Summer Reads

Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity.  This evolution includes all aspects of one's being, from bodily health to self-realization.  Yoga means union - the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul.  Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one's actions

B.K.S Iyengar

We are already half way through the summer and if you have not yet had a chance to read a good book then I would definately suggest “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson and David Relin. It is one of those books that leaves you feeling inspired and will more than likely bring a tear (or two ) to your eye, so be prepared. To summarise, the story centres on Greg Mortenson, who started out on a mission to climb one of the world’s largest mountains, “K2” , in order to honour the memory of his younger sister.

When Mortenson got lost in the remote mountain areas surrounding “K2”, he ended up in a village called Korphe , where he made a promise to the children and the village elders of Korphe that he would one day return and build them a school. He was by no means wealthy, but when he returned to his home in the United States he remained committed to his promise. He sold his belongings and mailed out letters to people he thought might be important, in an effort to raise money. The obstacles he faced were endless, the situations he found himself in were gruelling, but his determination to build a school resulted in the establishment of the Central Asia Institute which is now responsible for funding schools in that region and educating women. A promise to build one school in 1992 has resulted in the creation of over 100 schools  throughout the surrounding regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as the education of over 68 000 children.

Not all of us can be like Mother Theresa, Greg Mortenson or the Dalai Lama, but the point is that we can all learn something from these amazing people. Recently, there has been a controversy over the publication of the book whereby critics have stated that Mortenson’s story is not entirely true and that many of the schools are not functioning as they should be. Even if Greg Mortenson educated one child, or built one school, he still made a difference and these are the positive things that we should focus on. To me this is a story of endurance. If you can remain committed to something despite the obstacles you face, the results will be like nothing you have ever imagined, both on the mat and off the mat.

Thanks to Jim and Darlene Nicholson for lending this book to me!

Namaste