That AH HA moment

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Curious to hear from both teachers and those who go to class.

For teachers: How many of you have been fortunate to see that student as they are having that AH HA moment? What I mean is when they finally understand there is more to yoga then just doing a physical exercise. Keep in mind, if you are one who does yoga only for the exercise, I am not condemning you at all. Just keep doing what you’re doing! I have had many students who come to yoga having practiced before. After a while, if you are perceptive enough you can actually catch the student having that AH HA moment when it all just comes together. I love and cherish that moment! I ask them later about it and they are just blown away that I noticed. It is so awesome!

Now for the students who go to yoga class: Have you ever had the AH HA moment when everything just came together and made sense? Do you remember that moment. How did your life change after that?

Just some things to ponder today!

#2

Namaste Lotusgirl,

One of the ladies in my class had that tonight. She is excellent at back bending asanas, but terrible with forward bending asanas. At one point she started to cry, but real sobbing, I was immediately concerned and after asking she explained that it just dawned on her that she is good at back benders because she is [I]always[/I] bending over backwards for everybody in her life and the effect this has on her. Her A Ha moment was the realisation that yoga allows her a positive and joyful experience of bending backwards and not the negative association it normally has for her in her day to day life where it sometimes goes hand in hand with humiliation. What was so beautiful for me was how everybody in the class gave her a hug afterwards, encourage her and even offer support beyond the yoga class.

#3

How very timely of me to post this then, Pandara! Wonderful story and exactly what I meant. Those AH HA moments have a beautiful domino effect. Thanks for sharing this with us!

#4

I never went into yoga with the mindset that it is only exercise; I’ve always thought of it as spiritual. But I do have sort of an “ah ha” moment.

My favorite yoga teacher always says, while we’re in sleeping pigeon, that we carry all our stress in our hips. For a year I would go to her and she would always say this, and I have ALWAYS struggled with that pose. During this year I worked at a horribly stressful job that I hated. A few months ago I was fortunate enough to find a new job that is way less stressful (it isn’t stressful at all!). So I went to this instructor’s class for the first time after I quit and low and behold, sleeping pigeon was EASY!!!

That was definitely my ah-ha moment. As I said, I always knew it was spiritual, but it could be argued that doing any sort of relaxing stretching and meditating would make a person feel more clam and peaceful, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be yoga. True enough, but this example totally proved to me that there IS truth behind statements that are more specific about the spiritual aspect of yoga – not just “it calms you down” but “this SPECIFIC position does this SPECIFIC thing for you.”

#5

Nice story Maluhia! A wonderful Ah Ha moment to share! Awe inspiring! Thank you.

#6

This is more on the physical level–sorry but it’s the best I can come up with and hope you don’t mind.

I had such a moment after my first yoga class. I immediately realized that what I did was a combination of cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility exercises, all packaged in a way that was superior to any form of exercise that I ever did, and I also realized that I felt better than I had felt from any of the many massages I had received, and I also noticed I was at peace, and really enjoyed that first savassana experience. Overall, I knew I found something amazing and wonderful!

#7

Not to worry Thomas! No right or wrong answer. Yoga is yoga. Not everyone looks at it the same. And that is OK!

#8

Ditto Thomas!

I took yoga once or twice but it never “clicked” until one week I went to classes 3 days in a row and just fell in love. After those 3 days I was walking down the street and my legs felt amazing, like every step was a massage. Walking never hurt me before, it was just neutral, but at that point it was [I]positive[/I]! I was amazed.

#9

Thomas, I’m much like you. I don’t recall an AH HA! moment, but I have loved Yoga from the first time I tried it - a televised Kundalini yoga class on our Public Television Station. I suppose that was my AH HA moment, when I realized that I felt lighter and more like I flowed when I moved instead of aches and pains and tight places. I knew then I’d found a miracle thing - something that helped me learn to focus, calm my mind and my body, as well as energizing me and doing all these fantastic things for my body!
I always had very tight shoulders and neck. After a few months of yoga twice a week, my sister started to massage my shoulders - and I didn’t want her to! I didn’t need it! I was SO amazed. Who passes up a shoulder massage - especially when nobody could seem to do one long enough to make me happy lol.

