Inner Engineering - a drive to take care of my soul

Walking on the Roads of Chennai near my home I happened to see this advt. boards with the subject saying "Welcome to the Inner Engineering workshop".

What is this new thing all about? The usual human curiosity made me read the whole advt. and it is about the Isha Yoga course which is going to be conducted near my home for the next 7 days.

Yoga - has a different meaning or it is expressed in different ways by every individual, who is doing yoga or teaching yoga. Some says it is medically useful, some says that it will make you healthy. But the overall opinion is you will be better if you do Yoga.

Who don't want to be healthy ?, staying in Gulf for almost 9 years as a typical bachelor (a don't care attitude on food and eat when you get time), may be it is time for looking at my health too.

Stepped into the hall on the inauguration day of the session, I was greeted by few middle aged people dressed in white & white, folded hands and a typical Indian "Namaste", which is nowadays dieing on the verge of fashion and technology advancement, asked me to go and sit down in a big hall.

We were about 200+ people in different age groups, I can see people at even 70+ age group were there, with full of expectations. The much awaited moment has come and we were briefed about the class and the duration and all other required informations.

Happy on hearing all, I enrolled myself for the morning 6-9 am batch and successfully completed the course now. Now I am writing this, just to share with you the experience of mine, which may or may not make you feel like can we attend ?, but i wanted to share a different experience I had.

I am not going to say about the exercise or yoga what I learned or how to do that or anything. I am going to talk about a single day.

The course started as all other typical yoga classes (I have attended few earlier), but when it ended, it was a completely different feeling in everyone's mind. On the last day typically we were taken back to our good old days and they given us a practical experience of what we missed in our life and let us realize what is life too.

I wanted to write about this day to you.

It was a Sunday and we were told on the 1^st day of the class itself that it will be a full day program on Sunday (usually it is a 3 hour programme daily). On Saturday we were asked to volunteer in supporting there preparation of Sunday by bringing some vegetables, tools and etc.,

When they announced the schedule for the day, two things were seems interesting and they were

1. We have to gather in beach with flowers at morning 6 am

2. Afternoon lunch will be provided by them - What is interesting in point 2 - Not the food, but the preparation method they said is interesting & different. The lunch is a "Natural lunch" or "Uncooked lunch"

While waiting eagerly towards what will be on these 2 programmes, I spent my Saturday and the much awaited Sunday morning has come. Dressed as per the advised dress code reached beach to see a huge crowd there (We were told to bring our family members also). They asked me to hand over the flowers to a representative standing there and join to the group.

Then started the fun, we were playing games for about 2 hours nearly. It is almost decades I played like that. It was fantastic and mind blowing. Enjoyed a lot and when they called up and said "Ok we are winding up", I can feel sadness in each and every face there.

The sadness is because, the game we played made all of us together and it was joy and shouting all over. Just sit back, relax and think when did you play like this - with about 100 people in one time - and what sort of joy you had in your mind & body. I am sure everyone of us will come up with the same answer "In schools or college"

Those days, we never mind of our health or body condition or what so-ever problems. That was the same mentality I felt on that 2 hours of playing. I was relaxed completely in my mind. That made me think what am I missing in this so called "Fast moving technology developed world"

I agree with you strongly - "No one asked me to stop playing... no one stopped me from playing". But can you tell me one thing "Do we have time for those enjoyments nowadays ?"

Now the next much awaited attraction of the day comes, the lunch break called up and we all sat down in our designated place and they started serving the "Un-cooked lunch".

Before I share my experience of the same, I wanted to share those few words given to us by "Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev" about this food.

"We human think that by cooking a food we are making it better. But we are damaging all the nutrition out of the food and just eating the pulp thats all. The naturally cooked food or the uncooked food is the one healthier, tastier and supplies the full required energy to you.

A cooked food takes about 5+ hours for digesting completely where as a naturally cooked food takes just 2 hours for digesting. That is also a primary reason after a heavy meals one feels sleepy. So cooking not only damages the food quality but also the body which consumes the same."

Listening to those words from Sadhguru, I felt how this can be possible ? How one can eat uncooked food ? Can this be tasty ?, so many questions on my mind.

Believe me or not, the best food I had was on that lunch. 100% no cooking is done, only mixing of certain combinations. No heating also done. It was the tastiest food and I am sure I had it heavily twice thrice each items.

Now the next question running on my mind, if we eat heavily usually we will get sleep. But as per Sadhguru words, we shouldn't be getting if we eat this food. Does this apply even if I eat heavily like this too ???, Lets wait and see.

I wasn't feeling sleepy really and I felt little brisk compared to the other days. Note down one thing that I had a 2 hour play in the morning after years (decades i can say) and after such a heavy meal I wasn't sleepy. That was something amusing.

Now after completion of the course, when I sat back and think of the same what I understood is the following

1. Moving away from all our eating habits, we humans started eating everything and anything and that may be the primary reason to all our complications

2. Play & games were suppose to be part of our life, nowadays our work takes over us like anything and what is left for us is tension packed life. We carry that all over and the result is we spoiled each and everything.

3. If we can spend few hours on a play which will result in some sweat and sweet memories that is enough for a healthy living

It is really an "Inner engineering course", Because they re-worked my soul.

Just wanted to share this experience & thoughts with you, So scribbled these lines

Ragavan

A Reserved Journey

It was good day to start with. It was an early morning 6:00am in Bangalore and the outside climate was cool enough to make you think 'why did I come out of home ?'.

