I DON’T LOOK AT THE CLOCK

I DON’T LOOK AT THE CLOCK by Tek Mirchandani

24th January 2009 - the whole nation was on tenter-hooks. Reason? The Prime Minister had to undergo surgery to clear five arterial blockages in his heart. The anxiety was natural as it was a complex re-do.

After considerable deliberation, the Government of India decided that the P.M.’s surgeon will be Dr. Ramakant Panda of The Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai, assisted by his own two doctors and nurses. They were to work with the doctor at The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, in a tandem.

Thankfully the P.M.’s operation was successful and he was at home on 2nd February,2009. Dr. Panda visited him on 8th February to remove the stiches. One doctor and two nurses were to remain back to help P.M.’s rehabilitation.

After the ordeal was over, the public all over the country was curious to know who was the surgeon and his background. Therefore N.D.T.V. invited him for half an hour interview to introduce him to the viewers, to know how he spent the day normally and his background.
Dr. Panda starts his day at 5.30 a.m. He does Yoga and other exercises for an hour and leaves for hospital at 8 a.m. Till 10 a.m. he discusses administrative matters, remains in the operation theatre till 7p.m. Thereafter, he examines the already operated and new patients and is at home at midnight.

Dr. Panda obtained his M.B.B.S. at Calcutta, Masters at AIIMS, spent seven years at Cleveland and returned to Mumbai. He started to operate at important hospitals.

One of the trained teachers of The Yoga Institute, socially known to the doctor suggested and demonstrated one back exercise and two relaxation techniques to prevent backache and stress if these were to come in future.

After couple of months the teacher was happy to learn that the Doctor had experienced freshness and tranquility throughout the day. He was so impressed that he expressed that within half a year he will establish a seven-star special heart hospital. Thereby The Asian Heart Institute started with a Yoga Hall and a teacher of TheYoga Institute, Santa Cruz, Mumbai, from day one, which is still functioning to date.

Incidentally, the media inquired as to how it was possible for the Doctor to stay with the P.M. for 12 hours in the operation theatre, against normal 5 to 6 hours. Doctor in all salinity replied: “When I am on the job, I do not look at the clock”.

One often wonders how some people reach the peak in their profession! Their vision, clear-cut goal, dedication, honesty and sincerity are some of the attributes that make for the success.

And The Yoga Institute is the answer!



Published in the February 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

OCTOGENARIAN TEACHER WITH TEENAGE SPARKLE

OCTOGENARIAN TEACHER WITH TEENAGE SPARKLE

Nestled in a lane on Prabhat Colony Road in the suburb of Santa Cruz, The Yoga Institute of India is 60 years old today – modest and quiet about its pioneering efforts in the propagation of yoga

The Founder – member of the Institute, Shri Yogendraji, is 82, but speaks with the voice and sparkle of a teenager. He told this paper in an interview, :Yoga has become extremely popular now. It was different in my time. People were talking mainly about freedom for the country and the coming of industrialization. Yoga was an unfamiliar subject, even the educated people did not thin much about it.

“I was 19 or 20 when I learnt Yoga from Paramahamsa Madhavadasji, the last true apostle of Yoga. He was 119 years old when he taught us Yoga by the Narmada river”.

Shri Yogendraji added,: I learnt more from him than I had learnt in college and realized that the message of Yoga should spread. That was the beginning of the yoga movement. Now we have over 50 centre spread all over the world, including austalia, Canada, Finland, Germany and Spain”.

Shri Yogendraji said, he kept himself fit by practicing yoga daily. “I had never had a doctor examine me since I was 15. when I was in New York in winter once, I could wear a swimsuit and not feel the slightest bit of cold. I have never sneezed in my life. People should not think in terms of tablet cure, as health is not a package deal. Health has its own stages and can be mastered by following Yoga – by following the principles of moral and physiological education, the control of senses and adopting a one-pointed goal in life.”

The Yoga Institute of India was founded in 1918 on the sands of Versova Beach in Bombay and was housed in Dadabhai Naoroji’s residence the mission to spread yoga kriyas among the sick and also among the aspirants to higher psychic experiences was undertaken from here.

Over 30,000 pupils have been trained by the Institute in the yoga way of life. Through its academy of Yoga, some 500 teachers have been trained. The Institute has published over 30 books on practical aspects of the subject.

On the scientific side, it has a psychosomatic ‘clinic’ on the Santa Cruz campus, where nearly 200-3—patients are treated every day for ‘emotional problems which manifest themselves in ailments like colitis, allergy, asthma, arthritis and several disorders.”

