I'm Ravi, welcome to my site!
I'm a yogi, blogger, teacher, recovering ironman triathlete, vegan, meditator, traveler, technologist, published author, day-dreamer, hopeless golfer, avid snowboarder and endurance sports fanatic. I love all animals (which is why I don't eat them!), my family and friends, fresh powder in the Cascades, the alpine lakes wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, good design, art and smoothies made with fresh organic food. I live in Seattle, WA and created this site in 2006 to share some of the many ideas floating around in my head.
My teachers include life itself, my own experiences as crazy as they may seem, Swami Dayananda Saraswati and the Vedanta tradition of spirititual teaching, Tony Robbins, Alan Watts and the amazing team I have the pleasure to spent time with during my days as a yoga instructor at Shakti Vinyasa and planning team lead for the "Windows" product at Microsoft.
Enjoy your stay, and if you want to drop me a note at ravi@yogiravi.com, I'd love to hear from you. Subscribe to get updates whenever I post something new. Have an outstanding day!
The Lost Art of Relaxation
Sunset at the southernmost tip of India, Kanyakumari beach, where the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea converge.
We are experts at applying effort. We are terribly poor at relaxation. I say “we” since by virtue of reading this blog, you are probably a seeker of self-development and discovery, and not the kind of person that sits around all day doing nothing.
The art of relaxation is a lost art.
In my yoga classes (I teach three classes per week – Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga) I see all walks of life, with a skew towards working professionals. Motivated and hard-working, I find students more than eager to try a new pose or push themselves in some manner. More sweat is not a problem for most people.
I also notice that many students struggle with the later parts of classes, where the tempo slows and the focus is on integrative energy. Turning inward of the senses with deeper and longer asanas (poses). These poses take an ability to sustain effort while also relaxing into the pose. In the finale of every class, we end with a corpse pose “savasana” which requires nothing but stillness while laying face up and arms/legs spread open. Inevitably, people start fidgeting and futzing with things. Fixing hair, toweling off, etc.
Many people have lost their capacity to relax.
It is not gone, just lost. It can be found and cultivated again with practice. The problem with this lost art is that the secret to excellence in any field (especially athletics) is not just with the training, it is with the recovery. If you watch pro cyclists train, they put in incredible amounts of effort in training, but are also among the laziest people in the world when they are not training! Having lived with a house-full of triathletes I can personally attest to this fact. Recovery is as important as training.
Without the ability to relax, your body-mind complex will burn out.
It’s like red-lining your car or using your laptop until the battery runs out. As humans, we have an enormous capacity to adapt and take punishment…but over time, without the ability to truly relax, the price will be paid. It may take a few decades….but it is unavoidable. This applies to corporate execs or people who have their eyes set on that goal as well.
Take as much care learning and sincerely practicing relaxation as you do trying to “do” other stuff in this world. Start each day with 10 long and deep breaths. Meditate for 10 minutes a day or more. Practice yoga or go for a run WITHOUT headphones and music blasting in your ears. Sit by the ocean or a lake and do nothing but watch the world.
Make it a practice to relax.
Lightness of Being
Tara and Sam at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.
Heaviness is a state of mind. Lethargy, sloth and sluggishness have roots in physical reality but bloom in the mind, as algae blooms in a toxic swamp. Lightness is our natural state.
Our bodies are made of light. Every atom of being vibrating at an imperceptible frequency. Resonating with the universe in perfect harmony. Discord is in the mind.
I’ve seen elephants tip-toe carefully through crowded streets in India. I’ve seen mountain goats scamper up granite cliffs. I’ve seen dolphins get incredible air just for the fun of it. I’ve seen little kids scamper up trees with no fear of falling.
I’ve also seen adults stomp around for years like they were carrying the world on their shoulders. I’ve seen friends and co-workers talk as if the sky was falling even when they were in good health and financially secure. I’ve personally been a culprit of getting tied down by the web of my own stories, and forgetting the truth of who I am – pure light.
Step Out of the Box
A green Lamborghini parked outside my house. Note to self, if I ever decide to get a crazy expensive car, DO NOT get this color!
Update: A well-informed reader – Mike – let me know that the car in the photo above is highly unqiue – one of the only ones in the country at this time - and it does not have a govenor in it. Also, the use of govenors are primarily for environmental and other reasons, as opposed to simply keep the cars from outrunning police. They probably could outrun the authorities anyway which is why police use helicopters and other methods to keep our roads safe. I’m leaving the post below un-edited, but thanks to Mike for these added insights!
