The practice is in the moment observing or witnessing impermanent states of the mind

The states of the mind are impermanent. Whether it's calmed or disturbed, kind or unkind, grateful or ungrateful, forgiving or unforgiving, positive or negative, happy or unhappy, it's impermanent.

The practice is in the moment observing or witnessing impermanent states of the mind, without generate attachment, identification, judgment, expectation, craving or aversion towards any pleasant or unpleasant states of the mind.

Be free.

Non-comparison in yoga

"If I can do it, so can you!"
"Look! It's possible for them, it should be possible for you too!"
"This is so easy. You should be able to do it."
"Think positive! Believe in yourself! You can do it!"

All these motivational positive encouragements comparing someone with others to motivate a person to achieve something and the practice of positive thinking to motivate someone to perform a task, are nothing wrong or bad. But, this is not the teaching and practice of yoga.

There are different conditions, abilities and limitations in different people. And all kinds of conditions, abilities and limitations are impermanent and it's not 'I'.

The easiest or most comfortable positions or practice for some people might be challenging or very uncomfortable for some other people, and vice versa. Different people come from different life backgrounds and experiences have very different reactions towards the positions and practice. We can never compare one with another about what they can do or can't do, and what they should do or shouldn't do.

It's about knowing the conditions, abilities and limitations of the body and mind in the present moment now, and perform actions that are possible in the present moment, and achieve what is possible in the present moment, without comparison with the past conditions, abilities and limitations, without comparison with other people's conditions, abilities and limitations, without forcing the body and mind beyond its present conditions, abilities and limitations. Meanwhile, being aware of the conditions, abilities and limitations in the present moment now are impermanent and there's no identification with any conditions, abilities and limitations to be identifying as 'I'.

It's just what is possible and impossible in the moment without attachment towards the possibilities or impossibilities that are impermanent.

There's nothing wrong or bad with 'impossibilities'. It's okay if something is being 'impossible' and for us to be experiencing 'impossibilities'. It's okay that there are things which our body and mind can't do or can't achieve in the present moment, or even until the last moment of the existence of this body and mind. But we do our best, and keep doing our best, without attachment towards our efforts and the results of our efforts.

'Anything is possible' doesn't mean that everything is possible. It's about being open-minded towards any possibilities (both possibility and impossibility), without expectation towards anything to be possible or impossible. It's okay if there are things that are not in our control or wishes to be the way that we like it to be or the way that we think it should be. By telling ourselves and others that 'everything is possible', but only limited to the things that we want to achieve or things that we want them to happen, and for the things that we don't want them to happen, we don't want them to be possible, is denying and running away from the reality that we don't like and don't want.

Acknowledging that 'not everything is possible' makes 'anything is possible' possible. Allowing the possibility for possibilities and impossibilities.

It's okay if we can't do something that we would like to be able to do or achieve something that we would like to achieve. What we can do or can't do and what we achieve or don't achieve, has nothing to do with the realization of unconditional peace and compassion.

Everything is just what it is. It is neither possible or impossible.

Thinking positively won't change the truth of impermanence and selflessness to be what it is. Thinking positively every moment hoping everything is good and pleasant, that the world will be free from all kinds of suffering, will not stop different beings from experiencing different kinds of suffering. It's the actual effort of self-inquiry to be free from ignorance through self-realization of the truth of suffering will free oneself from suffering. It's nothing to do with positive thinking.

Be free.

Self-inquiry - The path of yoga and meditation

The most basic and yet most important teaching and practice of yoga and meditation is Self-inquiry to realize the truth of names and forms, to transcend the modification of the mind, to be free from ignorance and egoism and the consequences of ignorance and egoism - suffering. All the other different types of yoga practice is to help to purify the intellect and quiet the mind to allow the mind to perform the task of self-inquiry.

Self-inquiry is inquiry towards the truth of everything by withdrawing the senses from the sense objects and turning the outgoing mind inward to contemplate upon 'who am I', and attain self-realization towards the truth of 'who am I', and be free from ignorance.

