Namaste darlings!!
I can't believe that a week has already passed! However, when I think about everything that happened this week I think, "That was only 1 week? It feels like a month!" So clearly my internal clock should not be trusted.
I'm getting ready for this Sunday's class at Celebration Belly Dance and Yoga studio and I am pretty excited about it. No particular reason, I mean I like the sequence I put together, really I'm just ever so grateful to share my yogic wisdom with people who want to listen and that really gets my gears turning! There are so many people that I meet or can't help but hear talking near me of different physical and mental ailments. And I, great yogini with vast amounts of knowledge (okay I'm exagerating). Must stand by quietly and listen. Yup, that's right I have to listen. I listen and wish that they'll look up and suddenly say, "Does anyone have any ideas on what could help me?" Then I'll get to sing from the rafters and roof tops, "YOGA!!!!!" But for some reason they never look up & they never ask for help. To my students, thanks for asking for help, thanks for recognizing that things could be better, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to be of service to you. I can't express enough my gratitude for people who will let me help them.
Wow! What a rant...didn't expect that. I just sat down with some coffee and voila!
Today though I wanted to share another mantra. This one is longer but it is beautiful. My Celebration students will recognize it because I use it in class. I also sing this over pots of soup, roasting turkey, while driving, and when I'm anxious.
"Lokah Samasta Sukinoh Bhavantu" (Lo-ka Sam-as-ta Soo-keen-o Ba-vaun-too)
May all beings be happy and free and may my thoughts, words, and actions contribute to happiness & freedom for all.
It's amazing how 4 words convey that message isn't it? I always feel the need to repeat it to make it feel like I've really said the entire message. I found this mantra in an old issue of Yoga Journal some time ago. They translated it into the definition above and that's all I've ever seen of it. Here's what I was able to come up with using my Sanskrit translator
Lokah - lokahita भवन्तु means social concerns
Samasta - समस्त has a few definitions; whole, united, all, put together
Sukinoh - Sukin सुखिन् means happy!
Bhavantu - भवन्तु means they shall
Based on my finding I would say a very rough, and not nearly so eloquint, translation would be "All social concerns united shall be happy". Or let's look at it like this; Sociology 101 taught me about behaviors that we learn from living as part of a society. These behaviors (social concerns) can be seen in how we think (thoughts), how we speak (words), and how we act (actions). I think what they are trying to get at here is, may society as a whole have thoughts, words, and actions that contribute to happiness for everyone. And that is beautiful. It reminds me of the Sanskrit word, ahimsa अहिंसा, which means non-harming which has in fact has been my theme for the week. I love it when things come full circle don't you?
I can't believe that a week has already passed! However, when I think about everything that happened this week I think, "That was only 1 week? It feels like a month!" So clearly my internal clock should not be trusted.
I'm getting ready for this Sunday's class at Celebration Belly Dance and Yoga studio and I am pretty excited about it. No particular reason, I mean I like the sequence I put together, really I'm just ever so grateful to share my yogic wisdom with people who want to listen and that really gets my gears turning! There are so many people that I meet or can't help but hear talking near me of different physical and mental ailments. And I, great yogini with vast amounts of knowledge (okay I'm exagerating). Must stand by quietly and listen. Yup, that's right I have to listen. I listen and wish that they'll look up and suddenly say, "Does anyone have any ideas on what could help me?" Then I'll get to sing from the rafters and roof tops, "YOGA!!!!!" But for some reason they never look up & they never ask for help. To my students, thanks for asking for help, thanks for recognizing that things could be better, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to be of service to you. I can't express enough my gratitude for people who will let me help them.
Wow! What a rant...didn't expect that. I just sat down with some coffee and voila!
Today though I wanted to share another mantra. This one is longer but it is beautiful. My Celebration students will recognize it because I use it in class. I also sing this over pots of soup, roasting turkey, while driving, and when I'm anxious.
"Lokah Samasta Sukinoh Bhavantu" (Lo-ka Sam-as-ta Soo-keen-o Ba-vaun-too)
May all beings be happy and free and may my thoughts, words, and actions contribute to happiness & freedom for all.
It's amazing how 4 words convey that message isn't it? I always feel the need to repeat it to make it feel like I've really said the entire message. I found this mantra in an old issue of Yoga Journal some time ago. They translated it into the definition above and that's all I've ever seen of it. Here's what I was able to come up with using my Sanskrit translator
Lokah - lokahita भवन्तु means social concerns
Samasta - समस्त has a few definitions; whole, united, all, put together
Sukinoh - Sukin सुखिन् means happy!
Bhavantu - भवन्तु means they shall
Based on my finding I would say a very rough, and not nearly so eloquint, translation would be "All social concerns united shall be happy". Or let's look at it like this; Sociology 101 taught me about behaviors that we learn from living as part of a society. These behaviors (social concerns) can be seen in how we think (thoughts), how we speak (words), and how we act (actions). I think what they are trying to get at here is, may society as a whole have thoughts, words, and actions that contribute to happiness for everyone. And that is beautiful. It reminds me of the Sanskrit word, ahimsa अहिंसा, which means non-harming which has in fact has been my theme for the week. I love it when things come full circle don't you?