Swami Ji, the OG By cover art

Swami Ji, the OG

By: Atmarupa Saraswati
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  • Summary

  • Hello fellow yogis! Welcome to Swami Ji, the OG. I am the Founder of Atma Center, a yoga studio that serves as a safe space for you to connect, move, relax, collaborate and engage. I have been teaching yoga for twenty five years, so I wanted to share all of the knowledge that I’ve collected in a new podcast, called Swami Ji, the OG. I believe that yoga is so much more than headstands and splits. Yoga heals the body. Yoga heals the mind. On Swami Ji, the OG, we are exploring what that means. On this podcast, we are going to delve into the science of yoga. If you are ready to expand your knowledge of yoga, and learn what it can do to change your life, this podcast is for you.
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Episodes
  • Is Yoga Cultural Appropriation?

    Is Yoga Cultural Appropriation?
    Apr 20 2022
    What is cultural appropriation? Cultural appropriation is defined as the process by which Intellectual property, artifacts, dance, clothing/fashion, language, music, food, religious symbols, medicine, wellness practices and more are used for purposes that were unintended by the original culture and may even be offensive to that culture.  With yoga, this can often be seen through the adaptation of practices in ways that sterilize them for the West by stripping the spiritual aspects of the philosophy, by refusal to use Sanskrit words, or by removing the symbols or stories that exemplify the teaching. Another example of cultural appropriation is at the opposite extreme through the glamorization of yoga through commercialism and marketing. Within the modern Western yoga community, Om symbols, Sanskrit scriptures, and Hindu deities are emblazoned on clothing, yoga mats, and even as tattoos on practitioners’ bodies! After decades of involvement with a classical lineage of yoga, I have been accused of cultural appropriation. Indeed, I do have a Sanskrit name given to me by my guru in India. I use my legal name in my daily, worldly life. When teaching, I wear the orange clothing of being a swami. I wear regular clothing other times, though I do have a lot of orange clothes! When I teach, I use the Sanskrit terms, but I add the English equivalent until my students embrace the meaning. I have statues of a variety of deities within my living space. I also have many other artifacts and works of art from other cultures.  I do not feel my choices involve cultural appropriation, rather I believe what I practice is cultural appreciation. As an American within a global community, what hasn’t come from another culture? To me cultural appreciation involves respectfully seeking to learn and understand while honoring the beliefs of others, giving credit to the culture from which information has come, and most importantly knowing the significance of what is being utilized. From the time of my first trip to India more than 40 years ago, I have felt a familiarity, a deep connection with the culture that far surpasses what I’ve felt when traveling to so many other countries around the world. And I believe that my involvement with yoga came from and continues to manifest from this place of deep connection and cultural appreciation. Rather than sanitizing yoga of symbols and stories that have arisen from the ancient culture of India, I appreciate them and use them to further illustrate the depth of the teachings. It’s also important to understand that because yoga is based on the science of living, the symbols and stories that have been associated with yoga are as “modern” now as they were in the past.  The history of storytelling is a part of virtually all cultures as a learning tool to help us connect more fully with life and guide us to find our better self. In telling the stories we are offering easily remembered life lessons and this should not be confused with advocating for any religion. The stories help us better understand how the difficulties we face that are the same as those faced for eons across cultures and offer lessons that can improve self-awareness and self-efficacy. Today I will tell you one of my favorite stories. It is the story of Ganesh, one of the most popular deities both in the West and in India. Perhaps you have seen Ganesh? He is the elephant-headed, pot-bellied, eater of sweets! He is also the son of Shiva, who represents the universal consciousness and his consort Parvati, who represents the universal energy. These two forces underpin the entirety of the universe. Shiva liked to go out hunting with his hordes known as the Ganas. These were all sorts of beings that were frightening to be around but were true devotees to Shiva. When Shiva went out, Parvati enjoyed the quiet solitude by rubbing her body with turmeric paste and then bathing. However, Shiva knew this habit and often came home early just to annoy her as happens between couples! After this happened a few times, the next time Shiva left, Parvati took the turmeric paste and molded it into a small boy, then breathed into him bringing him to life. She declared he would be her loyal son and posted him on guard duty outside the door of the house. It’s important here to remember that Parvati is the embodiment of universal energy and imbued her son with great powers.  After some time, Shiva came home only to find this strange boy sitting outside blocking the way preventing Shiva from entering his own house! This angered Shiva who tried to push past him only to find this little guy had incredible strength. At this point, Shiva turned to his hordes and told them to destroy the little boy but all failed. This surprised Shiva and in his divine fury a huge battle ensued and at some point, the boy’s head was severed, killing him, and in the chaos of the moment it rolled away! At this point, due to the commotion, Parvati comes out ...
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    16 mins
  • Journey Into Your Being Plus a Meditation Practice

