My Salt Lake Community College students presented their final exams Thursday evening. It was team presentations on any subject related to yoga they chose. One team presented on Ayuerveda, one on Mudra, one on Mantra, and one on Karma Yoga. Everyone did a marvelous job, and I am very proud of them. They have come a long way since the first of the semester, they've learned a lot about yoga theory and parallel practices (as well as many, many asanas).
What I wanted to shout about is that two of my students quit smoking after starting class and the home practice (which is required, not optional). A young man named Trevor said he put away his cigs about two weeks after starting, and credits his ability to go cold turkey on yoga practice, and how good it makes him feel when he does it.
The other young lady is named Christa, and she said she stopped about 3 weeks after the start of class. She also said that she quit because it made her sick when she practiced, and that she felt so much better after she quit. Yoga made her feel much better and helped her stay away from the nicotine! She said it was clearly because of yoga that she stopped and has been able to stick with it (3) months so far!
I also heard from an older lady named Diana, (I'm guessing she is about mid to late 30's), who has MS. She explained that yoga and mantra in particular has helped her tremendously. She said it helps her get through the bad times and the times when she gets blue or discouraged, and turns her attitude around for the better. She also said the nutritional information we discussed in class has helped her feel so much better now that she is trying to eat in a more healthy manner!
What great feedback! I am so excited. It makes me feel so good as a teacher to see that I'm truly making a difference in a positive way in their lives. I am so proud of my students. More reason to keep on keeping on and doing my best to be an excellent teacher!
After calling my Guru and asking him about a symbol I saw in a recent meditation, he said it meant my vibration was getting much higher. I knew he would know what the symbol meant, since I didn't. Anyway, he told me I was getting older (ya think?) and that I need to get my act together NOW. He didn't really tell me what exactly I need to do to get it together, I guess that is part of the process. I'm waiting for inspiration to know exactly what I have to do.....
Anyway, I resolved to do Kriya practice every day no matter what. I can't imagine a better use of my time, and I always feel so much better after. I often do asana afterwards, as I feel really mellow, and just fall into a practice. I try not to set a time limit, and just practice till I'm done. Sometimes after savasana (corpse pose) I see the most beautiful mandalas on the chitti akasha (inside of the forehead). The chitti akasha is the "movie screen" of the third eye, where one can actually see visuals (if the third eye is active). It's worth doing the practice just to see them.
Steve T. and I (we were formally initiated into Kriya Yoga practice at the same time) called Baba Gonesh, and luckily we got to talk to him for about 45 minutes. We had prepared a list of questions.
An interesting and valuable instruction he gave us is that if you have an Ishta Mantra the vocal recitation is lowest form, mental repetition is a higher form, and the highest form of practice of your mantra is when you hear it within the universal sound of creation (re: OM, the sound of the universe). You should eventually begin to hear it when you do kriya practice. Just a helpful hint for those of you practicing kriya.
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