Yoga Into Summer Challenge - Musing #5 - Memory Treasure Hunt

I was reading an article about how pleasant memories have a great effect on our body and mind. A scent, a melody, a flavor, sound, laughter can transport us back to a place of joy and happiness even if for a moment. It can lift up our mood and all of a sudden we can feel the same way as we did when the memory was created. Time stops and our body reacts pleasantly. Some scientific studies show that these memories and positive thoughts free up a hormone called DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) that is responsible for rejuvenation, send more blood to the brain and our heart-beat becomes calmer. We become calmer, come up with better ideas and just feel happier. So in case you feel down, pull up some fun memory and get in a better mood.

Have things around that bring those memories up. Photos, books, small presents, songs, poems, and more. Enjoy them when you are down. The photo above I just found again as I was clearing out my photo libraries. It was taken in Szeged, my home town a few years back in one of the main squares of the city. It was a gorgeous Spring day with warm and soft rain and we were out with my little niece and nephew. We were playing hide and seek, chasing pigeons, had ice cream and just walked and walked. Just looking at the shiny cobble stones, the kids running after the pigeons I am there again. I can even see everyone faces, the clear streets after the rain and dripping ice cream on my nephew's chin. One of the many happy memories from my "h(om)ecomings".

And how does this relate to yoga? Yoga that teaches that we need to be in the present moment? Well, we have to arrive to that present moment from somewhere. We are made up of so many memories, ingrained experiences we carry from our recent and generations-back past (as discussed in the first Blog Entry), our aspirations for the future and certainly we are complex. In my view yoga is here to help us sort through all this mind-stuff. When you teach your body to move with your breath, to breathe with your movement, when you find the clarity of the mind for a (nano-)second in your practice you are making choices on the mat and off the mat as well: what should influence you, what should stay with you and what to let go of. And those experiences (even from your mat) will steer you towards a more peaceful and happy existence. Yes, we know now that this journey is a long one, but hey, more time to make even more lovely and recallable memories. :)

Therefore, if we want pleasant memories, what we do now is vital. In my yoga practice, I try to make each breath and its coordinating movement bring me joy and pleasure. And - even though it is harder - I try to do the same off the mat in my every days as well.

This week dig deep and bring up some fun and happy memories, give yourself a little time to "indulge" in those memories and notice how you feel. Happy memory treasure hunt! And if you would like to share it with us, please do on our Blog. We can always learn something from eachother.

Namaste

:) Rita

Yoga Into Summer Challenge - Musings #4 - The Soul Gardener

It is spring time. It is time to plant the seeds and to tend to your gardens. The beautiful gardens outside and our inner garden as well. Just like in the real gardens, the work in our inner garden can be challenging at times. Therefore, today I just wanted to share two little fables I found while reading the Yoga International magazine. They are about accepting what we have, who we are, where we are at any given moment...

"Mulla Nasrudin decided to start a flower garden. He prepared the soil and planted the seeds of many beautiful flowers. But when they came up, his garden was filled not just with his chosen flowers but also overrun with dandelions. He sought out advice from gardeners all over and tried every method known to get rid of them but no avail. Finally he walked all the way to the capital to speak with the royal gardener at the sheik's palace. The wise old man has counseled many gardeners before and suggested a variety of remedies to expel the dandelions but Mulla Nasredin had tried them all. Then they sat together in silence for some time... And finally the royal gardener looked at Nasrudin and said: "Well... then I suggest that you learn to love them."
-- Sufi

From Soul Food to Nourish the Spirit and the Heart - edited by Jack Kornfield and Christina Feldman.

The fable teaches us to love all our little flaws, making peace with possible injuries, health conditions that might seem as an obstacle in letting our deep and true self bloom. They are there for a reason. By accepting them, caring for them we learn. The greatest power we all possess is the ability to make choices about ourselves. How we want to conduct our lives should come from a deeper understanding, a deeper wisdom.

