What I’ve got to share…

By Ghazal Bina, 889 Living Yoga Program student. Ghazal has been practicing at 889 for exactly one year (her first class was November 28, 2011!), and has studied various styles of yoga before joining us here at 889.

Sometimes thinking is not driven by merely asking questions and finding correct answers, but by being asked to answer crucial questions about your personal life, goals and present state. In one of the interesting modules of Living Yoga Program, we have been asked to answer to highly important and thoughtful questions to discover our true selves in a little amount of time.

All of the questions made me think for couple of days and inspired me to write. Hence, I decided to specifically answer to one of them in this blog: “What have I got to share?” But, first I would like to focus on some philosophical concepts to be able to articulate my thoughts clearly.

Aristotle, who is one of the most significant ancient philosophers, believes that every living creature intends to reach a purpose. This particular purpose is self-sufficient and divine, and all other actions are eventually rooted in this perfect principle. In his philosophy, Happiness, or Eudaimonia, is the ultimate purpose of all human beings, which is a desire itself, beyond all other desires, and requires us to live in accordance with reason and virtue. But what does he mean by virtue? He means balance or a moderate state in which you are capable of finding yourself in harmony with your inner potentials as well as appropriate ways of fulfilling them. This is a condition within which you feel you are blooming not only from inside but also from outside. Eventually, this can be led to a long-term sensation of joy and happiness that can be considered as the highest feeling of pleasure for all human beings.

But in our modern world, where everyone is extremely busy with studying and finding a job to be able to ultimately make enough money to live comfortably, there is a little chance to think about these valuable ancient concepts or in other words to take some time for ourselves, to be true to who we are and to make a commitment to find our identity, potentials and possibilities that can be led to harmony and happiness.

Although, I would like to share with you what I have got in the past few years of studying philosophy and practicing yoga that during a thoughtful teacher training program similar to 889 Living Yoga Program, you can find the time to focus on yourself, find your true self and accept yourself with all your strengths and weaknesses. How? By the help of amazing teachers, who have a strong intention of leading their students towards a correct path… Teachers such as Scott who taught me how to become a focused person with a true purpose in life, Nicky who taught me patience, Matthew who taught me how to take care of my body, Simon who taught me discipline, Marla who taught me how to relax and Josh who taught me how to let go. However, these are only a few lessons that I have learned so far and I am absolutely sure more lessons will come when the time arrives.

Consequently, if I want to be very specific to Christine’s question, my answer would be the feeling of joy and happiness that 889 community brings to my life every single day, since the first day I stepped into the studio – November 28^th, 2011 and I would like to share this wonderful feeling with everyone, not only with yogis/yoginis or my future students but also with anyone who is been distant from themselves and the state of happiness in their lives.