There are lots of things that are beyond our knowledge or awareness, or there are many things that we don't know, that are unknown to us.

There are things that we think we know, that we are aware of, but we might not truly understand or we don't know whether it's true or false.

There's nothing wrong and it's common that people will try to gain knowledge or accumulate information and data through reading and studying books on subjects that they are interested in. We might analyze and apply agreement or disagreement towards the knowledge of information that we come in contact with from reading books and hearing from others. But by gaining knowledge and accumulating information and data through reading and studying the knowledge or research coming from other people doesn't determine that one will be free from ignorance and egoism and suffering.

There's nothing wrong and it's common as well that people like to ask some other people questions about things that they want to know with the intention to get some answers or explanations for things that they don't know or don't understand, in hope that it will clear their doubts. But by getting some answers or explanations from other people for all our questions won't remove our ignorance because we will never know whether the answers that we get from other people are true or not.

For example, if we never come in contact with 'apple' before, but now, it comes to our knowledge or awareness for the first time, and we want to know what is this 'apple'. We may ask other people, "I don't know what is 'apple', can you tell me what is 'apple'?" Even though other people try to explain to us what is 'apple' in details, and we could imagine or visualize about 'apple' from what other people described to us, but we will still don't know exactly what it is until we come in contact with an apple, looking at it, holding it, smelling it, tasting it and digesting it. And our perception of the apple can be very different from other people. Some people think it's tasty and they like it, while some people think it's not tasty and they don't like it. But the apple is just what it is. It is neither good nor not good. It has no intention or quality to be tasty or not tasty, or to make anyone like it or not.

It doesn't matter whether we think something that we come in contact with is being perceived by our minds as something good or not good, and whether our minds like it or not, agree with it or not, all the names and forms are impermanent and selfless.

By hearing other people talk or teach about the practice of non-attachment and be unaffected or undisturbed by the perception of names and forms, will not take away attachment in us, and we will still be affected and disturbed by our own perception of names and forms, unless we develop non-attachment in us. By hearing other people talk or teach about selflessness, will not take away the egoism in us, unless we realize selflessness.

And hence, the answers that will clear all our doubts have to be coming from self-inquiry and self-realization.

By reading a lot of books about the things that interest us, or going for courses to learn about everything that we want to know also won't free our mind from suffering and the cause of suffering, which is about dealing directly with the mind and its modification.

Whether we think there are many things that we don't know or we think we know many things, it doesn't determine that whether one will be peaceful and compassionate, or not, and it doesn't affect the truth to be what it is. The truth of impermanence and selflessness in all the names and forms will still be what it is. The truth doesn't change into something different from what it is, no matter we think we know about many things or we don't know much.

Whether we think we know or don't know about science, anatomy, biology, chemistry, physiology, psychology, dietary, nutrition, geology, astronomy, astrology, history, mathematics, architecture, engineering, sociology, politics, and so on, it doesn't change the truth of impermanence and selflessness. It doesn't determine that whether we will be peaceful and compassionate, and be free from ignorance, egoism and suffering, or not. Even doctors who know about medicines and how to treat many illnesses for other people and psychologists who study about psychology and treat psychology problems for others, are not necessarily be free from impurities and suffering, unless they realize the truth of suffering and be free from the cause of suffering.

Fitness instructors who are physically fit and healthy, and have the knowledge of fitness training and are endowed with creativity for designing motivative and effective fitness exercise routines to other people to train to become fit and healthy, are not necessarily be free from impurities and suffering, unless they realize the truth of suffering and be free from the cause of suffering.

Well-trained and certified yoga teachers who have the knowledge about the teachings and practice of yoga, who teach other people about the teachings and practice of yoga also are not necessarily be free from ignorance, egoism and suffering, unless they attain self-realization and be free from ignorance and egoism.

Purify. Meditate. Realize.

May all be free.

Can't help those who don't love or help themselves

The teacher teaches the students how to solve their problems. The teacher doesn't solve the students' problems for them.

