San

Hacksaw Ridge movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 15:01:00 +0000

I don't know how entertaining it is going to be for you. But depends on what you consider entertainment or you watch movies for entertainment.

It is gory. Depiction of world war.

It made me think of people like Howard Roark, Elon Musk, Sadhguru jaggi Vasudev, Martin Luther King junior, Mahatma Gandhi, Steve Pavlina.

Celebrates man's loyalty to his values (convictions) even if it leads him to hell. He finds solace in his values and aligning with them.

This movie made me cry. Interestingly at the most unconventional of places. (Spoiler Alert: When he proposes to her for marriage after she very cutely confronts him. lol.). May be it was because how naive and authentic he was and it worked (he gets the girl :) ). About how much she seem to see through to him to his depth and falls for the MAN that he is. May be reassures me to naive and authentic to actually succeed.

Being scrawny is not an excuse for being brave.

Makes me think, where have i given up my values for comfort and ease where i should trusted and aligned to values.

Questions i (wish to) ask myself every morning!

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 15:11:00 +0000

How would I like to live today?

What learning would I like to have today?

What would I like to experience today?

Who would I like to experience today?

What youtube video to listen to today? (or whatever video relevant)

What book should i subject myself to today?

Why them? What wellbeing am I intending to create today?

What entertainment would I like to have today?

Am I escaping something through it? Am i escaping some reality through that?

What part of "work" I want to do today?

How am i going to play today?

Am i playing through my work?

When am I sitting with my eyes closed today? Why?

what do i intend to accomplish with that? Is it just a habit or an exploration of unknown?

Do i disconnect with minutiae everyday to actually accomplish that?

What physical activity God intended for me to do today? and when?

What Facebook, Instagram photo am I sharing today?

Is it necessary?

How to make the world a little more better today?

Did i get pumped thinking of it?

If not, what would I rather do?

What goals matter to me most today?

How am I taking care of physical, mental and emotional fitness today?

How much of to-do list i cleared up today?

What big goal and gave i am playing for today?

I realize this is an evolving list!

Yes. I ask this to myself every now and then.

No. Not always the answer is fantastic. But it is real.

Yes. This inspires me big time.

Yes. There is bunch more i want to add to this.

Do add your 1 or 2 (or 10) such questions in comments! Let me know you vibe with me! ;)

Nashik ~ of Vineyards and Farmhouses

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 03:27:00 +0000

Posing after meditation!

Some travel experiences are so special because so many things come together which normally would not. The people, the place, life situations, state of mind. I think the best is when you get to experience connectedness to your self.

Just like millions of other places on earth, there is enough "nature" to explore in Nashik. Other than the regular stuffs like picturesque vistas, weather (thank you nashik for not being humid on me), food, joy bike rides, selfies, engaging with locals, navigating various negotiations - some other things were very profound for me on this trip. Many of my trips/travels are amazing and profound. Even weekend visits to pavna with my friends is actually very nurturing for me. Except this time, i actually sat my ass down to write about it. I intend to write on every trip/ travel i make. Lets see.

Transforming the anxiety of being alone.. to a powerful "space of allowing".. where undeserving kindness is showered upon!

I usually get a feeling of anxiety when i start a trip. Usually about.. will it be fun? Aam i forgetting something? Should i can cancel and go back to regular life? Do i have enough batteries? Is there anything that i didn't complete and so on. Over that, the bus guy seemed like he over priced me (which he didn't, as i learnt later). Anyways, i know these triggers by now so i knew that i would slowly settle in and go with flow. So my current favorite spiritual teacher (Teal Swan at the moment) and started drifting off. And Ofcourse it worked.

If you know anything about local bus travels, you would know if you book ticket last minute, you will get 1. the last seat (which is pretty bad), 2. Nobody would be willing to exchange it. These days i am very interested in pushing social boundaries. I made friends with some random guy and was talking to him. Despite the fear of rejection, at one point i asked him do you want to switch, and he readily agreed! Wow. Thats fantastic. Over and above that, the old man sitting next to me offered his hotspot and allowed me to access internet. A simple lesson to relate to people beyond their sterotypes and actually connecting with people can make lots of difference.

Real connection. Joy and feeling loved.

Immersed in her train of thought,
Michelle oblivious to me taking selfie

Not superficial. But real conversations. when you can be authentic with someone and have real conversation about something.

Do you know how amazing it feels to be with someone?

who has commitment towards being authentic Vs being liked?
who is ready to listen Vs competing to talk
who is as comfortable being lazy as in action mode all the time
who has faced their demons Vs perpetually living a "safe" life

Let me tell you. It is so freeing to be around some one. Everything you explore with such a company is beautiful. In my experience, all the international travelers are like that. Thank you michelle! It was such a delight to do this little travel with you.

Schedule free living Go-with-the-flow living

It recently dawned upon me that humans are not made to be productive. We are here to enjoy various dimensions of life. As a manifestation of various levels of playfulness, we created calender and to-do list. Even though i am a fairly productive guy, i actually let go and just did what my heart wanted. If it told me to be lazy, i was. If it told me to dance, i did. If it told me to lie down, i did. If it told me to cuddle, i did.

I learnt to listen to my feelings better.

The best part was to just lay in the grass listening to coldplay and staring at stars. Although, i should admit, i did dance most of that time. I miss these lush forests, landscapes and parks in mumbai concrete jungle.

Always welcoming new connections

There are times in long bus rides when there is not enough juice in the mobile to listen to anything ~ you are left with just stream of thoughts and no social norms to adhere that disturbs the contemplative space.

Pushing social behavioral boundaries

There is always a creep (or almost creep) in most of the travels. It is good to be and i am open and receptive to people in general who want to connect. But some how some creeps (whose intentions are beyond just enjoying conversations and crosses some boundaries) seep in through the cracks. In a ways, i like it. It helps me keep vigilant for me and my peeps. It is about straddling the thin line where you allowing them to be few things and not allowing them be in certain way around you! This is part of the package.

I'd call it a travel experience rather than just a vacation because both are about mindset. I like traveler mindset more. Vacation, for me, implies lazing about and indulging (not that anything wrong with that) , but i am very active during my travels as much as (if not more) my daily life.

Navigating through the good and the bad locals

There are some local folks who are genuinely interested in connecting and there are some who are out to extract maximum out of you! Negotiating your way through it is a skill that i learnt by making enough mistakes in life. I am OK with that. Cant be protected all the time. I started to enjoy the vulnerable and gullible side of me. I have lots of respect for female solo travellers even more!

The Farm House

Sula Vineyards

PS: Best way to choose partner/ friend in life is to travel with them. Not as a tourist, but as a traveller. It reveals the good, bad and the ugly of both to each other and helps deciding if its a good match for each other!

Stupid little Creative Adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 04:59:00 +0000

I have done most of them here. Some of them i am going to do. Soon.

You can try these for 2 hours to start with and increase time. These are 2 person activities. If you want life to be interesting, start with yourself. Don't be afraid to be interesting. For you to enjoy the process of driving, you need to start the vehicle at some point, right?

Blindfold one person. The other person should guide the temporarily blinded person through crowd, traffic, cafe, etc. 20 minutes. Then switch. This is like a trust exercise. This is super fun.
Road trip with a friend. No talking. Communicate (if you have to) through smiles, emotions. If you can convince both of you to fully invest into that, this can be super fun - once you cross the initial weirdness stage.
Stare into eyes and communicate. Not allowed to open mouth. Activity can be done but has to be a together one - like painting, dancing, cooking, etc.
Volunteer together. Conversations only about the activity. Any other inside jokes, movie talks are not allowed. Rules make the game fun.
Create the best experience for another - movie, massage, drinks - whatever. In those few minutes/ hours, YOU don't exist.. only the other person exists. Your needs, wants, likes, dislikes, etc does not exist. Live for the other person just for 2 hours. Find out what the other likes and surprise them.
Have a bet on who can make the most strangers smile. I started this as a self exercise. Now it has kinda become a habit.
Sing/ Dance in public to/ with each other. Like the road, near that idli shop, in the train, Metro, while waiting in queue, etc. Dont think. Just Be. Just do.
Go and soak in the beauty of nature with the senses. And then without the senses. Close the eyes and meditate next to each other.

Some of these things seems cheesy, but who the fuck cares?

What are some of your ideas?

I disconnected from Facebook so I connect with my Self

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 10:51:00 +0000

I like facebook. I dislike it even more. I am not divorcing, just a trial separation. I am just going to invest time and energy on other pursuits. In fact i did that last 40 days. I might have logged in twice for about 2 minutes in the last 35 - 40 days. I have now found a new and meaningful way of relating to facebook. This post is more like a reminder to my future self incase if i get into the vacuum again.

But what about people who care about me and want to know what is going on with my life?

I will try and post some every now and then. But i am not going to wait around for likes and comments. If you feel like knowing what is going on with my life, here is my blog.

It is extremely tailored, edited, moderated, very coherent, uplifting, extremely entertaining, engaging, well writttten, well punctuated.;, grammatically impeccable, literally unparalleled. haha. really? you believed all that? None of that.

Its going to be authentic me - That i can promise.

Or whatsapp me, call me or better yet - bring some nice food and wine and meet me in person.

The facebook vacuum story:

Does the following story ring a bell?

You start by logging in to just check the updates and who else has liked or commented on your photo. Then you start responding to the comment. Then, one photo of one of the comments pulls you in and you follow the curiosity and go "like" it and then the next photo and then you are stuck on their WALL as something about what they have "shared" is funny and interesting and useful. And you go ahead and share it. Some one "likes" it and you feel like you have done some service to humanity.. which lets you to go ahead and "share" more similar stuff. And then you move on to a new genre - awe-inspiring and world changing stuff.. Right when you have had enough "inspiration" and "motivation" posts, you get drawn into those funny AIB, qtiyapa and "john oliver" videos and you laugh your ass off and then you need more "fix" "hit". You look for more "high content" "funny" stuff and you keep chasing that high with better "fix"es and you are not getting any. It has been 2 hours since and you have settled to the good old "lolz catz" videos and memes. And then you realize you have to go do the "work" which needs you to focus and then you resort to facebooking again as your brain has gotten used to this "easy"ness. And you are totally, completely and utterly lost.

One day, like many other days, i was going through with that drama. Then, about a month and half back, i said "no more". And quit facebook cold turkey. All of a sudden i have so much space, time and energy available for me. Not just time. So much of life is available for me.

I have improved phenomenally at work. I can access my deeper core and offer my values even more. I am actively pursuing life. I am dancing more. More joyful. All those.

During those days while i was sucked into the facebook vacuum, even though i did lots of adventure and YOLO stuffs, it felt like there is always this certain nagging lack of contentment in not living my life completely -- like -- Everyone around me is traveling or doing things, moving on in life and "living" and i was the only one who wasn't happy all the time or traveling all the time or "living" out there.

Then, I realized that it is an unnecessary distraction to put myself through a jealousy cycle and get myself out of it. Even though i am in path of yoga, i do get jealous, except when i watch it happening - within a minute or two (sometimes days and weeks) and then transform it. But why go through that little cycle at the cost of my joyful mission, right?

