Yoga > Shreyas Yoga Retreat: My Journey back on to the Yogic Path

Open on all sides and nestled amidst gorgeous trees, this Yogashala has
a beautiful, positive vibe.  

“Hamsa Soham, Soham Ham Saha”, these simple yet extremely powerful words mean “I Am That, That I Am”. Even if this mantra was the only gift that I took back with me from this yoga retreat, it would make the three days spent here on my own totally worth it. But my time at Shreyas gave me a lot more. It simply reminded me of what yoga means to me and how good it makes me feel. Yet, this mantra has stayed with me; and whenever I need to centre myself, at times before going to sleep, at others before the start of a frenetic day, just repeating it mentally on a loop has a magical effect on my being.

First Glance

When I was invited to Shreyas, a yoga retreat on the outskirts of Bengaluru, I was, both, excited and anxious. Excited because I am extremely passionate about yoga and when I was told that the entire philosophy of Shreyas is centred around yoga I couldn’t wait to experience it. Anxious because for the last few months with soaring professional and personal demands I had not been able to make the time to get on to my yoga mat. My joints had literally been creaking every morning when I got out of bed and I wondered how I’d cope with the routine of the retreat. But almost as soon as I reached Shreyas I am taken in by its relaxed, tranquil and positive vibe. These are not just random adjectives that I have thrown together; I mean each one of them describe the space that Shreyas is.

After a brief introduction, I am asked to fill a detailed form to highlight the purpose of my visit, my expectations whether spiritual, therapeutic or simply relaxing, my current state of health, dietary preferences and so on. As I get up to check in to my room, I am informed about the routine of the day followed with a wonderful question: “would you like a reminder for each event?” No, I replied as reminders, like alarms, irk me. I like to keep track of time and pace myself to reach a class or therapy session on time.

The Surroundings

As I walk past the inviting swimming pool, surrounded with the lush foliage that Bengaluru is known for, I am impressed with the wonderful upkeep of the landscape. Shreyas is not a new property, it has been around for more than fourteen years, yet everything looks so fresh and as if it has been lovingly tended to. My garden tented cottage has a canopied roof with a private sit-out, a spacious bedroom, and bathroom with a private walled courtyard. Simply luxurious, I could say.

Spread across 25 acres of coconut plantation, gardens and vegetable fields, it is surprising that there are only 14 rooms, accommodating a maximum of 25 people at a time. I am informed later that the staff outnumbers the guests by more than three times. That is what enables Shreyas to excel in the subtle art of refined hospitality. The service is very warm and attentive, and unobtrusive. To give you an endearing example, all indoor spaces require us to leave our footwear outside before entering, and each time when we leave the room our shoes and slippers are turned around for us to simply step into them and walk.

A Holistic Experience

As I mentioned earlier, the entire philosophy of Shreyas is centered around yoga. And as we know, yoga is not limited to just asana and pranayama. It is a holistic science of living and has an eight-limbed path impacting our panchakoshas. With equal importance to raising one’s energy, partaking a nutritious balanced diet, and indulging in activities that integrate the mind, body and soul, Shreyas truly offers a holistic retreat. The sound meditation, for instance, is a highly energising experience with equal importance given to all steps of meditation – pratyahara (withdrawal), dharana (focus) and dhyana (meditation). It is normally conducted in pillared hall that is open on all sides, bringing in the freshness of the environ, sounds of birds and insects while they go about doing their business amidst the hum of a gentle breeze blowing through the trees, literally getting you in tune with nature. The same hall is also used for morning and evening asana sessions though there are a few other indoor and outdoor spaces where hatha and ashtanga yoga classes are held.

Rejuvenation of the mind-body-soul is hardly ever possible without the right diet. Whether your purpose of being here is to ‘detox’ or not, you will be served delicious, vegetarian fare. During the few days that I spent here, I had fabulous local, north Indian, Italian and Mexican meals, all made with mostly organic produce and healthy grains. The cooking classes, therefore, are hugely popular, enabling guests to take back a bank of recipes and a wealth of knowledge.

