The best part of this process is that everything always seems to happen at once.  Car breaks down, spouse stops smoking, the boss lays you off and your mother-in-law moves in with you.  We both know this didn’t just happen to you but I’ll bet you can feel your buttons being pushed just reading that list.  That’s life bringing up your crap.  How about when you realize that you are insecure, petty, close minded and co-dependent?  That’s yoga bringing up your crap.

Why on earth would anyone ever want to practice yoga if it’s going to bring up stuff like that?  Isn’t life rough enough without yoga doing that to me?  Life pushes our buttons whether we are ready for it or not.  Yoga pushes our buttons when you need them pushed, when we are ready to let them go.

Let me be honest, I do not like having my buttons pushed whether by life or by yoga but more especially by life.  It’s uncomfortable.  I know, however, that when I recognize a button being pushed, I have recognized an opportunity to let go of the button.  I would rather not have life push my buttons willy-nilly but I cannot change that. I would rather that yoga bring them up when I am most ready to learn and grow from them. The best part of it all is that although life continues to push my buttons, yoga has already taught me how to let go of them—if I am willing—and being free of my own buttons is the most wonderful gift I can give myself.

Are you brave enough to face yourself on a yoga mat? Are you brave enough to find freedom?

Jai Bhagwan

Events happen that strip away our blinders and show us who we are and it is then that our demons leap into action  What to do when they appear?  Stop judging yourself.  Trust that your demons came up because you are at a point where you can face them and let them go  How to let them go?   top judging yourself.

Jai Bhagwan

Jai Bhagwan
Ramdas

I saw a poll put up by Yoga Journal earlier today and the question was, “Do you have a home practice?”  My answer was this:  “I have a personal practice.  All of life is my practice space.”  The postures are not yoga, pranayama is not yoga, studios and mats are not yoga but they are all places to practice yoga and washing the dishes or mowing the lawn or trimming the cat’s claws are all also places to practice yoga.

My friends, go to yoga classes but go to learn so that you can begin your true sadhana in the privacy of your own home and in the spaciousness of your own life.

Jai Bhagwan
Ramdas

Noonish: Temple trip with Shanna

Afternoon: Graphics files for Shanta Yoga giveaway swag . . . keep your eyes open for exciting things on ShantaYoga.com!

Afternoon II: Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork Open House

20:00 – 21:00 Yoga Nidra at the Shanta Yoga studio, love this!

If there is peace and evenness of mind, then no matter how troublesome the road, it is no problem.  On the other hand, if there is distraction, disturbance and stories, then no matter how gentle the road, there will be only problems.

Jai Bhagwan
Ramdas

Well, let’s see what happens from here.

Jai Bhagwan
Ramdas

In 2009 and 2010, I went to the Amrit Yoga Institute in Florida for the Level I (200+ hour) and Level II (500+ hour) teacher training programs.  Each program required a tremendous amount of self-study in addition to the training to be a certified Amrit Yoga teacher.  The program I just attended was only about self-study, intense self-study.  As part of the program, we had the option of receiving mantra initiation into the Lineage of Light and, as part of that initiation, to receive a Sanskrit name from Gurudev, Yogi Amrit Desai.  I can already hear the wheels spinning:  “Initiation?  New names?  What has Tyran gotten himself into?!”  I can also hear the words of the Mysterious Man from Into the Woods, “When I first appear I seem quite mysterious, but when I’m explained I’m nothing serious.“

Mantra initiation in the Lineage simply means that the student makes a commitment to practice and live yoga and to use mantra to keep that connection alive.  There is no financial commitment, no vows of celibacy nor poverty, no shaved heads.  There is only a commitment to live happy and to share that happiness with a smile, a laugh and a hug.  I have always done my best to live that way; so far, no dramatic changes.  The guru promises to love the student unconditionally and to be an unflinching mirror.  Gurudev does that whether one receives mantra initiation or not.  Again, no dramatic changes.

Names

Sanskrit names are given from guru to student as a gift and, like any gift, can be accepted or rejected.  Sanskrit names were not required in order to receive mantra initiation.  Those who wanted a name, signed up to receive one and had their picture taken without glasses.  It was the last part that intrigued me, Gurudev wanted to see our eyes before giving any names.  We were told that some people don’t like their Sanskrit name at first and to try to not judge the name we receive.  We were also encouraged to not look up the meaning of our names for about 6 months, this was to give us time to grow into the names without expectation.