When i disconnected, It is uncomfortable to stay in that "vaccuum" and during those careless moments, Instagram or twitter or youtube (or a similar thing) tried to get sucked right into the vacuum. Thankfully none has such black mass that facebook has.

This way of living is more fun. Alright. Gotta go. Now i got to log into facebook and see who has "like"d this. LOL.

Feb 15 2016 Edit: Now that i am in control, i am going to log in every now and then to share stuff. Or i might not.

The benefits in the past non-facebook days?

Actually living out there
Day dreaming more
Playing with kids/ animals more
Being available for friends
Spending more time with rubik's cube
Write a lot more
Spending more time sitting with eyes closed (that is the best adventure)

A Sunday of confronted boredom

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 05:47:00 +0000

I will be as short as i can, otherwise skip to read the appropriate part.

The Why?

Why not?

From the time we get up (after about 300 snoozes) to going to bed (falling asleep by gradually numbing ourselves down with TV), It is surprising to know how very little time we actually are with/ by ourselves. It is not because we are so busy. It is because we keep unconsciously ourselves busy so we can avoid the boredom of what remains when all else is taken away.

"It doesn’t interest me

where or what or with whom

you have studied.

I want to know

what sustains you

from the inside

when all else falls away." - From, "the invitation" by oriah

Our ears are plugged in while in queues or transits.

While with friends, we feel the need to fill all the moments with conversations ~ even if it is boring and redundant.

Every few minutes, We feel the need to check for whatapp messages, facebook statuses and instagram likes and feel like we need to fill it up by initiating chats.

We allow constant interruptions through useless phone calls and messages.

There isn't really an emphasis on and a space for "deep focused work".

We don't close our eyes and sit, come what demon may.

We are no more "committed" beings. Sadly, this is becoming socially accepted.

Somehow, after all these years, the idea sit well with me (the idea that we constantly need to be entertained/ engaged during our waking hours).

The Inspiration:

Last saturday, i was re-reading a chapter from the book, "The way of superior man" by David Deida (This book is a gift to mankind)

The two ways to bring you right to your masculine edge of power are austerity and challenge.

Austerity means to eliminate the comforts and cushions in your life that you have learned to snuggle into and lose wakefulness. Take away anything that dulls your edge. No newspapers or magazines. No TV. NO candy, cookies, or sweets. No sex. No cuddling. No reading of anything at all while you eat or sit on the toilet. Reduce working time to a necessary minimum. No movies. No conversation that isn't about truth, love, or the divine.

If you take on these disciplines for a few weeks, as well as any other disciplines that may particularly cut through your unique habits of dullness, then your life will be stripped of routine distraction. All that will be left is the edge you have been avoiding by means of your daily routine. You will have to face the basic discomfort and dissatisfaction that is the hidden texture of your life. You will be alive with the challenge of living your truth, rather than hiding from it.

Unadorned suffering is the bedmate of masculine growth. Only by staying intimate with your personal suffering can you feel through it to its source. By putting all your attention into work, TV, sex, and reading, your suffering remains impenetrated, and the source remains hidden. Your life becomes structured entirely by your favorite means of sidestepping the suffering you rarely allow yourself to feel. And when you do touch the surface of your suffering, perhaps in the form of boredom, you quickly pick up a magazine or the remote control.

Instead, feel your suffering, rest with it, embrace it, make love with it. Feel your suffering so deeply and thoroughly that you penetrate it, and realize its fearful foundation. Almost everything you do, you do because you are afraid to die. And yet dying is exactly what you are doing, from the moment you are born. Two hours of absorption in a good Super Bowl telecast may distract you temporarily, but the fact remains. You were born as a sacrifice. And you can either participate in the sacrifice, dissolving in the giving of your gift, or you can resist it, which is your suffering.

By eliminating the safety net of comforts in your life, you have the opportunity to free fall in this moment between birth and death, right through the hole of your fear, into the unthreatenable openness which is the source of your gifts. The superior man lives as this spontaneous sacrifice of love.

Ofcourse these words are piercing and moves anyone to take action. Instead of waiting for the "right time" and "right circumstances" i decided to do it right away.

Yesterday being sunday, i didn't have lots of commitments involving other people. Ofcourse i had lots of things to be done (but when does that list every get over?). So i decided to do my own version of experiment.

The Experiment:

The experiment parameters are these:

No computer
No WiFi
No TV shows, movies, books, music, videos, entertainment of any kind
No talking, communication of any kind, No phone calls, no whatsapp, facebook
Just me, my thoughts, my sleep, my meditation, my quietness
I thought this up at about 9.30AM. So from 9.30AM till the next morning i woke up.

The Results:

First half hour was the regular. I remembered lots of things that needs to be done. Bank stuff, work stuff, house hold stuff, new ideas, etc ~ since it involved me using my computer (evernote) and i could not do it, it made me restless. I knew that was okay.

Later, i started taking a note of my immediate environment ~ the books, the disorganized table, the bed and then minute stuff like bed corner, the floor design patterns, the little dirt in the window sill, etc. That doesn't mean anything. No insights there.

Later, i started remembering the words from the books, blogs and words from mentors and wanted to connected to them (which involved me opening www or youtube - i couldn't do it - so frustration again). Look at the compulsive action there. "No, Go beyond" - i said.

Then, i slept off (yeah - that was me going beyond) - as i was tired from staying awake with friends last night.

In the meanwhile, my flatmate arrived and chatting with me. Before he got weirded out and wondered if i was okay, i made a few attempts at non verbal communication. Later i just said "I am tired of talking, i am going to keep shut the entire day" and smiled. He got it and later understood the entire scope of my "experiment" after a while and later supported me and infact i could see he was inspired. When you are convinced about something, people generally are supportive of you. I will ask his honest feedback today.

Last couple of weeks, i was getting good at sitting with eyes closed by myself. Lets call that thing meditation. My meditation zone came to me easier yesterday. Mostly, after meditating, i check my phone (Fine, judge me if you want). Since that was not an option today and getting out of meditation wasn't particularly stimulating, i chose to stay longer post my meditation. I wont say much here. It was pretty awesome though.

I didn't want to go complete radio silent in case i need to take any urgent calls. Atleast i had to leave people the option of text messaging me. I would only reply if it was critical. None was critical and hence i didn't.

I felt bad when some people from whom i was expecting message from didn't reach out to me. The ego part of me was a bit sad - but quickly got over it with some powerful contexts like "Universe is supporting me in the experiment and the big U thought i didn't need any more distractions than already existing ones (the thoughts)". Other not-so-powerful context (but got me through) was: "I am not dying today. I can check whatsapp tomorrow".

Evening now. I went out to the park. Did a bit of work out. Watching people and kids play. Laughed. Got bored. Laughed at myself. Wanted to check phone. Empty pocket. Laughed at myself again. Yelled at an angry kid who tried get away by doing something "bad". i forgave myself for talking. (If you're wondering about the kid, he was trying to hit another kid with my chappel and i had to stop him. I couldn't control a lot about their fighting but some of it i could and i did).

Came back home. Got bored. Found out that i actually did not care where my phone was. Checked for any "critical communication" and left the phone at home and went out again. Forgave myself for that little rule violation.

On my way out, for the first time, i went into the nearby temple and participated in the singing by clapping and dancing as i was not allowed to sing. This became my primary source of entertainment, at that moment. I longed to dance and sing. I laughed. Weirded out some of the grim-faced "bhaktas" there with my smiling.

Went out. Was longing to talk to some one. (i was understanding my own unconscious, compulsive patterns). Again, laughed. Skipped and danced a bit.

Went to 13th cup chai. Interacted with waiter like a dumb person. I was smiling and smiling. Everything was amusing. Played jenga. Invited the waiter to play. He couldn't just stop smiling. He was so happy like he just got a pretty girlfriend or something. Savoured the egyptian chamomile sip by sip (as i had nothing else to do). Walked around the shop and read poster (later realizing i was not supposed to read.). Laughed while forgiving myself.

Caught myself wanting to communicate to some one and then laughed at the empty pocket. Came home. Night. Slept.

The Take Away: For us "take-away" generation

Understanding my own unconscious, compulsive patterns.

Knowing where i have invested my energy and time in and consciously altering it.

Learning that "living" is beyond phone, computer, whatsapp and facebook ~ not just as a intellectual concept but by actually doing it.

Rewiring neuron patterns by new inputs

Adventure is about me, not places

Learning How to BE intimate with someone (not just sexually)

What does it mean to actually focus long term with out distractions

Why meditate? #noteToSelf

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 16:33:00 +0000

To get out of unconscious, compulsive, habitual, addicted, needy behavior to be on reactive mode all the time ~ like whatsapp, facebook or next episode of tv show, or gossip..

And to get into a very present, responsive, calm, centered, intense, abundant, non-needy, joyful, focused state of mind and operate from there and train yourself to operate from there.

The process of sitting in meditation actually disconnects you from the habitual way of thinking ~ layer by layer ~ so you may get into

Either - thoughtless aware state,
Or - aware state chosen thoughts
Or - a flow state where creative and new ideas arise as solution to existing problem
Or - All the above

The very purpose of sitting in meditative pose is to disconnect.. And connect.
To actively Disconnect. And connect (where?)

Disconnect - from the materialistic reality of life. And create a space so that you may
Connect to the ethereal or other available realities.

Disconnect - from the the materialistic internet

Connect - tune into another kind of network (of energies? as in Avatar?)

Disconnect - to the "outside" and turn inwards and

Connect - with body, breath, mind?, energy

You don't know what you are going to get or meet or experience. Yet you create a space of no expectation and practice just BEING

Meditation (or creating an meditative atmosphere within yourself) is just a curious exploration into the unknown,
on a daily basis,
on an hourly basis ,
on a weekly basis -
without actually moving the physical body ~ exploring in the realms of unknown.

Not because you realize your chakras,
not because you connect with your spirit guides,
not because you will raise your energy levels

~ may be all this could happen and that could a bonus.

Whether all those things happen or not, even if they are the reason and motivation for sitting for meditation ~ you create a space for it may actually happen and/or something new.

To learn to wait! To practice to wait! To wait joyfully!

So you may learn not to be imprisoned by the need constantly engage the senses and constantly entertain

To actually try and perceive if there is actually a world beyond, as the sages say, or the mystics or the shamans say.

To learn to have infinite patience

To learn to get ideas

To facilitate depth in the so called LSD experience.

To actively confront boredom and revel in it, to BE with it.

To actually enjoy the pleasures of life by not overloading the senses without a break!

I read this some where. Some of it may resonate with you and enable and empower you in your meditation journey.

