Yoga Se Hi Hoga

I started Yoga quite late in life. Having always been fluid in terms of the timing of personal and domestic tasks on my schedule and also believing that habits are just mechanical coercions of the brain, I needed to find out why was I doing Yoga and how was it important to me, if I wanted to sustain my newly commenced practice. This need was rooted in my verified and validated viewpoint that once the ‘why’ of ‘what’ you do is sorted, the how, when, where and who find a way of getting worked out.

Hence, here was my moot question to myself during my practice every morning — Why do I do Yoga?

And I found the responses tumbling out of a deep recess of body intelligence every time my physical being was engaged in asanas and feeling rewarded by the sweet aches of the stretches and the soothing relief of counter stretches.

I don’t do Yoga to manage my weight.

I do it for my holistic well being. 

And this is how —

Yoga adds to my routine and gives me a meaningful morning ritual, giving a springboard start to my day.

Yoga keeps me physically fit and gives enhanced stamina. I find myself doing more without feeling exhausted or tired. 

Yoga makes me stretch my muscles, making them stronger and my body flexible, supple and stable.

Yoga helps me have stronger bones as bones that take load become stronger and have reduced  chances of fracture.

Yoga aids in keeping my knee cap in place by strengthening my quadriceps and hamstrings.

Yoga helps me have a stronger back, thus helping me hold myself up straight, leading to better posture and body image.

Yoga keeps me emotionally fit as menopause is closing in on me and I get ready to cross over to the other side with a sense of well being and accountability for myself.

Yoga assists me to be more aware of my movements, stay balanced and coordinated and avoid falls. It helps me counter osteoporosis in a body which is making less oestrogen and having lowered bone mass density (BMD). 

Yoga helps in keeping my body toned and generally looking better as an add-on gift.

Yoga gives me the motivation to eat timely, healthy, mindfully and only as much as my body requires.

Yoga helps me fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed. By itself, it gives me the satisfaction of a day spent well.

Pranayaam at the end of Yogasanas allows to become aware of my breathing, slow it down and connect with my body. I am able to deal with tormenting and complex emotions and still find myself smiling. 

Meditation facilitates looking inwards, clearing my mind and commencing the day with a fresh and positive outlook.

Yoga silences the inner chatter to anchor me in spirituality — that I am but a soul in this body, on a journey, and only an instrument of a greater scheme.

What I feel inside is magnificent. 

What I look on the outside seems to fade into insignificance.

Windows to youth

The wall-engulfing bedroom window

Leaks inwards during torrential and monsoon showers
When the sky pours out its heart fanned by the furious gale.
I never find myself complaining for the wanting of a ledge above
The glass panes here look the cleanest after nature’s scrubbing,
With a three dimensional canvas to soothe the fourth dimension spent in confines of bed
Nursing the self to healing.

The amorphous grey mass is purposefully drifting towards north east
Blending tints and peeping hues revealing movement.

Now a flock of anxious ibises; flapping, fighting the gust
Melt into a beautiful V
Streamlined bodies in fluid formations.
A laggard or two play catch-up
In their daily micro-migration, merely from one lake to another.

 

Migration, flight behaviour and adaptations...

Lessons imparted by Dr. Deepak Sahay play back unfailingly
Every time flock after flock
Waltzes across the heavens, drawing my gaze with it.
Oft, I wish to spin back time and change professions
Or in the least, magically conjure up pages upon pages of class notes
From the damp mouldy vault, which I cleared off my belongings two decades ago.

Views of the sky, while lying in bed last monsoon inspired these thoughts. The culmination found its way out today.

Happy Birthday my dear Valley!

 

The years breathed in your vast expanse
Looking closely, deeply, intently
At the nuanced charm of nature
For which you always created the context
Have made me realise that you no longer exist separate from me
You are in me

I have discovered you everyday
In things around me
Within me
cheerfully, gratefully, wistfully

Floral clusters of Kadamb
Taunted me a month ago
Such resemblance to the virus-with-its-spikes
Ah! Isn’t this the same Kadamb
That was planted in the Amphitheatre on Valley’s last birthday
When we remotely watched the planting ceremony
The same virus holding us at bay

My letter to Valley for the school newsletter as she turned 43 on 17th July 2021 - amid the COVID lockdown.

If you care, then...

Listen with your heart, not your head
Listen to understand, not to provide a solution
Listen to convey " I am here" and "You matter"
Be S I L E N T and L I S T E N

... without judgement

Should be ----> Is

I am bursting with ideas of what could be a possible tangible gift for my daughter's 17th birthday tomorrow. Except that I am almost out of time. 

Words, yes words of wisdom are what I will send to her.

Therein emerges this above piece, from cues collected post an erstwhile discussion between us on the matter of a mild accent in her speech while uttering certain sounds. 

Smugness is the feeling rising in me after the words have been inked onto the almost dried paint, their soft melting into the lingering wetness raising the satisfaction to its crescendo.

In a flash follows humility. Easy come the words and the wisdom. The test is to live by them.

To watch the should-be trappings of one's own mind.