Reaching the Bangalore railway station to take my trip back to Chennai, I was waiting on the platform. Passengers and their accompanies as friends or relatives were rushing towards the respective compartment location mentioned on the digital board on top.

Looking at their tension packed faces, which was not having a single percent smile for that great morning, I was feeling really pity for them.

When the clock moved near to 6:40am the much awaited announcement has came about the train and it is expected in few moments.

Once the train arrived, as we all approach towards our compartment, there came an old lady & her son just pushed us away and started getting on to the train.

Surprised and just laughed on their behaviour everyone boarded the train and all were busy enough locating their seats, placing their luggage.

Since I was not having any luggage, I reached my seat and found that I am going to share my seat with the same Old lady & her son.

The only problem in Indian railway - during day time train is the sitting space. Though it is perfect for a 3 member team of lean people like me (and I am not lean nowadays), if any of the 3 is fat then you are done.

Looking at my team i am sure that i don't have enough space for me to make myself comfortable. Just to note, that I am returning back after a short visit to Bangalore and it is just few hours of sleep I had last night. So I was thinking to myself, how do I get myself comfort.

Sat on my allotted number, once the TTE verified my ticket I just got myself ready towards a sit-asleep posture. It was a wonderful sleep i was having.

And not sure, who is talking or where is it ? i heard someone calling me "Sir...", Is it real or my dream, once again I heard "Sir...", Oh it was my neighbor. I opened my eyes from a deep sleep, answered him, "Yes, what can i do ?"

The old lady was waiting for me to give way to move out of our seat. I appologised to them and gave way. While I decided to continue my sleep, He questioned me - "Are you single ?".

Already much irritated that he spoiled a good sleep of mine, I was about to say "No I am married and having a son", controlled my anger and answered him politely, "Yes."

He then asked me "Can you change your seat with my friend ? He is sitting in the next compartment."

Being helped by several people on several of my journeys, I couldn't avoid this request. I agreed to him. He was very much happy and called up his friend and informed about this. He said he will take me there and asked me to wait till his mother returns.

While we were waiting, let me explain the scenario of my current sitting location. It was 108 seater compartment. It has entrance at start, middle & end of the bogie. Not much crowded and the seats were not on a traditional way. Usually on a 2nd sitting coach the seats would be like 3 people will be facing each other like that way, you will have 6 seats on left & 6 seats on right.

But this one was arranged in a little different manner, like a Bus, 3 seats on right and 3 seats on left for each row and all rows facing same direction. There was not much gap between each row and it was quite comfortable for me to have a good sleep.

The old lady reached back, and then we moved to the next compartment. It wasn't an easy task. We have to swim through the crowd which was standing on the passage.

After a 10min travel, finally we reached the location. It is the same size bogie, but seats were like traditional (12 seats a row, and six on each side and 3 facing 3).

I occupied his friend's seat and we informed TTE about this swap. Now my mind said, common... go ahead and continue your sleep. I stretched myself and started my sleep again.

A little while after I felt the train was slowing down. Opened my eyes, It was a in-between station and so many people stepped in to the train. I was thinking, do we have that many space left for these people sit here. My mind said it is there problem, so I continued my sleep again.

Few more minutes passed, I was half asleep. I felt I am not comfortable. When I open my eyes, god.... between these 3/3 seat gap there was a small boy standing and then holding the bar on my seat back was a family like that everybody on the reservation compartment was troubled by an un-reserved compartment crowd.

Alas, my sleep is gone. How can I sleep when I can't stretch my legs freely. Neither I can put my head on the seat back nor I can move my legs. No space !!!!

We were eagerly waiting for the TTE to come. Promptly came our much awaited hero but failing all our hopes he just pass by murmuring to him self, "How many times i will say to these people to go to the General compartment ?"

I can hear the frustration in his tone. What to do ?. Let me try to continue my sleep. Somehow I managed to got back my sleep and it was a wonderful sleep i was having.

And at that golden moment, I felt like water is dripping on my pant & leg. Awaken immediately, I looked outside - and it was not raining. Then what is this. Look up and i can see our friend Mr.Unreserved was trying to open a water bottle.

Really frustrated with the disturbance I had i asked him "What is this yar ?." He replied very cool, "Nothing sir, you relax"

I got angry and said, "What nothing ? You poured water on my dress and my shoes, how do you want me to wear that again ?"

I just looked into his eyes, there was no answer. I told him "Move away". Knowing nothing can be done to this unforced errors, I continued my sleep again.

Next disturbance was scheduled after 10 min, not knowing the same I was slowly entering into the world of sleep. There came a tap on my shoulder. Waken up by that I just looked on the side, I can see the Pantry vendor (railway catering) standing there with a trey full of Dosas.

While i was surprising I haven't asked for any Dosa, he said "move your head, I have to keep the trey here on the seat back to serve Dosa"

Okie.... I will. Few minutes of waiting, got my permission again to sleep, continued the same.

About 10 min pass by, got a tap on my shoulder again. Opening my eyes with full frustration of "Who is this time ?"

It was my neighbour, asking what station is Next !!!!

By answering his question, took a magazine on my hand I was saying to myself

"No more sleep on a train, that too a day train, that too sitting on an aisle seat, that too when there is everyone around you is wakeup"

Yours
Ragavan