gratitude

“Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.” Rumi

Just like everyone, my journey started on the mat. Each class helped me get physically strong, put a mirror to my thoughts and helped me calm down even if the effects didn’t last long initially. However, it showed that I had the potential to transform – to change physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. What started as a bumpy road has led me to a place of peace; with a promise to lead me further to discover who I really am.

Applying the different facets of yoga philosophy to each challenge, has led me to a better understanding of who I am becoming, rather than what I’m not. I can clearly see my life before yoga, and the life that I have embraced after yoga has become a part. For that I am eternally grateful.

My Guru and teachers

There are so many people who have extended their hand to lead me on this journey. Their presence in my life is a constant reminder of where I’ve been, what I have learnt along the way and how much more there is to learn and evolve.

My sincere gratitude to my Guru Paramahamsa Yogānanda for lighting the path, showing me how to pick myself up when I fall and teaching me to love and accept myself.

IMG_2027
Paramahamsa Yogananda

My heartfelt thanks to Ācharya Dr. Robert Butera, for introducing me to the path of Rāja Yoga, for teaching me how to imbibe eastern philosophy with a western mind, and most importantly, for showing me how to apply it in daily life.

And to Śri Eknāth Easwaran, who, through his eloquent writing helped me to understand the simple, universal truths from the scriptures, that I had mistakenly perceived as difficult.

EE3 at SRJC, Oct. 1993.

I am blessed to have grown up in a family which was graced by the presence of an enlightened being; my maternal uncle, Svāmi Harshānanda, who is the current head of Rāmakrishna Mission in Bengaluru, India.

During our visits to the āshram as a teenager, I recall being captivated by the piercing black eyes of Rāmakrishna Paramahamsa, simplicity of Mother Śārada and the tranquil face of Svāmi Vivekānanda – their life size portraits have been etched deep in my consciousness. I did not fully understand their greatness or the impact of Satsang, spiritual companionship then, but I am so grateful to be reaping the blessings now.

I’m grateful for the teachings of so many great Svāmis like Sivānanda Sarasvati, Satyānanda Sarasvati, Niranjānanda Sarasvati, Chinmayānanda, Satchitānanda, Ādhiśvarānanda, Svāmi Rāma – the list is long – who, through their writings and speeches have made a dent in my thinking and my practice.

Thanks to the mystical writings of Kabir, Rumi, St. Francis of Assisi, Lama Surya Das, Thich Hnat Hahn, Hafiz, Miguel Ruiz, Rabia – and all the authors of various YogaSutra translations- and so many more: they have taught me how to change tolerance into love.

To my family for their unconditional love, to my dear friends who are my pillars of support, and to all the people who have crossed my path and all those who walk with me daily; you are my teachers, my inspiration, in more ways than one. My heartfelt thanks.

With such choicest blessings, I hope to be an eternal student of spiritual inquiry. I am passionate about giving yoga as a gift and joyful for receiving love after a soulful practice together.

I celebrate my journey by making a conscious decision to contribute through this blog, creating a place where I can share and reflect, a place where people like you can visit, absorb a thought and possibly leave inspired, empowered, only to return for more.

I look forward to seeing you on your visit to this blog and the wisdom you are willing to share via your thoughtful comments.

Namasté

21 thoughts on “gratitude”

  7. I got to read this today! Having reconnected spiritually with you for the past 5 months, this blog is a simple reflection of who you have been in these wonderful conversations that we have had! Simple but yet eloquent !

    Love it Akka! Keep them coming!

    Love

    sharan

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. Jane

    Today is the first day I received your blog link, I read all of your writings. What pops up first for me when I opened your blog is the Gratitude page. I can only say that I am grateful to have met you. Beautiful thoughts, mind, words and asanas, just like you, a beautiful person. I can’t wait to learn more from you. Love, Jane

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. Sunita

    Congratulations on the blog! It has been sometime since we had our conversations on Lifes’ Essential Conversations and how to live life. Looking forward to some good exchange of ideas.

    Best,

    Sunita

    Like

    Reply
  14. Ramola

    I second Sanjna’s comment that this is beautifully written by a beautiful person. Look forward to reading your blogs. Thanks for sharing!

    Like

    Reply

  18. First of all, congratulations on creating a blog! I love the theme you’re going with, and the picture of the mountains and valley really adds to the serenity and tranquility that are associated with yoga. The article, from beginning to end, paints a visual image of yoga and its practitioner; I could almost hear the tinkle of chimes and the soothing sounds of nature.

    As always, your vocabulary and word usage are fantastic and really accentuates the topic you’re writing about. I can feel your love and dedication to the art and discipline that is yoga through this article, as well as get an insight into the person that you are and the roles that you play on a daily basis.

    This was a wonderful first post, and I am excited to see how your blog evolves through the course of its existence.

    I hope you enjoy the journey, and I hope to enjoy it with you.

    Lots of love,

    Sanchita.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s