# Bringing in the New Year consciously.

**Published by:** [Swapneel](https://paragraph.com/@itsswappyb/)
**Published on:** 2023-01-02
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@itsswappyb/bringing-in-the-new-year-consciously

## Content

New year celebrations are commonly filled with laughter, joy, fireworks, booze, perhaps a boozed-induced fight, a kiss from a stranger, and then the seemingly endless feeling of remorse and physical and mental incapacity the next day. We escape our problems for one night only to create more on the first day of the new year. I decided to try something different. I spent my time this New Year’s Eve at Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore, India, where I immersed myself in intense Sadhana (Yoga and Meditation for spiritual development). I spent 3 nights in the Yoga Center (hereafter the “Ashram”). I started the day with a cold water plunge in the consecrated Surya Kund - an energized water body that straightens out Pranic imbalances, enhancing physiological and psychological well-being as well as heightening spiritual receptivity. After this, I practiced the potent Shambhavi Mahamudriya Kriya - a powerful 40-minute yoga sequence that balances the masculine and feminine energies within your body and leaves you feeling drunkenly alert. In this state, I sat in the potent atmosphere of the Dhyana Linga, a powerfully energized and consecrated space that brings deep states of meditation. Even an inexperienced meditator will feel the presence of this energy. Meals are provided at the Food Hall (Biksha Hall), where beautiful Pranic food is served. It leaves us feeling replenished, not sluggish like we are used to after a heavy meal. I feel fresh with clarity and ready for my next adventure in Goa. There I will be practicing Kalaripayattu for 4 hours a day, eating clean food, and working for the rest of the time. Kalaripayatu is one of the oldest surviving martial arts in India, originating in Kerala. The primary aim is the ultimate coordination between mind and body. Another focus of Kalaripayattu is specialization in indigenous medicinal practices. Kalaris are also important centers of religious worship. Once the course is complete, one should engage in oil massage and practice to maintain shape. India was forced under colonial rule by England in the 1800s, and, unsurprisingly, the British forces didn't really want a whole bunch of potential resistance fighters training in a wartime art. They confiscated weapons, killed those trained in Kalaripayattu, and outlawed the practice of the art altogether. To a conscious new world 🙏🧘✨.

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