Snapshots from Shreyas Yoga Retreat

Integrative Therpaies

Yoga is known for its therapeutic benefits as well as prevention of diseases. In this sense, it is closely linked with Ayurveda. The recent addition to Shreyas has been the Anaha spa which offers a wonderful mix of age-old Ayurvedic as well as modern therapies. Although it is a new construction, it is aesthetically designed to showcase an interplay of the elements. As with most things, what lies within is most important - in this case, a specialised team to assess your physical condition, advise appropriate treatments and execute them skillfully.

I am advised a range of treatments that are cleansing as well as nourishing.

-       Netra Tarpana therapy that involves a gentle oleation of the eyes to soothe them is particularly refreshing and a great antidote to constant visual stimulation from brightly lit gadgets.

-       Mud therapy involves the application of processed, powdered mud onto the body for therapeutic benefits. The open air room is ideal for this as one lies gazing at the swaying palms overhead while waiting for the mud to dry. 

-       In a similar space, Athapa Snana involves a gentle, oil massage, after which the body is wrapped in banana leaves and left to bask in the sun, expelling toxins through sweat.  Banana leaves are also known for their healing properties, and can correct various skin problems.  

-       The underwater massage turns out to be a high-tech procedure where the body is immersed in a water tub, and the water pressure applied is controlled by multiple jet valves, enhancing blood circulation and lymphatic drainage.

-       And finally, a synchronized massage known as the Choorna Pinda Sweda, also known as the Podikizhi. It is a fomentation procedure involving the use of herbal powders and poultices after a quick oil massage. Two therapists working simultaneously on the left and ride sides of the body has an inimitable centering effect.

Most scrubs and concoctions are prepared in-house in keeping with instructions from classic Ayurvedic texts. But beyond Ayurvedic treatments, the team is equipped and trained for international therapies as well including Swedish, Balinese and Thai.

I, of course, made the most of my time here and also realized the importance of going on such a yoga retreat – it gives you time to unwind and get a break from the rat race that most of us have inadvertently become a part of; experience the importance of taking care of one’s self; spend time with like-minded people; and, carry that motivation back home with you: to stay consistent with yoga!

This article was first published in Hong Kong based Asana Journal, September 2017 issue. 

Insight > Live Your Greatest Life

If you had Aladdin’s lamp, what would be the three wishes that you’d ask for? And if I told you that the same wishes can be granted to you even without having the magic lamp, and you needn’t limit yourself to only three of them, then what would you ask for? No, I’m not wasting your time by talking about fairytales. I am introducing you to the world of affirmations – the art of fulfilling your deepest desires by using the power of your mind. When I first heard of this concept, almost a decade ago, I loved the idea of getting whatever I wished for, but wasn’t quite sure if it would work. Or rather, I wasn’t sure if it would work without any voodoo or black magic. I only took it up as an experiment and till date I am creating my life exactly the way I want, step-by-step and day-by-day. 

Here’s how to do it. The first step is to coin an affirmation of whatever you want to manifest in your life. An affirmation is a positive statement in the present perfect tense. For instance, if you want to be happy in love, your affirmation will be: I am happy in love. Why you need to affirm as if you’ve already got what you want actually has a scientific explanation. We studied in elementary science that all matter is made up of energy. Thus, even a wooden table is actually a moving mass of molecules and atoms, and when these molecules and atoms are further broken up it is discovered that everything in this universe is made up of one single type of energy which appears in different forms, both animate and inanimate. To actually understand how it all works you’ll need to delve into Quantum Physics which is obviously beyond the domain of this article. The bottom line, however, is that all this energy is in constant motion, and it vibrates at the same frequency as our thoughts. Hence, we can actually create ripples in the energy field of the universe just by using our thoughts. Rather than knowing why it works, let me tell you how to make it work for you. So for now, let’s get our focus back on getting whatever it is that you desire - whether monetary or emotional; a change in your personal or professional life situation; or even healing your body. Here is a step-by-step guide of using your thoughts to create actual life situations.

