I had a friendly connection, with Pam. We were at Uni together on the same course. At that time, I was 19 she was a year younger, her birth sign Aries, I’m a Scorpio. It seemed to be a thing in those days when there was an exchange of birth signs and I suppose an ice breaker. I was a shy student, meeting my student life with some trepidation. I was not totally convinced I was on the correct trajectory with the course that I had chosen. But here I was and no going back at this point.  

Pam was a home student, her roots in Indian culture, I understood her. 

We spent many hours together. But we have not met in 20years. A lasting photo of us both (above) 

Memories of Pam were recently triggered whilst I was stripping wallpaper, the laborious continuum settling the mind and igniting the heart to speak. There I found myself intricately recalling past memories. So that evening I searched social media but found no trace, my heart sank.

A loss …how to we deal with them?  

Back in those days I knew nothing about Yoga although my sister had talked about Drew Yoga but in all honesty, it wasn’t anything of interest.

Yoga is often distorted and we consider it simply as a set of poses. But, there is something more beautiful happening.

The true measure of progress in Yoga lies in the inner transformation that occurs through dedicated practice. Advanced yoga is about how well you apply the teachings of yoga to your life, fostering personal evolution and contributing to the well-being of others, rather than simply showcasing physical feats.

What I have found with my practice that I have become more my authentic myself; this requires embracing the full spectrum of experiences – joy, pain, peace, and struggle. Authenticity in yoga means being honest with yourself and others about your journey, including the difficult parts.

There has been a cultivation of compassionate action, recognising the interconnectedness of all beings and the importance of addressing social injustices. 

Yoga is teaching us to act with compassion, which sometimes means confronting uncomfortable truths and working towards change.

The mind becomes sharper, balancing positivity with reality. While maintaining a positive outlook is valuable, it’s important to balance this with a willingness to face and address life’s challenges. Our true healing and growth happen when we can integrate both light and shadow.

We learn to acknowledge pian and suffering, recognising that discomfort, pain, and suffering are part of the human experience. Instead of avoiding these aspects, engage with them compassionately, both within yourself and in others.

I hope to reunite my connection with Pam one day. 

Wishing you a happy August …

Jagdeep x     

Calmly and silently my morning routine prepares me for my day. It feels like the natural thing to do. Sitting on a cushion, straight back, relaxed shoulders. Often sitting in one of my adult children’s bed rooms. The curtains drawn. The mood just right and focussing on the importance of my quiet time.     Firstly, I set a five-minute timer and begin with diaphragmatic breathing, watching the rise and fall of the belly through closed eyes. It’s important to exercise the diaphragm, just like the other muscles in the body. You have heard the saying, if you don’t use it you lose it! Let’s not lose it ….       The diaphragm is located below the lungs and is the major muscle of respiration. Respiration is the movement of air in and out of the lungs. It is often described as a large, dome-shaped muscle. It contracts rhythmically and continually, and most of the time this is being done involuntarily. But it can be impeded due to stress in the mind and body, bad posture and lack of training.      Diaphragmatic breathing is the most efficient way to breathe, improving oxygenation of the blood, blood circulation and has a very positive impact on improving mental well-being. It is the most natural and efficient way to breathe, but we often forget to use it as the “monkey mind” wanders and takes us away from the present moment. If we want focus and clarity in our day with its many advantages we must endeavour to make it a habit to remind ourselves throughout the day to use the diaphragm, you don’t have to be sitting to use it!       Here’s a challenge for you: Remember to breathe into the diaphragm when talking, there’s absolutely no need remember to be sitting in a darkened room. Observe yourself, you may notice that your voice naturally drops, slows and you will feel more grounded and composed. The mind will naturally quieten. You know this mind of ours is very prone to making up all sorts of stories and judgments and it needs to be trained through the breathing.        I feel that this composure and stability may have taken a hold into my own behaviour. I’ll give you two examples;      Last October, when I was at the 10-day silent retreat I had an episode about 4 days in, of very negative thinking. My monkey mind started a story that my daughter was in danger of her life from carbon monoxide poisoning in our living room. Btw, I’ve subsequently told her about this. We both came to a conclusion that it was ridiculous. When I challenge my mind, I’m not sure where I have picked up these thoughts from but it felt very real at the time. I noticed I was panicking and had started sweating. But within a space of minutes, it was like I came to my clearer mind and gave myself a few snappy statements 1. If its true what can I actually do? (I was a 3hour drive away) 2. If its true I can be contacted and I will be informed by the course tutor 3. I don’t think its true, I have made it up. I noticed I had gone from panic to calm in the space of minutes      My 2nd example is from this morning; to give you context my morning routine includes a recitation practice which is around 20mins, during this practice an alarming text came up on my phone, it flashed up. I read it. This time it was something that had actually happened it was not made up. But dealing with it was beyond my control. I quickly dismissed it, didn’t let it bother me too much and thankfully completed my recitation. Consequently my day ran more smoothly.      In summary:    Challenge you monkey mind and remember your breath at all times!  Namaste Jagdeep x