"Nasrudin was an old man looking back on his life. He sat with his friends in the tea shop telling his story.
"When I was young I was fiery-I wanted to awaken everyone. I prayed to God to give me strength to change the world... In mid-life I awoke one day and realized my life was half over and I had changed noone. So I prayed to God to give me the strength to change those close around me who so much needed it... Alas, now I am old and my prayer is even simpler. God, I ask, please give me the strength to at least change myself. "

-- Sufi 

From Soul Food to Nourish the Spirit and the Heart - edited by Jack Kornfield and Christina Feldman.

What are the "dandelions" in your life? Find them, name them, sit with them, and start trying to love them. It is not always easy but what a great and freeing feeling once you do... the choice is only yours. And once you do, you become a great example for many to follow...

Happy "soul gardening"!

Yoga Into Summer Challenge - Musing #3 - Back in the USA

After such a lovely trip I am back in the USA and back at the studio. It is nice to be back. My aunt put it best about my travels between Hungary and the USA: "You are lucky; you leave home to go home, whichever direction you travel". Both places are homes for me, which is indeed a blessing. Of course it also means that I miss the one when I am in the other. For many of us who are from other countries and live here it is something we are used to. And it is sometimes hard. My way of bringing Hungary home with me is in words. I buy mostly books and my favorite magazines whenever I go, making traveling, other shopping and of course packing difficult. Oh how I miss those flying days when we could check in two bags and there was almost no weight limit :)

Now I do need to restrict myself to 4-5 books and equal amount of magazines. But it is so worth to have the written word in my mother tongue. Why go into so much trouble? How about the Internet, you might ask? And yes, that is also wonderful but books are still hard to come by online (Any day now... Amazon/Kindle will sure get into the business of distributing Hungarian books) and I like the old fashioned way of paging through magazines as well. So you can see that I do need them. This way I have a few months of reading material and they usually run out just in time before my next trip. That is a lot of books over the years for sure...

One could either say I am a patriot and an avid reader or that I am a hoarder of books. Borderline of difference. Either way I have been thinking during this trip about ways to maintain my reading habits but without breaking my back and our book cases. And of course Yoga comes to rescue... again...

One of the Yamas, Aparigraha, non-attachment comes up a lot in our teachings. As you can read in our Yoga Challenge Blog from last year, Aparigraha is often associated with not clinging to material possessions, emotions, values, thoughts and characteristics.

There are many interpretations of Aparigraha out there, the most often heard one is abstaining from greed. Is my collection of books in Hungarian too much? Should I not gather any more? To follow Aparigraha one needs to look at their possessions inside and out. If our life revolves only around objects that can be lost or destroyed, we find that we are either upset over the loss of these items or are constantly worried that we may lose these items. Of course we dont want to give up everything we just need to find balance. And whatever we do, we should feel comfortable and content with our choices.

I like this interpretation by Nischala Joy Devi: "Aparigraha gives us the secret to earthly life. Take a moment to feel gratitude for the great blessings that surround you... Even when you acknowledge the bounty, is there still a lingering apprehension that part or all of it may be taken away? That the well might run dry? Just thinking that a resource is limited initiates fear, thereby lessening the joy in the present moment." Well, that is certainly not the case with me and my Hungarian books. I can never run out of them, since I already read them. And I feel good about the books on the shelves but I would be also happy to share them with others as well. (Let me know if you want to borrow some Hungarian literature :))

By the teachings of yoga and the principle of Aparigraha, I know that deep in my heart I have all I need. My books help me to feel connected all the time. Even though the feeling of longing is not an easy one, I am thankful that I can spend the majority of my time in this country. But I am also happy that I come from another culture. Both are important. I have these two sets of experiences, languages, cultures and food of course. And lots of shelf space :)

How about you? When you look around you and deep into your heart, what are the things that truly ground you without weighing you down?
Happy explorations of Aparigraha this week.

Namaste,

Rita