    Journey Into Your Being Plus a Meditation Practice
    Apr 6 2022
    Today we are going to discuss the components of who you are, and then you will be guided through a short meditation. Feel free to listen to the discussion portion, but then stop the recording before doing the meditation if you are not in a location where you can sit quietly and still with the eyes closed.  You may have heard the common definition of yoga is “union” and it comes from the Sanskrit word ‘yug’ meaning to yoke.  If we think about how buffalo are yoked together or horses or sled dogs are joined together, the purpose of yoking is to unite multiple forces to create more power. In yoga, we become more powerful when we understand, and yoke together, the different dimensions of our being known as the koshas. Koshas are the different aspects of who we are and of what we are composed. These are physical, energetic, the mind that links us to the world around us, the mind that is intuitive and wise, able to witness the world and our patterns, and lastly, the spiritual. These aspects, dimensions, or layers of our being have differing levels of awareness from the most gross, the physical, to the most subtle, the spiritual. Let’s start with the physical aspect since this is the part of us that captures the most of our awareness. It’s called the annamaya kosha. Anna = foodFood sheath – we become what we eat It is the vehicle for our expression and interaction in the physical world, and it occupies about 75% of our awareness. All of the koshas interact with each other. They are not separate entities. You are like a cake that is made of eggs, flour, sugar, chocolate, etc. But once the cake is made, those components can no longer be separate. In the same way, your physical health and balance ripples through the higher koshas. It affects your sense of vitality and mental peace. If you are in pain or have an illness that distracts you from the subtle aspects of your being, you must first address that. In yoga this is one of the reasons we do asanas, the physical practices. Less gross than the physical is the energetic body. This is called pranamaya kosha.  Prana = energy This kosha is a part of the vast energy of the universe, and it energizes all of the koshas. You have bones and muscles as part of the physical but it’s the energy that allows you to walk or run. Pranamaya kosha is vital for all of the functions of humans. Although this aspect occupies perhaps only 2% of our awareness, it permeates the entire entity that is you. Grossly the breath is a critical part but then how aware are you even of your breath yet alone more subtle manifestations. However, when the energy becomes disturbed or blocked, illness and disease may result. It is necessary to become more aware of and control the energy to access the higher states of being. Next, we move to the mind and how it manifests in two primary levels. Man, mana or manas = mindMental sheath We talk about this aspect of the mind as the lower mind, but perhaps we should consider calling it the worldly mind. It is responsible for the thoughts that relate to the day-to-day activities of life, as well as managing the senses.  It occupies about 20% of our awareness, and it pervades all the other koshas. Every Individual cell has its own intelligence. As you know, mental states influence your sense of health and vitality (think of what happens to you when you receive unexpected, good or bad news). However, excessive mental chatter inhibits our ability to access higher koshas by keeping our awareness externalized on the world around us, or engages with thoughts about the past or future, rarely being in the present moment. The more subtle aspect of the mind is called the “higher mind” but might be better referred to as the knowing mind. Vigyana = special knowledgeIntuitive sheath It is here that you can access intuition, wisdom, and higher knowledge-that sense of knowing-to see without judgement. The average person may connect awareness at best about 2% of the time. This is because it is much more subtle than the chatterbox mind. To access this more fully, you must work with the other three koshas-sort of clearing the way! Many of the more subtle practices in yoga such as breathing, deep relaxation and meditation practices are designed to enhance awareness of this aspect of your being. Like the intuitive, wisdom mine, the most subtle kosha-the spiritual aspect can only be accessed by developing the awareness of the previous four. Ananda = blissBlissful sheath At this deeply subtle level of consciousness, you can experience perfection and bliss that is beyond normal experience. It is at this level where the most intimate contact with our true nature occurs. It is at this point that there is an understanding of being part of a bigger whole spiritually. But remember, first we must develop optimal health and awareness of the other koshas.  Now I will guide you through a short meditation practice to begin this process. PRACTICE Settling into a ...
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    22 mins
  • Making Life Simple and Easy

