RE : Student feedback from SIP

[Guest guest]

Thank you for sharing these experiences - they are

really inspiring !!!

 

 

Christoph

 

 

--- " Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Bhavanani "

<yognat2001 a écrit :

 

> Some of the unedited feedback from American students

> of the Pondicherry University Study India Programme

> (SIP)who have been attending special classes at

> ICYER for the past few months

>

>

> Fallon Abel

> It is difficult to convey my experience of India

> in only a few paragraphs. My decision to come to

> India was prompted by my desire to study the

> philosophy, religion, and mythology of the region.

> I expected to be living in the “peaceful”

> Pondicherry, as described in my program’s study

> abroad information. I expected a challenging

> academic environment and classmates with passionate

> opinions and innovative ideas about religion and

> philosophy. Instead, I got a chaotic city, courses

> consisting of rote memorization, and classmates who

> are only studying philosophy because they lacked

> sufficient marks for admission into any of the

> “good” University departments. Obviously, India has

> not been what I had expected. Yet, that is not to

> say that my time in India has not been a truly

> enjoyable and enlightening experience. Had India

> been what I expected, I would never have had many of

> the wonderful experiences or learned half of what I

> have during my time here.

> I came to India in search of a practical approach

> to philosophy. I had become so disillusioned with

> my studies in the States, as everything I was

> learning was increasingly abstract and unrelated to

> actual life. I would spend hours in classes with

> people discussing theories on the nature of

> consciousness or treaties on the existence of God,

> but none of it had any influence beyond the

> intellectual aspect of our lives. I had originally

> been drawn to philosophy because it was all about

> the questions I had already been struggling to

> figure out---questions that were based on my actual

> experiences and thoughts about those experiences.

> When philosophy loses sight of its foundation in

> practical life, it becomes useless and

> meaningless---which is the case for much of the

> Western approach to philosophical ideas. In coming

> to India, I hoped to study philosophy in the context

> of how it relates to life, instead of as an

> abstract, intellectual pursuit. I saw India as a

> place where

> philosophical and religious ideas actually

> influence how people experience and think about

> their daily lives.

> Ironically, I expected this understanding to be

> acquired through the traditional approach---in a

> classroom. Though I learned a great deal about

> Hinduism, Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, and various other

> Indian philosophers in my classes, I have learned

> far more from my experiences and interactions

> outside any academic setting. My classmates didn’t

> sit around discussing how the philosophy that they

> were studying applied to their lives, but rather

> they exemplified it---as have so many of the people

> I’ve had the pleasure of knowing while in India.

> India’s philosophy is manifested in the general

> attitude that people have toward life. For the most

> part, people are happier here. People illustrate

> the concept of Santosha or contentment that is

> discussed in yoga and so many other branches of

> Indian philosophy and religion. Even though many do

> not have near as much in regard to material wealth,

> people here know how to be satisfied with what they

> have. In India, I see poor children

> playing in the streets who are having more fun than

> many American children, who are spoiled with tons of

> expensive toys. Here people are friendly and

> cheerful, stopping to talk and laugh with one

> another, where as in the States everyone is in such

> a rush that they are hostile and rude. In the

> States, people are often so obsessed with acquiring

> money and material wealth that they never actually

> take the time to enjoy what they have. In general,

> people in India seem to have a healthier approach

> toward life and a better sense of priorities. In

> the West, the drive for constant ‘progress’ and

> superficial pleasures has people sacrificing their

> physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. In

> India, people have a more laid-back lifestyle.

> People do not need to take medication or talk to a

> psychologist because they are so stressed by their

> daily lives. Even though my classmates work hard to

> do well in their studies, they do not become so

> worried and stressed that it affects

> their health, as often is the case in the States.

> In India, it seems that people do not lose track of

> the bigger picture---that there are more important

> things than social and intellectual success.

