Vimaladevi Rajakanthan

Mrs. Vimaladevi Rajakanthan, 2nd Dan

Internationally Certified Instructor

Martial Arts, Yoga, and Chi Kung

Instructor Certification in the arts of Tang Soo Do, Yoga, and Chi-Kung

“How would you handle a yoga session with me?” Master Bell had asked me sometimes when I struggled with a simple stretch that he would introduce to students in a Tang Soo Do class. With 10 years of training in Tang Soo Do and Chi-Kung my family and I were offered 6 months of Yoga sessions as a pathway to International Instructor Certification in the arts of Tang Soo Do, Yoga, and Chi-Kung. The experience of the first yoga class set the course for the next 6 months. It was not just to learn a pose but to understand the whole process of getting into a stretch, holding it, coming out of it, and registering the entire experience in the stretch. The certification session served as a reinforcement of the foundation we had in the 10+ years of training and gave me a chance to revisit some of my habits and choices.

The class was well structured with the placement of each student’s yoga mat mapped out to keep a good energy flow. Everything we did in the class was yoga.  There was a way to walk into the mat and out of it,  to pick up a block and to place it i.e. you made friends with the mat and blocks. The class was thorough yet simple but it set the bar for the students to follow and learn from the simplicity, so we will be able to offer it to someone. 

We started with head-to-toe warm-ups slowing it down to pay attention to the volume of oxygen intake during inhales, releasing tension in the body during exhales, and adjusting the posture to align the 13th meridian line for energy flow. This prepared our mind and body for any stretch later but we took the time to come to a quiet place. Going into a stretch there were always 3 things in my mind, (1) stretch and breath- inhale is the prep and as you exhale stretch, (2) keep the stomach lose as I tend to tighten it when I stretch and (3) relax the muscles that I had tensed going into the stretch and quieten to the stretch. Coming out of the stretch is done with equal attention as going into the stretch so the muscles stretched fall back in place. After the stretch, there is a way to step out of the mat, one leg at a time and then we walk slowly, accessing our balance and registering the experience of the stretch. This level of detail in the process of a stretch quietened the mind, relaxed the body, and left me in a balanced state.

In Tang Soo Do training, doing a few jumping jacks would bring me out of any thoughts or emotions that may be lingering from that day.  As I went through the yoga sessions initially, I had thoughts about the day or emotions about stretching the different muscle groups. Master used to mention yoga is not supposed to hurt and when you have pain you have to go and get it. As I honestly brought my mind to the stretch and consciously inhaled and exhaled deeper when there was pain or discomfort to relax the muscles, I saw how my mind quietened, pain alleviated and emotions subsided. The increased blood circulation to different parts of the body changed the body chemistry and that brought content and joy. 

During the certification training, I saw changes happening within and around me. Recording these changes will be instrumental for me as a reference in the future.

Changes and Growth

Awareness of myself and surroundings: The stark difference in the yoga session to slow down allowed me to revisit some of my habits and choices that I had overlooked. The increased awareness from the slow down helped me to look at my thoughts, to be conscious of my mouth breathing, to adjust my posture, and more. As Master Bell addressed the issues of other students I went into self-examination. I adjusted my posture while standing to consciously shift my weight to the outside of the leg to ease the pressure on my joints. I consciously took breaks in between tasks as a check-in and paid attention to breathing with my mouth closed, especially when I am deeply involved in a task. The awareness extended throughout the day. Being a right-handed person I became aware of the difference in strength between my left and right side of the body and stretched consciously to gain balance on both sides. 

Understanding and Registering the Benefits of Stretches: Going through my perimenopause phase, I had symptoms like bloating, hot flashes, and leg and knee pains. Through yoga stretches, I was able to alleviate those symptoms. When doing stretches relaxing the respiratory system, bringing the shoulder blades in, and lifting and opening up the chest helped to increase the oxygen intake. A good intake of oxygen cleanses the body of toxins and in the process heals the body. As I understood this and focused on deep inhales and exhales not just during yoga training but throughout the day I was able to keep my body rejuvenated. Relaxing my face, I opened up the sinus pockets and cleared mucus. The blood circulation to my eyes and face made everything around me look brighter. There was a glow in my face from the blood circulation and the clarity in my mind. As I learned more about my body I appreciated my physical self even more.  