Thank you for starting this thread Lotusgirl, it feels good to think back to why I started doing Yoga in the first place, and why I fell in love with it.

#10

LG, I have never been to any Yoga class. But, still remember the first moment when something stirred so deep inside that I realized the meaning of “within”.

After reading a few spiritual books cautiously and giggling tongue-in-cheek at that new jargon of faith, I went to see an advanced soul reluctantly. Because of some festivities there was a huge crowd to meet him. Arriving late, our family got scattered over the place. As the followers were waiting in silence to get a glimpse I was surveying the whole scene with high scepticism. Then, I suddenly found him standing right in front and our eyes met. I didn’t realize when tears rushed through and for how long as I was transfixed and happy.

Feeling happy within, without any reason was my first AH HA moment. Interestingly, my wife and sons came to tell exactly the same.

#11

How beautiful Suhas! Those moments are to be cherished! And to think your wife and son had that same feeling too! It’s amazing to me that when are the most skeptical is when we have these types of moments. Why do you think that is?

Joanna 63, How wonderful your experience was immediate! And you must have been feeling pretty good as I know I would never pass up a massage!

And I guess I shouldn’t have narrowed the AH HA moment to “a class”. I should know better as I practiced many, many years before ever thinking of attending a class.

To all who have responded, thank you. I love hearing of these wonderful moments. I think it’s what keeps us on our path. These moments are special to each and every one of you, but because of our interconnectedness, we all share and experience them as one.

#12

Suhas,
Wow. It is wonderful to hear your story. I have found as I grow older I become more and more cynical and skeptical, and the things I used to believe just because they were beautiful and I wanted to believe them, I find myself doubting and almost brushing off as somewhat unrealistic. I don’t like this about myself now, and have been seeking to find a way to regain some of that belief in magic, if you will. Your simple little story brought it home for me, and I thank you for sharing it. I want magic back in my life!

And yes lotusgirl, I didn’t even want the massage, my shoulders were so relaxed, it didn’t really feel good! lol. Wish I could get that back faster, my shoulders and back are so tight now it’s going to take some time to loosen it all up again!

#13

My AH HA moment as a teacher: I have a student with herniated disc’s (yes I attract all the back, shoulder and neck students) and she was so afraid to do any backbends. She kept telling me forward bends feel better. I explained the reasoning that extensions are better, if done right. We discussed her fear many times. After many months of work and sneaking backbends in every chance I could we went into camel. I looked over at this student who would never attempt camel in a million years and was in the most perfect camel I could ever imagine. With her head back, she called to me and said it feels so wonderful! I’m free! I had tears in my eyes. I watched her through the whole process and saw her joy when she finally let go. Absolutely awesome!

As a yogini: In looking back at my practice, I have had many of these moments. Each marked a milestone for me. Like you Joanna63, I loved yoga the first time I did it. Then I remember after practicing Upavistha Konasana for almost a year, I felt this odd wave come over me and my head fell to the mat. I was there! I had a beautiful Kundalini experience that was pure joy, and like you Suhas, it was unexpected and without reason. And a couple years ago I went to see the Dalai Lama in Bloomington Indiana. We took the whole family. He spoke about promoting peace through dialogue. On the website they asked if you so desired, you could submit a question for His Holiness and they would pick a few for him to answer at the end of the talk. I submitted mine. Didn’t think any more about it. At the end, he took some of the questions and read them, giving his answers. Mine was picked last and used to summarize his talk. It was an AH HA moment because without wishing or thinking about him choosing my question, I knew he was going to. That was a beautiful moment.

I so look forward to that next AH HA moment!

