As if magic had descended into our lives, over a matter of few days in September of 2009, friends from Bombay currently living in KL, were able to organize a four day seminar on Yoga for newbies like me.. and my friends in KL. What was the crown of this gift? a very good teacher, recommended highly from BOmbay, who would come to KL and teach us on an intimate personal level.. just four of us..
Like in all other philosophies and cultures, there is a deep and superficial aspects of Yoga. Who has not heard of Yoga in the west? but how many people have any sort of idea of Yoga other than the fancy postures they have seen on TV or commercial advertising. My own contact with Yoga previous to this was two enthusiasts of Yoga, one in Portland and another in the Indian country in Nebraska!
I knew the time had come for me to learn, but learn it properly, wehn I saw a book: Diabetes and Yoga, and I thought about the hundreds of my american indian patients, and how can I cross culturally bring the philosophy to them.
Now i realize that, the philosophy is easier than i thought to bring. American Indians have a philosophy of life which is much older than most other philosophies, even though it is not written down. India has a deep ancient wisdom..
Listening to the young Yoga practitioner from India, I realized what Symbolic Healing has always taught me, the spiritual world is the same for all of us, there are particular ways in which we reach that world. The Yoga practitioner, went through the various processes of Yoga and the metaphysical and spiritual aspects of it. The metaphors she used were stunning.. so universal and so applicable to any culture. Yoga by itself is without any religious symbolism, and its philosophy is universal.
I have always wanted to bring elements of Yoga to the Indian Reservations and I know that many of my Indian friends and patients at the Reservations are eager for it. It would be great if we had a practitioner like the efficient and able one teaching us Yoga in Kuala Lumpur... If things are to happen, they happen, say the American Indians, we dont have to go chase them..
So thanks to ALL my friends in Kuala Lumpur who made this happen... I am quite certain that when I leave Malaysia in a couple of days time, I would leave it a wiser man than the one entered the country. Teremah Kaseh.. Merci beaucoup...arigato gozaimasu..
