Simplify Life: Recap

Yesterday, we held our seminar, “Simplify Life with the Ancient Codes of Yoga“, where we pursued an investigation of yama and niyama and applied that to daily living. A dry theoretical pursuit it was not as we addressed all kinds of life situations using the yogic codes as our guideline – such as how to handle dilemmas, stress, consumerism, relationships, work, and general day-to-day trends that apply to one’s life.

What made the program so successful was the deep engagement of all those who attended – everyone brought so much to the fore and contributed with queries, stories, solutions, and successes. So it was a community building seminar as well as on occasion to get a taste of the vastness of yoga and see and realise that yoga is so much more than the physical posture.

One of the culminating ideas was the point of discipline: Specifically how discipline clears one from the mental & physical bondages and binding properties, and enables one to live a happier and freer life.

There was a lot that was discussed and suffice to say here that there is no way to encapsulate it all.

However, here a few of the comments from attendees in reply to the query, “The best part of the seminar was…”

– Discussion & hearing others’ thoughts. And learning that these tenets are so personally thought-provoking.

– Being in an open environment without judgement or being held to certain beliefs…These are universal principles that transcend affiliation to a particular group. They are rules that apply to all humans.

– Going through each of the points of yama and niyama. Especially – good habits must be imposed, personal sacrifice for the greater good, the more we overcome obstacles the better we are as humans. I think I will keep my personal list of yama and niyama next to my meditation spot.

– The writing down of ideas to apply in everyday life – this will help me cement what I have learned.

– I liked having time to reflect on yama and niyama, to record my thoughts on how this is part of my life and noting points of ongoing focus and need for change.