A path to oneness

A path to oneness

                                                                                                                             Ankur Bora 

The article is based on author’s experience attending a Yoga course at Art of Living Ashram located in Uvalde, Texas. Ankur Bora  has been practicing Art of living for last few years . He is passionate about Yoga and striving to bring Yoga to the world. Currently he is preparing to celebrate the International Yoga Day in the city of Irving.

Have you ever experienced a tiny new detail in something which you may not have noticed before; which brought sudden bliss into your body in full force and which you wanted to holler out loud to everyone around you? I have experienced such a moment recently when I was attending a Yoga course at the Art of Living Ashram located in Uvalde, Texas.  It was a beautiful Friday evening. A few of us participants, after the daylong classes, decided to explore the nearby hill. We were walking down a dirt path, crisscrossing a small stream with lovely wildflowers sprouting riotously on either side. I loved the weather - sunny with a lilting breeze and warm without being hot.  I was feeling grateful being in nature and for being alive. As we reached the top, I began to notice a dead tree with scores of vultures roosting in its bare branches. Those birds with a wrinkled, featherless red head on a black feathered body makes them somewhat less than beautiful. That day though, the picture of these birds shimmering in the setting sun, dipping and floating in the wind, silhouetted against the barren tree filled my heart with happiness; I closed my eyes, took a deep breath in, breath out pausing in between, repeating a few times ; and then  opened my eyes with a cry of joy – “remember who you are”. The hill, nearby, caught up the cry and sent an echo back nodding in unison. The exuberant experience reminded me how thought patterns affect one life. It was the second day of the course; we had been practicing the discipline of yoga; turning distraction into focus, stiff and weak into flexible and strong, negative into positive. The exploration of the day propelled me to untie the physical and emotional knots and set me to a heightened awareness. Instead of allowing the autopilot of daily life to push, pull and blow in all directions, I let the inner spirit trace out the spark of life, awaken our consciousness and explore the life we are living.

So what does awakening of inner spirit have to do with Yoga? Personal transformation has always been Yoga’s prime directive. The word yoga comes from a Sanskrit root meaning “to join” – Yoga seeks to join the several parts of an individual’s life into a coherent whole. While I have been practicing Yoga mainly to improve physical well -being, the deeper life-enhancing aspects of this rich tradition remained obscure to me till I attended the Yoga at Uvalde. The four day course under the instructions of teachers duo of Jennifer Stevenson and Kashi ji brought the profound depths of inner teachings of yoga , techniques that stimulate not only the physical body but also the emotions , mind , heart and the soul of the participants – the places where life changing transformation takes place. In the midst of Texas Hill country surrounded by majestic hills and breathtaking flora and fauna, we experienced wide range of Yoga practices – breathing to regulate body’s energy, cleansing the body and mind, chanting to train and sharpen intellect and memory, meditation to deepen self-awareness and exercise to get in touch with divine, regardless of individual’s religious tradition. More we peel the fruit of each principle, more we become aware of the juicer flesh beneath it. It is a catharsis; I thought I had been a redwood tree in a flowerpot root bound by everyday habitual patterns; the Yoga course has made me to realize that and break out of the flower pot, if I am growing to the full potential of human being.    

The first day of our course began with an ancient practice called ‘Shankhaprakshalana. Shankha means "conch" and prakshalana is to wash completely. The word shankha is used to represent the entire alimentary canal from mouth to anus. The process cleans the intestinal tract by removing the impurities with salty water. In the undisturbed ashram environment and in presence of our guide Kashi ji we embarked a new and wondrous experience. Everyone began by consuming the water, than performing six asanas six times each in the correct order, going for restroom break, coming back and repeating the whole process up to eight times. The process took around three hours for completion and exhaustive for me. Shankhaprakshalana is actually a complete physiological overhaul, throughout that day we were offered salt less diet consisting of khichari and dal; no other food, drink, sweets, etc. were permitted in any form. In retrospect, it was a time of revision when life changes direction, where the foundation for a positive fresh view of life was set. By the end of day, I felt a lighter, more flexible, physical body and experienced a clearer and more alert mind. 

Does intelligence comes from within- Do all of us have that capacity? I never had a clear-cut and definite answers to these and related questions. Perhaps, I was not sure whom to ask for or how to find my way. During our Yoga course, in between the asana and pranayama , we were shown a series of enlightening discourses given by his Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. As I listened attentively, all my doubts were cleared. Yes, everyone is capable, if we learn to fly and soar through our life with the wings of Abhyasa (practice) and Vairagya (dispassion). The effort to be still, to be steady is practice - Practice retains you in that moment. And how can this be achieved – you need determination and focus, prolonged and uninterrupted effort and finally respect and honor to every effort you make. You respect your own body and that is āsanas. You respect and honor your breath- that is prānāyāma. And when it is done over a period of time without any gap, respectfully and honoring it every day, then it becomes your effort firmly established. Whatever the efforts are, we need to practice regularly and faithfully, but simultaneously let go of any expectations of any desired outcomes – that is Vairagya. The paradox is that when we let go, and detach ourselves from any expectations amid full effort and determination, the body, mind and heart can open up to the process and to the present moment, and in the Presence of Now invite genuine enthusiasm.  