The ‘clinic’ specializes in cases of refractory nature that have functional disorders and cannot be remedied through modern medical methods. The hospital also has a research wing conducting scientific investigations into psychosomatic problems.

The Yoga Institute had a three tier purpose – one was to educate i.e. to make the people learn yoga or learn to teach Yoga. The second was its medical aspect i.e. to control health, while the third was the sadhana stage in which persons trained as teachers changed their personality and helped in changing the personality of others.

New Delhi, 26^th December 1978 Times of India

Published in the February 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

BASIC APPROACH TO YOGA STUDY

BASIC APPROACH TO YOGA STUDY by Shri Yogendra

It is known that the study of Yoga is meant for all and therefore anyone can join the preliminary course. But such an effort should not be casual as success depends upon a precise methodology. The requisites for the safe and fruitful study of Yoga is strong motivation, daily practice and integral conditioning of the body-mind-complex. It is also not necessary that one should leave one’s home, neglect one’s family responsibilities, keep away from society, seek seclusion or change one’s nationality or religion to undertake the study of Yoga. There is no initiation or ritual necessary but a formal obeisance to the teacher should help to build up healthy teacher-disciple relationship.

The approach to the subject should be rational, scientific and pragmatic and should be applied with modern educational methodology suited to the subject which follows the classroom programme. Since physical health is a primary concern in the study of Yoga, all students must be made aware of their present condition of health and should have medical check-up. This should be followed by laboratory tests where found necessary. This will help to determine the ailments as either functional or organic. If functional, the teacher should guide him with simple yoga practices and special recommendations as suit his needs. But if the disease is organic the student should be advised to attend the clinic of the authorized yoga therapist. Where the disease is chronic or refractory, he must seek admission to a recognized yoga psychosomatic hospital-cum-asrama. In acute cases, help of medicine or surgery is indicated.

To grade the aspirant to Yoga, it is equally necessary to probe the history of the student and his life pattern, besides psychological tests to group his personality-complex. Such tests are to be taken both before and after the study. They help the modern man to discrimination and built-in faith in yoga. Such records are also useful in evaluation of yoga practices and statistical data. Uniformity in such methods will greatly help the promotion of Yoga not only amongst the sympathetic Indians, but also among the foreigners.

Both physical and mental discipline, cultivation of the sense of responsibility, faith in the teacher, strict adherence to yoga instructions, adjustment to the yoga way of life, regularity, total presence of mind to the yoga practices, hygiene, sanitation, care in diet, etc. are some of the other things which need emphasis as much as the technological study. Personal attention to all students is essential and therefore yoga classes at any one time should not exceed fifteen. Larger groups and masses become a source of dissatisfaction and even failure. Since the interest of the average student is more in himself than in Yoga, the teacher should be tolerant to his personal projections till he reaches the norm.

Neither the teacher nor the student should be overambitious while making a modest beginning. With limitation of modern age much should not be promised. For example, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we take are far from natural, pure or healthy. The modern life is a contrast to what Nature provides. Since ahara and vihara (nutrition and way of life remain unyogic, one need not create hope of making everyone a yogin. It is enough if a modern man can even be made a worthy student of Yoga.     

Published in the February 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

                                                               

APARIGRAHA

APARIGRAHA by Shalini M. Rao.

Aparigraha is the tendency to accumulate possessions. Most people buy new clothes, furniture etc., but are not willing to let go the old or even give away mainly due to strong attachments, until the cupboards are overflowing. In India, in the olden days, in the joint families there was bare minimum furniture and the clothes were passed on to younger siblings and extended family members. Even a small house looked spacious and could accommodate many people. Today most homes are filled with furniture and a large array of decorative items. Even a three bedroom house cannot seem to accommodate as the occupants would not want to vacate or share their rooms. Even when the home is small one should have a big heart to enjoy sharing. The habit of accumulation starts in the early childhood when children start collecting sea shells, marbles, stamps and trinkets and they hide it in a safe place so that their parents do not throw them away as rubbish even though the parents too are in the accumulation made.

As the child grows he throws away the pebbles and toys and moves on to more expensive computer games and gadgetry. This goes on throughout their life. The more the money power more expensive become the acquisitions. There is no end to it as no one realizes that these material objects are not permanent, neither is life itself. One should have a reality check now and then to shuffle out what is not needed at that time.

It is said that Alexander the Great conquered a lot of kingdoms in his life time. But at his death bed he told his ministers that when his body is taken in procession to the burial ground his empty palms should be kept open to the sky so that everybody realizes that, in spite of all his conquests, he could not take any of his wealth or possessions when he departed!

