So just the other day as we were saying our goodbyes after an evening of good food, Dad said, “Where’s my Baby?” He made me laugh, he was referring to me, as my childhood pet name was “Baby” so even thou I’m now all grown, from time to time, by the very few I am called Baby, somehow pet names can stick. You may have one which you hear very rarely but it can feel endearing. Even though, at times and for many years, you may’ve not liked it as it became some sort of label as it implies many things for example, for me … A baby is immature, gets left out, too little to join the ones who are older, can’t do’s, annoying, cries, excluded etc …. I was Baby being the youngest of my two sisters. Maybe here you just read the 3rd child syndrome!! Haha…

The picture you see is me and dad. It was his birthday last week he turned 95. He would’ve been in his early 30’s when the photo was taken. To put into perspective his unique lifespan and era. As a child he lived in a house made of mud and there was no glass for the window. I wanted to put that here for you to consider for a moment…

The morning of his birthday, I visited him to wish him Happy Birthday, I surprised myself as I became quite emotional. I am not the emotional type, but I became weepy as I gave Dad a tight Birthday hug. The feeling I had was wrapped with love and gratitude. I don’t need to sing his praises his work ethic and dedication to his own and others well-being is phenomenal, he is a testament of a great human specimen. Yes, you are possibly thinking … obviously she is biased. I don’t disagree.

His bedroom is like a library. I have thought often, it could do with a librarian’s touch to catalogue and categorise his treasures. He loves underlining words and phrases and there are many examples of this. I saw just yesterday a magazine “Successful Living” November ed costing 2/ (shillings) I think it was dated 1961! I have to say he has a profound interest and curiosity on the nature of the mind. This without a doubt overlaps with yoga philosophy. Yoga is about successful living and to be successful at it we need to be working consistently and dedicated on ourselves, to the physical, mental and spiritual.

I would like to share more with you about that feeling of gratitude and love when I saw Dad on his birthday.

You have heard love is an energy, energy has a frequency, love is closely connected with gratitude it has a healthy effect on our brains and helps us to begin to rewire our brains to have a more positive outlook, presence and expression in our lives.

Poets, mystics and philosophers often speak of the heart as the place where we enter into the wholeness of ourselves, a place beyond what our rational and logical mind understands.

Yoga philosophy teaches us about the 7 main energy centres (Chakras) in the human body. The one at the heart, Anahata chakra sits at the centre. Below are the three “earthly” centres tied to survival, pleasure and willpower. Above it are the “higher” centres tied to expression, intuition and spirit. Anahatha is the bridge between them.

Anahatha embodies unconditional love, forgiveness, compassion and emotional balance. When we embody this type of energy it can have a profound impact on our relationships with others and ourselves. Making us feel warm, truly grateful, a contentment from within.

However, we live on shifting sands, which become our daily tests with the inevitable distractions that are part of daily life. That can make us feel fragmented, discontented, angry, fearful…. There are external factors e.g. my car breaks down which brings me anguish but this I feel is fleeting as opposed to a memory I am holding onto which takes me down a rabbit hole of discontentment and rage. You may think differently. The yoga journey is here to keep us steady by our skilful interventions.

The skilful interventions are that we become to know our obstacles that keep us from leading a successful life, the yoga journey would term this as the path to liberation.

The great yoga sage Patanjali, who codified all the teachings of yoga – known as the yoga sutras, put them succinctly into 196 statements.

He says the obstacles (Sutra1:31) hinder our successful living (to yoga your Spiritual Path). The obstacles that we meet are showing us where our awareness is not yet steady, they can be seen as teacher or even be seen as stepping stones :-

1. Vyadhi – disease/sickness – imbalances that are held in the physical body or mind create interferences. Is there anything you can do to help the disease or sickness. Exercise, better diet, sleep, professional help, resting and recovery. Remember, its no good running on those shin splints, keep your equanimity and respect your body as a temple!

2. Styana – dullness- lack of enthusiasm, unwillingness to do practice. It’s important to notice this, habits and patterns arise, making those feeble excuses. Getting to the root of the dullness, lift the mood through music, positive affirmations, setting intentions the night before. Maybe a different routine is required when there’s stagnation, lifting the dullness is required to build discipline and repetition.

3. Samsaya – Doubt – questioning the process, if you want to work on being rid of doubts, keep the company with like-minded, re-read, re-listening, checking in. Keeping a journal of your small wins. Remember, “water your flower garden not the weeds.”

4. Pramada – Carelessness – speedy practices, not paying attention, day dreaming, too mechanical. This can appear quietly, just going through the motions, cultivate consistency. Connecting to the Why? Why you started the practice in the first place. Redirect your attention, rewiring, question how awake and alert were you whilst meditation and during your pranayama practices.

5. Alasya – Laziness/sloth – making your practice as part of your spiritual duty and again asking why you started in the first place, again thinking about diet, exercise and sleep. Motivation grows from action and builds strength and inner peace.

6. Avirati – Craving or enjoyment – impulsiveness, the senses carry us away. Addictions, such as gambling, sex, alcohol, they can be a strong pull of the senses. Learn moderation for example with food think about eating to 80% full, have your digital detox days. Build your good habits and routines. You may need professional help.

7. Bhrantidarsana – False perception, confusion, making errors in judgment, viewing a fact as a non-fact, going against advice. Reflect and assimilating on the teachings. Staying humble to teachings, seek guidance.

8. Alabdhabumikatva – Non attainment in the yoga practice, stuck, stagnation, can lead to discouragement this can make you feel vulnerable and even feel like giving up. But remember the occasional moments of clarity can be enough, no practice is wasted, no meditation is wasted, no moments of stillness are wasted, your glimpses of awareness is not wasted. They create imprints each time you choose to meditate or sit still. Progression is not always obvious, it is not a race, it’s just a deepening, comparing is not helpful. Spiritual longing is good, you become less distracted, more peaceful, witnessing thoughts rather than being in them, a deep silence and an equanimity arises.

9. Anavasthitatva – instability- progress is made but you might feel that you’ve got to the end, and experienced all that there is to experience, the teaching here is once you’ve established ground to keep it secure, by a continued unwavering and wholehearted commitment do not destabilise by taking your foot off the gas!

Let me know how you are in your journey for Sucessful Living!