There are three golden rules for meditation. The first is you say “I want nothing, I want nothing for next 15-20 minutes.” If you say “I need to drink water or change my position,” then meditation cannot happen. When you want nothing, then you also do nothing. The second golden rule is “I do nothing.” You only breathe. Do not make an effort to think “I want nothing” and “I do nothing” - Just an effortless attention. Then the last one is even more important, “I am nothing.” While meditating we drop all notions about ourselves of being rich, poor, intelligent, stupid, male, female or any other. So what are you? Nothing! After meditation you can again be something. It is your choice, but if you think, during meditation, that you are somebody great or somebody hopeless, there is no way you can settle down to that deepest core of the being. This must be our initial step to settle into that infinity, the consciousness of which we are all made up of. It is the journey from sound to the inner joyful silence.

A Self-Imposed ~ Wellbeing and Intelligence nurturing REHAB

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 10:52:00 +0000

Last sunday, at around 6PM, with acidity brimming up and the effects of hangover (which was tapered off already) being taken off with the sudharshan kriya practice which i was in the middle off, i made a resolve. I made a commitment and i was going to stick to it, NO MATTER WHAT. Oh dear god, i cant already believe what i am saying ~ how many times have i said these words to the biriyanis, tasty wraps and those chocolates and failed ever so miserably at it. And yet, this time it was very clear. It was as if i was just seeing something which was already there and i was not making it up. It was THAT clear.

The meditation session was a weekly thing ~ i was in the middle of it and it was going to take another half hour to complete the sadhana. It is a roller coaster ride ~ the sudharshan Kriya. First off all i was very happy that i am in a ritualistic sadhana these days. Be it forceful or as a pleasure seeking practice - i had been pretty regular at it these days. 2 years. And now i am at the stage where - i do it atleast 5 to 6 times a week if not 7 times/ week. so, to all those who call me yogi.. the best i can be called is an "aspiring yogi". Considering the pre 2014 performance, my meditation consistency was pretty good. This "little" success tastes even sweeter mainly because me being a yoga teacher, me having chosen the path of yoga, the fan of osho, being the self proclaimed "truth seeker", the wayne dyer fan, and so on.. Even being all that.. I still couldnt bloody sit with my eyes closed for just few minutes ("meditate"), without plugged into music or audio book. That much need to escape facing my self? That was NOT ok and i had to over come it. It took years. NOW i can do that. I can handle the monkey mind. Well - cant handle the mind per se. But, i dont get bored so easliy while sitting eyes closed and not moving. I can patiently sit and wait. It has taken some time and effort to get here.

So - the resolve, you ask? To make peace with my own thought that says - "this is too trivial", "too embarrassing to share", "people in the world are actually battling bigger issues", etc - to appease that voice in me, i am posting this disclaimer. **We all have insecurities, "bad" habits, demons to transform, seemingly-small-but-has-taken-forever-yet-hasn't-transformed unworkabilitys in life. So i am not alone in overcoming an addiction (if you can call it that)*

I have decided to lay off this need to keep myself entertained. To keep myself off the shows (no clauses). To keep me off the movies (no clauses). Not just that. To stay off faceboook, whatsapp and phone in general (clauses allowed - as minimum as possible). I have done this resolve many times. So have you. So has he, she, and that person over there. We all have done it. Yet, why can't we seem to stick to it. SIMPLE. The person who makes the commitment is not the same person who has to take the action. The person who made the commitment comes from the space of clarity, the vision of what those actions could do. The person who has to take the action of following through the commitment ~ doesn't do so ~ because they are operating out of inertia (karma, sorta) ~ because they don't hold the clear vision any more ~ because of daily mundane things taking over ~ because bahits ~ because the familiar is comfort and we all want comfort (i think.. many people resort of alcohol or smoking or any other addiction.. just because it is familiar). I am breaking this. I am going to break this habit. I am breaking this karma chain. THAT IS YOGA, isnt it?

Now the real question is? Nobody asks it! But i know i am left with the question (It has been 72 hours and i have stuck to the resolve.. btw). The question is: WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH FREED UP TIME? So that question needs to be addressed strongly. I am going to use this in my weak moments to get power to stick to the resolve.

Get bored. Get bloody bored. Let the mind struggle with that.. and then may be write a book or 2. Or may be find out the question for the answer 42.
Books. I know how many books are there which inspired me and called me to be read and are still in my book shelf waiting to be read
Think! Just that!
Day dream. (fortunately, I am my own boss. I decide when i sleep and wake up and i decide if i want to nap in the afternoon or not. YAY. This is where i feel i have done some thing right with my life.. haha)
Learn new stuff ~ language? instruments?,
Yoga

All the best to me! May the force be with me!

Vegan High Protein Diet Checklist

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 17:03:00 +0000

I have been considering switching to vegan, raw, organic, whole and natural diet. The major problem seemed to be in getting the right amount of protein. So i researched. I use this template to design the raw materials to be cooked for the day. I will soon be posting a good wholistic 7 day diet plan as well.

No.	Item	Protein	Perday
1	Mung Dal ( 1 cup = 202g) (cooked)	14
2	Masur Dal (pink Lentils) (1 cup)	18
3	Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas/ kabuli Chana/ Konda kadalai)	15

4	Protein Powder (1 scoop)	25
5	Bulgur (Dalia) (100g, cooked)	3.1
6	Quinoa (1 cup)	8
7	Roti (1 no.)	3.5

8	Spinach (100g boiled, boiled) @INR 4	3
9	Broccoli (100g boiled, boiled) @INR 28	2.4
10	Kale (100g boiled, boiled) @INR 45	4.3
11	Greenpeas (100gms, boiled)	5
12	Mung Bean Sprouts (1 cup)	5.3	5.3
13	Alfalfa Sprouts (100g)	4
14	Lettuce (100g)	0.9
15	Cucumber (100g)	0.6
16	Tomato (cooked) in one tomato (100g @INR 3)	1	5
17	Onion (Sauted) (100g)	1	3
18	Cabbage (100g)	1.3
19	Cauli Flower (100g)	1.8
20	Carrot (100g)	0.8
21	Beans (100g)	1.9
22	BeetRoot (100g)	1.7

23	Oats	6	6
24	Cashews (16 cashews = 1 oz.)	4.4	2.5
25	Peanuts (28 peanuts = 1 oz.)	6.5	3.2
26	Almonds (23 almonds = 1 oz.)	6	10 / day = 2.6
27	Walnut (14 walnut halves = 1 oz.)	4	2
28	Pistachios (42 full pistachios = approx 18 peeled?)	6	3
29	Raisins (60 raisins = 1 oz.)	0.9	0.1

30	Hemp seeds/ Powder (1 tbsp)	5.3	1 tbsp = 5.3
31	Flax Seeds (1 tbsp ~ 7g)	18	1 tbsp = 1.3
32	Sunflower Seed (100g)	20
33	Pumpkin Seed (100g)	19
34	Watermelon Seeds (100g or 600 seeds approx)	28
35	Chia Seed	17
36	Sesame Seeds (Tahini?)	6.5
37	Cumin seeds (Jeera/ jeeragam) (100g)	18	1 tbsp = 1.1
38	Mustard seeds (kadugu/ Rai ~Sarson )	26	1 tbsp = 1.6
39	Poppy Seeds	18	1 tbsp = 8.8

40	Watermelon (100g)	0.6
41	Apple	0.5
42	Coconut (100g)	3.3
43	Coconut Water (100g)	0.72

44	Hummus (1 tbsp)	1.2	1.2

Diet Update 26 October, 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 14:44:00 +0000

Ever since i did my diet experiment in the beginning of last year, I have been getting more conscious about what i eat. Conscious about how it affects my body, my mind, the environment, what causes more ease and grace in life, what kinds of food causes the body strength and flexibility, etc. With so many people around the world experimenting on food and diet, i have found that the VROWN diet is the best thing and also i have written about it in my earlier blog, almost a year back. Here is the link.

However, there is lots of challenges to switch to that diet. Things like taste, attachment to old food habits, lack of motivation and time to learn the new way, inability to make the maid to cook food with less oil :( and cost (eating high protein vegan diet is like 4 or 5 times expensive), almost zero support from social group (not complaining, but comparing with the people i hang out with, i seem nutty ;) ).

So, my new found inspiration to want to cook and my long time to desire to eat healthy food consistently have made me to start cooking by myself. I am going to be sharing my journey of learning and progress. And i am going to take whatever help i can get from field experts. Anyways, i am open for help.

You can educate/ help/ interact with me with any of the following ways:

With new recipies (Don't give me a recipe book, I can find millions online. But i want recipies consistent with my situation).
I am looking at hitting 150 grams of protein a day through vegan sources. I am tracking my protein consumption as best i can. Currently i am consuming about 70 grams a day. I still consume milk, butter milk, paneer and some other milk products but going forward i would like to reduce them
Cost effective sources to get the raw materials (fruits, vegetables, etc). kale and broccoli are super expensive
Cheer me up
Correct my mistakes
Challenge me with questions about my method.

As 26 octv 2014, on its been 1 week of successfully cooking healthy VROWN diet everyday.

I pretty much made same type: Dal, Mix veg curry (Sabji). Considering the fact that i had to get the vegetables, wash them, learn to cook them and make them, i am really happy even though it lacked variety. Although, i threw in the some variety definitely.

This is the general pattern of cooking i followed.

Steam cook in pressure cooker: Dal, dalia and Vegetables

Base Tadka: Fry with little oil: 4 onions, 4 tomatos, herbs, spices and masala.

Dish 1: Add 1/2 base tadka to the steam cooked dal.

Dish 2: Add 1/2 base tadka to the steam cooked vegetables

Dish 3: Dalia or Roti or oats

Dish 4: Spinach, Broccoli, kale, tomato and Pudina blended juice: Steam cook (in pressure cooker) spinach, kale and brocolli for a single whistle (10 mins approx) and juice it with 4 tomatos, pudina and salt.

( I was also having a little bit of coffee and tea with milk, cookies, noodle (just once), green tea)

Approx protein consumption/ day: 70g

Targeted: 150g/ day.

My Ideas for next week:

Peanuts (poha)
Include 8-hour-soaked almonds
Going from 2 meals/ day to 4 smaller meals/ day
Kabuli channa (Garbanzo beans)

Review: Fireproof

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 07:27:00 +0000

Upon Rachana's insistance, I decided to watch this movie. Given the fact that it is me who is a recovering movie-aholic, a movie suggestion from her didnt go unnoticed. I had to watch it.

So i saw the movie, with her by side. First 10 minutes was spent in laughing at the pathetic acting, a non existent mainstream-movies-quality story telling and background scores. She got a bit pissed off as little did know that i knew better to judge the movie soon, that i knew to be patient enough and that i was going to give the entire movie my attention.

Then, after the initial 10 minutes, i was striken, no more laughs (at the movie). I was fully sucked in, thoroughly enjoying it.

