hanumanrij
20 February 2013, 04:54 PM
Hi, my name is hanumanrij (Reese is my given name) and I have come back to yoga after a long break from taking care of a very sick person and not much time or energy to do much of anything else. Besides, I wasn't in a very "yoga" kind of place.
It was a rough ride: that person is no longer here, and the end was not pretty. I was abandoned by the sick person shortly before he died; having had this person's best friend turn all our friends against me; with no one there including my family or religious community for moral support during the nine month ordeal.
I understand that being a Hindu involves more than doing yoga; however, my journey is a complicated one and one that will hopefully unfold here. It actually started in high school almost 30 years ago as a hare Krishna. [Yet after 7 years of yoga still hadn't made the connection, hrmmm.]
Anyway, a dear friend at school (I am a teacher), who happens to be a native Hindi, gifted me a lithograph Icon of Hanumanji recently and said "maybe this will help". I had no idea what she meant, so I researched the story of Hanuman and read, among many other things, how he becomes a recluse to save someone's [Sita's] life----exactly what I had done.
There are many other parallels in the literature, not just this one, between Hanuman's life and mine that I find fascinating (N*** the friend knows everything about me btw and is no stranger to the Hanuman legends; she is a very wise woman). I am just now beginning to wrap my mind and soul around the idea of avatars and relating personal life experiences to these allegories. I find it beautiful and fascinating.
I never turned my ajna toward these stories before because I was hung-up on my birthright religion, the one that I chose and whose people left me in time of need. (N*** did not. She kept in constant contact throughout the entire ordeal :o)
I have finally returned to my daily Ashtanga practice once again, more focused than ever.
I wonder if anyone has had a similar experience coming over to the "dharmic" side of this wonderful tradition, I'd like to know about it, please!
It's great to be here!
Looking forward to hearing from you :D
It was a rough ride: that person is no longer here, and the end was not pretty. I was abandoned by the sick person shortly before he died; having had this person's best friend turn all our friends against me; with no one there including my family or religious community for moral support during the nine month ordeal.
I understand that being a Hindu involves more than doing yoga; however, my journey is a complicated one and one that will hopefully unfold here. It actually started in high school almost 30 years ago as a hare Krishna. [Yet after 7 years of yoga still hadn't made the connection, hrmmm.]
Anyway, a dear friend at school (I am a teacher), who happens to be a native Hindi, gifted me a lithograph Icon of Hanumanji recently and said "maybe this will help". I had no idea what she meant, so I researched the story of Hanuman and read, among many other things, how he becomes a recluse to save someone's [Sita's] life----exactly what I had done.
There are many other parallels in the literature, not just this one, between Hanuman's life and mine that I find fascinating (N*** the friend knows everything about me btw and is no stranger to the Hanuman legends; she is a very wise woman). I am just now beginning to wrap my mind and soul around the idea of avatars and relating personal life experiences to these allegories. I find it beautiful and fascinating.
I never turned my ajna toward these stories before because I was hung-up on my birthright religion, the one that I chose and whose people left me in time of need. (N*** did not. She kept in constant contact throughout the entire ordeal :o)
I have finally returned to my daily Ashtanga practice once again, more focused than ever.
I wonder if anyone has had a similar experience coming over to the "dharmic" side of this wonderful tradition, I'd like to know about it, please!
It's great to be here!
Looking forward to hearing from you :D