PHOTO:
AUGUSTIN
DE
MONTESQUIOU/UNSPLASH
Higher
Ideals
FOCUS ON
72
july
2019
yogajournal.com.au
A trip to Cuba taught me the importance, and deeper
meaning, of Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga.
By Rina Jakubowicz
MY PASSION FOR LIFE undoubtedly
comes from my Cuban roots. My
mother fled her home country of Cuba
at the age of nine, with her parents,
three siblings, grandmother, dog, and
$35.They left behind family who still live
in Cuba today. There’s a spark and
creative fire that radiates in the Cuban
culture. So it’s unfortunate that Cuba is
a controversial country to visit as a
traveller. The Cuban people have been,
and continue to be, in my opinion,
exploited and abused by their
government—through injustices such
as incarceration without a fair trial and
lack of a free press. Because of this,
there are mixed feelings about when and
if it is appropriate to visit this both
beautiful and bleeding country.
In October of 2015, I was approached
by yoga photographer Robert Sturman
to go to Cuba for what proved to be an
epic and powerful photo shoot. I had to
consider my highest ideal behind going.