It answers many questions like:

What it means to be unconditionally loving and derive pleasure from the act rather than from being loved back?
The true meaning of life (or in relationships) is in giving, not having wealth, not acquiring knowledge
How to be a source of life, inspiration, love, fun?
What it takes to win the heart of someone? Especially win over the heart of someone who has grown to hate you?
How spirituality offers the awesome ways to impress a girl :)
What it takes to save a marriage? (Marriage in truest sense)
What the hell does it mean to be commitment?
Patience. Patience. It sets an example of patience. I can not emphasize it enough. I do not mean the kind of patience where the world (people) treat you wrong and you doing nothing about it because you were a wuss. This kind of patience destroys the inner soul, inner warrior. No. Not that. How to patient and still be exuberant, alive and while letting the inner warrior grow. The kind of patience where you wait for the plant to grow and not expect it to germinate the next day. The wise kind of patience.
How to learn unconditional loving that divine is already teaching us ~ everyday ~ every second. (The scene where the father and son converse and the father stands under the jesus cross and that scene explains the answer to his son's questions. I loved that scene too much).

It has Christianity references, but i found them to be spiritual rather than religious. So, i didnt mind it. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129423/

I ended up appreciating the relationships that i have in my life. I started recognizing where people are being truely loving without expecting any thing in return. My mom, dad ~ in his own not-so-expressive ways, my brother, rachana, aiswarya, and more.

In conclusion, i'd say: Don't ask so many questions. Just schedule and watch it.

Or.. If you have time for transformers latest movies or 300 part 2 or the twilights or Spidermans... uff... what nots.. If you have time for them all and gonna watch those types again.. then.. Good luck with your life!!

Weddings, West Coast and The Mountains

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Fri, 16 May 2014 11:03:00 +0000

"The art of travel is to deviate from the plans" - from the movie The Art of Travel.

Friday	6 June	Mumbai to trichy by train. 12 AM to next day 8.45 AM. Heather, Nora, Rishi, Justina and i. Shaili to join most likely. Tickets booked. Cost (INR) Travel: 500 or 1500 , Food: 300, Lodging: 0
Saturday	7 June	Arrive at trichy at the morning 9 AM. Rachana Joins us in trichy. Shop saree for heather.
Saturday	7 June	Chimman reception 7PM onwards. Party at night. Stay at trichy
Sunday	8 June	The Chimman Wedding 10.30 to 11.15AM.
Sunday	8 June	Travel back from trichy to madurai/ paramakudi (3 to 5 hours by cab). Reach gokul marriage venue. Aiswarya joins the travel team. ABC MAIDEEN MAHAL, 'D' Block Stop, Bharathi Nagar, Ramanathapuram - 623 503.
Sunday	8 June	Gokul Reception. SUPER DUPER PARTY at night. Stay arranged by gokul.
Monday	9 June	THE BIG BANG GOKUL WEDDING
Monday	9 June	Yoga session in the evening.
Tuesday	10 June	Madurai - Rameswaram - Madurai - 11 hours. 6 AM to 7 PM. Rachana and I are going. Likely to join: Heather, Dan, More gokul's friends
Wednesday	11 June	Madurai (830 PM) to Bangalore (515 AM). Bangalore (6 AM) to Hubli (130 PM) Cab pick up form from Hubli (10 - 12 RS/KM) to Dandeli wildlife sanctuary 4 PM. kamat Yatri hotel (600 for 2 people+ 150) http://www.dandelimasti.com/Hotels-and-Homestay-in-Dandeli.html
Thursday	12 June	4.30 to 8.30 AM = govt orgd Safari (400 INR) Wildlife, Nature, Adventure sports. Reach Kumta by night and settle. (Tolls: )
Friday	13 June	Kumta - Jog falls - Kumta. Either this or explore kumta.
Saturday	14 june	Kumta to Karwar = 2 hours. Check out karwar. Islands. etc. Karwar to goa = 1 hour. Night stay at Goa
Sunday	15 june	Goa - Dudhsagar Night stay at Goa.
Monday	16 June	Leave Goa by 1PM. Santi, Ice, Heather, Dan leave towards Delhi. Sudharshan, Zia and Shoaib leave the travel leave for bangalore.
Tuesday	17 June	Train (Goa to Delhi)
Wednesday	18 June	Arrive at delhi early morning. Start for Himalayas.
Thursday	19 June	Himalayas - leh, ladakh, (valley of flowers if possible). Cab Delhi - Leh - Delhi. It takes about 2 days approximately to reach leh. So we can stay over at manali, srinagar and any other spots and reach leh. so we could get about 3 days to spend in Leh. Aparently the drive from delhi to leh and back is awesome.
Friday	20 June	Himalayas. In Leh. Approximate budget in himalays. INR 2000/ day. consider food, travel, stay. So if it is 7 days = 14000. I am working on reducing it.
Saturday	21 June	Himalayas. In Leh.
Sunday	22 June	Himalayas. In Leh.
Monday	23 June	Himalayas. Start back to delhi
Tuesday	24 June	Himalayas. Start back to Delhi.
Wednesday	25 June
Thursday	26 June	Heather to reach Isha, Coimbatore. by 1PM.

Western Ghats

FAQs:

Cost?

INR 20000 to 30000.

Considering food, travel and lodging as the primary expenses, i would say 1500 to 2000 a day. I am trying to reduce it much further as my budget is not as big as my dream though. The more the merrier: 7 will be a good number.

Prior planning, prior booking, in depth negotiations will bring the price down much. So please give me confirmations soon.

How many confirmed people so far?

1. Santhanam (me)

2. Aiswarya (through out)

3. Heather (through out)

4. Sudharshan (till 17th)

Tentative

Zia (Himalayas)

Aasta (Himalayas)

Aasta Husband (Himalayas)

Dan Dan

Albert Zhou

[Himalayas FAQ] Is this going to be a trek?

Not really. We will probably get to major places by cab or public transport and explore the local area. There are some monasteries, beautiful lake, and lots of places to go about.

[Himalayas FAQ] Are these dates fixed?

I am not organizing tour guide. I am also new at this. Only thing is i have been to himalayas (on a 12 days trek at 5.5KM altitude) and dharamshala. So i can probably negotiate better. However i am also new to the place and going to explore.

So, this is a rough plan. One or two days it can vary.

Plus, indian railways, and bus systems dont exactly operate on times. So we stick to the plan as best possible.

How comfortable are the journeys?

If you are and indian, then you know. Otherwise, i am planning on budget travel. That means sleeper class in trains mostly. It is not going to be comfortable. But if you have travel spirit, it will be memorable.

What about healthy food?

If you are around, i will guide you. I have an experience of travelling with a Australian-american.. so.. trust me.. i know.. :)

I am a vegetarian, and i will find out tasty healthy indian food anywhere.

Stock up on nuts, protein powders, etc

Mainstream.. I love it.. i hate it.. i love it.. i hate it..

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 13:42:00 +0000

Mainstream places are safe. But boring too..
Places that aren't polluted by humans are risky.. But rife with adventure..

Mainstream has consumed me.. Everywhere in life.. In what to think.. how to think.. what topics to discuss with friends.. the political jokes.. the movies.. the tv shows..

There is little room for me to think new thoughts..

thoughts and epiphanies that come to me.. while in a surreal moment while watching a movie.. at some peak moments of meditation.. while meeting a stranger and talking to him.. while i see a facebook update from a friend who is doing something very non-mainstream..

All those epiphanies and legendary thoughts die .. the moment i get back to my life.. my life filled with mainstream.. thorugh TV, friends, family, and every thing that is constant in life.. that i meet everyday...

I don't complain though..

Mainstream gives me a sense of comfort..

To create really solid habits..

To create really solid character..
which..

is my guidance when I delve into the unknown..

into the wild..

into the non-mainstream..
While i take the road less traveled by..
While i fight back in places when nobody around me..

So as much as i hate mainstream.. for when i stick to it.. i am only mediocre at best..

It allows me to be okay with mediocrity in certain areas of life..

and i go ahead and strive for excellence in other areas...

The lightman's Affirmations Vs the Darkman's Excuses

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 17:31:00 +0000

We all have heard the saying.. we are our own worst enemy. There are 2 parts of us. One is the person who thinks possibility ~ the dreamer ~ the angel ~ the optimist ~ the light (wo)man

The other is the one who come up with excuses ~ the pessimist ~ the wuss ~ the lazy ~ the demon ~ the procrastinator ~ the reality-check-giver ~ the dark (wo)man

The more we align with the light, the more we are motivated towards taking action. Even if we fail, we pick ourselves up and move towards taking action. we see the light in any situation.

The more we align with the dark, we tend to give up, we lose sight of our goal, we stop dreaming, we loathe our selves, we get into addictions to run away from selves, we don't have the courage to face the facts and align with the truth.

Every time we want to have something, we get stopped because of those excuses made my the darkman.

Replace the dark man's excuses with light man's affirmations. It is pretty fun actually when you try this in uncomfortable situations. start small and then move on to the big things. Experiment and let me know how it works out for you.

For Excuses	Affirmations
It will be difficult	I have the ability to accomplish any task that i set my mind to do.. with ease and comfort
Its going to be risky	Being myself involves no risk. It is my ultimate truth and i live fearlessly.
It will take a long time	I have infinite patience when it comes to fulfilling my own destiny
There will be family drama	I would rather be loathed for who i am than loved for who i am not
I dont deserve it	I am a divine creation. A piece of god. How could i be undeserving?
Its not my nature	My essential nature is perfect and faultless. It is to this nature that i return to
I cant afford it	I am connected to an unlimited source of abundance
No one will help me	The right circumstances and right people are already here and will show up on time
It has never happened before	I am open and willing to attract all that i desire beginning here and now
I am not strong enough	i have access to unlimited assistance. My strength comes from my connection to my source
I am not smart enough	I'm a creation of the divine mind, all is perfect and I am a genius on my own right.
I am too old/ I am not old enough	I am an infinite being. the age of my body has no bearing on what i do or who I am.
The rules wont let me	I live my life according to divine rules
Its too big	I think only about what i can do now. By thinking small i accomplish great things.
I don't have the energy	I feel passionately about my life. And this passion fills me with excitement and energy
Its my family history	I live in the present moment by being grateful for all my life experiences as a child
I'm too busy	As i unclutter my life, i free myself to answer the calling of my soul
I'm too scared	I can accomplish anything I put my mind to because i know I'm never alone.

Thanks to Dr. Wayne Dyer for this!

What the hell is spirituality anyways?

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 09:52:00 +0000

I was thinking.. what the hell is spirituality anyways.. As i got lost into the question, these words started coming out of me..

Don't just read this. Some of them are "deep and profound" and some of them are just stupid.
Rather, vibrate with this. Then you will know.. It is not philosophy.. It is the truth that you also know from deep within.

Spirituality is..

The pursuit of truth. Truth is very difficult to express in words alone. It is a knowing. A sense of clarity. A 360 degree understanding.

A total knowing. A sense of completion.

Pursuing the ultimate truth is spirituality. The ultimate truth of reality ~Of the being ~Of the self ~ of The identities ~Of the patterns ~Of the dharmas ~Of the karmas.