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Really fast cars have these things called governors. They are devices that control (and in some cases limit) the maximum speed of a vehicle. It’s what keeps a Lambo from outrunning the police. Our bodies have internal governors too. They keep us from taking ridiculous risks. From pushing ourselves too far. From taking actions we might later regret. From doing things that could sacrifice our lives, friendships, livelihood, etc.
The problem with our internal governors, is that they quickly and frequently get out of alignment. If you were a car, you could wheel yourself into a shop for a tune-up. Unfortunately, resetting your internal governors is not that easy.
As we go through life we end up hearing other people saying we can’t or shouldn’t do certain things. Or we try things and fail. Or we see others try things and fail. Or we see people not even trying and therefore assume that things are impossible.
This kind of reality causes us to set our own governors at ridiculously low levels. We think we can never get out bodies in shape. Never do 50 push ups. Never get that better job. Never get that better relationship. Never make it through six “wheels” (Urdhva Dhanurasana) in yoga class! The longer we let these lies persist, the more they sink in.
Every now and then it is imperative that we give ourselves a tune-up and see that the boundaries we set are fake and often just plain ridiculous. Try something new. Push your physical body. Try something again (for the second, third, fourth time if need be). Set a crazy goal (or a BHAG in Lululemon terms).
Do whatever it takes to step out of the prison of your self-imposed comfort zone, aka “the box.” Bust out the box and see what you are really capable of.
Create a Movement
Creating a movement is not easy. It requires that you do things that others seem as unnatural and maybe even weird. People will say you should stop doing whatever it is. They may think you are crazy and even laugh a little. Most living things feel safer as a member of a crowd, not out on their own. We are no different.
How are we supposed to create any positive change if we always remain part of a crowd? The answer is simple but definitely not easy to put into practice. This short video by Derek Sivers breaks it down very well, with a story about a shirt-less dancing guy.
The lessons:
- A leader needs the guts to stand-alone and look ridiculous.
- A movement must be simple and easy to follow.
- A leader embraces followers as an equal, it’s about the movement not the leader.
- Being a first follower is an under-appreciated form of leadership.
- New followers emulate followers and not the leader. Movements must be public and transparent.
The best way to create a movement doesn’t require that you create one on your own. If all everyone did was create their own movements, there would be no movements! Instead, be an early follower. Find something you believe in, and have the courage to support a movement that is already underway, no matter how obscure it may seem at first.
Trust me on the sunscreen….
I’ve heard this twice today on two totally different radio stations. Good to see it is making the rounds again after first hearing it so many years ago. What an amazing song!
Wear Sunscreen or the Sunscreen Speech are the actually an essay called “Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young” that was written by Mary Schmich. It was originally published in the Chicago Tribune as a column in 1997 and then remixed into a song by Baz Luhrmann in 1998.
The lyrics are awesome. Here they are:
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine.Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blind side you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.Do one thing everyday that scares you
Sing
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours.Floss
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself.Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t.Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own..Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good.Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future.Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young.Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders.Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out.Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re 40, it will
look 85.Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth.But trust me on the sunscreen…
Do few things well
Lord Hanuman, an embodiment of dedication. In this case, Hanuman is shown kneeling, as a symbol of self-less service to the divine.
If you are going to do something, you might as well do it as best you can. No sense in just dabbling. Decades from now you will remember the few things you did with sincerity and rigor, not the many things you half-tried to do.
In this day and age it seems like people want to do more and more things, but want to dedicate less time and effort and focus on any given thing. Books are getting shorter. Short blog posts are replacing strong editorial and journalistic content. Tweets are replacing e-mails. Intense 20 minute get-fit-quick workouts are replacing leisurely and relaxing walks or runs or bike rides.Fast food is replacing sit-down dinners at home.
I think there is a shortage of people willing to take on a few (or maybe just one) task and do it well. Write a book. Run a marathon. Cook a 5-course meal from scratch. Focus on one business idea vs a dozen possibilities.
The power of focus and dedication to a single thing is incredibly under-valued right now. If I were an investor, I’d be buying.
