Through this series of articles on Microtales.in, Mumbai-based middle-aged author ‘Major’ will share his journey into the world of yoga.
Experiencing different forms of yoga happens to be a hobby of mine.
Many practitioners normally pursue one school of yoga but over the past decade-and-a-half, I have gone through several schools and styles, and gained health and joy from several of them,
I have read the autobiographies of some great pioneers and also come across many ancient manuscripts of great but forgotten teachings on the subject. My attempt here is to motivating readers to start their yoga practice with an aim to enjoy all the benefits of this great art.
Coming from a Christian religious background, I did not have any exposure to yoga
I took to yoga much before it became a buzzword. In fact, I look at myself as the mythical Eklavya as my motivation was from within. Coming from a Christian religious background, I did not have any exposure to yoga from my family or surroundings. Nor have I since shared several of my inner experiences with them.
I have been learning yoga for close to 15 years now. My first exposure to yoga was when I had completed my MBA and was pretty stressed with my work schedules being hectic. A friend of mine suggested of a yoga institution at Santa Cruz in Mumbai. It was then that I had the opportunity to join the famed Santa Cruz Yoga Institute, located very close to the local train station. The institute was founded in year 1918 by Shri Yogendraji. He was one of the first teachers who brought yoga to the common man.
It was here that every morning I would rush from my home in Ghatkopar to reach a class starting at 6.30 a.m. The institute, even today, is an oasis in the midst of a concrete jungle. So much so, you can hear the sounds of birds chirping and singing. I have very present memories of learning the basics of yoga.
We start with postures, simple ones. Standing. Sitting. Keeping your spine straight.
We start with postures, simple ones. Standing. Sitting. Keeping your spine straight. How to stretch. As a first timer, and an eager student, I was amazed at the simple form of exercise. Subtle movement of joints. Much later in my journey I understood the connection but at time I remember I just blindly did what was asked. Discipline is a key to many things in life but the simple discipline of getting up on time and reaching on time helped me. We were taught jal-neeti, an exercise to clean the breathing apparatus of our body. A simple exercise – easy to master but a difficult one to grasp initially. Since I won’t be training via this writing, I recommend you the reader, to explore more about the institute and what it offers here. They have several courses and flexible time options.
One we are taught the basics, we move to the asanas. Yoga institute courses are designed for health benefits so before the training starts you need to attend a Saturday afternoon medical session. Post the session, the doctor will recommend a class based on your health needs and asanas you should avoid. Since I was young I was allotted to a common class. We practiced asanas on a daily basis with the objective of moving the practice to home, eventually making room for another new participant.
I am an avid reader and the institute has many books published by the founder and others. It was though these books I was exposed to the deeper experiences and training of the guru. I am very fortunate to be a student. I did my basic training for 3 months and have gone back at least 3 more times to re-learn the basics.
If any of you guys want to share your experiences with healthy living, please feel free to comment below or write a mail to write@microtales.in