Published in the February 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

EGYPTIAN YOGA

EGYPTIAN YOGA

William J. Flagg

The earliest records of the religion of Egypt tell of a very philosophically conceived God without beginning or end. The sole progenitor in heaven and earth uncreated and self-begotten. “But”says Mr Lenorment , “this sublime notion, if it was retained In the esoteric doctrine, soon became obscured and disfigured by the conceptions of the priests and the ignorance of the people. The exoteric notions which prevailed over it had to do with secondary and personal deities only, and Egyptian magic occupied itself merely with the hosts of these. They were ruled over by a God-in-chief it is true but he wasone of their own sort being like Jehova, a promoted tutelary divinity. At each of the many removals of the capital city, from the lower valley of the Nile in the direction of its source – from time to time made necessary fron the shifting that way by the shifting that way to the centre of population, a new god-in-chief had to be installed since the custom of the country made the local made the local deity of the district ex-officio Lord of the Universe. Here there was no Brahman into which souls could be absorbed. Nor did the Egyptian religion, though including belief in rebirths, allow any means of escape from them by absorption in any god high or low, in fact, any mode whatever.

Yet Egypt had yoga, and one which like all others, was only attainable through rigorous self-discipline, which acting on the very nature of he practitioner, transformed him into a magician (mystic). It amounted to a junction and a junction with god.

Mr. Lenorment says, “There was indeed a formal belief in ancient Egypt, which was attested by numerous passages from the religious texts, that the knowledge of divine things elevated a man to heights of the gods, identified him with them, and ended by blending with that of the divine. The primary idea of all the magic formula which were designed to repel torments of life and the attacks of enormous animals was always assimilation to the gods. The virtue of the formula lay not in an invocation of tne divine power, but in fact of a man’s proclaiming himself as such or such a god and when he, proclaiming incantations, call ed to his aid any one of the Egyptian Pantheon – it was as one f themselves that he had a right to the assistance of his companions.

Concerning the methods of practice, Mr. Lenorment just leaves it to be inferred that it consisted in the knowledge. But in a quotation he gives from the ritual of the dead there is more than a hint that, in Egypt as elsewhere, steadfast concentration was the key to that knowledge with austerities for aids and trance for incident. It is this: “This chapter was found at Seaenou, written in blue upon a cube of blood-stone under the feet of a great god. It was found in the days of King Mysterinus the voracious by the royal son Hartatel when he was traveling to inspect the accounts of the temples. He repeated a hymn to himself after which he went into ecstasies. He took it away in the king’s chariot as soon as he saw what was written upon it. It is a great mystery. One sees and hears nothing else while reciting this pure and holy chapter. Never again approach woman, eat neither meat nor fish.”

In the celebrated reply of Jamblichus the neoplutonist to a letter written by Porphery as if to a priest of Egypt, making enquiries about the religion of that country, it is strenuously argued that magical works are performed by divine and not by human power and that to attain to that state of union with the gods by means of which their abilities may be appropriated for the benefits of men, philosophical thought is of no value but only theurgic work.

The presence of the invoked deity “is indicated by the motions of the body and of certain parts of it, by the perfect rest of the body, by harmonious order and dance and by elegant sounds or the contraries of these. Either the body likewise is seen to be elevated or increase in bulk or to be borne along sublimely in the air. An equability also of voice according to magnitude of a great variety of voice, after intervals of silence, may be observed and again sometimes the sounds have a musical intension and remission and sometimes they are strained and relaxed after a different manner.

The Store of the Yoga Institute

                                     The Story of The Yoga Institute

                                                                                               By Ankita Shah

The story of the Yoga Institute is such that it can instil or strengthen one’s belief in fate. Everything is written and we are just a means for it to come true. It was fate that Mani decided to join his friends to a discourse by Paramhamsa Madhavdasji one day. It was fate that Madhavdasji saw Mani and chose him as his pupil. And that day sealed Mani’s fate and there was no looking back. Mani, now known to us as Yogendraji or Founder, went on to establish The Yoga Institute, thus sealing our fates too, as we enter this haven everyday looking for inner peace.

 

The journey of this exemplary man was not smooth, and there were many hurdles on the way to establishing the Institute. But life would be stagnant if there were no hurdles. However there were also many miracles and twists that made the Institute what it is today.

In one such twist of fate, a well known personality R. P. Masani stumbled upon some of Yogendraji’s translations of Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore, and he invited Yogendraji to his place in Versova. There Yogendraji met Homi Dadina, son-in-law of Dadabhai Naoroji. Mr. Dadina became so impressed with the yogi that he along with a few others started learning Yoga at the Versova Beach.

