Comment to 'Tools for inSelf Yoga Series- 5: Indoor vs Outdoor Locations'
  • I leave it to the individuals and their nature, but from my experience, any place that has severe external resistance for yogic practice is a marvelous place to practice. 

    In fact, today every place has a resistive force for yogic purposes, there may be some exceptions. If not external obstacles, internally there are enough resistive forces. I'm facing my internal resistive forces directly, external forces are nothing in comparison. Even if one retreats to forests, one will definitely can't do in forests where internal forces are so difficult to face. if one can't do it in the cities due to external disturbances, one will definitely can't do it in forests where internal forces are so difficult to face. One wild animal mumbling is enough to leave the body in paralysis. 

    I have done this in places where one usually would not do. I have done it in rest areas next to highways, empty spaces outside restrooms, open playgrounds, and several houses of my friends, relatives, etc, etc. The motivation was internal turmoil, these external obstacles were like thorns in the back, but nothing when compared to bullets lodged in the chest. 

    Acharya Mun biographer states that he advised his students to go to the deepest forests, especially where tigers roam, and to meditate there for days. He advised that's how one faces his own fears and is assured of marvelous results. Acharya Mun was like if the person had to die due to karma, he will die for sure with or without the tiger, the tiger has nothing to do with it. So, he encouraged his students to go to the most dangerous places in the deep forest to meditate. This was his style. 

    Based on the person's psyche nature, and the psyche's evolutionary stage, a balanced approach is to be taken by the individual. Usually, it comes from constant experimentation with self.