Spirituality is

The alignment with reality
The journey to reach the ultimate self
To learn your deep BELIEFS and mercilessly squash them
To laugh at yourself
The technology to access your dormant brain powers
The technology to be loving despite of the receiver's state
Ability to access the invisible spirit within
To be extremely adventurous and explore the inner and outer world
To acknowledge that you are afraid when you are afraid.
To demand from GOD as he is yours
To serve GOD as he is yours
To acknowledge there is no GOD, its all you
To acknowledge there is no you, its all GOD
To be completely ok with the label "Crazy"
To powerfully integrate the right and left brain
To find courage to express yourself
To have the ambition to know SHIVA.. in truest self.. to make him your personal servant.. to make him your personal master
To acknowledge that miracle exists and start performing them
To smile, not for the external.. but because of the internal joy
To dance without alcohol, again.. because you cant help it
To live.. not just physically
To cry without the fear of being judged
To write
To Play guitar
To talk your mind
To explore the limits of your body, mind without fear
To be perfectly fine when you are afraid
To breathe
To attempt meditation practices
To allow meditation to happen
To stand against incompetence, with love
To be able to sit still at will just because you decided to do so
To fail
To attempt again even if it is failure for 25000 times
To have super depth in your commitments
To study astro physics
To be Free even when you are tired

To compete, not against another, but with your self

To have unlimited curiosity

To realize (every time) suffering is self created, and enjoy freeing from it

To just sit, to intimately be with the moment

To explore the potential of the self (the brain, the body, etc)

To atleast start the journey of it.

I can go on..

:).

Happiness Survey. (Awareness Drive)

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 08:49:00 +0000

"My life is my message" - Mahatma Gandhi

We all want to do our bit to contribute to the society. When we see some inspirational movies or hear some quotes, we want to do something. But the problem is, by the time we step out of the house or make couple of calls to do something about it, we have lost that inspiration and motivation... Then we just forget that intention in our regular life.

I was also like this. But after doing this for years together, and then when i looked back, i hated that part of myself that said "I want to do something for the country, but i just don't know how". So i allowed the universe to give me a chance to contribute to the society without messing up my precious life... And i got one.

If you are also like me, and want to do some thing for india, then use this link (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1n94JJ935vDe6Z-gGiSnicQDdUzg1MkMaYXgem1yNZos/viewform) and fill up the survey and get as many people to fill it up as you can.

What is the survey about?

If you check the link and see those questions, its very self explanatory that this is about getting people more aware to vote rather than to just sit and complain and not do any thing. It is a simple tool for taking action.

Why this survey?

The moment you get aware our happiness is our responsibility, we start taking responsibility in shaping up the society around us to suit us.. and hence we start getting involved, (even in a very small way) to shape the country. If not today, this initiative (i feel) will shape the country in the next 5 or 10 years for sure.

How to get involved more?

It is an art of living (AOL) initiative. There is a whole lot of action going on in making everybody (also the educated youth who has more power and take less responsibility) in india to take responsibility in shaping up our nation. So you can contact me (with your area) or any AOL person and ask for I Volunteer for Better India (IVBI) and get involved.

Please leave a comment if you have filled it or not..

How to "be" in a yoga class to get more benefits than what you wanted

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 06:37:00 +0000

The purpose of this article

Doesnt matter if you are learning yoga with me or with somebody else. There are so many things i want to communicate to you to contribute to your growth in yoga. I am just sharing what i have learnt from the past few years of my teaching and also from my commitment to master this lifestyle called YOGA.

Looking outwards in, it seems simple enough. Just go to yoga class and follow the instructions given by the mentor. But it is not that easy to just follow the instructions. There are many levels of involvement. Be patient. Be with me. Read through completely. I have invested my energies and time in it :). It will definitely contribute to you.

Yoga for Weightloss? Yes! possible.. but dont limit to that.

Even though "Super toned body", "Size zero", "Cute yoga butt", "hot sizzling body", "mind blowing sex life" is all possible through yoga, those ancient indian yogis did not discover yoga for these purposes. The possibilities are much more deeper, so dont stop when you get these results ;). Things like these are possible:

Mastering Stress and enjoying it
Mastering your habits
Being your best self in discomfort
Making your body as a powerful tool for your life purpose
Radiance and glow on the inside and outside
Beauty Inside and outside
Incredible focus
Magnetic body language

Be Physically present

"I know i have to be physically present and that why i joined yoga.. dont give me some stupid advice, Duh!.." Is that what you're thinking?

Its easy to come to class when you have the time and when there is no pain. You will have the tendency to miss yoga sessions when you have the body pain, other priorities come up, going on date, or hung-over-from-last-night's-party and other really REALLY genuine (sounding) reasons. Doesn't matter what those reasons are, you get yourself to class. If there is too much pain, then inform the instructor and take it easy. But show up.

If other things call for your time, say "Sorry this is my yoga time. I cant be effective if i don't take care of my spiritual, emotional and physical body. So, i ll finish yoga and then take care of this". Chances are, if you come to class, your physical pain vanishes and you go home happier. Isnt it?

Time: why should you be before time?

We all know the importance of being on time. Some of us really REALLY try to get to class on time. Some of us have even given up the effort. Some of us make it on time.

Can you construct a building without a proper basement? The first 5 to 10 minutes of the class is like that. It is the basement on which we will be doing miraculous things with your body.

During the first 5 to 10 minutes:

Either warm up is done. (Look up the importance of warm up if you dont know.).
Or the mood for the entire class is set
Or a POWERFUL, SAFE AND JOYFUL space is created during that time.

You will be messing with the entire flow of the class when you walk in between the class. I or other instructors can handle that disruption. You might have seen me handle it. But we (as mentors/ instructors) definitely do not like that. Instead of focusing our energies on maintaining that space, lets focus on you doing better postures, breathe right.

In extreme rare cases, its okay. If the choice is between missing the class or coming late, then chose later. Only as a very very rare case.

Be mentally present

keep your phones away. keep your worries away. keep your anger away. Keep your analytic talent away. Keep YOUR logic away. Just be and do what you have been told. You can bring it all up after the class or during other times.

When you are fully present, you might get lot more benefits than what you came in for.

Giving 100%

Giving a 100% could be different for you from the person in the next to you. Ideally, be with the mentor completely throughout the duration of the class. Rest completely when breaks are given. Be in the posture till the very last second when told.

SUMMON YOUR WILL, ENERGIES, TALENT, LOVE, ANGER, ANALYTICAL BRAIN, SPIRIT AND ANYTHING IN YOUR ARSENAL FOR HOLDING THAT POSTURE FOR GIVEN TIME. LET DOING THAT POSTURE BE THE PURPOSE OF YOUR LIFE FOR THOSE FEW SECONDS.

You have taken out time to learn from somebody who is better than you. Honour that commitment and listen. keep your judgements and evaluations aside and bring it up later and get them addressed. If you have been told to 'take it easy' or 'rest when needed' then listen to it. Take rest when your body asks you, even if the class is moving forward. There is no point in pushing if your body is going to break down.

Like my man sadhguru has told, "Stay within control and lose control". I'm paraphrasing here.

Compare yourself only with your self, not with others.

know that your journey is yours alone. Dont compare it others.

Just ask yourself,

Am i doing better than last class?
Am i more involved than last class?
Am i more flexible, stronger than last class?
Has my ability to handle discomfort improved?

Forget about the person next to you. They have these questions to handle for themselves.

Finding comfort in discomfort

You know that growth can happen only beyond your comfort zone. Your muscles will tone up, your body will shed fat and your lungs will get more efficient only when you push them beyond their current limits. So, if a class is too easy, you can be assured that there is no (or very less) growth happening. It is not just physical pain but also boredom is another physical discomfort that you gotta push through. There are many things in the class that you have to go through which might not make sense according to "your logic" but it still will contribute to your overall growth. So, trust your mentor and push through. One of the best things you can do to find comfort in that discomfort is to repeat to yourself your commitment while in pain or keep your awareness on your breath or keep the awareness on the counts.

Catch your boredom when it comes. Boredom is mind's way of resisting what is going on (resisting reality than accepting it). Just say to your mind "i understand you are bored, but we are going to do this anyway. Either get on board or not. Either ways i am going to go forward with the instructions and not let you deter my journey towards my goal".

The same goes for yawning. Don't resist it or encourage it. Be more involved in class. Yawning will go away.

Pain management

Most of the time we resist yoga class for this reason. What to do when there is pain?

Joint pain? Stop immediately. Its a part of Knowing when to stop. If you have been in communication with me/ your instructor/ mentor, i would have told you some general guidelines on when to stop and take a break even if the class is moving forward.

Pain is inevitable. You cant avoid it. Sometimes, your joints are not in the optimal level and they start showing up while doing yoga. It does not mean that yoga has caused the pain. It means that yoga helped you disclose the weakness in your body through pain. So when there is pain in any of your joints like your knees, wrists, or even back pain, etc then stop take some rest and when the pain subsides, continue with the class. Ofcourse, if your problem is more complicated, talk to your instructor..

Soreness/ Muscle pain is okay. Some pain like this will go away when you keep continuing with your practice. Talk to me/ instructor after the class or during breaks.

Enjoy! without getting distracted

Happiness does not lie only with glenfiddich or chivas regal or kingfisher or fosters. It is also in yoga class ~ in meditation ~ in an asana ~ in a sitting. Its all chemistry anyways. We are just doing some 'breaking bad' stuff with your body ;). So.. Lets get happy the healthy way.

Happiness helps in getting you to the goal faster. Plus you will infect others and the whole space is transformed and you help others in their transformation. Your flexibility and strength is improved when your emotions are conducive (read positive ~ Happy).

Connect with the mentor

Sometimes, knowing who you are will help the mentor to guide you through the class; to motivate you when you are about to give up; to kick your butt when your laziness is takes you over. And if the mentor seems busy, instead of just giving up, find a way to let him/ her know about your progress, concerns. Don't just keep it with yourself. Most of the times, we want to know everything about you, but sometimes its just logistically difficult.

So, when the time is right, the instructor can use it to help you grow faster and reach your potential and goals.

Listen to the instructor

It is good to ask question to have the doubts cleared. Most of the times i will address it, sometimes i wont letting your practice answer for you. Chances are your question will be answered and your concerns will be addressed in the process of doing the posture.

Just be with the instructor. Just be with me. In the end, I will leave you completely addressed and taken care of.

Ok?

Talking in class

Some of you can stay quiet for 1 full hour. Some of you cant stay quiet for even 1 minute. Those clever and funny remarks keep coming and you have to share it. Its good as it keeps the class light. But in another dimension it becomes a hindrance and obstructs the energy and flow of the class.

Talk, create laughs, ask questions.. not as a child would do for its own pleasure... but as a mature person who is responsible for the space and people around you.

Make yoga as "priority 1" in your life.

Organize your life around yoga. Yoga is the higher truth. Align yourself with it. It is a right brained thing. I will not satisfy your left brain by explaining it. You will get it when you get it. :).

If you are smiling while reading this, you got it.

If you are angry while reading it, please, be patient. Just be. just be with me :).

If you still aren't smiling.. be little MORE patient. :)

Know your purpose of doing yoga

Reflect on these questions:

Why am i am doing yoga?
Is this instructor/ mentor really helping me to grow towards my goals?
Am i progressing?
Is system addressing my question?

Share it with me/ instructor when its relevant.