The students must know how to love and help themselves to receive the help and guidance from a teacher. Even a teacher with great wisdom and compassion also can't help those who don't love or help themselves, and those who are proud and arrogant and closed-minded.

Those who don't love or help themselves will always put responsibility onto other people for their unhappiness and suffering, blaming this and that for their ignorance and the consequences of their ignorance. Such like, "It's because of this or that, that's why I did this or I didn't do that." or "It's because of this or that, that's why I am unhappy or I hurt myself and others."

The teacher teaches the students how to love themselves and how to help themselves to be free from ignorance and suffering. The teacher doesn't suffer for the students' ignorance and the consequences of their ignorance. The teacher shows the students the way to be free from the cause of unhappiness. The teacher doesn't make the students happy by giving them what they want that they think will make them happy. The teacher doesn't take away the students' unhappiness or the cause of the students' unhappiness. The teacher allows the students to experience unhappiness due to ignorance and take responsibility for their unhappiness.

The teacher allows those who don't love or help themselves to be responsible for themselves, their actions and the consequences of their actions. Allowing them to learn from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance.

Be happy.

Different teachers, teachings and ways of practice for different minds

There are many different teachers, different forms of teachings, and different ways of practice to approach and cater different minds. It's all about leading the impure egoistic minds towards the annihilation of egoism and ignorance and suffering.

In the beginning, when one still has confusion and doubts about the teachings of yoga and its practice, when one thinks and feels that one is not free, then one needs to go around to learn and practice yoga under the guidance of different teachers with different teachings and ways of practice, to find the path with particular teachings and way of practice that suits one best.

When one's mind shows intense liking and agreement towards particular teachers and particular ways of practice, then naturally, one will 'wish' or 'expect' everyone else should also learn and practice yoga under these teachers or follow these ways of practice that one likes and agrees with. But it doesn't mean that these teachers and the ways of practice are the best of all or suitable for all and everyone.

It's common that people want to share something that they think is 'great' or 'the best' with other people, and they will try to 'promote' particular teachers or ways of practice that they like and agree with, to other people whom they know or don't know.

There's no best teacher or best teachings or best way of practice. Everyone finds their own teacher, the teachings and the way of practice that suits them best. And if one doesn't see the ONE teacher in oneself, one will always have doubts even though one has been going to many 'great' teachers to learn and practice many different ways of 'great' practice, for a long time.

Everyone keeps their own personal liking and agreement towards particular teachers and ways of practice to themselves, and allowing others to find their own teachers and ways of practice, without interference or judgment or criticism towards other people's preferences of different types of teachers and ways of practice.

Go beyond all the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements towards any particular teachers, teachings and ways of practice coming from the egoistic mind. The teachers, the teachings and the ways of practice that we don't like and don't agree with, are not necessarily that they are 'bad' and 'no good' for other people.

The one who has found the teacher in oneself, sees the teacher, the teachings and the practice in all and everything disregard the personal likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements influenced by particular thinking and belief of the impure egoistic mind. One doesn't need to go everywhere looking for any particular teachers, or teachings, or ways of practice. The teacher, the teachings and the practice is right here, right now. Those who haven't found the ONE teacher in oneself, will have to keep looking out for 'great' teachers, 'great' teachings and 'great' ways of practice, to help and guide them onto the suitable path, until the minds are free from doubts and ignorance. Those who think they are very intelligent, spiritual and good beings are not necessarily be free from doubts and ignorance, and thus, they are still looking for someone or something, hoping to get the help and guidance that will clear all their doubts.

Mind our own practice. Take care our own mind. It's nothing to do with other people's minds and suffering, not even those whom we identify as our family, our parents, our partners, our children, our teachers who teach us yoga, or our students who learn yoga from us. And this is not being selfish. It's compassion.

Everyone will meet their respective teacher, teachings and way of practice at the right time and right place.

Be free.

Yoga in life?

