The O-town Scene

Yoga Life By Ashok Kumar Malhotra Practice, Practice, Practice While teaching my class on yoga and meditation, I emphasize that, for maximum benefit, yoga/meditation exercises should be practiced for at least 5 to 10 minutes each day. This practice should also be continued for a long time. A curious student asked me to explain the outcome of this daily practice. I clarified this notion of practice to be carried on continuously through an example from my childhood. When I was growing up in a small town in India, there lived a body builder a couple of blocks from our house. Not only did he build a chiseled body through daily exercises, but he could perform a miraculous act by lifting an entire cow with his two hands. On the last Sunday of each month, he showed this spectacular lifting act to the entire community. As people would assemble around the arena, the body builder, dressed in his white loincloth, would come out of his room looking like Hercules. He would walk straight toward the audience, greeting all while shaking hands with a few. When he stood in front of the cow, he would touch the ground with a prayer to almighty god. Then he would bend down his legs at the knees. While putting both hands firmly on the cow's tummy, he would lift the entire cow in one jolt. As we watched this amazing feat, the entire crowd would give a big applause. The ease with which he lifted the cow was balanced with the ease with which he brought the cow down to its four feet on the ground. With an admiring look, I always wondered how strong he must have been, because he could pick this mammoth animal with such an effortless action. When asked about this miraculous act, the body builder said with a simple smile: "It is really easy if you practice lifting on a daily basis. I have been lifting this cow from the first day it was born — each day for two years. Since I have been practicing lifting each day for 730 days, my daily practice has paid off. I do not exert myself and can lift this cow with great ease. It is all because of my daily practice, done each day continuously for a long time." When my students heard this story, they were able to grasp yoga's emphasis on continuous practice as the key to success. Caution: The meditation exercise listed below is presented as a suggestion only. When done correctly, it might be helpful in reducing stress. Meditation with the mantra 'SO HUM': While sitting in the easy posture, close your eyes. Become aware of breathing in and out. As you breathe in, think about the sound "so." As you breathe out, think about the sound "hum." If other ideas come through your mind, recognize them and then set them aside. Do not be sidetracked by them! Go back to breathing in "so"and breathing out "hum." Keep your mind on "so hum." Continue your meditation with "so hum" for two minutes. After you have completed this process, go back to your normal breathing. During the first few weeks of meditation with "so hum," spend 2-4 minutes on this exercise. As you start feeling comfortable with the use of this sound, increase the time to 3-5 minutes and practice it for another two weeks. Do this exercise in the morning after waking up and in the evening before going to sleep. Other mantras that can be used to develop meditation skills are "hum so" and "AUM." Dr. Ashok Kumar Malhotra's work through the Ninash Foundation to build schools for the female and minority children of India earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. His program on "Yoga for Relaxation" is shown at 9 a.m. Saturdays on the Public Access Channel 23. His articles are condensed from his books, available at amazon.com and www.info@ideaIndia.com. December 5, 2013 O-Town Scene 5

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