Ramdas

I’ve been asked three questions about this new name of mine:  What does it mean?  What do you want me to call you now?  Why do you want a new name, don’t you like your real name?

What does it mean?

When I heard Gurudev say Ramdas, I knew immediately what my name was and what it meant; so did most of the people in the room.  Ramdas means servant of Rama or servant of God.

What do you want me to call you now?

Whatever makes you at ease.  Call me Ramdas or call me Tyran, just don’t call me late to dinner.

Why do you want a new name, don’t you like your real name?

I love my name.  My dear parents named me after a dinosaur, do you know how many times I’ve told that story over the years?  I LOVE MY NAME!  There is a tyrannosaurus rex or dinosaur book in most of the rooms in my house.  I love my name.  If I love my name so much, why would I want a new one?

I’ve been kicking around this planet for 40 years now. I have always done my best to serve God, my family and those around me.  I’ve had good times and I’ve had bad but the last two and a half years have been the happiest years of my life, why?  Ask my wife and children and they will tell you that life changed for me when I began practicing Amrit Yoga.

Here is what my sweet wife wrote to me the first day I was away for this program:

My dearest Tyran,
I went to bed last night thinking of you and awoke with those same thoughts of you in my mind.  I want you to know that I am so very glad that you have found something that brings you such joy and happiness into your life, because in doing so it is bringing those same things to our relationship and our family.  I am thankful for the changes that you have been making.  I am thankful for the changes that you have been helping me make.  As you are there at Prana Awakenings I am finding new “awakenings” in me.  I miss you and love you with all my heart.  I hope your day has been wonderful.  All my love.
XOXOXOXOX
Shan

Considering all of this, why would I not want a new Sanskrit name from a man who has helped me find such joy?

Now I have a question for you to consider:  Does it fit?

Jai Bhagwan,
Ramdas

One key to balancing for mere mortals like myself is the use of focal points.  A focal point allows one to anchor vision to a small point.  With the eyes fixed on a single point, vision remains steady and that helps maintain balance when standing on one foot.  I find that the smaller and more well defined the focal point, the steadier the balance is.  Can you see my dilema?

As I practiced in the Shanta Yoga studio this morning, I was facing the center of the blue door.  Even with my fuzzy sight, I could see the rectangles on the door well enough to focus on a fuzzy corner of one as I moved into vrksasana, tree pose.  As the arms went up, a tree like figure seemed to leap off the door, the mind engaged to think about what was happening and a moment later I fell out of the tree.  I turned 90° to my right and looked out the window and found a line of old rivets (I think that’s what they were, I couldn’t really see what I was seeing).  Focus moved to a blurred spot of a rivet, the leg came up, the arms came up and a tree stood there, steady but supple.

Life is like this sometimes as well.  We may feel focused but then a slight shift happens and the view changes dramatically.  This isn’t a bad thing, that shift often brings amazing new things into view.  Sometimes, however, that shift is unhelpful because it distracts us from our intention and we fall out of the tree we are climbing.  Instead of fighting to ignore the unhelpful shifts in perspective, try turning 90°, refocusing your vision and climb the tree again.

Jai Bhagwan

p.s.

Check back tomorrow, I’ll add some pictures to show some of what I saw.

The “rivets” were actually the ends of the grooves in the metal wall of the window well.

It is easy to see this in the lives of great thinkers, visionaries, explorers and leaders.  They were not “who they should be.”  They did not fit quietly into the mold of expectation; rather, they strode boldly into the realm of Who Am I?  What about their contemporaries who were the farmers, the tailors, the butchers and bakers of their time?  Did these men and women whom history does not remember miss their potential?  Because they did not “change the world” were they any less?  If we use history or fame as the measure of a life’s worth; then yes, they were less but is the purpose of life to gain fame and fortune, to alter the course of history?  What is the measure of a life’s worth?

This brings me to the age old question:  What is the meaning of life?  More than 2600 years ago a man answered that question with this:  Men are, that they might have joy.

Stop fitting the mold of should be and be who you are, but how are you to know who you are?  Look at what brings you joy.  Do you find joy in inventing?  Then invent.  Do you find joy in family?  Have a family.  Do you find joy in teaching or working the soil?  Teach or garden or farm.  As you invent, rear a family, teach or work the earth, do not be lulled into doing it the way everyone else does.  Do not become merely an inventor, parent, teacher, gardener or farmer.  No, be you.  Be who you are and let all that you do be an expression of who you are, an expression of your joy.

Jai Bhagwan