Following Footsteps of Western Yogis

One of my young students is suffering from high blood pressure and hyper-acidity frequently. I advised him to make some changes in his diet and overall lifestyles if he wants his body to work impeccably. He knew that following my advice will benefit him but he couldn’t execute it. 

He used to choose food items which will make his health condition worse though he knew it is not good for him. He was also under stress because of uncertainties in business as well as in personal life. He knew that life is not perfect and one is bound to face problems throughout the life.

I told him many times that if you want to take care of your ailing father, primarily, you need to take the charge of your health. Again he could understand it but acting as per his own understanding was difficult to him. Recently he started coming regularly to classes. I asked him to come for a weekly meditation session too. He obliged and attended few meditation sessions too. But he failed to make it a regular affair.

But things have changed now in a good way. He has become a regular yoga student and also started having home-cooked food. He re-discovered his love for cooking too. Now, many times, he prepares his own break-fast. He gets up early regularly now and has shifted from late evening batch to early morning yoga sessions.

What has brought this sudden change in him? Recently, he attended seven days workshop at The Yoga Institute, Mumbai from where I did my Teachers Training in yoga. Being a student of The Yoga Institute, I was sure that he will love it. But I didn’t expect any ground breaking change in him which I am observing in him it now. The credit goes to environment and teaching of The Yoga Institute for which I have a very special place in my heart. He didn’t learn only from the teachers of the institute but also from his fellow students—particularly foreign disciples.

He was surprised to see disciplined international yoga students when he attended the workshop. He could observe that they were leading a simple routine at the institute without any fuss. They traveled thousands of kilometers to be here while my student has to spend barely half an hour to reach to the institute in the morning. They were eating our sattvik food with lots of interest and love. These students were listening to the teacher with utmost focus and curiosity for yoga.

 
he observed that they were sitting on the floor throughout the long day though many had difficulty with it.One of my gurus, the sound maestro, Rivesh Vade always say that we are becoming more and more seekers of technology and money. And there is nothing wrong if you earn more and become more tech savvy but the issue is we are losing the touch with the self. We have lost our connection with spirituality—mean the connection to higher self. We forgot to take journey within when we are becoming more advanced in terms of technology and income. Hence we are also at the high risk of hypertension, PCOD, hypothyroid, diabetes and cancer which are associated with stressful life.

We have forgotten the importance of a simple routine. We forgotten the food which we ate was simple but nourishing and tasty. When we Indians are hogging on burgers and pizza, Western yoga practitioners are adapting a simple Indian recipes like kichari.  You should taste all the international cuisines but making it a part of everyday diet, living in India will not compliment your health.  

Many western yogis love to study yoga in detail than us. It doesn’t mean that Indians don’t study in deep but the number is not that great. But the future seems promising as young Indians are turning to yoga. They are practicing yoga for fitness but there are few who want to explore various aspects of yoga.

When we see sculpted bodies of foreign yogis, we strive for that and there is nothing wrong in it. But they haven’t transformed their bodies overnight. They practice asanas and pranyamas regularly.  You can also get a best shape for you through diligent yoga practice. But striving to become someone else will invite just irritation not appreciation.

I am happy to see many of my yoga students have made yoga an integral part of their life.
I got the opportunity to lead few sessions for Ashley Song who is a true global citizen (Resides in Indonesia now) and a certificate yoga teacher herself. I was surprised to see her quest to learn more of yoga tradition. She asked me few questions after reading few yoga books. She is not teaching yoga but continues to practice it with utmost passion.

One guy from Netherlands attended our classes for a month. He was here for research and studies. He asked me which books he can refer to understand everything more in details. 
I was pleasantly surprised and at the same time, I felt, why never one of my yoga students asked me this?

We have taken so many things from westerners?

Why can't we take their urge, curiosity and sincerity to connect to our own roots through yoga?