Don't argue on payments. Give from your heart by being giving

No yoga teacher is doing it for the money. Please get this very clearly. Nobody. Not even a single teacher. May be he/she is the most greediest person on the planet. But that one hour, when they are with you, instructing you, they are not doing that for money. It is not an easy job. You dont make it easy for the teacher.

So why do i do it? Why do i teach? One word. Contribution.

To contribute. May be to help you grow, may be to make you happy. That giving makes me happy. I just do it for me and you get benefit. When i am happy, i contribute the best. Help me (or your instructor) to contribute more. So don't make us teachers go through the problem of asking you for the payment or deal with negotiations about payment amount and date. So, you do your best to keep the instructor away from those concerns.

I promise you i wont cheat you. I make sure that you get more out of the deal than i get. If you feel otherwise, don't do yoga with me (or that instructor) until your feelings have changed. You do your fees as a part of your contribution. Not as a business transaction (not that anything is wrong with the business).

Flirt. But dont let that come in the way of your or anybody's growth

Take a chance. play. If you cant be playful in life, what the hell are you doing in life anyways?. But accept the consequences too. Remember, when you walk into the yoga class, you take responsibility for you and also for that space and people in it. So include everybody and help them get to their goals or at least don't be a hindrance.

Conclusion

Show up every single day (with an adventurous attitude).

Follow instructions (to the subtlest detail possible).

Learn something new.

Unlearn something that isnt helping you.

Share some laughs.

Be patient.

Allow your demons to show up and use them for your growth and goals.

Go back as a meditative person.

Go make somebody else happy for no bloody reason.

4 Reasons why i recently turned vegetarian

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 08:08:00 +0000

Recently, 3 weeks back, i made a change in my life and became a vegetarian. Many asked me why.

So i decided to answer it here.

Since childhood, I was a vegetarian by habit as my parents were vegetarians and i wasn't socially influenced to try meat. That happened when i was in college, at 16, i started eating meat.. (i had tried out eating eggs when i was 12 and i didn't hate them). Then again i decided to go vegetarian 6 years later which i followed for i for 2 years and gave it up and became a meat eater again like a wuss.

Now, consciously i have chosen to be vegetarian, to start with. Eventually i intend to move towards vegan, raw, organic, wholesome and natural food (VROWN Diet). This is based on knowledge and wisdom from authorities that i adore, respect and try to live up to.

I have been working on changing many aspects of my life which aren't working for me and bring it in alignment with truth, love and power. As a part of that, this step of going away from meat eating was an inevitable living.

Turns out, other than taste, there is nothing really great about eating meat. Also, liking to a "taste" can be rewired in our brains

4 Reasons why i recently turned vegetarian.

The knowledge that human body isn't designed to digest those complex proteins coming from meat. Apparently, we are at our physical best when eating VROWN Diet
It is a myth that we don't get enough proteins from a vegan diet. Some of the leading body builders and athletes are aparently vegan. I think quoting Frank Medrano;)
Global Warming. Meat producing industry is the leading contributor for global warming. I would be a stupid if i said i dont care about the environment. Non knowing is one thing but choosing to be ignorant is totally immature and its disrespectful.
Spiritual growth. For me spirituality is realizing my potential ~ physically, mentally, emotionally and any other dimensions possible. Looks like VROWN diet is the best bet towards that.

Art of Living's "Yes! +" Program Review

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 23:38:00 +0000

Why?

I am generally passionate about personal development. Anything or anybody that can challenge me to become a better person/man/ human being interests me. When i say personal development i mean ~ more congruent living and actions aligned with beliefs, less insecure, more detached-to-result action taking, honest, no BS communication skill, ability to sell without shame on what i believe in, to become better leader, etc.

So after doing Landmark education programs and assisting programs, Isha Yoga programs, and working at artistic yoga for years.. which all definitely made me a better person. I was particulary interested in Art of Living program because of khurshed Batliwala's (bawa) video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcQd3GjFNLQ). If a system can make such a balanced and centered, active mind, i want to know, understand that system and to let that system influence me. So i said when amrita told me about the course.

I will try and give you best possible review without spoiling it in case if you are considering doing.

YES!+ The course Design

It designed to help youth (18 to 30 years) to have a powerful, yet stress free life. It was a 6 day program with 3 hours each day. It is pretty simple design but can challenge you enough to get you thinking and take a look at your life. How to lead a happy, stress free and yet achieve results.

Sri Sri Ravishankar

See, i am biased towards these "enlightened" gurus, ~ the likes of Osho, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. I have listened to their audios, seen their videos, read their books, heard people vouching for them. But that alone is difficult to understand somebody 100% to pass judgments. Either they are really who they say they are or insane or brilliant con-men.

From what i gather, i really think these people can guide us to live a superior life, help us reach our potential, become better human being to start with. So, in these line, i am trusting Sri Sri Ravishankar as a human being and as a spiritual being. He is a powerful leader, compassionate human being, can think beyond his own well being, has made millions of people's live better. However, i am not going to do anything that i dont agree with.

There is always people with good and bad opinions about any thing. I dont know much about Sri Sri Ravishankar, but i have no doubt he is doing things for human well being and happiness. Plus, lots of intelligent people flock to do his courses, so i am sure there must something of value that i can get. That was how i went to the course. Well, after watching some of the videos of the works done by Sri Sri and Art of living, i was inspired for sure. (as i am with the works of Steve Pavlina, Landmark Education, Isha Yoga).

Supportive Social Structure

This is one of the best aspects of doing the course, you get a family of non judgmental people, help you become a better human being.

Whether it is bringing positive energy or reminding you of your commitments, these volunteers help you out, they care!.

It is always a relief and fun to be around those who do things for their passion rather than doing something and expect something in return.

Also, it is always fun and interesting meeting different kind of people!

But, they are also human beings, so sometimes they screw up too, if you can look past that, they are assets for your personal growth.

Sudharshan kriya

This, ofcourse is the highlight of the course. Simple, powerful breathing technique. Gets me meditative. I still have thoughts (read distractions) during various stages of the process. But still gives me a natural HIGH everytime. Very helpful meditative tool.

The content

It is not as intense as Isha Yoga's Bhava spandana program or Landmark eduction's programs. It is very engaging and there are diverse range of concepts that are covered that will help us in our everyday life. Things like living in the moment, getting rid of the past, giving 100%, and much more are basic self-help life lessons but we dont have it wired into our brain that we live oour life like that. This course is designed t address that. Also, it will definitely kick you out of your comfort zone. It is design to improve you overall as a person ~ in becoming more courageous, more efficient, more confident, less insecure, more outgoing, more risk taking.

The teachers

No doubt the teachers are well trained. They are very professional, very patient, down to earth Teachers who are there for you 100 %. It is obvious that they are doing it for the passion of teaching and sharing than for the money (I am not even sure if they get paid for it.)

Actually the knowledge that the teachers were younger than me made me respect them even more.

No Selling

There is wide range of products, CDs, programs, charity events, etc. But, in my experience they (AOL representatives) definitely do not try to sell anything. I dont have problem in people ruthlessly marketing/ selling in what they believe!

The not-so-good things

The content pretty basic and not super intense. For a person like me, who has done many other personal development programs, the content was refreshing, pushing me to grow for sure.. but not to greatest extent. Low intense, but those 6 days was definitely powerful and i was looking forward to go back again and again.

As much as i cant point out a complaint at the teachers, in retrospect i wonder it would have been better if i had more experienced teachers.

My personal Benefits

We all have this issue.. We know we want to do something everyday (create a habit).. it could be exercising, hitting the gym, practice guitar, read/ write everyday. Sometimes it works and we do well, but i am talking about those which fails terribly within first week, rarely a genuine reason than just old habit pulling us back.And i am no exception to that.
For me, amongst other things it was sitting down for meditation no matter what. Yeah i know.. i am a yoga teacher and it should be very easy for me, right? but trust me.. its not..

I guess, i get bored very soon expecting for something to happen.. recently i seem to have lost that patience. Just when i sit down to meditate, i remember the phone calls to be returned, meetings to be scheduled, To-Dos..

Something shifted for me in this program. Its been 3 weeks since i was initiated into the practice and i haven't missed a day since and i look forward to do it everyday.

[ Side Note: I have done other meditation programs and i have been regular at it and later failed to be regular. I have attempted many ways to keep myself motivated and keep the practices going. Amonst those trials, i learnt a lot of lessons. So, i attribute my current success in this area to all those unlearnings that i picked up from Sadhguru~isha, Landmark Education, Some wise people from BTAY]

PUNCHLINE:

A big THUMBS UP!

Personally, i think, even if you got only a spark of interest in doing this program~ Either for sri sri, meditation technique, sudharshan kriya, the social support structure or the social works done~ whatever may it be, then you should do it. It may yield you totally different benefits.

If not this, then you should participate in and allow yourself to be influenced by any program that actually lifts you out of your own logic and gives you a new view of reality!

Isha Yoga "21 day Hatha Yoga Program": A Review

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 22:40:00 +0000

I did this program on 11 may 2013 to 31 may 2013. I have been meaning to complete this for a while. So i decided, enough is enough, perfect or imperfect.. let me just post it.. As i promised to some people.. Here it goes..

There are various aspects to this particular yoga program. For me, just like any Isha Yoga Program, it is not just about learning the techniques but also redesigning one's lifestyle. Twenty one (21) days are good enough to get a habit introduced into life, to become aware of unconscious patterns, also a focused journey to get to know oneself, re-access priorities and goals. First of its kind, the program started with almost 450 people. There is so much depth and intelligence to this program all of which I definitely cannot capture in its entirety. Nevertheless I will try to give you a review here, which would be somewhere between trailer and a movie, without spilling the suspense. Anyways, it is not about my below accounted information, but the experience you will have doing the program that counts. I know it could be a much more elaborate version, but if you want the shorter version just skip to the The Program section and read on from there.

The Isha Links:

Introducing the program:

http://blog.ishafoundation.org/inside-isha/announcements/isha-hata-yoga-21-day-program-align-with-the-divine/

Concluding the program:

http://blog.ishafoundation.org/inside-isha/happenings/21-day-isha-hata-yoga-program-concludes/

Aadi Yogi Aalayam

It happens in Aadi Yogi Aalayam as according to Sadhguru, teaching classical Hatha yoga is the specific purpose for which the Aalayam is created. Its a majestic construction which does not even have a single pillar. It can contain about 10000 people sitting and about 2500 practicing Hatha yoga at the same time. The night stay is also in is also in Aalayam and a comfortable bed with pillow and blanket are provided. However, if preferred, people can stay in Aalayam cottages available at various rate slabs. There is a separate luggage area for men and women just by the side of Aalayam with comfortable amounts of restrooms (both indian and western style). The area just outside the Aalayam is beautiful, especially at night with perfect ambiance to just relax, meditate, to chat read a book. Since 21 days is a longs time and people with heavy work commitment can even work here during breaks however for your laptops and mobile, enough electrical charging points are not provided. I used to charge my mobile or laptop by keeping them in the bag and locking it, where the cord alone comes out and goes into the plug point. Even though I took this safety measure, there was no report of stolen mobiles or items.

