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The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling

Right now I am completely absorbed by “The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling” by Stephen Cope, the  Director of the Institute for Extraordinary Living at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.

Stephen takes us on a step by step journey through the ancient spiritual text the “Bhagavad Gita” and makes it relevant for our contemporary lives.  He explores the notion of dharma, the inner possibility within every human soul.

It is a perfect, and easy, read if you are feeling a little lost on your journey, if you are asking bigger questions about your life and you wish to explore your true calling.  It might be that you are living fairly close to your dharma but you need minor adjustments to be fully living your life purpose.  Or perhaps you have been living on purpose for many years and now it just doesn’t feel right, your inner knowing is telling you that changes are needed to live your life more fully at this present time.

“Every man has a vocation to be someone: but he must understand clearly that in order to fulfil this vocation he can only be one person: himself.” stated Thomas Merton.  This is so true, we each have a unique calling.  We may get influenced by outside opinions such as those from parents, teachers or peers but it is only when we tap into our true calling do we experience true energy, passion and magic.

“If you bring forth what is within you it will save you.  If you do not, it will destroy you.  And what precisely is destroyed? Energy is destroyed first.  Those shining eyes.  And then faith. And then hope. And then life itself.”  I am sure we have all experienced both sides of this coin, when we are fully living our dharma we feel alive, we can feel it in our heart, others can see it in our face and they witness “those shining eyes”.   When we are not living our dharma we may feel heavy, stressed, confused, desperate and unhappy.

I think it is comforting to know that at each phase in life we may have a different calling and sometimes we may have several dharmas running at the same time, for example your calling may be musician, parent and community activist.

What steps can you take to start to explore and live your dharma?

Allow yourself time to reflect and to ask questions such as “Why am I here?”, “What is my purpose?”, “What am I being guided or drawn to do?”

Create quiet time and stillness to let your heart and mind speak to you.

You may get lots of answers but over time your truest answers will begin to develop.

Don’t be frightened to try new things, it doesn’t have to be huge scary life changing stuff but taking action can open the door to your true purpose.

Think of the small as large.   All of our actions, however small or large, are important so do not overrate or underrate your dharma.  You will know when it feels comfortable for you at just the correct balance and size.

Trust in your inner knowing!

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The Importance of a Good Book

The last five months have been an immersion into self study and absorbing as many spiritual books as I possibly can.  My reading list seems to be getting longer by the day and at times I find I have up to five books on the go!

The catalyst for this time of such dense reading was “The Path of Practice” by Bri Maya Tiwari.  My roommate at the Anand Prakash Ashram recommended it so I headed off to one of the many bookstores on the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh to purchase a copy.  It is probably the best 295 rupees I have ever spent!

“This is one of the simplest introductions to a step-by-step practice of sadhana for the uninitiated…. Her methods incorporate the healing nature of sound, food and breath and are easy to understand and follow to be in tune with natural rhythms.” – Book Reviews

“The Path of Practice” is an honest sharing of Maya’s experience of healing from her diagnosis of ovarian cancer at the age of 23 to her journey using Vedic healing practices.  She undertook to heal herself through meditation, the healing of her ancestral heritage, sound healing, silence, creating sacred space, breathwork and food sadhana.  This was a deep process taking Maya from America to Rishikesh where she became a practising Vedic monk devoted to developing and sharing her knowledge of healing techniques.

The book is an easy to follow, step by step guide which is part auto-biography and part healing manual.  For me the book gave me many “aha” moments, enabling me to journey deeper into my yoga practice, understand some of the practices that I was intuitively being drawn to.  We were practicing many of the sadhanas at the Ashram so it was useful to be practicing as well as intellectually understanding the processes.  Our sadhanas included full moon ceremonies to bask in the essence of the moon to heal shakti prana (feminine energies), holding ancestor ceremonies on the banks of the river Ganges, attending fire puja (rituals) to burn away impurities, chanting for healing and eating a sattvic (pure) diet.

“We are wellness. We are consciousness. That is our natural state. Disease is an impostor” – Bri Maya Tiwari

This book is designed for women by a woman but it does not preclude men.  Maya states that this book is a “course in healing and in living.”  She maintains that “all pain is a reminder that we have strayed from the natural rhythms of life,” and this book acts to guide us back.  An easy to follow programme containing a wealth of knowledge and the depth of experience.  It’s a profound read and calls us to get in tune with deeper universal rhythms.

5 Reasons to Full Squat

“The full squat is one of the most basic and fundamental human postures. Due to industrialised society’s heavy reliance on chairs and modern footwear however, it has become a position that many people have difficulty achieving.”

An interesting article regarding the benefits to do the full squat.  Known as Malasana (Garland Pose) in Yoga, it’s a regular in my classes!

Malasana Instruction:

From a standing position, bring your legs about twelve inches apart, breathe in and as you exhale, sink your bottom down towards the floor.

Keep your feet as parallel as you can. If your heels aren’t touching the floor, you can roll up a blanket and put it underneath. Bring your hands into prayer pose in front of your chest.

Now, once you are in the Malasana, breathe in, press the backs of your arms against your shins and lift your chest – this will help to lengthen your spine.

