When we did Sadhana Intensive, we used to sing a hymn, ahead of practice, set to a military tune, led by Swami Govindandaji, . I used to, for some reason, always have tears when chanting it. It was an invocation of all the Yogis who were to help us with our practice. I always had tears... it seemed to me, they were there:)
They must have been too.. how else, where the snow was melting and I had foolishly taken summer clothes, I could do such intense practice? Many other students/sadhakas who were there, were clearly not seriously practising, and had completely taken over the closed hall, so a few of us, not wanting to be in that aggressive, dog-in-manger zone when we were involved with something spiritual, practised outside. But those of us outside, we continued, in our involuted stupor, intoxicated by yoga and the sense of being led, someplace special. Though Swamiji, out of concern, had given us extra thick mattress on which to do yoga nidra, my body will jump, shivering, when a biting cold breeze wafted from the gushing Ganges, below the ashram. Yet, I never fell ill even once, though I am the one who feels cold like it is a sharp pain and feel it into my bones, always. But I never fell ill.. a wonder to me even now, with summer clothes, no woollens for nights even except a shawl I picked up from a tribal some days into the practice, where the geyser would not work and the water ran ice cold from the tap and I would bath at 3.30 am, shivering, but accepting everything.. Unbelievable .. They must have been there, protecting foolish aspirants like me...
It is interesting that the founder of Nath line of yoga Matsyendranath and his disciple Gorakh were both discarded as babies. Matysendranath apparently was thrown into the waves for being a `unlucky" baby and Gorakh by his mom into the cow dung.. they even grew up into their teens, in this discarded state.. and there must be something there in a deprived childhood, for pure transmission:) Both are always referred as pure souls...
Matsyendranath was in the fish belly when he heard Shiva's secret revelation of truth to Parvati, in the ocean. But after Shiva curses him, to forget the Truth, he gets lured by 1600 women and lives a lascivious life till rescued by his disciple Gorakh. who, it seems, rescued him so many times, including from death, that Lord Yama gave up and just took Matsyendranath's name from the death roll, thus making him eternal!! Which means he walks the earth now, to help struggling yogis (and yoginis).And there he is, in the hymn we sing, requesting for his presence, to help us along the path..
It is somehow appropriate.
No wonder I love the fish pose, so much!
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