स्रोत

हम सभी कामना करते हैं कि हमारे परिवारजन, मित्र और परिचित अपने अपने जीवन में सुखी रहें। हम सभी, अपनी बातों और व्यवहार से प्रयत्न भी यही करते हैं की हम किसी को दुःख ना पहुँचाएँ। हम सभी अपना जीवन धर्म निभाते हैं — उसके अंजाम स्वरूप हम दूसरों के जीवन में कुछ पल सुख के जाने अनजाने में बिखेरते रहते हैं।

व्यक्तित्व और चरित्र के धनी इसकी अनुभूति तुरंत कर लेते हैं और अपनी कृतज्ञता को दर्शाने में कोई कमी नहीं रखते हैं। कुछ शब्द अथवा व्यवहार कुशलता के मितव्ययी प्राणी, समझ कर भी इस भाव को व्यक्त नहीं कर पाते! और कुछ सम्बंध ऐसे बन जाते हैं जहाँ इस प्रकार के प्रदर्शन की गुंजाइश ही नहीं होती!

अब प्रश्न यह उठता है कि ख़ुशी का स्रोत क्या है?
या यूँ कहें कि ज़िंदगी का उद्देश्य क्या है?

ये कुछ विचार ग़ौर करने योग्य हैं! लगते काफ़ी समान हैं पर इनमें सूक्ष्म भिन्नता है ——

पहला — दूसरों की ख़ुशी की कामना करना। दूसरों की ख़ुशी से स्वयं को ख़ुश पाना!

दूसरा — कार्य इस हेतु करना कि अन्य को ख़ुशी मिले।

तीसरा — अपना कर्म करना, धर्म निभाना।

मेरी समझ में, मात्र इस आख़री हरकत पर हमारा वश है। दूसरों को ख़ुशी देना हमारे कार्य क्षेत्र के सीमित दायरे में समा नहीं सकता। शायद मानव का अहंकार होता है जो इस सोच को पनपने की ऊर्जा देता है।

ख़ैर…

ये एक विडम्बना है — ख़ुशी — अपनी तो कर्म पूर्ति के संतोष मात्र से भी प्राप्त हो जाती है। पर की, हमारे वश से परे है। हर निज को अपना स्रोत तलाशना ही होगा!

तो फिर, क्या है आपके जीवन का उद्देश्य? 

स्वयं प्रासन्न रहना? 

अथवा अन्य लोगों की ख़ुशी की मृग-मरीचिका को छूना?

Knowing Eye

 

The Fulcrum of Fifteen

Snuggling neatly amidst ten and twenty
Fifteen, the age of exceptional opportunity.
Be a kid for all you want
Flaunt maturity when the hour demands. 

Playing pranks, giggling for no rhyme
Folded over a book, hoping to warp time.
Dodging the bedtime with gay abandon
Still open to ideas; you are fresh, new born.

Passing off as adult to the untrained gaze
Testing freedom’s elasticity, tasting emotions ablaze.
Expanding boundaries uncover marvels untold,
Decisions made, accountability shouldered.

Clawing tightly into the ebbing childhood
Anticipation, curiosity, exhilaration heralding adulthood.
Fearless, unstoppable; rationality not your agency
Unconditioned, unshackled, raw and ready.

Inspired by my daughter’s idea, as she turned fifteen, that she is equidistant from ten and twenty.

तपिश

चटक इन्द्रधनुषी रंग लपेटे 

नाना प्रकार, विस्मयीं आकार समेटे ।

सींचाई करते दुलार, नमीं, पोषण, धूप

ऋतु आगमन उपरांत ही खिलते हैं पुष्प ॥

कुछ सूर्य का मुख चूम चूम 

कई रात्रि की शीतलता में झूम झूम ।

अवधि कुसुमित रहने की विविध

असीम आभा! कहाँ उस पर आश्रित ॥

खिलने को प्रयत्नशील हर कलि इठलाये

तुलना की तपिश में नज़ाकत कुमल्हा ना जाये ।

हर ख़ुशबू रूहानी, चिर परिचित

प्रोत्साहन की चाह, हृदय में निहित ॥

इक इक फूल करता बगिया को कृत-रचित

झिलमिलाती संगीत संध्या हर नृत्य से सुशोभित ।

स्नेह, सराहना सबकी सर आँखों पर लिये 

हम आशीर्वाद के लिए सदैव झोली फैलाये खड़े ॥

~  दिव्या

नमस्ते !

बच्चियों ने पारिवारिक नृत्य संध्या में भाग लिया और उनकी रचना एवं प्रस्तुति की भरपूर प्रसंशा हुई। हमारा मन उनकी इस कोशिश की कामयाबी से पुलकित हुआ जाता था! 

योजना में घर के अन्य छोटे बड़े बच्चों ने भी हिस्सा लिया था। उनकी प्रतिभा, शैली और प्रयत्नों को नकारती सी प्रतीत हुई वाहवाही एवं टिप्पणियाँ — जब चर्चा सिर्फ़ दो बच्चों की दुहरायी जा रही थी और उन्हें अव्वल दर्जा प्रदान किया जा रहा था।

उस चिंतन से उपजी है यह कविता। उम्मीद रखती हूँ कि यह मेरे भाव व्यक्त कर पायी !

पढ़ने के लिए धन्यवाद। 

आप अपने विचार कॉमेंट्स सेक्शन में लिख कर मुझ तक पहुँचा सकते हैं।