My maternal grandmother was known as the most hospitable person in the town. Every day she asked herself, “What can I do in thoughts, words and service to nurture every person I meet just for today?”  She always greeted anyone at the door with a big smile - “Come inside and get something to eat”. I was too young to understand but she was doing seva, the spontaneous expression of compassion, of the desire to uplift and assist people. At the Ashram, I found scores of volunteers serving, we the guests, through cooking. Many of them arrived from far away Dallas, Houston and Austin leaving the family behind just to serve us! My grandmother would have been overjoyed. Every time, I hear the sounds of the dishes clanking and the aromas of the vegetarian food served, I feel connected to her spirit. The word seva means 'together with' and is describing those actions that seek collective upliftment through an understanding of the needs of others and are based on togetherness and integration. Ashram life provides the conditions and circumstances over which there is no control, and it is under these conditions that we practise seva. Throughout our stay, we formed a number of groups, each group responsible for a specific task like cleaning the dishes, mopping the floors and clearing the trashes.  My group was gardening and I was not happy. Though our home gardens are beautiful during the spring , I never pay any attention to the plants there, I perhaps thought a garden requires patient labor and plenty of time.  I created my image or personality by mistaken identification with the outside world. It caused an internal friction, as the limiting and illusory aspect of my personality was challenged. Fortunately, it was precisely at this point that my practice of Yoga really began. It is in those moments that I actively worked towards purification of the mind, by remaining aware of the responses within me and yet still doing my best to act appropriately.  Eventually I sat down and began pruning , feeding, and weeding the rose bushes lying around the garden.  The process of new growth leading to those cherished beautiful blooms has now begun!  

Asking for what you want is a necessary part of life, how does one go about knowing what they want? As human being, we are constantly involved in activity that can affect our lives in two basic ways: It can either reinforce our conditioning or serve as the ground for positive change. In his classical teaching Patanjali describes the purpose of Kriya yoga in terms of reducing the seeds of suffering and awakening the higher potential of mind. As you awaken and crate, your confidence will grow. The more it grows, the more you create.  During my to and fro trip to Uvalde and throughout my stay at the Ashram, I met many participants whom I consider as the finest individuals I ever come across.  Knowing our truth as we stand in alignment, we ask ourselves and others for what we know we want and it shows up everywhere along the journey and also within everyone we meet. Today reflecting back, I fondly recall those moments.  Our favorite meeting place was the kitchen table where would come for breakfast, dinner or for session breaks.  We loved to tell laugh and tell stories of each other and the kitchens were where it all happened. It is also where I learned one of the most valuable lessons of my life. At the corner of the kitchen there is a poster of 25th Anniversary of the Art of Living Foundation, when over 2.5 Million people from over 150 countries came to experience and celebrate Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's message of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" - A One World Family. The commemorative poster is a fusion of dramatic colors, eye-catching shapes and unique styles.  The more I look through it, the more I see lively, free-flowing images of people finding a common ground through the practice of Yoga.  “I can’t wait [for the festival] and I want it to happen here in Texas”, I exclaimed to all, in excitement!  I visualized seeing the poster everywhere - everyone in Dallas will be wearing the festival T-shirts, everyone will be practicing Yoga, the posters will be hung all around the city. How is it possible, will it remain a dream – I had my doubt. The reassurance came from Kashi ji – “Why don’t you be the volunteer leading the International Yoga day on 21th at your city?” “It’s a great opportunity and you take charge” – he added.  It was the guiding light I was looking for. We have to take the actions- keep going on the road that will get us what we want.  All you need to do is ask, and you will have everything. 

I have started to believe that the experience of each moment presents an opportunity for a new life. In the last day of the course, all of us went walking to a nearby river. As we rested and began listening to the sounds of the running stream, I felt oneness with nature and with everyone else. Kashi ji was reciting to us – “The air we breathe is the same air that is breathed by all creatures, human and non-human throughout all of time. The air inside of you is the same as the year outside – feel it. The heat of the sun around you is the same as the heat inside your body – feel it. The earth element that you are sitting on is same as the elements inside you – feel it.” He reminded us that we are breathing the same air that the dinosaurs once breathed.  Kashi ji implored all of us that we are all connected and we can truly at peace if we link our inner understanding with our outer actions. Today, when I reflect or examine that day, the experience shapes me personally; I come to a deeper understanding of self and our own actions.  And the more we seek a deeper understanding of ourselves, the greater the fulfilment we will find in our lives, in our relationship and in our daily practice.