Earliest Days of Yoga

Earliest days of yoga:

my earliest days of yoga were full of stories of manifestations and miracles, inspired by Paramahansa Yogananda and his autobiography and fully expecting to gain even the slightest siddhis through my effort of proper yoga as presented by his Kriya Yoga style. Of course dramatic miracles eluded me, I was never able to instantly showcase my yogic powers - but looking back on those earliest days of yoga, miracles certainly did occur, indeed, life altering in some pretty amazing ways. 

my turn towards yoga, from years of dabbling to full commitment was largely due to feeling that failure within the world, unable to gain the smallest hold on any kind of success I believed I needed. Drinking to excess everyday of the week didn't help matters, smoking, a poor diet even though I prided myself as an athlete in training. It was an odd time of contradictions that can be explained by being young, until it continued long past the time I should have let that behavior go. But that's the thing with addictions, there is no letting go without a large degree of grace involved. 

and yoga, meditation, cultivated that sense of grace. 

miracles occurred.

smoking first, I don't even recall my last cigarette other than waking one morning without the urge to smoke, the draw to damage my lungs even further had simply disappeared. My diet changed soon after, cleaning out a large degree of unhealthy choices, adding fruits and vegetables in return, and switching to a largely vegetarian diet as my empathy towards every life form overcame the appetite of cruelty and harm to animals, although I was still many years away from my eventual turn to being vegan. Most important of all - I quit drinking, a decade of self destruction placed behind me in a literal moment. It was a clear thought that presented itself to me, a grace of awareness, that if I never wanted another drink again, it would be granted in a very instant. 

25 years ago. 

and never a drink again. 

should all of this be attributed to those earliest days of yoga? 

or yoga at all? 

I don't know, and honestly care very little of it's cause. It's been well over 30 years of a truly committed practice, many changes to my approach, and with little concern of any miracles involved. Everyday flows with a sure and certain grace, manifestation happens on its own, life spontaneously presenting itself though each continuous moment. None of it is due to any effort on my end, but I am a direct participant in its happening, a miracle within an ever grander mystery. 

my yoga is simply part of this. 

and that's enough for me to know. 

~

Peace, Eric