#14

I used to have massages almost once a week–I went from having “regular” massages to Thai massages, which are much like yoga, but someone else doing the work.

With yoga, I don’t need the massages anymore, but I sure would take them again if I could afford them. I just can’t justify the expense right now, but some day I hope to have both.

#15

It’s all about balance Thomas. If yoga has replaced the massages you once got, and makes you feel just as good if not better, then why need the massage?

#16

[quote=lotusgirl;39387]As a yogini: In looking back at my practice, I have had many of these moments. Each marked a milestone for me. Like you Joanna63, I loved yoga the first time I did it. Then I remember after practicing Upavistha Konasana for almost a year, I felt this odd wave come over me and my head fell to the mat. I was there! I had a beautiful Kundalini experience that was pure joy, and like you Suhas, it was unexpected and without reason. And a couple years ago I went to see the Dalai Lama in Bloomington Indiana. We took the whole family. He spoke about promoting peace through dialogue. On the website they asked if you so desired, you could submit a question for His Holiness and they would pick a few for him to answer at the end of the talk. I submitted mine. Didn’t think any more about it. At the end, he took some of the questions and read them, giving his answers. Mine was picked last and used to summarize his talk. It was an AH HA moment because without wishing or thinking about him choosing my question, I knew he was going to. That was a beautiful moment.

I so look forward to that next AH HA moment![/quote]

What a beautiful ah ha moment. My own Ah Ha moment was in 2005 during a visit to the ashram of Sri Satya Sai Baba, when I was picked from thousands of people by Sri Satya himself to join him in the temple for afternoon kirtans and arati. It was extremely special and uplifting, for days I was barely aware of my surroundings, the spiritual high was so intoxicating and thanks to two good friends who helped me during this time I had a spiritual “trip” of my life. :slight_smile:

#17

I went into yoga for the first time understanding that there was more to it than physical exercise, but not sure if I bought into all of it. I still don’t, to some degree. I do feel that the parts I accepted as part of my core values has heightened my own awareness a great deal. Isn’t that why we are all here?

#18

My absolutely strongest experience was the first time I did a savasana.
The understanding that me, whiting this body, in only this moment, is all that I am and all that exist right now. Kinda weird and mixed feelings.

A strong turning point for me, was when I realized that I no longer feared the savasana, but looked forward to it. Now I love it.

#19

Talk about a flip! Last night I had my Yin/Yang class and they are the ones who are the most social and talkative of my classes. But they are also the ones who are the most dedicated and made great strides in their practice. Anyway, I started class off talking about AhHa moments in your practice. It was a nice talk and each students began to share some moments. It was really wonderful. During class, someone asked me about Hanamanasana in relation to Upavistha Konasana. (We have been practicing Supta Virasana in prep for at least attempting Hanumanasana, and only one students can do this unsupported.) I went on to explain and they asked me to demo. I’m thinking, oh gosh, I really can only do it well with my right leg forward. Oh well, I’ll demo with the left leg forward so they can see that even their teacher has difficulty in some poses. Well, I got into it and and my pelvic floor went straight down to the mat. My students yelled, Ah Ha, we got to see your moment! We all got a good laugh! I thought that was so special!

@Tangle
Many students fear shavasana and it’s nice to know that you look forward to it!

@Flex
But did you suddenly realize that heightened awareness, like a light bulb going off? Or was it more gradual?

#20

Wow, I didn’t know people feared Shavasana! It gives me a new respect for differences and for not making judgements or comparisons. It also makes me wonder what it is that would make one fear lying still, and trying to learn to still the mind. So many things come to mind - I don’t dare to venture a guess.
I fear wheel, though I could do it (sort of) when I was a child. My arms don’t have the strength, and I think of how my body is so much heavier than when I was a child lol. I am afraid I will hurt myself, and I feel it is so beyond my reach right now. I suppose I should make myself attempt it every time I do yoga! Not from standing though, oh my! lol.
Wow.