> My time in India has been an amazing and

> thought-provoking experience. I have learned so

> much from living here and becoming friends with

> people who have spent their lives in an entirely

> different cultural, religious, and geographical

> environment. India has such incredible diversity,

> and I am so glad to have gotten to do so much

> traveling during my stay here. One of the greatest

> impressions that India has left on me is how so many

> people---who speak different languages, follow

> different religions, and have such different

> cultural backgrounds---live together peacefully, for

> the most part. Living in India has definitely given

> me a different perspective on many elements of the

> culture--- such as things like the importance of

> family, arranged marriages, and the caste

> system---which are often misunderstood in the

> Western world. Most of all, coming to India placed

> me outside of my usual setting, and forced me to

> re-evaluate my beliefs and approach toward life.

> For me,

> coming to India has been a life changing and

> personally fulfilling experience.

>

> On ICYER and Yoga

> Before coming to India, I had taken only two yoga

> classes in my entire life. I had always viewed yoga

> as merely a form of physical exercise and

> stretching, as that is often how it is taught and

> practiced in the States. Since I played sports and

> was involved in other physical activities, I had

> assumed that I there was no reason for me to

> practice yoga. Luckily, on ISSAC’s recommendation,

> I opted to take the yoga class at ICYER while I was

> India---a decision I am extremely glad to have made.

> In my classes at ICYER, I have come to understand

> that yoga is far more than physical exercise.

> Rather, it is a comprehensive approach toward life

> and a practical application of philosophical and

> spiritual ideas.

> I never realized the benefits that practicing yoga

> has---not only physically, but mentally and

> spiritually as well. For most of my life, I have

> suffered from terrible insomnia and back pain,

> largely due to stress. Since I was a child, I have

> spent most of my nights lying awake, trying to calm

> down my racing mind so I could get some sleep. I

> had been prescribed sleeping medicine, tried herbal

> sleep-aids, and an endless range of other

> treatments. Nothing I did seemed to work, and I

> would be lucky to get two or three hours of sleep a

> night. During the daytime, I would be irritable,

> unable to concentrate, and easily susceptible to

> falling ill.

> Since beginning the yoga course at ICYER, however,

> I have noticed remarkable improvement in my sleeping

> patterns and overall health. After every class, I

> would feel so peaceful and rejuvenated. Soon, in

> addition to the two weekly classes, I started doing

> one of the yoga programs outlined in the book on

> sleep disorders and stress management every morning.

> Normally, I would have a horrible time trying to

> wake-up in the mornings because I had got so little

> sleep, but now I wake up naturally at sunrise and

> feel completely rested since I am actually able to

> fall asleep at night. Doing yoga in the mornings, I

> find myself energized and focused throughout the

> remainder of the day. At night, if I am having

> difficulty falling asleep, I do a few rounds of the

> Kaya Kriya, Sukha Pranayama, or another relaxation

> technique.

> Learning about and practicing pranayama has also

> been incredibly beneficial for me. I have asthma,

> and would always find myself gasping for breath and

> passing out in certain circumstances. From

> practicing pranayama, I have become far more aware

> of how to breath in a more complete and controlled

> manner. When I find myself short of breath---such

> as I experienced while trekking in the Himalayas

> during our trip to North India---by using the

> techniques of pranayama, I was able to regulate my

> breathing. Beyond the physical benefits of

> practicing pranayama, it has also been of great help

> in regard to my insomnia and stress. Whenever my

> mind is racing or I feel overwhelmed, I do some

> pranayama to calm down and release the tensions that

> had been building up inside of me.

> From studying at ICYER, I have learned how

> practicing yoga makes it possible to gain control

> over both the body and the mind. Through yogic

> techniques like pranayama, asanas, and kriyas I have

> been able to better manage the stress in my life and

> prevent it from having negative effects like the

> insomnia and chronic back-pain that I had suffered

> previously. Overall, my experiences at ICYER have

> been educational and enjoyable. I found the ashram

> to be a very peaceful environment, and the people

> there welcoming and kind. I appreciated ICYER’s

> approach toward teaching yoga---focusing not only on

> the physical practices, but also incorporating

> information on its philosophical and spiritual

> aspects. I would have liked it if some of the

> classes had been somewhat more physically demanding

> and if we could have learned a wider range of asanas

> and kriyas---but I realize that time-limitations and

> the importance of covering all aspects of yoga make

> that

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