Living in Riyadh...

"A hathayogi should reside in solitude in a righteous country where the Government is benign and alms are easily available and which are free from all kinds of disturbances, in a small cottage built in a place having no rock, fire or water on any side." - Hathapradipika of Svatvarama, Lesson I Verse 12

My first yoga teacher said Riyadh might not be the best place for a yogi to go to. But considering the above lesson from the Hathapradipika and all the positive things that this place has brought me, I now think otherwise.

Come to think of it, I'm living like a monk here in Riyadh. Since there's nothing much to do here ( that is if you're looking for the pubs or other "regular" places for socialization) except practice yoga, work, eat and sleep. There are no cinemas, theaters or other entertainment centers that are regular features in places outside Saudi Arabia. I wake up early in the morning to do my kriyas and pranayama, eat breakfast, go to work, back to base after work, do my asanas, prepare dinner, watch tv or surf the net, and sleep. My social life is limited to my officemates, who happens to be my housemates as well, hmnnn... some of them of course.

So, yes, I'm living in solitude in a righteous country where the Government is benign.

Alms are easily available... not necessarily... but salary is good that I don't have to find some extra jobs unlike when I was in Manila.

Free from all kinds of disturbances... yeah... no pubs, no social life... go figure, hahaha.

In a small cottage... yeah, I live in a small room... but big enough to have space for my daily pranayama and asana practices.

It is necessary for success in Yoga that the Yogi is not disturbed in any way whatsoever... (page 6, Hathapradipika of Svatvarama edited by Swami Digambaraji, Kaivalyadhama).

Practice.... practice... practice... all is coming. - Guruji Sri Pattabhi Jois