On International Yoga Day
“Yoga takes you into the present moment. The only place where life exists.”
~Unknown
Greetings on International Yoga Day, dear Readers! What could be a better way to celebrate the summer solstice than to spend the longest day of the year tuning out the worldly chaos and getting in touch with ourselves?
The Checkup invited it’s writers to share their understanding of YOG, moderation and mindfulness, and incorporating yoga in our everyday life. Read on to discover more.
From breathe to balance : A bundle of benefits
Yoga is just four letters, yet it carries the weight of centuries, cultures, and calm. It’s not just a practice; it’s a quiet revolution happening within us breath by breath, pose by pose.
Think of Yoga as a bundle of benefits, just like the bundle of nerve fibres running through our body silently conducting signals, connecting parts, healing depths. Yoga does the same, but for your soul.
Suffering from asthma? Try Bhujangasana the cobra pose opens up your chest, eases your breath.
Troubled by irregular periods? Baddha Konasana the butterfly pose whispers balance into your hormones.
Fighting diabetes? Dhanurasana the bow pose stretches not just your spine but your sugar levels too.
And for that racing mind, anxious heart? Shavasana the corpse pose does nothing, and that’s the magic. Stillness is the most underrated medicine.
In today’s fast-scrolling, overthinking world, Yoga gently reminds you to pause. To feel the breath, you often ignore. Sit with your thoughts like you’re sitting with someone you care about. It is not associated with settling your body, but about extending your life.
The practice of yoga is not about reaching your toes. it is about discovering your inner tranquil. It’s not perfection, it’s about being there. It’s not only movement, it’s medicine for the mind, the body, and the emotions we never discuss.
In just a mat’s length of space, Yoga gives you boundless expansion in health, clarity, and consciousness.
So next time someone says Yoga is “just exercise,” smile. Because only you know it’s not a workout, it’s a way back to yourself.
~ Rajeshwari Pattnaik
I’m an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Anesthesia Technology, where I’m learning the art of inducing safe sedation for pain-free surgeries. Alongside my medical journey, I’m deeply passionate about writing and constantly curious to explore new ideas, stories, and experiences.”
Life – An obscure riddle
Life – one majestic talk point. It can be ‘literally’ defined as the sequence of physical and mental experiences that makes up the existence of an individual. It is the continuum of accomplishment, failure, challenge, goal, grace, dilemma, touch, loss, love, and what not. Indeed, it’s the eternal and unbroken flow of infinite rippling simultaneous events that by a fortuitous chain has led to this emergence of elements and existence. William Shakespeare gives a magnanimous expression of life in Macbeth Act 5 Scene 5,
‘Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And this is heard no more.’
Life doesn’t just happen. For granted we were born with a particular skin tone, our basic physical characteristics, the guidance during our childhood- made us some way what we are today. Thereafter our lives are our choices. It is so important to acknowledge that we are all making choices all the time, even when we chose to choose, we have still made a choice.
We are bestowed with five senses through which we perceive this world and our life being in it. But is that really plausible?! The straight tree appears curved when the eye is pressed sideways. Einstein explains through his astounding discovery of Quantum Physics, when someone moves in the speed of light everything freezes, time stops. So can we transcend time? To be bit more unornamented, the sun we see now is the sun eight minutes ago. From where did the fundamentals forces come from? Is our life a mere computer simulation? These are inquisitions that strides over the ‘Life’ we live, indeed are thought-provoking. Life is simply love. We are love. The perspective of life changes tremendously when the perceiver rushes deep, rejoicing in the SELF – that doesn’t change with time – the INNER TRUTH.
We say ‘my’ mind, ‘my’ body – so its apparent we aren’t any of these. Life is a non-existing energy derived arena ruled by our senses and relished by the seeker searching its meaning.
The comprehensive and intensive study on the meaning of life, with rummage on the existing scientific ideas and diligent self with the sense turned inwards, there is one infinite absolute existence or cosmic consciousness alone which isn’t affected by concepts of time, space, nor is subjected to polarity. We are all the atoms of consciousness, when attained fully grown state of a body, experience its own faculties. Mind-play creates life. We all belong to each other, that the groundwork of what life is all about.
Its affirmed that ‘Now is called present because it’s the Gift of God.’ What we have is just the ‘now’. This world appearance is but a long dream which manifest everywhere maybe.
The big play of life with supernumerary expressions of being, to the leap into deep mystery would certainly make a spark strike the spine. Apprehending non-duality in this world, would really add-on the spice, apart from life being a ‘System capable of evolving by variation and natural selection which forms and functions are adapted to their environment’.
We are the embodied consciousness to play the game of life here so apparent enough that there is a purpose for life here. The ultimate goal on Earth is happiness. Happiness isn’t just accomplishing our goals of getting into the best university or singing at the biggest concert, it is sharing the happiness with the needy. Service is the soul purpose of life. In fact service eliminates fear, brings focus in your mind, purposefulness to your actions and long-lasting joy and peace.
In essence, serve the higher purpose of life. Appreciating the true nature of life, belonging to the whole world and celebrating the multi faceted sense-led life is flawless magic. Life is a gameplay with the whole heart of love, seek the undivulged, serve the deprived, reap success with the intriguing perseverance and tread to the ecstasy of the infinitesimal bring.
“There is a poem scratched onto the walls of the world no one has heard it but it’s there.”
Seek and solve the obscure riddle – Life.
~ Dr.Kalyani
Dr.Kalyani is from Kerala, India. She loves to explore life and places from varied perspectives. Loves debates and delegations on public health issues. A verdant lover of spirituality and Vedanta with an essence of wow in everything. Loves to serve people and make someone’s day. Orator, artist, poet and dancer for years.
Loves medicine and research. She is a person of the moment and someone who persuaded the ways of MIND and learned to live WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