1.     Know what you want

More often than not we are not even aware of what we really want. Smita, 30, a banker, is bored with her job and desperately wants a break but can’t think of an alternative career option. Her case is synonymous with zillions of other situations where one knows more about what we don’t want rather than what we actually desire. Therefore, the very first step is to figure out exactly what you desire. One of the simplest ways is by using the green-eyed monster. The moment you feel the pangs of envy you can immediately convert it into a positive experience of knowing what you want. Another powerful exercise is to start writing a journal. Just start pouring out your thoughts on paper: from all that you hate to all that you wish and desire. You’ll be surprised by all the negative thoughts in your head that you weren’t even aware of. All you need to do is to convert the things that you hate into positive affirmations. For instance, if you feel “I hate my job, my boss drives me up the wall, my love life sucks” all you need to affirm is “I am doing a job that I love, I have a fabulous rapport with my boss and my colleagues, my life is better than my fondest dreams”.  Of course, things don’t turn around overnight, but the process has certainly begun because how can you achieve anything if you don’t even know what it is in the first place.

2.     Affirm

How often have you experienced a sense of déjà vu or the fact that you have actually willed a certain situation to occur? That’s because you will always see the manifestation of your deeply held beliefs. Therefore affirmations become effective when you actually believe in what you’re affirming. So once you’ve coined your affirmations do anything you can to believe in them - you can write down them till you’re convinced, say them out loud in front of a mirror, or simply feel how you’d feel once you get it. For example, if you’re affirming to get a promotion, close your eyes and imagine your boss announcing that you’ve got a promotion - feel the joy that you’d feel when you get the news of your promotion, feel the excitement in sharing the news with your family and friends.

3.     Remove all negative thoughts

The main trap that you have to look out for on this journey of being positive is that of being pseudo-positive. You may think that you are being positive but deep down you are still bound by various negative beliefs. This is quite natural too, considering that we are conditioned with all sorts of limiting beliefs since the time we’re born. And although NOW is the time to change your thoughts, it does take time for the new set of thoughts to become your beliefs. Now that you have started making the effort, do not stop mid-way. This is the final test.  If there is something for which you have been affirming for a while that still hasn’t manifested just answer the question for yourself – “why is it not happening?”. You’ll immediately start justifying why not. If you’ve been affirming to become a model you may come up with answers like “I can’t make it”, “maybe I don’t look good enough”, “I’m too fat”, “there’s too much competition”, “it’s too tough to get a break in the modelling circuit” .. these are actually all the beliefs that are holding you back and this is what you’re experiencing. But once again when you’re aware of these thoughts you can easily convert each and every one of these statements into positive affirmations like, “I look great”, “I have got an unbelievable entry into the world of modelling”, “I enjoy facing the camera”, “assignments are pouring in”, and so on.

4.     Use pictures to reinforce your belief and feel good factor, create a vision board or a treasure map.

Shakti Gawain, author of Creative Visualisation suggests creating a treasure map to reinforce your affirmations. It’s a fun process. Just take a bunch of lifestyle magazines and cut out pictures of all that you’d like to see manifest in your life whether it is a cruise holiday or the owner of your dream home. You can either put it all up on a pin board or create a scrap book if you like to keep your desires to yourself. “Since I like travelling, the wallpaper on my computer is of the next destination that I’d like to go to,” says Sabina Kapoor. “It almost always works. While I was working for a travel magazine I really needed a break and wanted to head off to the hills. I just placed a picture of a view from the balcony of a house in the hills. And guess what, my next assignment was to review a new resort, and uncanny as it may sound, the view from the balcony of my room was very similar to the one in my wallpaper. When I was back at work I changed wall paper to a gorgeous beach. And, you guessed it right again.. I was off to Thailand soon after!”