Good Luck, Bad Luck, Who Knows
Me spending time with a horse at the "Out To Pasture" animal sanctuary (http://outtopasturesanctuary.org/), These animals have been rescued after having been abused or forgotten by their original owners. They are now living happily at this sanctuary. The owners are doing incredibly important work by showing these animals the love they deserve.
I don’t know who originally came up with this story, but it’s an old Chinese parable that I often think about. Today it has definitely rang true! Here it is in my own words:
Many years ago, in rural China, there was a farmer who lived quietly with his family on a small plot of land. His family was healthy and happy, but did not have much in the way of material possessions. They worked hard, together, tending to their garden and plowing their fields.
One day, the farmer awoke and discovered that his old quarter-horse, a horse that he depended on for years to plow his fields, had escaped through a broken fence and was nowhere to be seen. A neighbor came by and saw the farmer in his plight, and cried out at the bad luck facing the old man. The old man calmly replied, “good luck, bad luck, who knows,” and went about his business.
A few days later, hearing the thundering sound of hoofs outside his cottage, that farmer looked across a far away hill and saw a whole herd of horses making their way to his horse pen. His old trusty quarter-horse has indeed returned, and brought a few friends! The same neighbor, bearing witness to this amazing sight cried out “wow, what great luck you have!” The farmer calmly replied, “good luck, bad luck, who knows.”
The farmer’s son, seeing the wild horses sitting in the pen, decided to start breaking them in. It was tough work. One day, a stallion bucked and knocked him to the ground, terribly breaking his arm. It was a busy time of year, and his support was desperately needed to work the land. The neighbor saw the plight of the family and cried “wow, what bad luck you have,” to which the father replied, “good luck, bad luck, who knows.”
While his son was recovering, the father was out drawing water for his horses. He saw a battalion of men marching down the lonely road. The captain of the troop came up to the home, and asked if the old farmer had any able-bodied men in his household. The region was at war and they were conscripting all men to fight!
The father could not hide the fact that he had a son, and the captain walked into their home. Upon seeing the state of the boy, with a broken arm, he decided that the boy would be of no use to the military, and the troop kept on walking. Upon seeing this, the neighbor cried out…”what good luck you have!” to which the father replied….”good luck, bad luck, who knows…”
..and so the story continues…
We never know what positive outcome might eventually come from a seemingly hopeless situation. Sometimes the silver lining will show in the course of a few minutes or even a day. Other times it takes decades. We just need the patience to see things play out over the long-term.
Your Best Investment
A great investment: traveling to India and visiting the Vivekananda Memorial at the southernmost point
The financial markets work in ridiculous ways. It’s impossible to predict what is going to happen in the markets, and I think that age-old wisdom to “buy and hold” is completely ineffective in today’s economy. I wholeheartedly think that investing in the traditional equities market is a sucker’s game, and I’ve put my money where my mouth is. I started investing when I was a kid (really) and stopped a few years ago after realizing that investing in stocks was no different from gambling.
There are people – who are far smarter than me, with more money and more powerful computers and better mathematical models – that are spending inordinate amounts of time trying to game the market and make a quick (and sizeable) buck. How to compete with that? Do I even want to?
100% of my assets are in cash-like assets (CDs, short-term bonds).
If you see what is happening to the stock market over the past week you’ll see a seeming return to bull-market glory over the past year peter-out and head south in a hurry. I think we have yet to see the real market correction, despite the massive drop we saw a while back (requiring a massive trillion-dollar bailout).
I do believe that there are other investments that make sense. For example, investing as an angel investor or in some other capacity where you actually have a say in the company direction. There are also cash or cash-like investments like CD’s, treasury bonds or annuities that can make sense (corporate bonds do not count, they can crash just like stocks!).
A no-brainer way to earn a solid return on your money – that most people totally overlook – is to cut spending. Cut your expenses by 10% and you guarantee yourself a solid bump up in your savings. It’s totally within your control. Do it.
However, the most powerful long-term investment is to invest in yourself. Put your money into your own education and personal development – through training seminars or other skills development programs. Attend a TED Conference, a Tony Robbins seminar or a night class at a local university. Buy books by the truckload (or Kindle them) and actually read them! Explore the world and learn about historical monuments and locales by actually visiting them. Your most powerful investment is to invest in yourself.
