“I’m not feeling so well today. Can you excuse me out of the class after 20min?” I sent the above message to my teacher a few minutes before our 60min Yoga class was about to begin. “Okay” she responded. Fast forward 60min, I was still on the mat saying the conclusion prayer, the Shanthi Mantra….
The power of prayer
My teacher starts our Yoga sessions with an invocation prayer and ends them with a peace prayer. The invocation prayer is “Yogena Cittasya Padena Vaacaam” The conclusion prayer is “Om Asato maa sad gamaya” — Invocation prayer Yogena Cittasya Padena Vaacaam | Malam Shariirasya Ca Vaidyakena || Yo[a-A]paakaro[a-U]ttamam Pravaram Muniinaam | Patan.jalim Praan.jalir-Aanato[a-A]smi || Meaning:…
I’d arrived. Or had “we”?
I was elated. I’d just held the Kakasana for 5 seconds without falling. There are a bunch of things going on during Kakasana: Core strength, Arm strength, Balance, and Breathing. I find it a ton of fun to practice and that feeling of “flying” – even if just for a few seconds – is…
I’m different
Find your own truth. Be the best version of yourself. Find your own voice. Be yourself. Each of the above statements makes a ton of sense. Each of us is unique. And what works for me may not work for you. But does that mean that we shouldn’t learn from others’ experiences? —- As much…
Writer’s block
That’s what I have right now. I’ve opened my laptop on schedule to write. And I have no idea what to write about. So, what should I do? Just give up and shut my laptop? Of course, not I can write about what to do when I have no ideas. Which is an idea in…
The magic of “live” classes
No amount of thinking about fitness is going to make us stronger or more healthy. It’s when we show up for practice that things start to change. No… it’s when we keep showing up regularly for practice, that things start to change. —- “But.. it’s hard to keep showing up.” That’s what I used to…
Stuck somewhere? Get help.
A few weeks ago, a customer sent me this message: “Vaidy, my daughter is putting a workshop on Suryanamaskar together. Is it okay if we used some ideas from your Suryanamaskar blog post for the workshop?” I was humbled by her question. I responded positively to her, but the thought that kept lingering in my…
Surrender
Online Yoga Classes: As a student, I have so many options to choose from. Options with similar pricing. Seemingly similar offerings. And standard schedules as well. “Why don’t you try out ALL the classes? And then make a decision?” “Why don’t you try out ALL the classes? And then make a decision?” A well-meaning friend…
A special Suryanamaskar
A friend asked me: “How can you keep doing the same Suryanamaskar every single day?” “How can you keep doing the same Suryanamaskar every single day?” It was a good question. Why was I not getting bored? Doing the same routine every single morning? The answer, of course, is that it only seems like I’m…
Taming the Stallion
The monkey mind. A lot has been written about it. This post and TED talk from Tim Urban are quite popular. Since the mind keeps jumping around from thought to thought, the monkey analogy makes sense. — But I prefer seeing the untamed mind as a wild stallion instead. While both the stallion and monkey are untamed, the sight…