Yoga in life is not about doing some yoga exercises or yoga poses anywhere and anytime, beyond the yoga classes/schools/centres/studios/rooms. It's about whether the mind is able to remain equanimous under any challenging conditions and situations, or not. It's about whether the mind is open towards (or unattached onto) all the pleasant and unpleasant, agreeable and disagreeable, desirable and undesirable life experiences being free from craving and aversion, or not. It's about being aware of any impurities in the mind without identification or association with them, without being over-powered by them, without judgment, and allowing them to arise, change and pass away. It's about taking the responsibility to perform necessary actions and making wise decisions in difficult circumstances under a calm mind reflecting wisdom and compassion without fear, fault finding, blame, guilt or regret, beyond the worldly conditioned thinking, belief, and judgment.

It's not about setting positive intention or aspiration, hoping that everything in life or the world, to be the way that we like it to be, or the way that we think it should be.

The varieties of yoga practice that exist under certain names and forms which are limited and restricted by time and space, impermanence, conditions, limitations, conveniences, appropriateness, religious or cultural beliefs, are there to help and prepare the mind to be open - unattaching towards any thinking and belief, and respecting all kinds of different names and forms to be what they are.

If one's mind is not open, then one is not ready yet to receive and practice the teachings of yoga in life. As one's mind will constantly be disturbed by the judgments towards everything based on the worldly thinking and belief under the influence of the personal likes and dislikes, the subjective agreements and disagreements that influence how the mind reacts towards all the desired and undesired experiences or everything that the mind comes in contact with, of what it sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches and thinks.

Just like when the mind is being conditioned to believe in certain thinking and beliefs about what to think and how to behave, and it expects everyone should also think and behave in accordance to those thinking and beliefs, then this mind will always be disturbed by something that it comes in contact with which it thinks and believes as 'bad', 'wrong' and 'negative', which it doesn't want, dislikes and disagrees with. The mind is disturbed by its desires of craving and aversion. It is disturbed when things are not the way that it likes them to be, or, when things are the way that it doesn't like them to be.

It is the mind's responsibility on how it perceives, interprets, understands and reacts towards all kinds of life experiences, whether it's our own experiences or it's about other people's experiences. If the mind is not open, the mind will be disturbed and upset by some experiences that the mind perceives, believes and judges as 'negative', 'wrong' and 'bad'. It isn't that the objects that the mind comes in contact with are being 'negative', 'wrong' or 'bad' that is causing the disturbance or upset in the mind. It's how the mind being conditioned to react towards all the perceptions of names and forms based on the desires of craving and aversion, the personal likes and dislikes, the subjective agreements and disagreements conditioned by what the mind thinks and believes what things are, and the expectation of the mind towards everything about how things should be like.

If one wants to know what the teachings of yoga in life is about, then allow the mind to be open, and be free from judgment, expectation, personal likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements. Then one will be able to see that everything in life is teaching us yoga and allowing us to practice and realize yoga. One becomes one's own teacher.

There are ceaseless happenings in our life and around us, from moment to moment, whether it's something pleasant or unpleasant, whether it's something desired or undesired, whether it's about ourselves or other people, whether it's someone we know or don't know and like or don't like, and whether it's somewhere near or far away. All that comes to our knowledge or awareness, or all the perceptions of names and forms, is here teaching us yoga and allowing us to practice and realize yoga, to be free from ignorance and realize unconditional peace.

It's all happening in the mind, unlimited by causation, time and space, the worldly knowledge and experiences, the thinking and beliefs, the worldly self-image and identifications, the states of the mind, the impermanent physical conditions, limitations and abilities, the qualities of names and forms, the lineage of yoga, the yoga poses, the yoga mats, the yoga attires and accessories, the yoga books, the yoga classes, the yoga schools, the yoga teachers, the yoga certifications, and so on.

Be free.

