Yoga, yoga, yoga, do

In this cyber age of Face Book boasting, Twitter gloating, and shameless confessional blogging, any action that requires solitary introspection would appear to be out of fashion.  However, isn't the sole purpose of yoga is to lead the yogi / yogini through an inner journey onto the self & its connection with the universe?

Often, on Face Book, a person, requesting to become my "Friend" will pose the question;"What kind of yoga do you practice?"  i take my reply from Patanjali, "Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence."

The asanas of Hatha Yoga are designed to aid the yogi / yogini to condition the physical body through this journey.  I've been practicing yoga for 18 years and I have studied in many studios with many teachers, under many methods and I have found that no matter what style, or studio one practices , yoga is a journey we take alone and can be the opening of a whole new world of awareness but the choice comes from the soul of the yogi / yogini.

The Cure

This afternoon I was watching an old movie on the cable, station TCM and in it, the female lead used the phrased; "Taking the cure" for addressing her drinking problem. Back in the day people said;"Taking the Cure" not "Rehab". Then, like now, mostly the rich, "Took the Cure", as the rich here go to over-priced Rehab Centers in the Malibu hills, with beautiful vistas of the Pacific ocean. The results of success were about the same then as now about 50/50. For "The Cure" & "Rehab" only address the symptom of drinking or other drug abuse, not the reality that that life can be very hard on our hearts, minds, and souls! Often we drink or take drugs as a way to numb ourselves to the pain, confusion, and heartache of life. There are times I feel so over-whelmed with loneliness that I want to crawl out of my skin! But, thank goodness, I don't reach for a drink or drugs to numb the pain but I can understand why people do.  There is no cure or rehab for heartache, we just have to breath and live through it, with prayers and love.

Am I Blue?

Did anyone see  the "60 Minutes" feature, addressing the issue about how many of our  young war veterans are killing themselves after they return to the safety of home?  The story of a young 26 year old ex-veteran, shooting himself in the head due to depression, was just heartbreaking! I wish I could pound into the heads of people what a deadly illness Depression truly is! My lung inflection, that gave me a mild heart-attack and nearly send me to that undiscovered country, was triggered by Depression from the grief over my mother's passing.  If I told my family & friends that I had cancer, they would had reached out to me. But when I told them that I was suffering from Depression, they just ignored me. They must of thought, "Get over it, pulled yourself up by your boot strips" and so on.  But Depression is a real, serious medical condition that shouldn't be ignored and that other people, must address and help their friends and family members out when they show signs or express this condition to them!