And with this, on Christmas Day, 25th December, 1918, the Yoga Institute was born at ‘The Sands’ the residence of Dadabhai Naoroji at Versova near Bombay where Yogendraji began sharing the secrets of Yoga among the common people.

Slowly the Institute’s activities began expanding and many lives were changed. Many patients began showing amazing improvement in health. The institute gained many well-wishers who in turn helped Yogendraji and provided him for a trip to the West. So Yogendraji then set out the share his knowledge with the world.  Yogendraji travelled to Europe and America and encountered a variety of responses towards yoga. Some people welcomed the new knowledge with open arms while others refused to accept it. He even established the Yoga Institute of America in Harriman but later returned to India as his father was ailing.

 In 1927, Yogendraji married Sita Venkataraman Rao, now known to us as ‘Mother’. Together they dedicated their lives to teaching Yoga in Bulsar, India. Many books were published during this time, such as Yoga Personal Hygiene and ‘YOGA,’ the journal of The Yoga Institute that still continues today.

Finally in 1948, The Yoga Institute found a permanent base in Santacruz, thirty years after its conception. Since then, it grew from a single hall to one building and so on and today it stands tall with three buildings amidst lush greenery. There are many health camps, teacher training courses, OPD, etc. with hundreds of students coming to learn yoga every single day.

So this was the story of The Yoga Institute. But it doesn’t end here. There have been many dedicated sadhakas who have been doing voluntary work since decades for the Institute just to remain a part of the positive environment or to give something in return to it. These sadhakas have many stories and experiences of their own to share and among them are the well known and favourite couple - Mr. and Mrs. Desai.

“I came to the institute in 1962 when there were only two buildings. Dr.Jayadeva was not married and neither was I,” recalls Mr. Desai fondly. “Founder, Mother and Dr. Jayadeva along with Vijayadevaji were staying on the first floor and classes were conducted on the ground floor. The Founder’s style of teaching was very different and he used to captivate his audience. Dr. Jayadeva used to be more philosophical in his talks. There used to be no Satsang on Sundays then but the Founder would have a talk every Sunday morning which around 30-40 people would attend. I used to write to Mrs. Desai about them. She used to live in Karachi, Pakistan at the time.” he smiles.

“There were no camps in those days but Mrs. Desai and I attended the six months course together after we married. I used to come on Sundays to help with the book publications. At that time, there was no printing technology as there is today. We used to have big wooden slabs containing copper inlay on which we would have the letters of the alphabet. I was asked to take up the job of preserving these blocks. Many books had around 80 pages. There was one block for one page. These were kept in cupboards where each cupboard could contain only two books. After printing, the blocks would be returned to me and I would clean the copper inlay with kerosene and return them in their respective cotton bags and cupboards.”

When asked about his famous conceptual games, Mr. Desai had an interesting story to share. “The first game I made was called ‘Faith.’ I was a design engineer and had some contacts with manufacturers. I gave them my design and they offered to make the game parts for me. Believed to be an auspicious day, I went to the factory on New Year’s Eve to collect the games, only to find that the factory had been burnt down. I thought to myself that the day did not prove that auspicious. A few weeks later I got a call from the factory saying that they had found the games unharmed. The day turned out to be auspicious after all!”

Meanwhile Mrs. Desai was working as a nurse in Holy Spirit Hospital but had toleave her job when her mother-in-law fell ill. “My mother passed away a few years later. Mrs. Desai and I used to keep coming to the institute on Sundays. One day I was sitting in the reception of the institute when Founder went into the grounds for a walk. I was asked to join him and Founder asked me to invite Mrs. Desai too to work at the Institute. Mrs. Desai began work as Founder’s secretary and we both have been working for the Institute since then.”

The dedicated couple is always found somewhere around the institute, always keeping busy, doing work tirelessly. Many students derive inspiration from them and other such sincere sadhakas.

The institute has come a long way and still has a very long way to go as Dr.Jayadeva and Hansaji along with their family carry on Yogendraji’s legacy. “Over the years, the understanding of Yoga has changed. It is viewed from a more materialistic point of view. The Institute’s main aim is to see that the knowledge of yoga is available in its pure form, unaffected by the material world. It emphasises more on the spiritual development of a person. The amount of people coming to learn at the Institute has increased tremendously over the years; many of them are youngsters who may tend to lean towards materialism. So we see to it that everything is taught in a holistic way so as to increase their spiritual awareness,” says Hansaji.