5.     Be thankful for the small miracles that you’ve already started experiencing.

Try using these affirmations in situations for which you can see results fast enough. As you see them manifesting for yourself your conviction and confidence in using them to create almost anything in your life will increase. Since we’re working on the principal that whatever you focus on expands, focussing on all that’s already working in your life will increase it. “When I used to focus on all the bills that had to be paid I felt as if I was only earning to pay other people,” says Shantanu, 45, writer. “But ever since I started focussing on my income, I was amazed that new sources of income just kept opening up for me. And even if I continued to pay the same mount of bills, I was happy that I could afford to pay for all that I wanted. It’s all just about attitude!”

When you get the hang of how affirmations work you can use them to create almost anything in your life. Whether these affirmations work or not depends entirely on your belief and experience. But the least that a positive mindset can do is to encourage you to take the first step towards living your dream life.

  

Books > Begin The Year By Taming The Mind

Beginning of the year is always a good time to adopt good practices. While I don’t really make New Year resolutions, I do like to set goals for myself each year, and at the end of the year check on how I’ve fared. Over the years I have learnt the art of setting goals that cover my personal, professional and spiritual growth. Because I have consistently improved in all these areas I am also motivated to try my best to achieve my goals each year. This year I plan to share my experiences and insights more regularly on this blog, not only to inspire my readers to live their highest lives, but also as a consistent reminder to myself of staying in tune with my higher purpose.

A few days ago I succumbed to the incessant chatter in my mind, and got swept with all sorts of stressful thoughts pertaining to all sorts of things. It was rather overwhelming, because my regular practice of chanting the Hanuman Chalisa that usually calms me failed to have its effect on that particular day. But it did leave me with a reminder to read a book that was recently gifted to me by my mother in law: Mind Can It Be Tamed?, by Swami Swaroopanand, published by Chinmaya Prakashan.

In this small 44-page booklet Swamiji explains the nature of the mind and through various examples, analogies and anecdotes, he gives very easy and applicable techniques on how to make our mind our best friend and most efficient tool to live our highest life. The freedom from one’s mind starts when we can simply step off our train of thoughts, viewing them like an observer. Anything that pulls your attention to the past or the future is sheer imagination.

With this knowledge it is possible to center your mind into the present moment, and realizing that all the “stressful thoughts” are just that – “thoughts”.

To really gain from this book I would encourage you to read it yourself. I love the simplicity with which it is written, yet when practiced regularly these techniques yield the most profound (and almost immediate) effect on the state of one’s mind.

Do drop me a line if you read this book and share what you felt. Also, if you'd like to share your experience with taming the mind I'd love to hear about it. 

Healthy Practice > The Most Important Reason To Try Jal Neti

Many years ago I had a mild allergy that led me to bouts of sneezing, watery eyes, et al. After ruling out sinusitis and various other allergies, it seemed that I was "allergic" to stress and fatigue. Actually, the body's immunity falls drastically in conditions of stress and exhaustion, hence one is susceptible to allergic reactions. As a result, every time I was preparing for any exams in school or college my allergy would come up. And if I prepared for my exams over a couple of months the symptoms would remain over that many months. But I realised this correlation between stress and sneezing only much later. When I started working for a magazine, whenever the pages were being readied to be sent for printing my sneezing would return. A regular anti-allergy pill usually settled the condition.

Over the years, as I practiced yoga consistently and moved to freelancing (that reduced the stress of sending a magazine to press) I thought I had outgrown this condition. In the last few weeks however my day-long bouts of sneezing started again. Only now, I am wary of popping pills. I do like to experience the magic of yoga and our ancient techniques that actually help the body to cure itself rather than merely suppressing the symptoms by having a medicine.

