My Latest Adventure
Recently, I have been to a new city to learn kids' yoga with some hidden terms and conditions. It was so difficult to leave behind my home, my little one and my students. Nevertheless, I took the courage to add a new chapter in my book of life.
The journey began with missing a flight due to some stupid reasons and waiting for another flight for 3 hours at airport. I was not at all restless but took this opportunity to read Swami Rama’s “Science of Breath,” I'd been meaning to read this book for a long time but life had gotten in the way each time. I sincerely made notes as I flicked through the pages.
I enjoyed a slimmer sandwich and made a 11 month old friend who enjoyed my company from the waiting area to the flight as well.
I got a window seat and enjoyed the view like never before. We were flying in amidst of clouds with an orange patch of sunlight peeping through. I felt as if it was a totally different world and I could see, far away in the formations of the clouds, a man chasing a tiger.
I meditated and it felt a little different than usual at this altitude and I understood why the ancient sages would head to the heights of the Himalayas to achieve 'dhyan,' that mystical point of deep concentration, calm and tranquility.
Finally, we landed in the new city. As I bid goodbye to my little friend, the cool coastal breeze of this new location met me, cool and different, bringing in the taste of the nearby Indian ocean.
I took a taxi to the flat I'd call home during my stay and was greeted by a quote written on the wall: “don’t flow with the flow , be the flow” and it touched me. The flat had around twenty bunker beds, a lot of mosquitoes, some unhygienic toiletries and a company of young chirping beauties I would be calling my flatmates.
At the age of thirty seven and being a yogic life follower, I am in the habit of going to bed early and rising early. But these beauties around me, all in their early twenties were enjoying their nightlife days for the first time and it affected my own routine.
It surprised me more than it affected me as I had come to this yoga teaching expecting that others would be yogic in their ways.
I told myself that I needed to learn to cope up with such issues as I have to learn to bear and survive in such adverse conditions.
Following this I came to know that my training would not start until the next day and I had the whole day to relax. Since I was not at all tired and in no mood for relaxation, I attended my flatmates' training session (adult yoga in different forms). After lunch and an extended afternoon nap, I decided to walk to the biggest beach of the city, 4km away. I meandered my way through the traffic, stopping at fruit vendors and taking in the vibes of this new city, finally reaching the beach after an hour.
By that point, my colleague had already reached the beach by taxi but on such a vast beach, it took another 45 minutes to find each other.
The scenic beauty was mesmerizing and it was worth that effort. Unfortunately, it was dark so I could not take nice pictures of the scene though I really enjoyed the waves in presence of moon, the smoothness of wet sand sky covered with dark clouds, soon it started raining heaving and we had to leave the beach with its own fate.
The next morning, I enjoyed the rigorous Hatha yoga session with my trainer and lunch at the famous chain of restaurants of the city and self practice in the evening with the help of amazing yoga teacher and my new friend.
The third day, my day started with a walk of half a kilometer, a wonderful Yin yoga session, a stroll back and a chai.
It was a wonderful experience but my initial doubts about the adventure had not left. I could feel my earlier feelings that I'd first captured in my poem months ago start to resonate.
‘These moments are incomplete without me as I am without their presence.’
So I made the decision to end my adventure as I realised that this was not what I needed from such an experience and promises were not being kept. Nevertheless, I learned a tremendous amount in just these four days.
I have realized my inner strength and the changes within me.
I no longer give weight to the excuses that I am a 37 year old woman with a history of a Caesarean, severe backache, anaemia and high BP. Now I know that my yoga practice has made me as strong as any other normal person and I can survive in any adverse conditions and most importantly, I don’t flow with the flow, I am the flow.
By: Sapna Singh
Sapna is yoga teacher (500 RYS certified) and a mother of seven year old. She loves life, yoga and writing. You can find out more on her website, Yogdhiyah or Instagram.