Allow everyone to show appreciation and thankfulness, or not

The untrained egoistic mind will expect other people to show appreciation and thankfulness towards the actions that it has done for others, or kindness that it has shown to others. The ego feels unhappy and demotivated when it doesn't receive the reaction that it expects to be receiving after it thinks it has done something for others, or has shown kindness to others. The ego constantly seeking attention, acknowledgment, recognition, approval, support, agreement, liking, appreciation, and gratefulness from others. The ego attaches to its actions and the result of its actions. These are the characteristics of egoism.

Yoga practice is to free the mind from egoism (the idea of 'I' exists as an individual being with certain qualities of names and forms who identifies as the performer of action and the receiver of the fruit of action) and ignorance (not knowing the truth of 'I'.)

The one who practices yoga performs actions and shows kindness without attachment, identification or expectation. One allows the result of the actions to be what it is. One allows everyone to show appreciation and thankfulness for one's actions that have been done for others and kindness that have been shown to others, or not.

All the physical and mental health benefits coming from the regular yoga asana and pranayama practice are just some side-effects of the practice and it doesn't guarantee that the practitioner will be free from egoism and ignorance, if the yoga practitioner doesn't know what is self-inquiry and non-attachment, even after many years of regular yoga asana and pranayama practice.

Vichara (self-inquiry) and Vairagya (dispassion or non-attachment or renunciation) is the yoga practice that will bring liberation. - As taught by Swami Sivananda

Yoga teacher and the students on headstand practice

Headstand is the first basic pose in the traditional Hatha Yoga asana practice.

One doesn't need to be super strong and flexible to perform headstand.

What allowing one to come into the headstand is both the body and mind is able to be relaxed when coming up into the headstand, while holding the headstand, and while coming down from the headstand, without tension, judgement, comparison and expectation.

What hinders people to come into the headstand and holding it, is fear. The fear of falling, fear of injury, fear of pain, fear of death and fear of the unknown.

Headstand is an effective asana to stimulate and purify the crown energy centre and rendering the mind calm and quiet for meditation, as well as giving many other physical and mental health benefits, if it is being performed with the correct understanding and technique, and without the interference of the egoism.

Although it is a great asana for many people, there are some people are not suitable to practice headstand due to certain physical limitations and health complications. People who don't have those physical limitations like neck injuries and had performed heart surgery before, and don't have health issues like serious high or low blood pressure, heart problems, eyes diseases, nose and ears infection, intense nose-blocked or headache, or have been advised by their doctor that they are not suitable to practice headstand for some reasons, but if they have great fear of performing the headstand (fear of falling and injuries), then they also are not suitable or ready to practice headstand yet, until they know how to deal with fear, and not being over-powered by fear. If they have great tension in the body and mind due to intense fear while learning to come into the headstand, it will only bring them more harms than benefits. Otherwise, anyone can practice headstand by learning how to come up into the headstand in a gentle and relaxed manner, and keep practicing until one can stay in the headstand for a prolonged period of time, comfortably. But one doesn't need to be able to perform headstand in order to be peaceful and compassionate. It's okay if people can't perform headstand, or any of the yoga asana poses, due to certain physical restrictions.

Falling, whether during the yoga asana practice, or in life (whether physically, mentally or emotionally), is not something bad or negative. It's neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative. It's part of the learning process to allow the mind to be more open and wise. When one learns how to perform the challenging asana poses under a calm and fearless mind, one would be able to remain calm and stress-free when performing any challenging tasks in life under any conditions and situations.

Just like when we learn how to stand up and walk when we were toddlers, falling was merely part of the learning process. But, we continued to learn how to stand up and walk, again and again, no matter how many times we fell. And gradually, we developed the stability and learned how to stand up and walk without falling.

As parents, they do their best to guide and assist the children until they are able to stand and walk by themselves, in their own pace, without being pushy, without judgment, comparison and expectation. This includes allowing them to fall during the learning process before they develop the stability. The children also continue to learn how to stand and walk, again and again, no matter how many times they fall. The parents allow the children to take responsibility for their action and the consequences of their action.

This is the same as when come to teaching, guiding and assisting the yoga students to come into the headstand.

