Pandoraspace

Day 1 with Faeq Biria: Yoga is so hard

After today’s classes, it happened that Faeq Biria, Rina, some other classmates and I got on the same lift. After several days of cramming for his class and today’s five hours of yoga, I could not help but tell Faeq Biria what I felt, specifically I said “Yoga is so hard”. I was not just talking of physical difficulty of the asanas but also how difficult it is to think and will one’s self to get into those asanas. For perhaps a few minutes, no one reacted to what I said and I did not expect anyone to react since it was just a statement of my feelings at that time. Before we got off the lift, Faeq Biria told me that many people think that yoga is easy but it is not. He then said, “so, don’t worry, you will do alright.”

I hope that what Faeq Biria said is true, that is, that I would be alright. As I progress through this practice called yoga, I find myself wondering if this bus called yoga will stop and whether when it does I would get off it.

Day 9 of cramming for Faeq Biria’s worshop: Today’s class could only be described as a lesson in humility.

I had been working hard for several days to get my mind and body in tune and ready for Faeq Biria’s workshop.  I came to class feeling like I could finally do all the asanas that Rina would ask me to do.  I was so wrong.

This day was not a good one for me.  I could not get myself to do a number of asanas.  In fact, Rina told me that she though I was tired and that I should just stay in the corner and get into the relaxing pose called supta baddha konasana (a pose that begins when one sits almost indian-style on the floor but with the soles of the feet touching each other, and with the feet in that position, one lies down on ones back over a bolster).  I wondered whether all the work I put into the practice went to waste.  Much later, I though to myself that perhaps I was not tired.  Perhaps I was just too egotistical when I went to class today.  I should have just waited to see what asanas I could achieve instead of thinking that I could actually do the poses.  Then, I would not be so disappointed in myself.