Yoga Journal Singapore - June-July 2018

itr lttr

8 ART DIRECTION : ANUJA BAGADE, PHOTOGRAPHER: VINOD, BALAG STUDIOS, RISHIKESH

june / july 2018

yogajournal.com.sg

Dear Readers,

As you will notice, this edition has a lot of pictures. The last two months

have been a pictorial landscape for Yoga Journal Singapore, as we hosted

our first spiritual retreat to India, where the sights and sounds of Rishikesh

left each member in the group spellbound. We also interviewed a beautiful

Bollywood celebrity, as she unveiled her wax statue in Singapore, and told

us about her very own wellness mantra—“Love Yourself”! We also scripted

a yoga dance performance for India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who

visited the island recently—all of these incidents prompting irresistible clicks

from the camera. And before we knew, the underlying theme of this edition

became the birthplace of yoga – India!

While in Rishikesh, it was my pleasure to go to the Parmarth Niketan

Ashram to meet with Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, an American sage

who adopted Rishikesh as her home 22 years ago. Interviewing her was

an experience I will never forget, least of all because she was just as

comfortable speaking in Hindi as she was in English. It takes courage, will

power and a lot of spiritual energy for a Stanford University graduate to

renounce a life of luxury in the United States and embrace simplicity, self-

discipline and asceticism in a remote corner of India. Along with her life, she

renounced her American identity and her name, and “Sadhvi-ji” is how she

is referred to by followers in and outside India (Page 63).

Meeting Sadhviji and listening to her story reiterated the importance of

“equanimity” for me—the state of maintaining composure no matter

the circumstance. “Calm Within”—on page 33—explains the beauty

of being in this state. “Equanimity allows for the mystery of things: the

unknowable, uncontrollable nature of things just as they are,” says the

author.

In our “Eat Well” segment as well, we bring you traditional Indian

recipes that cater to the three Ayurvedic compositions and the diets

that go with them. The Kapha-Calming Apple dessert on page 44 is a

must-try.

Last but not the least, we touch upon “Chanting” and how “Mantras”

are an essential tool in many homes in India. The magic of mantra, and

the scientific changes as noticed in the brain when you chant mantras, are being researched and quantified by neurologists and psychologists who

believe there is a natural “relaxation response” from chanting. We give you a beginner’s guide to common mantras on Page 49.

As our theme about India developed, it occurred to me that this edition will be released around International Yoga Day on June 21, when yoga

mats find their way to many chosen locations, be it Times Square in New York, Trafalgar Square in London, or Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. In

Singapore this year, 100 centers will host free yoga sessions from 16 June to 24 June. To register, go to http://www.idayyoga.com.

Happy International Yoga Day!

Enjoy the magazine!

Kind Regards,

Kavita Chandran

Editor-In-Chief

[email protected]