by guest blogger: Kyla Churchman
A longtime member of our Nova Yoga Community and our first ever Energy Exchanger, Kyla Churchman, has been travelling in India and we are delighted that she has been inspired to share her observations and journey with us. Read on to find out what being in India is teaching Kyla about her yoga practice…
When the devotees participate in the ceremonies, the puja, at the temple, they are inviting the deity or god(dess), into the murti, the physical icon, be it a statue of Nataraja or a painted rock, a tree or a Shiva Lingam. With devotion and attention, they welcome the deity into the icon as one would welcome a guest into their home; water to bathe, clean clothes, water to drink, food to eat. When the ceremony draws to a close, the food that was offered to the deity is now offered back to the devotee as prasad, blessed food. It is a reciprocal offering, generosity that is both given and received at each end. This ritual is my asana practice. By practicing, I aim to give my whole attention to what is happening in my body and my mind. This attention is an invitation to the divine which allows me to see divinity flowing though me. As one conducts puja with all the attention, care and love so as to see the deity, and to be seen by the deity, so I practice. Where water and food is offered, I offer my body. And where that food is offered back to the devotee as blessed sustenance, it is my own body that is offered back to me, a healthy, more resilient, sensitive body and mind that is better able to discern what is happening, what I am feeling, what my mind is doing and what action (if any) to take. Truly, these gifts, these siddhis, this prasad, will only be returned if they are first offered. It is only through the offering that we receive the benefits. Yoga truly is a reciprocation. The asana practice is a reminder, just as puja is a reminder, that we are intimately connected with this world. Having the ritual of a daily practice (either contemplative or physical), regardless of whether I am in the mood, has the potential to reacquaint myself with what is genuinely important. It is because we constantly need reminding of our divinity that continuity of practice is vital. The asana practice is a physical expression of gratitude and an invitation to gratitude. When I practice, gratitude arises, as I am reminded of where I have been, where I am now, and the space between. Gratitude arises when we are seeing clearly. Gratitude is both a reminder, and a result of being reminded. It can arise when we tune in to what is happening. We use the asana practice for this fine tuning. Gratitude is the answer to anxiety, to constant striving, to that perpetual wanting feeling. To have the perspective that where I am is inextricably connected to where I have been and where I will be. There are days that I wonder what I am doing here? I am feeling irritated by the noise, by the exhaust fumes and dust, by my choices and indecision. But when I can see, when I look back to several years ago, before I began my yoga practice, before my first trip to India (to which I did not travel alone), I see that there was a time when i could not have even imagined being able to do this at all. The thought of going to India alone, though extremely alluring, was terrifying. It truly was my dedicated asana practice that initiated the strength, courage, clarity, confidence, respect, health and reverence that is needed to negotiate with India. This country is the mahaguru, the great teacher. It will give you what you need right when you don’t want it, and all I can hope for is to receive the new situation without (too much) struggle. There is no time to dwell on losses, or be charmed by success; as in vinyasa, we have little victories, little defeats, little battles, little romances, but the flow demands that we leave each posture to begin another. How can we practice half moon if our mind is still with hanumanasana? In fact, these gains and losses are what propel me, guide me. How each informs my next move reveals the fruit of my practice.
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