PRACTICE
I
nstead of completing my weekly staff
meeting, I cried while my assistant held
and consoled me. After 10 minutes, I put
on my spiritual production hat. This was the
moment when I focused on bringing my atten-
tion to the higher purpose in front of me. The
prognosis was in: Eric had 10 broken ribs on
his right side and two broken bones on his left
hand. The next day, I was on a flight to meet
up with Eric.
It was time to kick my yoga off the mat
into full gear by applying the principle of
being a sakshi, which is the Sanskrit word
for witness. This is one of the most power-
ful teachings in Vedanta. According to my
teacher, Swami Parthasarathy, a sakshi, a
witness, is able to function in this world, but
isn’t caught up in it. A sakshi stays detached
but not aloof to the world’s ups and downs,
ebbs and flows. A sakshi’s mind and intellect
stay connected to the higher ideal of uniting
with the true self while the body is function-
ing in the world.
In order to face this emergency, Eric and
I had to be witnesses. We wanted to prevent
ourselves from becoming entangled in all the
emotions and fears, and focus on our respec-
tive duties. We didn’t consult each other
about applying sakshi in advance. Our prac-
tice came into practice; we just both knew
what needed to happen in order to move
gracefully through this temporary situation.
The next part of the temporary situation
involved setting up camp in a borrowed Park
City, Utah, apartment, taking him to the
emergency room three more times when his
pain progressed, picking up medicine, taking
medicine, going on food runs, getting more
medicine, helping him sit up, helping him
walk to the bathroom, helping him shower,
helping him sit back down, making sure he
did breathing exercises to prevent pneumonia
or other complications. You get the point. To
add to it, I had to do this while I had a shoul-
der injury. It should have slowed me down,
but I wouldn’t let it.
We had to wait until his pain subsided
enough so that we could fly home. When wewere ready, I was the one who had to pack.
If anyone knows Eric Paskel’s fashion, they
would know he has an extensive ski ward-
robe. We had two ski bags filled to the rim,
one boot bag, two large suitcases, one yoga
mat bag, one guitar case, Eric’s carry-on, my
backpack, and my purse.
Our strength came from our daily practice.
As part of this, one of the most important
things we did every morning was study. Our
Vedanta teachings were critical for maintain-
ing perspective, balance, and keeping our
sakshi strong.
In hard times, we don’t always see clearly
amidst the clutter and fear, so we are usually
being misguided. Cultivating the art of being
the witness changes your perspective and
allows you to receive clear guidance. When
I am able to shift my mindset into one of
cultivating sakshi, it allows me to show up
and take care of someone. Without this tech-
nique, I would not have been able to summon
the skill. Sakshi is a moment-by-moment
practice, done with repetition and awareness.