The Making of a Hata Yogi: Soaked in Bhakti
In the third week of the Isha Hata Teacher's Training, the group attended Pancha Bhuta Aradhana and experienced the beauty of Bhakti Sadhana.
This year’s Isha Hata Yoga Teacher Training Program began on 22ndJuly 2013, the auspicious day of Guru Purnima. In this series, we will be following the participants through this exciting 21-week journey.
In Week Three of the program, the group attended the Pancha Bhuta Aradhana and gave themselves to Bhakti Sadhana.
The participants of the Hata Yoga School had a wonderful opportunity on 5th August: it was the Shivaratri of the month and they were about to experience the Pancha Bhuta Aradhana in the Dhyanalinga.
About this wonderful purification ritual, Sadhguru says:
“The very air that you breathe, the water that you drink, the food that you eat and the land that you walk upon and the fire of life in the form of the life force, these are the ingredients with which your physical self is made. If you keep these vibrant, controlled and focused, health, wellbeing and success in the world are assured. Pancha Bhuta Aradhana is about creating a powerful possibility where you can integrate your system and allow the five elements in your body to bind much better. If this body has to become a foundation and stepping stone for a bigger possibility, it is very important the system is properly integrated. Being in the Dhyanalinga does a phenomenal job of integrating the system.”
“It is my endeavor to create various devices here which will allow people to make this happen for themselves in such a way that the very way you exist is a Pancha Bhuta Aradhana. The way this physical self exists here should be in adoration of the five elements.”
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The experience proved to be a wonderful one. Megha Runwal from Mumbai tells us the process was “not something you can describe in words.” She adds, “Just being in the Dhyanalinga and being part of it was extremely powerful. I was fearful about certain aspects of my life but taking part in the process has taken away that fear to a very large extent.”
Krishanu Ghosh from Dubai shares that “the whole process of chanting for every different element was just mind-blowing.”
The very next day, the participants began Bhakti Sadhana. About this process, Sadhguru says, “Devotion is not about belief. I am talking about moving into trust. So the question arises, “How can I trust?” The fact that you are sitting comfortably, that is trust. Because there have been incidents where the earth opened up and swallowed people; pieces of sky fell on people and crushed them to death; the very air people breathed turned against them. This round planet is spinning and traveling at a tremendous speed and the whole solar system and galaxy are traveling at we don’t know what speed. Suppose Mother Earth decides to suddenly start spinning in the opposite direction, maybe you will fly off from where you are sitting right now – you don’t know. For you to sit, smile, listen and talk to somebody, you need enormous trust. But you are doing it unconsciously and un-lovingly. Just learn to do this trust consciously and lovingly. That is devotion.”
The group’s response to the process was an outpouring of joy. Joe Traboulsi from Canada says, “Bhakti Sadhana was an overwhelming experience for me. As soon as it started, a sudden intense feeling lifted me up. Immediately, tears of gratitude filled my eyes… Every second was pure bliss.” Jaya Sriram, USA, looks back at the practice: “Here I was, after a couple of weeks of Sadilaja and Angamardana… the masculine in me had come out, feeling tall and proud about how I am capable of doing all these limb-chopping asanas. Then, we started Bhakti Sadhana… it has been three days now with periods of non-stop tears. I am overwhelmed by his grace and presence. I guess this is my feminine: its only expression is tears.”
Editor’s Note: Isha Hatha Yoga programs are an extensive exploration of classical hatha yoga, which revive various dimensions of this ancient science that are largely absent in the world today. These programs offer an unparalleled opportunity to explore Upa-yoga, Angamardana, Surya Kriya, Surya Shakti, Yogasanas and Bhuta Shuddhi, among other potent yogic practices.