind loosens the experience of “self” a little bit, and one experiences a deeper union with nature and world around. Afterall, meditation, oneness, Vairagya are all ongoing qualities that we experience. So, while doing some daily, formal yoga practices are really important, “Yoga” isn’t at all limited to them.
Awesome ! it is so refreshing to see someone come out and say that some point in time they had mental health problems. people are so touchy about it. even if they suffer a great dis-ease physically they’ll talk about it very openly but the dis-ease at mental realms are a taboo.
that is a great piece of writing.
and yes it is for Sw. Ramdev that we have yoga back in ‘popular/mainstream culture’. and some of his products are great too. and believe me it is for him only that we have the ‘organic food” wave because we became ‘mindful of ingredients’ when he started talking about ingredients present in various food items doing rounds that time.
Oh. I didn’t even think abt the ‘mental health’ bit. And somewhere along the road I have left all these thoughts abt what people will think…. I hardly remember now a days what the social silliness is. And I guess, it’s changing because I have recently come across many people who tell me abt their mental health issues. Also I doubt these people who consider it taboo will read this blog 😀
Yea, Sw Ramdev has been disruptive. I am glad.