Relax your shoulders and take ten long breaths in the pose.

 

 

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Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This…

Here’s a re-post of my Yoga Sleep article that appeared in Inspired Times.

“Goodnight sweetheart! Jayadevi shows us how Yoga Sleep (Yoga Nidra) can kiss our soul by sinking us into a deep, sublime relaxation.”

See my article in the Autumn edition of Inspired Times Magazine (Autumn 2013).

Click here to read:

Inspired Times Welcome Page Autumn 2013

Inspired Times Article Yoga Sleep (Yoga Nidra) Autumn 2013

Enjoy! Namaste.

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Ashram Reflections

Easing back into life is not always so straight forward particularly after an extended trip to India.  Arriving in India, you feel as though you’ve entered a strange and magical world.  Your senses get overloaded with sounds, sights, colours, smells and tastes.  India pulses and you feel so alive.  There is no hiding from the experience, it is all consuming and you quickly adjust to the ebb and flow of life.

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(Rishikesh)

My first destination was Rishikesh situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and known as the “Yoga capital of the world”.  The sacred river Ganges flows through Rishikesh and the city is considered holy by Hindus.  A bustling centre of temples, customs, rituals with a deep rich history. You become completely absorbed by life here.

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(Rishikesh)

Home during my stay was Anandprakash Yoga Ashram in Tapovan , just a few minutes walk from the sacred Ganges.  Tapovan, an ideal location for yoga sadhana, is named for its heritage as a site for spiritual disciplines.  “Tap”, represents tapas, the practice of spiritual disciplines.  “Van” means forest.  So, Tapovan is the forest of the yogis.

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(Arrival at Anand Prakash Ashram)

The rigours of ashram living can be challenging particularly the strict daily routine.  You wake up early before sunrise, meditate to go deeper into our mind, practice yoga asanas to work on a physical level within the body, practice breathing exercises to steady our mind, chant to raise our vibrations and bring balance, fire puja for purification, eat simple food, discuss philosophies to open the mind and lectures to develop our knowledge.

I had several goals for my trip, firstly to spend time with my teacher to seek guidance and spiritual wisdom.  I was ready to learn new skills and techniques to deepen my knowledge and personal practice.  I was looking for new ideas and inspiration to bring back and share with my students.  And finally to meet fellow yogis and spiritual travellers.

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(Our teachers – Gayatri, Yogrishi Vishvketu, Prem, Kamalika)

“Simply being with other people who are also seekers and who are involved in the same quest you are is very meaningful” ~ Dan Wakefield

My trip didn’t disappoint, I gifted myself this time and I absorbed new teachings, personal reflections, had the opportunity to be fully present and in the moment without the distractions of everyday life.  I found peace and clarity of mind.  I met an amazing group of fellow yogis from all corners of the globe.  We developed a deep connection from sharing the same life changing experience.

As I reflect I can see that this trip is the beginning of something special.  The depth of the experience was so immense that I do not think I will comprehend the impact until much further down the line…  Every moment feels so special and I have a new vigour for life.

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(Yoga Teacher Training Yogis)

“Spirituality is allowing compassion and love to flourish.  When belongness begins, corruption ends.” ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

“Happiness cannot be travelled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed.  Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude” ~ Denis Waitley

Om shanti.

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Indian Adventures!

Freshly back from my extended trip to India I have plenty to share with you!  This sharing will happen gradually so for now I’ve created a video to give you an essence of my trip.


Wishing you peace, love and laughter in the new year!  I look forward to seeing you soon or connecting online.

“May your coming year be filled with magic & dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art – write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself” ~ Neil Gaiman

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Ashram Time!

I’m busy preparing for my upcoming trip to India and contemplating being back in an ashram environment.  Life is pretty hectic as I get ready for this extended trip.  I have friends and family to catch up with, planning to be done for the cover of my weekly yoga classes and monthly workshops, getting my business admin up to date as well as attending a number of meetings for future projects.

I feel both excited and apprehensive but I know the trip has come at the right time for me.  My destination is Anandprakash Yoga Ashram in Rishikesh, just a few mintues walk from the sacred river Ganga (the Ganges).

Ashram living follows a strict daily routine which can prove challenging at times but reinforces the need for a regular daily practice.  The ashram removes the distractions of everyday life so is the perfect opportunity to re-focus and to re-establish good habits.

The deepest learning comes from having this time to dedicate to our sadhana (practice) and to experience a much deeper personal enquiry.  Sadhana is a discipline undertaken in the pursuit of a spiritual goal using mind and intelligence in practice towards this goal.

This extended stay in the ashram is a perfect time to get journaling and to focus on svadhyaya (self study).   I know from previous trips and retreats that journaling is so creative and useful.  Without regular distractions, really powerful realisations can come up.

I will have the perfect opportunity to evaluate what is important for me right now.  Have the space to review my vision for the short to longer term.  This is the perfect opportunity to make internal and external changes to generate greater fulfilment and happiness.

There will be the opportunity to meet fellow yogis and spiritual travellers all undergoing the same life changing experience.  Great friendships to be formed.


