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Sunday 26 August 2012

MY EXPERIENCE WITH ART OF LIVING!!!

Tell me to climb Mount Everest,I will.
Tell me to go listen to a day full of physics lectures, I will.
Tell me to eat bittergourd for a week, I will.
But if u tell me to sit in one place for the sake of meditation and yoga, I guarantee you that I will run to the other end of the earth and for sure never return until I am assured of no meditation and yoga.

       So when my father instructed me to join the Art of Living basic course, there was of course a humongous amount of resistance from my side. My father basically wanted me to join because I am one of those people who has trouble concentrating on a particular task. I am also basically fickle minded, always hesitating to take decisions on my own, constantly doubting myself and my abilities. So due to all these reasons,my father wanted to me to take up the course, which is believed to help a person control his mind and actions. Also I have been prone to illness, paricularly to common cold frequently over the past one year. For this reason too, to get rid of my illness and vulnerability to diseases, I was asked to atend this course.

  The first day began with an introduction to the Sudarshan kriya and a few warmup exercises. I was highly reluctant to just close my eyes and just sit in one place. I felt like just running out of the hall and never returning. I just coudnt keep still. I coudnt help fidgeting with my arms and legs. At that particular point in time, I felt that even my nightmares were better!

      Another reason that I was so reluctant to attend the course was that it began at six in the morning! I usually wake up at around eleven or twelve on holidays, so you can just imagine how shocked I was when I realised that I had to wake up by atleast five thirty everyday!
   So then the second day of the course followed. The morning began with my usual reluctance to get up, followed by my mother pushing me out the house. I walked sadly to the hall, to be greeted by the friendly smiles of my teachers. So as usual, started with a warm up session, followed by some asanas and then started a discussion on some important 'sutras'. I found the dicussion interesting and suddenly, I found myself getting involved in a deeper and more spiritual manner.
  And then the unforgettable and unimagineable event occured.
 It soon occured to me that there was no escape from this course. So I just decided to accept my present situation as it is, and put in a hundred percent effort while doing the Sudarshan Kriya. It was then that I felt vibrations occuriing throughout my body during the process. At the end of  the process, I felt so relaxed and peaceful. The feeling is something really extraordinary. One has to experience it to really understand what I had been through that day!
    So we had the usual discussions and then regular homework in the form of a few questions to ponder over were given each day. Many beautiful procedures were introduced to us. We were taught many values which, without our knowledge, we have come across in our daily life!
   Yesterday after the session, we shared snacks with everyone. After that we were shown some inspiring videos.
  Today, on our last day of the course, we madeatrip to the Ashram.Our techers guided us and showed us around the ashram. We then had luch at the Ashram afterwhich we continued our course in a small room. After that we attended the satsang, had prasad and returned home.
 So to conclude all I want to say is that the course really broughtabout a change in my perspective and outlook of yoga and meditation. I plan to carry on whatever I have learnt in my future, and just hope that
I deal with everything in my life in a better manner with a cool and composed state of mind!!!
  

7 comments:

  1. hmm...u will b our yoga teacher in belgaum:P

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  2. lol.......!!!! cant teach until another 3 years. To teach il have to take up follow up sessions and advanced courses while staying in the ashram itself. Along with that there is special teacher's traning. And after all that only if guruji decides that u are capable of becoming a teacher, can u teach. So in short.........long way to go before i start teaching yoga!!!!!

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  3. its k v don want to b perfectionist:P

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  4. still........cant teach till i have the proper skills and knowledge!!!!!!

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  5. gud read....an inspirin anecdote for dos who feel yoga n meditation is crap!

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  6. hmmmmm.........thanx darshan!!!!!!

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  7. Anyway i think i was also one of the many people who thought that yoga and meditation was pretty useless. The change that Art of Living brought within me is simply too huge to put in words!!!! One has to really experience it to note the difference!!!!!

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