Without a doubt the institute is firm on its roots and has plenty of room for many more people to come and find theirs. With so many people finding solace and better lives here, the blessings they give to the Institute can only strengthen its purpose further. God bless The Yoga Institute!

PARAMHAMSA MADHAVADASJI

PARAMHAMSA MADHAVADASJI

                                                

Miracles used to just happen in the life of Paramhamsa Madhavadasji as Shri Yogendraji recorded. Paramahamsaji heard of a religious gathering in a distant place across the mighty Narmada river in high floods. He went up with Shri Yogendraji to the banks of the river awaiting the boat to ply them across. The boat arrived. People standing on the banks jumped into the boat, but not Paramahamsa Madhavadasji. Instead he waved to Shri Yogendraji to come out. Shri Yogendraji was surprised. He came out of the boat. He and his teacher stood on the banks. The boat was rowed away. When the boat was mid stream, it suddenly started sinking and in a little while sank completely! Paramahamsa Madhavadasji looked at Shri Yogendraji and said, "Did I not tell you?" Shri Yogendraji mildly interrupted, "But what about the people in the boat?"  "They were sinners", was the strange answer.

On another occasion Shri Yogendraji was traveling with Paramahamsa Madhavadasji in a rickshaw drawn by two men in Matheran. Suddenly one of them fell down, bitten by a snake. Paramahamsa Madhavadsji got down, moved his hand over the rikshaw puller and lo! and behold! the rickshaw puller got up and was ready to pull the rickshaw! Paramahamsa Madhavadasji on returning to theAshrama home called for some water and washed his entire hand with it. The water had turned greenish and Paramahamsa Madhavadasji remarked, "The poison is washed out."

Shri Yogendraji used to narrate many such incidents of Paramahamsa Madhavadasji as they happened in his presence. They were truly miraculous but Paramahamsa Madhavdasji passed them off as ordinary happenings.          

Shri Yogendraji and his teacher were at a hill station. Paramhamsa Madhavdasji's patron had invited a photographer from Mumbai for a group photo of all disciples standing with the Guru.Paramhamsaji was very reluctant but the host was very adamant. The group gathered, Paramhamsaji was in front of them. The photographer arranged the group and finally clicked. He developed the negative. But very strangely Paramhamsa Madhavdasji was missing from the photo. All the other members of the group were there. The tree behind Paramhamsa Madhavdasji was there, the sandals of the Guru were there, the Kamandalu was there in mid air, but he was not there!

It is like being in a Jivanmukta state – the Yogi is free from responsibilities, as if free from life! He behaves like a free spectator. The things happen as they should. The Yogi just watches and remains a spectator though performing his duties.

 Giving up the "I" element may help in causing miracles. In genuine miracles like duringDharmamegha Samadhi of yoga, the Yogi does not want or even does not think of performing a miracle and yet they happen - automatically, naturally, on their own. A good person is suffering and we all feel sad. In Dharmamegha, the Yogi sees the innocent man suffering and just this awareness of the Yogi seems to stop the cruel thing happening!           

GOD’S CHILDREN

Stories that stir……
GOD'S CHILDREN
Dr. Patanjali J. Yogendra
This story is of a time before the Second World War. A traveler in
Southern Russia was taken by a friend to see a humble old woman in a
little cottage. The old lady welcomed them and offered them something to
eat. She drew up their chairs close to the fireplace so that they could
warm themselves. They were very grateful for this kind gesture. As they
got up to leave, the lady asked the visitor if by any chance, he was
going to Moscow.
The traveler said that he was. "Then", asked the old woman, "would you
mind delivering a parcel of home made toffee to my son? He cannot get
anything like it in Moscow."
Her son was a very great man, dictator of Russia. We would not normally
think of him as a man who would like toffee. But his mother did! For her
he was only her son and all the labels of greatness did not count.
Incidentally her son's name was Josef Stalin.
We are all the children of God. Rich or poor, high or low; he treats us
all alike.
Some might argue that God favors some and neglects others. However if we
see from an objective viewpoint, we will find that in fact, God cares
more for the needy and downtrodden and protects them from undergoing
further grief.
On the lighter side: A wealthy businessman once proclaimed in church
that he was a 'self made' man. The old pastor who was a wise man
remarked, "That, my dear fellow, saves the lord of an unnecessary
burden."
Yoga speaks of Isvara Pranidhan as absolute surrender to the will of the
almighty. Incidentally, Bhakti Yoga is spoken of as the vihang marg or
the path of the eagle i.e. the shortest way to attain salvation.
Care to board the 'Flight'

Published in the January 2011 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.