The yoga teacher should have no fear to teach the headstand to the students, and without fear about allowing the students to learn how to fall in a relaxed manner, bringing the risk of physical injury to the minimum. And allowing the students to take responsibility for their action and the consequences of their action. The teacher must endowed with patience and compassion to guide the students coming into the headstand, in their own pace, without being pushy, without judgment, comparison and expectation. Meanwhile, the students should learn how to confront the fear and overcome it, while developing acceptance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, patience, perseverance, forbearance, non-attachment, non-identification, non-judgment, non-comparison, non-expectation, self-awareness, self-control, self-discipline and be free from craving and aversion, during the process of learning and performing the yoga asana poses.

Sometimes, some of the students see other people fall down from the headstand, they might generate fear and worry in themselves towards the headstand practice, even though the people who had fell didn't hurt themselves, and they didn't allow the fall to stop them from continuing their practice. One must learn not to be affected by one's past experience of falling or other people's falling from the asana poses, and do not let fear and worry to stop oneself from continuing to perform one's own practice.

Fearlessness is part of selflessness. The one who has fear towards something, is the ego. Yoga is the realization of selflessness - the annihilation of the ego. The practice of headstand is confronting fear and be free from fear. The health benefits derive from the headstand practice are just some side-effects. Practicing headstand against the wall might bring health benefits to the practitioner, but it doesn't allow the practitioner to confront fear and conquer it, instead, it is running away from dealing with fear.

Whether one can perform the yoga asana poses, or not, it's really not important at all. Even after many times of practice, one might still unable to perform some or many of the yoga asana poses and might fall from time to time, and it's fine, just keep practicing. What matter is, the practice of letting go of the egoism and not being over-powered by fear. Do our best, perform all our duties and responsibilities, without attachment towards our action and the result of our action, allowing the result to be what it is.

If the students have great fear of performing headstand and refuse to take responsibility for themselves, then they are not ready yet to practice headstand.

Be free.

Video - Daily Yoga Asana Practice

Many retreat guests asked about how often and how long is my personal yoga asana practice, what I do in the asana practice, and whether I perform the yoga asana practice when we are running yoga retreats.

The personal yoga asana practice is being performed everyday, even when we are running yoga retreats, except on the days when we run intensive yoga retreat, I would take rest. The daily yoga asana practice would take about one and a half hours to two hours. These are some of the yoga asana in the daily yoga asana practice.

Difficult life conditions and low education level don't make a being bad or immoral

Difficult life conditions and low education level are neither something good nor bad. It doesn't make a being good or bad.

People might easily relate crimes and criminals with those who live in difficult life conditions or have low education level.

There are people might use the difficult life conditions and low education level as an excuse to commit crimes or immoral conducts.

But, difficult life conditions and low education level don't make anyone a bad being or a criminal, to commit crimes or immoral conducts.

Those who might have difficult life conditions or low education level, but are endowed with integrity, self-respect and self-control, they strive diligently to improve oneself and one's life condition, through right livelihood, morally and rightfully.

There are those who might have easier life conditions and higher education level than many others are not necessarily be free from greed or won't be committing crimes and immoral conducts. Out of greed, they would lie, cheat, steal and harm other beings. Out of pride and arrogance, there are those who believe they are more superior than other beings would discriminate and abuse other beings whom they believe are inferior than them.

One must be endowed with integrity, self-respect and self-control, so that one won't be over-powered by greed to commit crimes or immoral conducts, disregard the living condition and education level that one has. One must be endowed with wisdom and compassion being free from ignorance and egoism, to be free from pride and arrogance, discrimination and abuse.

There's no superiority or inferiority. All are merely composition of elements and will decompose into elements. All are impermanent and selfless.

Those who are free, are not determined by any life conditions or education levels, and they don't need to plead any recognition or acknowledgement from any other beings, to be 'somebody' who needs recognition or acknowledgement.

And this is nothing to do with religion or spirituality.

May all be free.