During the festive season and in the run up to triyoga in action on the 10th December, Anna Ashby reflects upon the yogic practices of Seva (selfless service) and Dakshina (making an offering). How will you be taking your practice beyond your mat this month?
The yoga tradition offers a wealth of practices which bring about a transformation of perception that reveals deep connection. It’s as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago, perhaps more so. The form the practices have taken have evolved over the millennia to meet the needs of each age, a testimony to the power of tradition and this type of spiritual work. And so, yoga represents a versatile lineage that can meet the needs of modern yoga practitioners through different kinds of practices beyond just asana, or postural yoga.
When I lived in an ashram, which is a traditional way from past times that students study yoga with their teacher, one of the main practices we offered was selfless service – the offering of one’s actions, time, skill and service without expecting any kind of remuneration or reward. It was deeply transformational because it tapped into what I consider a basic human need – to offer one’s self for something greater than one’s own personal gain. Furthermore, It somehow created an effective momentum to practice because all actions were offered with an awareness of the highest reality. This brought about a radical shift in perception and fostered a tangible sense of meaning and purpose so necessary for thriving in life.
Another vital practice was the giving of something, usually money, in return for the imparted knowledge of the teacher – a concrete recognition of the value of what was being taught and received. Both seva, selfless service, and dakshina, making an offering are powerful means to action the essence of the teachings of yoga. To take what you discover on your mat and from your teachers, and make it a living and vital part of your life. Both practices tap into the generosity and love at the heart of the yoga teachings that loudly speak of and reaffirm interconnection.
It’s wonderful that triyoga has created a way in the Magic Breakfast fundraiser, that we can all participate in the less familiar, yet powerful yoga practices that in my mind equate to a “trickle-up” decency that speaks to our higher nature so necessary in this troubled day and age.
Anna Ashby is an senior teacher at triyoga. Her direct experience of the yoga tradition while spending 12 years in an Ashram in up state New York imbues her teaching with the deeper truths offered by yoga philosophy. She is a founder and senior faculty member of triyoga’s teacher training programme. Visit www.annaashby.com
Join Anna Ashby in Camden…
the middle pathway: four day urban retreat
28 – 31 december
book now