    Making Life Simple and Easy
    Mar 30 2022
    Is your life simple and easy? I believe it can be and for the last couple of years, I’ve challenged myself to create a life that is becoming simpler and easier. Prior to this time my life was so full it was overflowing, and it often left me drained to the point where I felt so weighted down that I could barely keep moving forward. In 2019, I was in the twenty second year of running a yoga center that employed about 16 staff members and served several hundred students per week. I was also the education director and president of the board of a nonprofit yoga academy, housed in the center’s premises, that provided a variety of in-depth courses and yoga teacher training. In addition to teaching many classes and these courses each week, I was often emotionally mired in the “dramas” of staff and students. I was working 10-12 hours per day, seven days a week. My only time off was to travel to Mexico to lead a yoga retreat or when I would take a group to India to connect with the ashram where my guru lives.  I was approaching 70 and I felt as though I was doing more and more and enjoying life less and less. I needed a breakthrough before I broke down! I knew things had to change and that I was the only one who could change them. Wishful thinking wouldn’t work. I needed a plan. Now, three years later, I am feeling as though I am truly entering a new phase of my life that is becoming simple and easy. Today, I’m going to share some of my thought processes and actions that have brought me to this point. I believe they are consistently problematic for most people these days. Maybe they will be useful to you. First, I needed to find a way to shed my busy lifestyle. I had to find a way to let go of many of the things for which I was responsible.   For most people, this process requires examining all of things we are doing-maybe write them out on a piece of paper to be face to face with them. Then highlight or check the ones that NEED to done, and ask yourself why and or how long? For example, for me, I spent many hours preparing and teaching yoga classes, workshops and trainings. Why? Because I had a dedicated group of students, my classes were well attended and because I didn’t pay myself for those classes, only taking a salary, they were the backbone of the center’s financial health. So yes, they needed to be done. Maybe for you, you spend a lot of time parenting. Why? Because you chose to be a parent and your children need your ongoing support. It needs to be done.  Next question. For how long? Teaching at the center and the academy would need to continue unless I sold the center and stopped the academy’s coursework once the current courses finished.  For you, the number of hours parenting will never end, but what changes will lead to fewer hours doing so? It’s not about knowing specifically when something will end but having an idea of the range and what will prevent it from happening is important to distinguish. You can then begin to plan and work toward making it happen. It’s important to know where you are going so you don’t get lost along the way! Do you ever think, “Why did I decide to do this?” Remember there was a decision to take on those responsibilities and it’s good to begin to look at the root reasons that you made that choice. Was it done out of a fear of loneliness? Was it done to prove yourself in some way? Was it done out of a sense of obligation? Maybe it was chosen to distract you from some other area of your life? Or maybe you are thinking no one can do it but you?  It’s possible to be doing things because they are good things to do. No doubt about that. But overloading yourself, even if you have the superpowers of being well organized, dedicated, and good at multitasking, eventually will lead to some level of burnout that will affect your physical, mental, and spiritual health negatively. It is necessary to let go of some of the responsibilities to find the space in life where you can nourish yourself, rather than wear yourself down.  I can almost hear you thinking, “But how can I let this go, or that go?” and then you dismiss the analysis and keep trying to forge ahead! For me, selling my yoga business was an idea I put out into the universe once I decided this was truly the course I needed to take and that letting go of it would reduce stress and allow more time for me. I knew it might take a year or two but setting out that intention renewed me to the possibilities of life. I began asking a few people if they might be interested. Within a couple of months, someone came forward and after several more months, we came to an agreement and signed the paperwork. It was a year after first deciding that I would sell it, and the last couple of weeks of ownership was when we all went into lockdown due to the pandemic. Despite the relief I felt about letting it go, I also realized that I would need to delay letting go of my teaching obligations to more fully ...
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    19 mins
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