YOGABHARATI

I asked a couple of yoga teachers for their insights on "mental strength" because we often hear people advising those going through difficult times to be strong. I wondered what it is that makes one mentally strong and what attitudes one can cultivate to train oneself. It is also important to consider how we connect with those facing life's storms, as our language, words can have a profound impact on someone who feels deeply troubled. Offering them our physical presence to lean on and words of encouragement can help them lift themselves out of their struggles. Courage and resilience come from within, which are divine qualities, and when these qualities reach out to others, they come as a shower of compassion. Let us take time to read each of the quotes by the yoga practitioners and see which ones resonate with us. “For me, being mentally strong means staying positive, especially during difficult times such as health challenges or losing loved ones. Challenges keep coming,

The first Yama from the yoga Ashtanga Sadhana is ahimsa - non violence.This practice of ahimsa may start from the external manifestation, but gradually we need to internalize this too because essentially yoga is an inward journey otherwise this will lead to violent interactions with the world. When people observe this only externally, they consider ahimsa as anything done against another human being and this this concept of non violence gets misunderstood and abused too. Many times this concept of nonviolence is used politically also. In the name of non-violence we even resort to arguments and justify our actions too and substantiate violence. Another concept of yoga we have is the concept of peace, shanti. So we have two different words in Sanskrit. One is shanti, which is peace and the other is nonviolence which is a concept against the violence. At the end of all the mantra that we chant invariably, Om shanti shanti shanti, we offer peace, peace, peace at all the three levels. V