What does it mean to sign up for a yoga training

BY Arora Indu2 min read • May 13, 2017

It means to wake up to ourSelf. It means to stop blaming. It means to take responsibility. It means to recognize, face, accept and transform our weaknesses.

When one signs up for a training like Yoga (which is meant to bring us close to ourselves, to our truth) then it is not a surprise that we go through all kind of emotions, stirrings and challenges. It is an inevitable journey through 9 emotions/ Nava rasa of love, hatred, joy, anger, wonder, fear, courage, disgust/aversion and peace.

We are bound to face what we were trying to avoid. There is no space to blame the teachings or the teacher just because they stir you up. There is no space for being egoistical just because we know as much as a grain of sand.

Studying Yoga is studying Self and self is complex so it is not easy to reach the Self without simplifying the self.

In this journey, we will go through moments of falling in love with the subject and the teacher, be surprised/shocked/mesmerized (pleasantly)in the teachings and/or the one sharing them, be scared of the teachings (because they ask for a change in our behavior, habits and the lenses with which we see), be sad at times (because we feel defeated as the old patterns keep coming up), feel aversion because we are asked to do something or be at peace with doing something we are absolutely averted to, feel courageous because we overcame something we were trying to forever get rid of, be full of joy/bliss as we tasted a micro moment of meditation and at times totally at peace.

In the words of one of my Guru Swami Veda Bharati, "Sit on the banks of the breath and witness the mind flow".

Whosoever gave you the illusion that Yoga is poses or breathing or anything for that matter has sold you something that Yoga is not. It simply is tapasya, sadhana and samadhi. It is union to Self and anything else that is in the path of this has to be either turned into a tool or dissolved. Just because you attended classes, read books or did your asana practice does not guarantee state of Yoga. Readiness to transform does.

Are you ready for being in Yoga? Be clear of the expected: the change!