Aytana, Israel
I have really enjoyed reading all the blogs, thanks for the idea and all your sharing.
With roots in South Africa (till age 20), living in Israel with most of my family, with heart in India, I’m Aytana, (born as Ethne) from Ra’anana near Tel Aviv. I retired the year I first visited Mysore, about 13 years ago, so no big changes due to Covid times. I do see our family less but some of us get together in the park down the road quite often. We were all together in the previous December celebrating birthdays (photo attached).
I’m grateful to have the contact, content and heart we share on zoom. No travels to India or South Africa but connections remain and the mind is able to move quicker than travel.
Duty and attachment are issues I try to fathom daily. As duties, due to age, are less, attachments become more evident.
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“Wherever we are linked, we are also hooked in a certain way. Our lives are like a spider’s web. If one thread is pulled, the whole web will change shape. Thus, we are not totally independent; rather, we share responsibility for others and the world around us. This is what underlies the concept of duty”
(The Sacred Tradition of Yoga – pg 61)
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As a young child, I loved the summer rain in the Transvaal highveld of South Africa. I felt it was shared by all and brought us together. The Covid too, in its most harsh way, does the same. We go through it across the planet together and any step taken in one place will affect all.
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“Imbalance in one form or another is the telltale sign of an incorrect attachment”
(The Sacred Tradition of Yoga – pg 65)
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Working with our constitution is challenging for many and I find this a big one. The routine due to Covid and the very different flow of time in this period, hopefully, have helped emphasize these attachments and perhaps easier to identify and try loosening them on this journey. Guidance and example from Ācārya and his students are a tremendous support and inspiration. Centering the mind on this helps balance in the ups and downs. Gratitude and appreciation for this fate.