Leadership in Everyday Life
"Snow Dancer" - me in Natarajasana aka "Dancer Pose" during a hike to a snow-covered alpine lake in the Cascade Mountains near Seattle, WA (May 2010)
Leadership is one of the most misunderstood and puzzling things. Last week I was with a group of team leaders at work discussing leadership. I felt that this is something we should challenge people do more of. Someone made the comment that “Ravi…you know that we can’t have everyone lead. We don’t have enough stuff for people to lead. If everyone was leading, we wouldn’t get work done and people would be fighting over projects to lead.” It was as if the world only has so much room for leaders. I find this notion silly. The world needs more leaders. The world DESPERATELY needs more leaders. The reason we have the problems we see in the world (e.g. rampant disease, poverty, war) is that too few people choose to step up, speak out and act in a way that helps others and inspires others to do the same.
In most situations I’d say that a small fraction of people have the desire to step into leadership roles and fewer still take the steps needed to rise to the occasion. I’ll take a wild guess and say that even in a hyper-competitive environment like a top-tier university or leading corporate environment…fewer than 10% of people (and even this is an upper bound) take advantage of regular opportunities to display leadership. Most just coast by and assume someone else will lead them or make the decision for them.
The problem starts with the reality that most people are actually confused with what leadership is to begin with. Leadership is not about managing people or being in a position of authority – like a CEO or some corporate managing director. In fact, leadership is most powerfully displayed when one acts without authority and leads people who DO NOT HAVE TO work for them. The most effective and memorable leaders in history did not actually have people who worked for them (e.g. Gandhi, Dr. King, Rosa Parks, etc.). They displayed leadership in their thoughts, words and actions and this congruence created the spark that rose others to act in kind.
Another problem is that people get tricked up with how to display leadership. They think it is about picking the right project or schmoozing with the right people. In reality, leadership often happens with seemingly small actions and decisions. Leadership happens when you break a deadlock over where to go for dinner with your friends. Leadership happens when you make the decision to take the right fork in the trail (instead of going straight) while out on a hike with friends or family. Leadership happens when you take the initiative to drive your family or friends to a new restaurant, park or museum. Leadership happens when you choose to try busting out a handstand in the middle of a yoga class – even if it means you might fall over – instead of just hanging out in a standing split or some other “safe” pose. Leadership is when you speak up during a meeting to voice your opinion on an important issue. Leadership is also listening actively to others and showing that you respect their insights as much as your own.
The world needs more leaders, not less. This isn’t a game of musical chairs with limited opportunities to lead. I would love to have the amazing problem of seeing too many people stepping out of their comfort zone, leading their families – friends – co-workers – loved ones into the future.
If you want to start leading, right now take a few minutes and brainstorm a dozen little things you can do to show leadership in your everyday life this week. Here are a few examples:
- Offer to drive co-workers to lunch
- Try a new pose in yoga class (or go further than you ever have before)
- Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while
- Hold the door open for someone, and smile while you do it
- Give a sincere compliment to someone you don’t know
- Speak up in class or during meeting to voice your opinion
- Take advantage of an opportunity to present your ideas to co-workers or classmates
- Arrange fun weekend plans for you and your friends/family
Circle three things on the list that really speak to you, and do them RIGHT AWAY.
Start leading in seemingly small ways. Do this on a daily basis and as often as your can. It is critically important. It develops your internal leadership muscle so that when larger and more meaningful opportunities to lead appear, you’ll immediately step out of your comfort zone and take them on. Start small and watch some major change happening over the longer term. Also remember that leadership is a transferable action – that is to say, by taking action you’ll inspire other to do the same. By choosing to speak up in class, you’ll inspire other students to do the same. By taking on a more challenging yoga pose, you’ll inspire others by showing them what is possible. Don’t hesitate, do it now.
Get Out of Your Own Way
We are all experts at getting in our own way. In yoga classes I see students doing this all the time. I was in a workshop the other week assisting someone into a pose she had never done before (a back-bend). She was very hesitant but at the same time very capable of going into the pose. After she finished explaining a bunch of reasons why she probably won’t be able to do the pose, I asked her to try anyway. She immediately went into it (with a just a little help) and totally surprised herself!I didn’t really assist her at all, beside just standing there. That was all it took.
We get in our own way when we over-think things and rely too much on mental story-telling vs real-world visceral experience. Sometimes trying is the best way to know if you can or can’t do something. Give it a shot. You might just surprise yourself. If you still struggle and find that something is holding you back, ask a friend for support, just asking might give you enough courage (and motivating peer pressure) to give it a go.