I had, of course, heard of Jal Neti, but had never tried it (not even during my teacher's training course at the Sivananda Dhanwantari Ashram, Kerala). Like most people I just didn't like the idea of taking in water through one nostril and expelling it from the other, and alternating this procedure. I used to call these techniques "abusive", justifying the label by saying that it was "unnatural" to treat a body this way. But in reality these practices are a far more natural alternative to healing a body than ingesting chemical laden medicines.

The Technique
1. Buy a neti pot. They come in various materials including different types of metals or plastic. Since I wasn't sure how long I would practice jal neti, I avoided the metal one since it was more expensive and bought a plastic pot online. It is light and convenient. I even plan to carry it with me for my forthcoming vacation.
2. Pour lukewarm saline water into the pot.
3. Now tilt your head to one side and slightly back.
4. Insert the nozzle of the pot into the upper nostril; keep your mouth open and continue to breathe through your mouth. Insert the nozzle gently but thoroughly to ensure that water doesn't leak out from the same nostril.
5. The water will naturally flow out of the other nostril.
6. Now repeat with the other nostril.
7. Centre the head and look downward to let the excess water flow out.
8. Gently blow your nose to remove excess mucous.
9. I also like to rinse my mouth once I'm done.

The whole process doesn't take more than 2 minutes. I do it right after brushing my teeth in the morning.

The Benefits
1. It clears up the sinuses and removes mucous from the hard to reach areas.
2. Especially beneficial if you stay in a city with a high rate of air pollution.
3. It cools the eyes from within.
4. It helps deal with and prevent various respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis, etc.
5. Even if you don't have any breathing problems, you will realise that you're breathing much better.
6. And the most important benefit according to me, and one that inspired me to write this post is that having both the nostrils unobstructed have lots of positive effects on the entire body.
In the benefits of this practice, Swami Satyananda Saraswati has explained in the book Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha: "A balance is brought between the left and right nostrils and the corresponding left and right brain hemispheres." This leads to harmony between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems of the body which is important to induce a state of balance throughout the body and the systems governing circulation as well as digestion.

So, there you go! I hope I have inspired you to give jal neti a shot because of its far reaching benefits on overall health and not merely a technique to clear the nose.

Insight > 3 Most Powerful Prayers for Success

At times we end up learning something profound while teaching our kids.

Recently when my 8 year old was preparing to participate in a competition, I shared some tips with him that I practice subconsciously. I realised that if one was to apply these tips to anything that you do, stress free success is almost guaranteed.

I am a strong believer in the power of prayers. Call them prayers, mantras, affirmations, visualisation or simply positive thinking, I feel that they have a profound effect on our psyche. And the right attitude is usually the most powerful way to experience success.

So, while preparing my son for his competition, I told him about the following important prayers to get him started with a productive attitude. Here I'll also explain how they help at various levels.

* Pray to Enjoy Whatever You're Doing
When you enjoy whatever you do, you naturally end up doing your best. The sense of enjoyment lends an inherent sense of confidence. In case you need to enhance your knowledge about it, when you learn about something that you enjoy there is usually no pressure, but a genuine urge to learn. This makes you learn more about the topic of your choice without any pressure to do so.

* Pray to Do Your Best
As I explained to my son, while we needn't pressurise ourselves with competition with others, it is important to feel satisfied with the effort that we've put into something. There shouldn't be a situation where you come back feeling that you could have done better. While I don't believe in pushing myself, or anyone else, into achieving success, it is important to make sure that you don't fall short of doing whatever you're capable of doing.

* Pray to Be Happy with the Result
If you've done the first two things, ideally you can just surrender to whatever the outcome is. But I feel good praying to be happy with the outcome. Then, in case you come out a winner, it's great. But if there's somebody else who is actually more deserving to be a winner, so be it!

As long as you've enjoyed the whole process (of participating in a competition, for instance),  knowing that you've done your best, and are genuinely happy about the outcome, then you're a winner in any case!