Thailand, hmmmm…a long way from my Electric Soul Yoga L.A. home.
For three weeks, my travels have taken me to India, where my guru held Yajna lectures that captivated thousands of people with his supreme teachings from the Bhagavad Gita. But still, the heat, congestion and filth of India have wedged deep into my skin.
Next stop was Malaysia, where Swamiji’s daughter offered a different set of Yajna lectures and again revealed ancient truths of Life against a backdrop of beautiful buildings, mosques, and malls! The eternal and the mortal.
Final stop led me to Thailand – beaches, shops, massage and time. Time to digest the intensity of the lessons I have listened to with rapt attention.
What I have learned during these three weeks is what I already knew: that there is one thing for certain in life and that is death.
When we die, we cannot take our families or friends with us. We cannot take fame or fortune, toys or joys. All we take with us when we go is our ignorance or our knowledge.
If we practice bhoga, our mind is on the world and we spend our time chasing happiness/peace as if it were a prize one receives for winning a race or solving a puzzle. The happiness/peace that we feel is always dependent upon a person, place or thing and therefore, not only is it not lasting, it is never really peaceful.
If this is the life we lead, at best we will live it again and again like a dog chasing its tail. At worst, we slide back like a car in a ditch losing traction, never freeing itself from the mud.
If we live a life of yoga, our mind leaves the terrestrial and aims for the transcendental.
We rise above life’s pitfalls. Fame, fortune, pleasure, pain, honor and dishonor, remain at our feet. We chase just like the bhogi. But the yogi chases the truth, the ultimate in the human experience, growing.
Rather than an endless cycle of emptiness, we reach a state of total fulfillment. Instead of temporary relief from misery, there is permanent bliss.
Indeed we are all going to leave this earth someday. But today, we are here and the only thing that truly matters, the only thing worth living for, is the peace we are searching for.
For years, I have said: “The only way out is in.”
Dig in! Any achievement in this world cannot be taken out. No trophy, no award, no plaque, no building.
May we all reach for the supreme every day and let our actions and our thoughts direct us toward the peak of creation. The knowledge that comes from living that life can take us out of this world!
Peace,
EP
"The Journey Is The Destination"
Eric,
Wow. Really BEAUTIFUL. I applaud you for the thoughtful steps you have chosen to take in your life. As an outsider looking in, I view these steps as powerful, risky, beautiful, enlightening, trying, inspiring, disciplined, transforming.
But, most of all, as a GIFT.
I attended a yoga class at the Yoga Shelter about 5 years ago and it changed my life. My spirit had taken many beatings from certain life experiences. ONE lesson in particular left me completely exhausted and in so much pain.
But, thankfully, this time when I picked my tired self up, I planted my feet on a mat in one of your yoga studio’s. My spirit began to heal.
My life and spirit has opened up in so many ways. I have taken Slow Flow, Vinyasa, Fusion, and Yin Yoga classes from your talented wonderful teachers and I can honestly say each class has been a step toward peace and fullfilment that I could not achieve with buying clothing in a retail store, eating a meal in a restaurant, or through another person. It was produced by me and that is the only way to build oneself and transcend : through discipline, hard work, thoughtful actions, breathing, creativity and meditation.
Thank You for Leading by Example…
Karen : )
Sounds like you have a wonderful story yourself my friend! I look forward to
meeting you the next time I am teaching in mich. Thanks for checking in, and keep
living the life you want to live! Peace, EP
Remember that it is the “heat, congestion and filth” of India that has lead to your spiritual awakening. To visit India, receive exactly what you came to get and then insult the unfortunate situation there, is insensitive and uncaring. The practice of yoga came from India and now it is just being taken like a separate entity, separating its philosophies from the “filthy” rest of the country. It is irresponsible to take only what you want from a place without recognizing that the benefits it has given you are not simply there for your taking. I was disappointed to see that you had not realized that when you take, you must also give back-otherwise it is a selfish act. It seems like you need to complete your journey…
What you have chosen to hear my friend and the judgment you passed says much about
you. What I wrote was a small experience of mine, if you had one ounce of intellect
instead of giving me unsolicited advice and insults you would have inquired about ”
my gratitude” and giving”. Peace, EP
I must admit that I do not really understand, with any depth, the world you are describing. I have always worked at a frenetic pace to help others. I have just started taking yoga classes, and am excited to learn something new, for myself. Now, if I can just slow down enough to enjoy the journey….
Thanks for checking in. Realize that the definition of life is a collection of all of our experiences; the good and the not so good. Our growth comes when we are not complacent. When we challenge ourselves physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Living one moment at a time will help you enjoy your life more fully. Peace, EP
I reentered the Yoga Shelter doors two short years ago. I go to all the practices I can, and I’ve been to many training sessions. Yoga has saved my life for 34 years now on and off the mat. It’s hard for me to explain how beneficial LL and TT has been for me. All my life I have been my own worst enemy-beating myself up-cutting myself down-and generally hating myself. I am a product of my past- and I have had an abusive past- BUT I am a producer of my future- so I get up and study-and practice daily and I slow down and observe me in my life. It’s so interesting-this inward journey at looking at myself-it’s not always pretty what I see-and it’s hard to face the truth-but i get “it”. I have a good life, a very good life!
Thank you Eric for all your kindness-training amazing teachers who have provided excellent practices -and for being you.
Love, NM
AHO
Peace, EP