Lessons of Yoga
Ankur Bora
True joy, real bliss lies in being able to stay connected to
one’s inner being, to one’s own self, without having to put on a mask to face
the outside world. Our real need is to realize our true nature - that feeling
of total connectedness within ourselves and with others. Yoga is
a medium to experience this divine gift. Through the yoking of one’s body, mind
and heart to a higher power of existence.
Dinesh Kashikar (popularly known as Kashi
Bhaya)- through his teaching opened the
door for me and many others to the arts of living well and better through the
practice of Yoga and other aspects that come along with this beautiful art
form. He brought to life the wisdom of ancient sages and made them relevant to
us through personal anecdotes as well as every day exercises.
I came to know about Kashi Bhaya through my wife who had
taken a course called “The Art Of Silence” at Art of Living ( AOL) Center in
Irving , Texas . On asking my wife , “What did you like best about the
course?” she replied swiftly – “His voice, his mesmerizing, divine
voice singing devotional songs that
uplifted one’s mind and spirit to a crescendo.” I was intrigued and wanted to meet him. The very next day, I went on to meet Kashi Bhaiya
and on asking him where he had learnt to sing so melodiously, his straight
forward answer surprised me – “I had no formal training, I never even picked up
an instrument – well I knew how to clap.”
He went on to explain – “Life is learning and in whatever manner one is
able to help and make a difference, it’s worth doing. Singing is a wonderful
opportunity to carry my master’s (His Holiness Sri Sri RaviShankar) message to as many people as possible.”
The first life lesson
for me is - We can grow beyond limiting beliefs and each one of us have an
innate ability to lead a deeply fulfilling life. For that, we have to untie our
physical and emotional knots, awaken our consciousness and let the inner spirit
trace out the spark of life. This can be achieved through the t profound and
integrated practice of Yoga. It’s not
about how perfectly we do Yoga .Its about taking out time each day to honor
this beautiful yet powerful practice of the mind, the body and the soul. It’s
about finding that perfect balance by
standing on one’s own limbs and getting to experience the unfolding of
one’s own power from within. My
transformation for this Ancient and revered art happened when I eventually got
to attend a four day Yoga course at the Art of LivingAshram located in Uvalde, Texas.
The Ashram is located in the midst of a Texas Hill country
surrounded by majestic hills and breathtaking flora and fauna. In the four days
of our stay we experienced a wide range of Yoga practices – breathing to
regulate the body’s energy, cleansing the body and mind, chanting to train and
sharpen intellect and memory and meditation to deepen self-awareness.
Throughout the course , Kashi Bhaya sought to carry Sri Sri’s message through various talks
and sessions, drawing attention to whatever Sri Sri focuses on. In one such
session we were listening about Abhyasa
(practice) and Vairagya (dispassion).
We need to practice regularly and faithfully, but simultaneously let go of any
expectations of any desired outcomes – that is Vairagya. Practice is about determination and focus and to perfect
our practice , we should respect and honor every effort we make. Kashi Bhaya who has been staying in
Japan as an Art of Living was telling us a special story about Japanese people–
who practice the value of respect daily, and make it the forefront of how they
interact with the world. One day, he was preparing for a Yoga session; he
arrived half an hour early to set up the room and equipment. Everything was
setup as planned, however no one turned up yet. He became worried. It was
short-lived though – all the registered participants arrived right on the dot. “We
did not want to disturb your preparation; we respect your work and time.” Kashi Bhaya was sharing many such incidents, he
is a great storyteller. For him, telling stories is as natural and as reflexive
as breathing. He is effortless yet
engaging “You respect your own body and
that is āsanas. You respect and honor your breath- that is prānāyāma. And when
it is done over a period of time without any gap, respectfully and honoring it
every day, then it becomes your effort firmly established.”
The word seva means 'together with' and is describing those
actions that seek collective upliftment through an understanding of the needs
of others and are based on togetherness and integration. Ashram life provides
the conditions and circumstances over which there is no control, and it is
under these conditions that we practise seva. Kashi Bhaya was sharing with us
his genesis to the Art of Living Ashram at Bangalore. After completing his
master’s degree in Chemical Engineering at IIT, he moved to the ashram in 1998
and began looking after the administration, sometimes taking care of their
publications and website. The Ashram at that time was small; there were handful
of people and amenities were minimal. One day an industrialist arrived. He was
very satisfied with his Ashram experience and reached to Sri Sri , “Sir , I
would like to contribute to the Ashram ; I will build it as a full- fledged
retreat with all the amenities.” However,
to the astonishment of all including Kashi, Sri Sri said no to the offer. Kashi
Bhaya was recalling the incident with all of us. “It’s amazing how Guruji can
bring out knowledge in every small incident. He wanted each of us to contribute
building the Ashram. He had that vision – that each of us will serve and realize seva and become a true
Yogi.” It was also a great lesson and transformation for me – During my stay at
Uvalde, I became part of the seva group for gardening ; I sat down pruning ,
feeding, and weeding the rose bushes lying around the Ashram. Today , I am
immensely proud , the process of new growth leading to those cherished
beautiful blooms has begun!
Throughout the course ,
Kashi Bhaya taught us a number of ancient practices of Yoga apart from
the daily āsanas and prānāyāma. The first one is called ‘Shankhaprakshalana’.
Shankha means "conch" and prakshalana is to wash completely. The word
shankha is used to represent the entire alimentary canal from mouth to anus.
The process cleans the intestinal tract by removing the impurities with salty
water. Kashi Bhaya was explaining to us the broader meaning of Shankhaprakshalana’
– “it is actually a complete physiological overhaul, a time of revision when
life changes direction, where the foundation for a positive fresh view of life
was set.” The second one is neti kriya, more commonly referred to simply as
neti pot. It is a simple procedure for maintaining nasal hygiene by means of
irrigating the nostrils with warm salty water. Neti effectively removes dirt
and bacteria filled mucus from the nasal passages. He also taught us Nadi
Shodhana, or “alternate nostril breathing,” - a simple but powerful technique that deeply
relaxes the mind and body. Additionally , we learnt the Yoga Sutras by
Patanjali including Kapalbhati , agnisara , Chandra Nadi (Left Nostril
Breathing) and Surya Nadi (Right Nostril Breathing)
“It is more practical and inspiring to be in the present
moment and recognize its miracle." Kashi Bhaya was explaining to us the nature and importance
of mindfulness. In the last day of the course, all of us went walking to a
nearby river. As we rested and began listening to the sounds of the running
stream, we felt oneness with nature and with everyone else. Kashi ji was
reciting to us – “The air we breathe is
the same air that is breathed by all creatures, human and non-human throughout
all of time. The air inside of you is the same as the year outside – feel it.
The heat of the sun around you is the same as the heat inside your body – feel
it. The earth element that you are sitting on is same as the elements inside
you – feel it.” This recitation is a reminder that all we truly have are
the moments that we are truly in. Past or future - not much else is as
relevant. Today whenever I feel stressed out , worried or need a direction , I
close my eyes, take a deep breath in, breath out pausing in between, repeating
a few times ; and then open my eyes – to
compassion , grace and love.
The article is based
on author’s experience attending a Yoga course at Art of Living Ashram located
in Uvalde, Texas. Ankur Bora has been
practicing Art of living for last few years . He is passionate about Yoga and
striving to bring Yoga to the world. Currently he is preparing to celebrate the
International Yoga Day in the city of Dallas.
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