Archives - 2008

STUDENT OF THE MONTH

Faysal Abi-Chahine
Student of the Month (April 2010)

Tells us about your yoga journey, Faysal. I started doing yoga at UCSD about 6 years ago. I had a pretty bad car accident before moving away to University. The unbearable pain I experienced caused me to explore all sorts of healing arts, mind & body relationships and spirituality. Essentially, I began doing yoga when I decided to take personal responsibility for my totality.
For more than two years I practiced Bikram ONLY. Recently, I have begun experimenting with Yin and Flow. Yin has been such a blessing! I totally need the passivity, the Yin energy in my life. Since I exhaust my masculine energy to one extreme, it only makes sense to balance it with another extreme. I like the movement of Flow. Often we become STUCK, in the same energy, or postures, and lose sight of the grand scheme of life. As for Flow, I embrace the “not knowing” of what postures will come next. It resembles life, not knowing what will come next and learning to flow with whatever arises.

How has yoga impacted you? Yoga keeps me grounded and brings me back into myself when the world draws me out of myself. Seriously, I would be crazy with out it. Well, I’m already crazy, but I would be even crazier! Based on my experience, yoga has put my life into spiritual overdrive. I love it!

How has Being Yoga helped you on your journey and what lessons have you learned? The community of people and Teachers at Being Yoga are so inspiring!!! I have so much love for this place!!! I can count on that no matter how dark of a day I have, I can always come into yoga, see the right people, hear the right things, and center myself again.

Any final words of encouragement for the students?
When you are able, after a yoga class would be good, close your eyes and picture the following: You are on your death bed. Your life is ending, right here and right now! Sit with the thoughts that are going through your mind, the regrets, etc.. *DO NOT wait to get to that point of your life to wish you could have done things differently. Do it now! Do not postpone forgiveness or your happiness under any circumstances.