Rules and regulations:

You are not allowed to go outside the ashram premises or the canteen (pepper vine). The security guards have been advised to not let you go outside and the restaurant people to deny you food token that is if you are in whites and wearing tag. However, some smart assa guys found way to sneak out for smoke or to eat junk food. They are pretty assertive about following the rules but they do not police around you, which is a good thing.

Bed time is at 10PM and there are gaurds and swamis patroling and ensuring we hit the bed by 10 or 10.30 maximum. 4.30 AM is the wake up time.

White clothing is a must, but they don not insist on it too much. However once you hear sadhguru speak about the importance of white clothing, you would want to be in whites.

Brunch and dinner timings are pretty strict, but you get used to it 2 or 3 days and doesnt really burden you.

Hot water for taking bath is available, but again, soon you would start preferring cold shower.

If you are unwell, you are advised to rest during the sessions, and not skip the sessions.

Theerthakund and dhyanalinga is a must everyday. And they dont charge you in surya kund, if you are a participant of any program.

Clothing and Laundry:

You can either choose to wash clothes by yourself or to give it to laundry service. Both the facilities is quite unfriendly. In laundry service, pick up once a week (wednesdays for 1 hour at 3:30PM) and delivery once a week (saturday same timing). If you have enough white clothings and other casual clothing, then you can afford to give to laundry.

Most of the people had not really brought 7 set of whites as per recommendation, but just 3 or 4 sets.. just like me. And you really have to fight for the buckets. May be 6 or 7 buckets for about 150 people. So i recommend you to bring your own bucket of a different colour and label it.

The cusine:

Food is one of the best features of isha ashram in general. Wholistic, tasty, nutritious and pure satvic food is served. With about 30 to 50 % of raw food included in every meal they are very conducive for the practice. Neither do you feel too heavy (that is if you dont keep helping yourself for 2,3 huge servings as it mostly tastes awesome) nor do you feel hungry towards the end of the practice. Having said that, its is best not to load up on food, just having each of them single serving. I personally avoided rice (Pongal, pulav,etc) though. Soaked groundnuts, sprouts, lentils, soups, fruit juices, cucumber-tomato-ash gourd salad are seen almost every day. At one point of time, i was tired of seeing those groundnuts. Sambhar, some sabji, soups, rotis, etc are there.

You WILL lose weight and inches for sure, if you stick to the diet alone and if you take the practice easy as per your body limitations. I lost about 3.5 Kgs. A friend of mine made a gross calculation according to which we were consuming 800 calories per meal, no unnecessary carbs. Even though lots of protien rich food were there, I have lost a lot of muscle mass as well, they protein could have been more. May be if it was upto me, i would have had protein shake everyday along with this food.

Food is served thrice.

Brunch at 10:30AM approx

Light snack at 1.30PM approx

Dinner at 7.45PM approx

Session Timings:

4.30 AM wake up gong.

5.30AM to 9.30 AM approx. but the session stretches till 10AM with shambhavi practice. (4.5 Hours)

11:15 to 11.50 AM (Post Brunch ~ So either sadhguru's videos, meditation or breathing techniques)

12 to 1:15 PM Surya Kund and Dhyanalinga. Since it has been left to our freedom, sometimes we do it short time.

2:15 to 3:15 PM approx (Post snack ~ So either sadhguru's videos, meditation or breathing techniques)

4:30 to 7.30 PM approx (3 hours)

8.15 to 9.15PM = Very rare. so far just once. Mostly sadhguru videos.

In a day, we practice about 7 to 7.5 hours of hatha yoga everyday. Of course not all of them are difficult body bending postures but there are gaps in between where you are asked to sit in ardha sidhasana, which can be quite back breaking and not all of it shavasana. In the thrid week, it got much more intense reducing the ardha siddhasana timings and

Break Timings:

The other times times are break timings, allowed to communicate, but you are advised to keep minimal communication with the outside world. You can find a way to sleep during the afternoon breaks, if needed. The night time breaks are really great to take a walk around the ashram's beautiful premises, to chat about, to write, to read, listen to music, or to simply be with nature and

The program:

Generally, When learning something, one has to go into the subject with increasing depths with every session, However simple it is. But in most places this process faulters, due to the lack of quality in the teacher or the technique. However, this is one of the best program i have attended where the quality is really good.

The contents are pretty much what they have announced in the blogs, but the way it is taught, with an unwavering commitment from the teachers with right ambiance, powerful instructions, kindest volunteers helps you explore and experience the practice in different dimensions and increasing depths as the days goes by. With all this, the things are drilled down into the system in a very subtle way. Upa Yoga, Surya Kriya, Asanas, Anga mardhana, Butha shuddi are the main aspects and thought in the same order. It takes total of approximately 3 hours to complete the entire set but, freak not! you get a split of various aspects to be done in alternate days which takes about 1.5 hours to 2 hours. If you want to know about the individual aspects, read this blog which is from the source.

Upa Yoga: It is a glorified warm up, with movements to activate the joints from head to toe. However the beauty with this is, it is the first thing in the morning and you do it with your eyes closed. So when you open your eyes after half hour, it feels great and get you alive and ready for what is coming next. It takes about half hour to do upa yoga.

Surya Kriya and Asasas: It was my most favorite part as it was always a meditative experience for me. There is again 3 or 4 dimensions for this being taught. right posture, visualization techniques, breath focus, subtle body focus. . A single cycle takes ubout 10 to 12 minutes and asanas takes about 1 hour. Read more about what sadhguru has to say about surya kriya in the links provided in the beginning of the article.

Angamardhana: I was looking forward to it the most as i wanted to practice a yogic system which also caters to my fitness without taking up much time and doesnt involve any live instructor. But i was not completely satisfied with this. Although it was quite intense, it was not intense enough. Although it was so much fun to practice angamardhana. Angamardhana literally means killing of body parts . sadhguru later goes on explaining, as per my understanding, that it means killing the limitation that the body parts of body has. Done with eyes open, this does not resemble "classical yoga". A very dynamic form, angamardhana is focused towards flexibility, strength and cardiovascular endurance. I think what was taught to us was just level 1 and there could be much more to it. It takes about 1 hour to practice it.

Butha shuddi: This initiated to us during a 1 hour session and there was no repetition. Its is a small 5 minute procedure and they promote a small bhuta shuddi kit for Rs. 1700. Sadhguru, in his videos talks to us about the importance, however i am skeptical about it and i didnt experience anything during the initiation process but some friends of mine did.

Other than that, Isha kriya, bhakthi sadhana, surya/ chandra kund dip, dhyanalinga meditation were all part of everyday schedule.

Sadhguru's videos: This was a very important aspect. Sadhguru didnt physically visit our training program, however almost everyday his videos pertinent to hatha yoga and its relevance in our lives was played. It was very vital to keep the context alive for us and keep a positive attitude not just during the program but while personal practice after we get back to our everyday lives. I think most of the videos was taken while he was conducting the 21 week teacher training program so every possibly conceivable questions regarding the practice - regarding focus, how to deal with pain, how to improve the posture, how to deal with thoughts, how to deal with distractions, etc - were addressed and i would say, in depth. So that is why i say that this program is not only about learning some techniques but also about lifestyle in general. Paying attention to the life around you, being a devotee (not necessarily to some object or somebody, but as a way of being), hatha yoga to not let your unconscious memory come up, taking conscious actions as against compulsive action.

Benefits:

That i expected:

I am a yoga practitioner and an instructor myself for the past 4 years. Even with that, i dont practice yoga everyday as much as i would like to. I enrolled into the program so i can get "hatha yoga practice everyday" a living reality no matter what. I was also looking for a way to get something which was a comprehensive fitness regimen along with a everyday hatha yoga practice plus this possibility was coming from a powerful source ~ sadhguru jaggi vasudev, a living master . There were other mental benefits that i wanted to get like better focus, more meditative living, living a life of purpose, mastering my compulsions.

That which i got:

The most important thing that i got is to just BE by myself ~collecting my thoughts and observe my thought processes and it could not have been possible without the conducive atmosphere provided there. I can most definitely say certain insecurities have come down (which is because of watching my own thinking pattern and compulsions), have attained a certain comfort level with my own being - it is a big thing for me as i would easily deny my deeper calls and go on attending superficial wants. How can i listen to my deeper longings if i don't sit long enough to let the distractions settle, right?

There were certain common and obvious benefits like weight loss, my body felt more lighter, freer, livelier, cleansed. Even thought body pain came up, it eased out as we progressed.

Overall it was a fantastic experience and ideally i would attend such program every 6 months once, if it progressing in levels. Even if it was the same program, i would definitely attend it every couple of years just for the experience of it.

Would i recommend it to anybody? YES, definitely.

My Longing to travel.. Why do i travel? Why do i want to travel?

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:38:00 +0000

I want to wake up everyday and have it be on my own terms.

If i feel like going to work, I do that,

If i feel like writing, i do that

If i feel like doing yoga, then i do yoga

If i feel like a poem is coming through me, having the space to pen that down

If i feel like connecting with somebody i do that.

If i feel like reading a book and plug in mubu's trance into ears, i do that.

If i feel like going for a swim, do that

If i feel like teaching yoga, i do that.

No schedule. My schedule.

Why am i afraid to have such a structure in my life? Because i sometimes become lazy and get sucked into the very things that i created to escape the real world (things like mindless-facebooking, browsing, people pleasing, watching movies, tv shows.. and so on.. you get the idea!..) instead of focusing on other deeper longings in me.

So i have decided. To travel. There are less or no distractions. No one to ask you questions, no known people to interact with you. You get to meet people with great thoughts, great minds, calm sense of self. Living! not to pretend living! Not so that you can take some pictures and show your friends that you have been to cool place. Not just so that you visit that place soullessly and just tick it off your list. But to enjoy there.. soak in it.. be in it.. sink in it.. Not to just get drunk and miss other things.. But to be with my thoughts, emotions, explore my meditation, explore many books (like mystic's musings, Fountainhead, atlas shrugged, The Celestine prophecies, The immortals of meluha, the razor's edge, Siddharta), get soaked in the wisdom of many great thinkers (like Sadhguru, Osho, Somerset Maugham, Jack Redfield, Hermen Hesse), be with my music.. to have some adventures like in the movie "into the wild", meet incredible people from the movie "the art of travel".. To see if i can live off a happy life with just my yoga, teaching what i know, to learn farming, agriculture, to get fit not by hitting the gym but by manual labour, to increase my stamina not by running on a treadmill but by working on farm lands.

Just living everyday as an inspirational i can get, as inspiring as it can be! To create mindlessly! Just living to write and working to earn for the day! Everyday ~ to learn, courage, challenge, joy, abundance, celebration and love.

Right now, I am on a travel adventure called Artistic yoga. It is too rich and potent to call it anything less..

You think i have got it wrong somewhere, everywhere? Then tell me! or Challenge me, Criticize me! Or inspire me Or else join me ;)

15 Day Fat Loss Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:39:00 +0000


Lunch: Boiled chicken with tomato, cucumber & yogurt.

