Looking Within

As a photographer, it seems strange the concept of closing your eyes and looking WITHIN to see and connect with the world. Of course mucking around in nature, on hikes and adventures, makes one appreciate and SEE all the magic and wonder this Earth has to offer. But recently, I've discovered something that has helped me and I'd like to share it with as many people as I can. I have been a believer in yoga since college. One of my favorite mottos is "No yoga, no peace. Know yoga, know peace" which I believe to be very true. I personally love hot yoga ( I go to Sumit's yoga in Scottsdale ) as well as Bikrahm yoga. But besides my savasana at the end of every class, where I can let my body relax and my mind focus inward, I've never tried any kind of formal meditation. You can see where this is going now, right? I'm talking about transcendental meditation. The reason I decided to share my new practice on this forum, a photography blog, is because I've found that it positively affects every aspect in my life...especially professionally. I am an anxious person by nature, it's something I struggle with daily. And I'm sure any photographer you ask will tell you that your nerves can get the best of you when, let's say, you are shooting someone's wedding. The biggest day of their life! No pressure! I have had to teach myself to harness this nervous energy and turn it into creative energy on any photo shoot. And I'm very excited now that TM is in my daily routine because I think that will become much easier for me to do. How I got introduced to TM is very odd. Lately, I've been watching all things Russell Brand. Get Him to the Greek, a classic! Most of his stand up can be found on youtube, including the most recent show The Messiah Complex which is hilarious! He speaks very honestly about his struggles with addiction and how TM and yoga has changed his life. So take a watch of this video montage a fan put together brilliantly... watch it with an open mind and always remember, one writes his own destiny...maktub.