Yogic Life

The reason that my blog is called "A Yogic Life in the Modern World" is because that seems to best describe how I am currently living my life. I am caught up in the day to day life of modern, western civilisation...but trying to stay true or at least as true as I can to the philosophies and practices that I'm learning through yoga.

A quick note. When I talk about yoga I talk about it in the macro sense...all of Pattanjali's 8 limbs if you will (google it for those of you who don't know what I mean). Not just the physical practice or asanas. But the yamas and niyamas (moral codes) and the spiritual practices as well.

That's what I love about Ashtanga...which means "8 limbs." The asana practice incorporates it all.

I began an Ashtanga yoga practice in 2000 and practiced regularly for a year before moving to NZ. I had a very sporadic practice for 4 years and finally went back in September 2006 to the Auckland Yoga Academy run by my dear friends Jude Hynes and Peter Nilsson after having lost 50 lbs / 22 kgs. I developed a 4 - 5 day / week practice and it truly became part of my life. I also started to study yogic philosophies with Peter and Jude and developed a wonderful friendship.

Now, Ashtanga is an absolute miracle for me. It's the most dynamic of yoga practices and builds incredible stamina and strength in addition to flexibility. It's an hour and a half to two hours of constant movement and very challenging poses. There are something like 47 push ups spread throughout the practice as well (it took me a year of constant practice to even do one of them!)

I've never been particularly strong. In fact, growing up my parents used to call me Cupcake Muscles! So, for me to have a regular Ashtanga practice is a miracle. For me to be able to do the entire primary series in completely unexpected. But here I am.

If you are a dedicated Ashtangi you go to Mysore, India: the source for Ashtanga where the founder of the practice Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) lived for most of his 93 years and died just this past May. I did go to Mysore and spent 4 months there from July - October of last year. I wrote my first blog about those experiences, "Eat, Pray, Love: the Kim Smith Version." This was a life changing experience for me on so many levels.

Not only did my yoga practice deepen imeasurably, but I also had the privilege to study philosophy and TM Meditation with another true guru and true yogi, Narasimhan. Then there was India herself. What an amazing place with stunning people. My friend Amna Ali Kamal says it best in her song, "White Cow", "Take me back to India, she's got me through the souls of my feet."

India gets into your DNA. Once you've been part of you never leaves. I get homesick for India just like I get homesick for the States or New Zealand...yet somehow even more profoundly. The only way to explain it is that I feel its the true home of my soul.

One of the best things about Sydney though is my teacher here, Eileen Hall of Yoga Moves. Eileen was one of Guruji's first western students and is an amazing teacher. My practice has come far in the 8 months that I've been with her.

Much of the joy in my life comes from my yoga practice. As silly as it sounds to non yoga practitioners every yogi and yogini will understand when I say that I could lose everything in my life, but as long as I had my yoga practice I'd have everything I need.

It's not always easy balancing the demands of modern daily life with a yoga practice...but then again that, in itself is yoga.