(Anandprakash Yoga Ashram Tapovan)

Just to mention that regular classes and workshops will continue whilst I’m away so there will be no change to your programme.  Weekly classes will be covered by Exeter based Carol Fentimen and Yoga Nidra workshops will be taught Christine Dumbleton.  All bookings will be managed in the usual way so please book via my online shop or you can email info@juliebladon.com.  I have admin cover for this whole period so your message will be dealt with by Wendy.

Have a wonderful couple of months and I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!

Om shanti.

Image credit: Piriamvada Yoga

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Poetry and Motion

As I prepare for the Aloha Yoga Summer Retreat, which takes place at the end of this month, I found this beautiful poem from one of last year’s guests.

This poem took me right back to Bala Brook, a truly stunning location for a retreat. Reading this poem brings a huge smile to my face and an opening of my heart. Not long until our 2014 retreat, I can’t wait!

YOGA WEEKEND AT BALA BROOK

We arrived on a Friday in sunny June,
The setting was perfect – Nature all in tune.
With the sound of the river rushing close by,
the gardens were beautiful, that is no lie.
My fellow yogis were a lovely gang.
All individuals and happy to hang.
With no judgement, no ego, no-one to impress,
we were completely ourselves with just yoga, peace and love no less.
Jackie and Julie are teachers most kind.
And Christine our cook made lunch with our foraging finds.
So we Yoga’d, we Ommed, we foraged, we slept
but most importantly we laughed and at times even wept.
It was a weekend of joy at the nature outside
As well as of the love and happiness that deep down we can hide.
In our everyday life we need more of this
For it brings out the knowledge that doing nothing is BLISS.

Courtesy of Sally Creese

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Slow down, don’t hurry

After the Yoga Nidra workshop on Saturday, we had an interesting discussion regarding the need to slow down.  How slowing our yoga practice can help us find balance in our fast paced world.  We are constantly rushing in our lives, juggling responsibilities, suffering digital overload, feel more stressed about being stressed and our adrenals may be in overload.

By taking a traditional approach to our asana practice and allowing ourselves to slow down, we can access much deeper awareness and connection.  We can be aware and enjoy our subtle progress, prevent injury, learn to love ourselves by not adding the pressure to achieve and observe how slowing down filters into our everyday life.

My friends at Yogalaya posted this interesting piece regarding slowing down which gives us much food for thought.

“It is interesting to note that many Hatha Yoga scriptures ask us to relax, slow down and take it easy. This, I think, is one of the most important message of Hatha Yoga to the modern yogis. Imagine a situation of a yoga enthusiast /student who comes to the class at 7 in the evening after working 11 hours in the office. In the morning this person jumps out of bed, rushes into shower, runs to catch the train to office and takes the bull of challenges by its horns throughout the day. Such has become the pace of us urban people. Such a person who comes to the class in the evening brings the “let’s do it” alpha energy into the class. The hyper active, achievement oriented office mind-set will unconsciously continue in the yoga class too and could be a cause of injury. It is in such situations that the person needs a calming asana practice focused on breathing, awareness and conscious movement and not just stretching the muscles for achievements sake. It is the responsibility of yoga teachers to guide the student through this wider, pacifying orientation and not just create another opportunity for the enthusiast to live through the adrenals.

Traditional Hatha Yoga schools have used asana practices primarily as an awareness deepening and energy realigning technique and not as flexibility or stretch training. Deepening of self-awareness is facilitated by general slowing down and when asanas are used, through asana practice focused on sensations, breath, prana flow and emotional sensitivity. In this respect the scriptures ask the sadhaka to relax and take it easy as well. Gorakh Vachana Sangraha says “asanasya rajo hanti”, asana is about removing the rajas. As we know rajas is the hyperactive, unsatisfied and the dynamic aspect of body-mind complex. Gorakhnath in Gorakh bani says “thabaki na chaliba” means do not walk in haste. Sant Kabir, says “asana se mat dol”, means do not move from your asana, be still. Even the highly revered Hatha Yoga scripture like Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati defines asana as “asanamiti svasvarupe samasannata” means, asana is to remain in one’s own true state. Thus, we see that asana is understood more as a mental attitude than a physical practice. Nowhere in traditional Hatha Yoga the active, goal oriented aspect of asana practice is pressed upon. Asanas were looked upon as method to generate stillness. Modern yoga enthusiasts need to start entering the zone of stillness by slowing down their asana practice and making it “conscious” based and not competition based. The world needs to learn how to slow down and take it easy. It is essential that today’s yoga asana culture understands this and adopts this orientation, otherwise the beauty of asana practice will be unfortunately relegated to a level of competition and exhibitionism”. The quote is from Prasad Rangnekar.

I had an interesting lesson in slowing down this morning on my way to class.  Local children were leaving home to go to school and a little boy said to his sister.  “Look Evie, Look” I wondered what was so exciting and important.  “A puddle….  And it’s a huge puddle”.  The wonders of slowing down, taking notice and enjoying life!

Hopefully see you on your mat soon.  Click here for classes, workshops and retreats.

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Photo credit: The DoubleDubs