Livewithspirit.ca

Here at Agama we have come together for a common interest or pursuit, the love or the desire to know more about yoga. So I am in my element, I love yoga. Underneath this seems to be something deeper, many of the people faced personal bottoms at home and just packed up and left. Over and over again I meet someone who, in whatever country they are from, either worked too much, lost a relationship or felt unconnected. Several sold all their belongings and have been travelling through south east Asia for many months, as nomadic spiritual seekers. Agama is roots of sorts, a month long program where friendships are made. Others are like me here for a rest and some yoga. But like many people it was personal crisis many years ago that brought me to my knees and then to yoga, so I understand their search.



Each day is full there are 2 yoga classes lasting anywhere from 2 to 2 1/2 hours, postures are held for 4 to 6 minutes each, sometimes the class includes a music meditation, this is my favorite, I love the lightness that seem to permeate my body during these meditations. Evenings are lectures lasting about 1 1/2 to 3 hours. After that we gather to eat and talk.



My back has healed so I am really enjoying the yoga, I do however have moments of being really restless, missing the running or the more vigorous yoga, I have run here but is is difficult as it gets dark early and the mid day when we are off is incredibly hot, also we have had tons of rain.

Thursday I attended a lecture held by the Swami on the topic of death and how to prepare for death, so that you ensure your launch into another world that is pleasant. He said that there is a hell and that many people think Christians invented hell to scare people, but that hell is a part of many religious and spiritual traditions, including Shamanism. He said that only the ignorant would choose to ignore this fact. He said there were many things you could do to prepare your "launch" after death. Unfortunately he didn't give us much more.

The Swami is a great speaker and he doesn't mince words, he is a times shockingly blunt and quite arrogant, yet in dealing directly with people he is warm and loving, he is passionate about what he is teaching and I am sure that is why, he is so dramatic, he wants to get his point across. He wants you to have knowledge and to make conscious decisions and he wants you to live a full happy life. There is no doubt he his grateful for the journey yoga has taken him on.

Fridays lecture was on a Kriya, or cleansing practice, where upon waking you drink a litre or more of body temperature water and then jump around and then vomit the water out. This practice is said to balance your Dosha, clean out mucus and toxins and even create mental balance.

Next week we learn about urine therapy...I don't want to tell you more until I have had the lecture.

Last nights lecture was held by Swami about Brahmacharya or sexual continence, or how to keep your vitality and not waste it. It lead to a conversation of the benefits of either celibacy or tantric sex, tantric sex sounds like a more likely choice for me. However as with most of the Swamis lectures it was long and left us only knowing that there is much more to learn. I am considering a Tantric 1 Workshop before I leave.


So far we have been taught only 11 posture but since we hold them for so long the class lenght is 2 hours.

It is so easy to meet and get to know people here most people have come here alone and are eager to talk. I am meeting people from all over the world, this week I met a guy from Iceland, he is the first person I have every met from that country.

Sunday is our day off and the school empties as everyone rushes off to have some fun and do some shopping, I am heading to a larger town in search of Tibetan singing bowls for my husband and in search of some food that will satisfy my need for something real or even cooked or for that matter not Thai, I am craving some different flavours.

As I enter the third week they tell my body is now purified and I am about the enter into emotional purification....sigh...I hope that goes okay.

Anyone wishing to see pictures can find me on Facebook I loaded some more last night.