01. THREE POSITIVE THINGS.
1. Dry weather—more opportunities for walks.
2. Life encourages change.
3. I am aware of the difficult period I’m going through and am slowly making my way out of it.
02. REFLECTIONS AND DISCOVERIES.
A line from a TV series—a moment of raw sincerity—really struck a chord: "I want people to be happy—my friends, even my enemies—but I want to be happy first."
In the first principle of yoga, we consider all living beings, which includes ourselves; the idea of not causing harm extends to oneself as well.
Yet, in meditations where we wish happiness upon all living beings, we don’t explicitly mention ourselves.
On one hand, this is a matter of survival.
Think of the safety instructions on an airplane: put on your own oxygen mask before helping your child. This isn’t arbitrary; it’s essential for the survival of both you and the child.
This perspective justifies prioritizing self-care, with the well-being of others coming second.
If we don’t survive, does anything else even matter?
Consider a parent sacrificing themselves for their child—that sacrifice makes sense; life continues through the child, even if the parent is gone.
Or, the sacrifice of one individual for the greater good of many—that, too, seems logical.
On the other hand, there is an intrinsic link between the outer and inner worlds; by changing things externally—by helping others—we are, in effect, helping ourselves.
But if helping the outside world completely destroys one’s inner self, does such a sacrifice make sense?
Then there’s the internal negotiation: do I actually want to help others, or not? And there’s the risk of using the "need to take care of myself first" as a convenient cover for pure selfishness. And one can try to blur the boundaries, asking questions: where does the external end and the internal begin? Where am I? Where are those around me?
03. MY INSPIRATION IN YOGA THIS WEEK.
Unusual sensations from teaching.
04. MY GRATITUDE AND PRAISE.
To my mentor, for their guidance.
05. I WANT TO COMMEND MYSELF.
I occasionally manage to step into the role of an observer.
06. PERSONAL YOGA PRACTICE THIS WEEK.*
Hatha, Kriya, Mantra, Pranayama — 6 days a week.
07. CHALLENGES IN TRAINING.*
Stress.