Dinner: Oat meal with honey and pomegranate

Recently I did a diet experiment on reducing the fat percentage in the body. I had lost upto 2Kgs during this time. More importantly my subcutaneous fat level went from 17.6 to 16.2 %. Energy levels was good those days and face was brighter!

Along with this diet, i was also working out at the gym and did yoga for most of the days. Earlier, without the diet, but with workout and yoga, i had not lost weight and didn't do any fat percentage measurement.

My Purpose of doing this diet was to see if i can enjoy eating only raw food (with eggs, milk, honey). I have found out that given the environment i live in, it is difficult for me to resist from temptations (rolls, melting moments, oily curries). Currently, I am not following any particular diet pattern, however, i am making a new plan which would be a combination of fixed diet (healthy, nutritious and mainly raw) + spontaneous eating (freedom to eat oily foods, rolls and chocolates).

The new diet would be in accordance to the following in the order of priority:

Tasty
Variety
Nutritious
Healthy
Cost Effective
Energetic
High Protein
Less Oil usage
Easy to prepare

Diet Plan (11-Jan-2013 to 24-Jan-2013)

	Date	Breakfast	Snacks	Lunch	Snacks	Dinner
1	11-jan-2013	4 Bananas		Oat+Milk, Endura mass Protein Shake		1.5 Apple, 1 pear, 2 carrots, 1 mousambi in milk + honey
2	12-Jan-2013	Bournvita, 4 Bananas	Protein shake, Muskmelon juice	Roasted Chicken subway sandwich (only sweet onion, mustard and mint sauce)		Raddish Soup - half boiled (Raddish, pinch of oil, salt, turmeric)
3	13-jan-2013	1 pear	1 Apple	Steamed Chicken Momos, a bit of popcorn (It was an indulgence)	A large Coffee	Spinach Juice, Beetroot soup - half boiled (beetroot, radish, cabbage)
4	14-Jan-2013	4 Bananas	A large Coffee	Cabbage+Tomatos+Onions+Yogurt+ lime+Ginger+pepper+Salt (raw)	Protein Shake, 2 Egg whites, Spinach Juice	Spinach juice, Oats+ milk+ pear
5	15-Jan-2013	4 Bananas	2 Banana	Spinach + Cucumber+ tomato+lime+ pepper+rock salt (semi boiled)	Pomegranate Milk Shake+ honey, Mosambi Juice+honey	Spinach Juice, 3 egg whites, Oats+mousambi+pomogranate
6	16-Jan-2013	4 Bananas A large Coffee	Spinach Juice, 1 mausambi	Spinach Juice, 3 egg whites, Oats+ nuts + honey		Subway roasted chicken, 1 Cup cooked dal
7	17-Jan-2013	4 Bananas	2 bananas	Cabbage + Tomato + Raddish + Lemon+ Curd + Kellogs fruit & nut cereals	Chicken Delite soup, Tomato soup	Eggs Scrambled made with less oil
8	18-Jan-2013	4 Bananas	Carrot+milk+honey+ dry fruits (cashews, almonds and raisins)	Boiled (2 whistles in cooker) Beetroot+ boiled corn+onions, 2 Beetroot juice, Oats+honey, Bournvita + milk	3 Egg whites	5 min boiled Bottle gourd+radish+ tomato+raw cucumber
9	19-Jan-2013	4 Bananas		Pav Bhaji + Boiled Marinated(turmeric, rock salt, pinch chilli powder, 4tsp curd) Chicken (1 tsp oil+ mustard seed+ onion+ tomato + 250 gm chicken)		5 min boiled Bottle Gourd+carrot+ Cucumber+Tomato+raw cucumber, Banana+dry fruits Milk shake
10	20-Jan-2013	Bournvita+honey, 4 Bananas	2 Bananas	Cucumber+carrot+tomato juice, 3 Egg whites, 1 bournvita+ honey	Mixed fruit juice	2 cups dal, 1 Roasted Chicken Subway, 2 eggs scrambled, bournvita + honey
11	21-Jan-2013	3 Bananas + 2 coffee	Banana Milk Shake	Tomato+ cumber juice, 1/2 cup Dal, Chicken		Egg Scrambled Biriyani + Paneer
12	22-Jan-2013	Biriyani + Paneer		2 Cups Dal	1 Roasted Chicken Subway	250GM Boiled chicken Chicken + cucumber salad
13	23-jan-2013	1 Apple, 1 coffee	Cucumber, Tomato, Brocolli	Protein shake, 3 egg whites, 250GM Boiled chicken		Brocolli+ Raddish+ Cabbage+ Tomato+ Salt + Pepper Slightly cooked with sprinkled oil, Egg Scrambled
14	24-jan-2013	4 Bananas		Oat+Milk	250GM Boiled chicken Chicken+ cucumber salad	Roti, Sabji, Dal
15	25-jan-2013	Eggs scrambled		Roti, Sabji, Dal	Spinach Juice	Roti, Sabji, Dal

* All mentioned in the red colour are indulgences, where i didn't strictly follow the diet.

To Life.. The best master to interact with

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:06:00 +0000

Last weekend, i was away at khopoli (near mumbai) reading one of osho's book and suddenly i went blank and then this came up!!

Dont teach me how to create more money,

Teach me how to be courageous instead

Dont teach me the techniques of creating an organization,

Teach me to identify authenticity, no matter how little and include them.

Dont teach me how to fight,

Teach me to access my own power

Dont teach me how to create a revolution,

Teach me how to be revolution, always

Dont teach me how to market myself,

Teach me how to outrageously express myself

Dont teach me how to respect the rules,

Teach me how to love another, unconditionally

Dont teach me varieties of drinks,

Teach me how to get high, naturally

Dont teach me to live with more gadgets,

Teach me how to be meditative in-spite of them!

Day 4 of 15 of Special (mostly raw food) diet

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:54:00 +0000

Looks like my diet is finally starting to paying off. By far the "Best day" ever in the recent times.

Woke up at 5.45AM.
6 Yoga Classes instructed.
1 hour in the gym.
20 mins cardio.
No after-noon Nap
No idle time
Now it is 10PM

Still high energy! And finally no headache after 2 days.

The food intake today:

Breakfast: 7 Bananas (split over 3 installments starting from 6.30AM)

Lunch: Cabbage-tomato,-curd-salad (Pre workout).

1 protein shake + 3 egg whites + 2 Glasses spinach juice (Post workout) .

Dinner: 1 spinach juice + Pear + oat-milk-honey

+ 2 cups of coffee (a small indulgence).

The real high points were i was able to maintain my motivation level on every task i took up and was living today with incredibly HIGH ENERGY LEVELS. I was able to motivate my team and the people around. There was no sign of laziness, like, at all. A whole new level of involvement and aggressive actions towards my targets in various projects (work and personal life). The clarity was incredible and easy flowing.

The best of all, i have taken classes with a whole new level of involvement.

Things i generally don't do after a long day of work (say after 9:30 PM) which i did today:

Working on ways to improve my targets.
Spend time with a person to discuss their goal (i did this with a client today after the last session).
Spend time to write this blog, which i am doing now.
Run in the park for 10 mins, which i kinda did (the park was closed, so went up and down 12 stairs for 10 mins).
Going to bed happily with the knowledge that day well spent.

The credit to this definitely goes to this new diet.

My 1 week Experiment on Special Diet (21 to 27 December 2012)

noreply@blogger.com (Yogi Santa) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 19:22:00 +0000

I always wanted to try eating raw vegan foods for some trial period and see how the results are as i had heard a lot about it. But for various reasons i thought of sticking to partial-raw healthy diet first. So i thought of trying for 1 week period to see if i will be motivated to stick to it before committing to longer time period.

I successfully completed sticking to the healthy diet for 1 week. It meant no potatoes, no oily chicken, no wanton fries, no momos, no KFC chicken, no pastries, no CCD melting moments etc. When i shared this experiment with friends, they wanted to know my experience and results. so here it goes..

Period: 7 days. 21-Dec-2012 to 27-Dec-2012

Stuffs that i consumed are split into breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Break Fast: Cut Fruits + Milk + Honey, sometimes bournvita + honey

Lunch: Protein Shake, 4 or 5 Egg whites everyday with Boiled Vegetables or cut raw vegetables, some factory product soup - chicken delite or tomato soup

Dinner: Raw vegetables or fruits or Oats+ Honey + Milk, boiled vegetables, soups, Subway (chicken) sandwich

Fruits: Banana, Grapes, Apple, Pear, Orange, Pine Apple, Papaya, water melon,

Vegetables: Cucumber, Tomato, Radish, Beetroot, Cabbage, Onion

The Experience: the good and the bad.

Day1 was normal.

Day 2 and 3 were very lazy. I was feeling sleepy through out the day. I was not feeling motivated to work at all. I skipped working out. I was irritated. Had mood swings. Vegetables (salads) for lunch seemed like punishment. Above all this, "friends" all of a sudden started posting photos of tasty pastries, etc.

Day 4 and Day 5 was really good. I was feeling very motivated towards workout, my work, during the classes. I got tired during the classes initially and some mood swings (of frustration, irritation) present here and there.

However, there was a certain mental clarity towards my goals and was feeling very alive despite various challenges which i had never experienced before. The major difference in this area i found is that earlier, when confronted with challenges in life, i used to recede back to my safe zone - reading books, watching TV shows/ Movies.. however in these 2 days particularly, i was able to consciously choose to do the "right thing" and take action towards challenges rather than settling doing "the convenient thing" and let the "to-do" list to pile up indefinitely.

People had started mentioning about certain "glow" in my face.

The Benefits:

Aliveness
Lightness
Motivation
Facial Glow
More Toning difference showed up in my muscles
The most important benefit is that i am finding more and more people got inspired and wanting to try this out

Tips:

If you are living with many people and you are the only one trying this diet out, DO NOT ENTER THE KITCHEN.
Meditate and Keep reminding yourself everyday of the intention of this "stupid" experiment
Declare it in Facebook. On my day 1, friday evening, after my classes, the thought of KFC chicken pulled me towards chucking the experiment. But ever since i declared in facebook, many started following and looking up to the experiment and results. So i didn't give in to the urge. If will power runs out, fear of looking weak will get the job done for you.
Dinners are the worst challenge. Ask your cook/ friend to make something for you before you take a whiff of whats already cooked for others in the kitchen.
Keep something ready to eat always. You will get hungry more often.
Have lots of bananas kept all the time for instant energy.

Conclusion

I made this a short spanned experiment one because i slowly wanted to shift to this kind of diet and also i wanted to freak out at the new year's party ;) . I actually mixed some unhealthy items (like factory product soups, wine, etc) in a very less scale (about less than .05%, in my girlfriend's terms). I am proud of this experiment though! And major chuck of credit goes to Rachana.

I am planning to do this diet, a little more rigorously, for 2 or 3 weeks this time. Mostly from Jan 11 to Jan 24, 2013. I already have 2 or 3 more people joining me. Just let me know if you will also join. We can share the variety of fruit and vegetables recipes and also keep each other inspired and motivated!