Becoming a Yogi – Going through one of the stretches I was aggressive focusing on the result rather than paying attention to details in the stretch. Yoga is not about doing a magazine stretch but about slowing down and stretching the smaller muscle groups that are closer to the bones. I understood from that session that I can’t slow down in a stretch if in my character there is aggressiveness. When I asked Master Bell about handling this behavior, he suggested that I may be doing too many things so I had to prioritize. When I started prioritizing, it pushed many tasks to another day and I saw my aggressiveness waning. That slow down brought focus on my deep-buried emotions. When I logically understood the reason behind those emotions and put them in perspective, my spirit was becoming a little more free. Reaching the smaller muscle groups was like reaching for those buried emotions which was happening in the process during this certification and I got a sense that I was growing into a yogi.  

Healthy and Glowing: The answer to my amazement of how Master was not affected by every germ that he came across came to me as I watched him and experienced myself being relaxed and consistently rejuvenated which boosted our immunity levels. The two days of YOGA in addition to the MWF structure and our weekend training, streamlined the daily structure for me and my family. That structure maximized the time I was relaxed and connecting to myself. I became more aware and sensitive. I was able to keep germs away both inside and outside Dojang with consistent training and a higher level of immunity that I had developed. With sensitivity and awareness, I kept myself out of toxic situations and conversations improving my quality of life. Since everyone in the family was part of the structure, I saw a glow on everyone’s face because they were able to slow down and maintain a balanced state with the structure checking their impulses. 

Relationship building: I faced the task of redefining my relationship with my young adult Akhil and 16-year-old Akshay. I stepped back to let Akhil take responsibility rather than following him every step of the way. It’s an ongoing process and I see gradual changes. To help Akshay through his crucial phase of being 16 I had to dig deep about my teenage years. I shared with him the love story of my parents and being born to them when they were 20 and 23. I also talked to my parents and got to know a little more about them in their twenties. This improved my relationship with my parents and my offspring. My parents’ narration of my birth story made me appreciate being born into this world.

Throughout the yoga training, different students brought different situations and issues. As Master unraveled the situations, I went back into some parts of my life. I had many pillow talks with my husband and got clarity about different people in my life, my past experiences, and lessons from those experiences. Knowing that Elanchezhian has been a good emotional support to me, I see the need to humble myself and be open to his ideas so we can both be on the same page and support each other and our sons.

Elanchezhian and I were able to convey to our sons that they have invested in these 3 arts and worked towards becoming certified instructors. As they look forward to finding their place in society they can take the arts along with them in their pursuit knowing that they are already someone. 

Owning the art: Throughout the yoga sessions Master Bell continuously checked with students about our experiences so we could register the change happening within us. As an advanced student, I will be able to own the art when I look forward to these experiences in my practice. Through the experience from one of the yoga sessions I experientially understood that art when practiced with integrity will bring amazing results like a line in the song of “Sip Sam Seh” ‘Amazing things will happen when you meet the opponent’. I have had such experiences intermittently when doing forms or when elevating energy. When I come clean with integrity I want to be a solution person(logical) not dramatic(emotional) then as an artist I would be living every day being aware of every choice that I make. Master always says “You cannot fake it”. I understand that to own the art I need to be sure of myself. Sureness comes when I live without conflict between my logic and my emotions. 

When introspecting the reason for conflicts I recognized that my fear was a predominant emotion and I was disappointed when I didn’t know how to handle that fear when I was faced with life unfolding events. Having recognized that fear is not allowing me to develop sureness about myself, I see the need for a conscious effort to quieten down and give structured time for self-inspection.

As I watch the challenges of other students I understand my path of growth and it keeps me humble to look back at my weak choices and traits and the changes that I went through to come to a better place. Sharing my stories of growth will help juniors and also reassure me to not go back to the weak traits.

Appreciating life: One change within me during the yoga session is that I have become more appreciative, especially the trivial things that are overlooked. I appreciate the energy that me and my family have preserved by defining a structure for our life and living by it. The 10 years of Tang Soo Do class structure has curbed so many of our impulses. That thought brings so much appreciation and joy to me. In the 10+ years of experience in training, we have made sacrifices and have gone through many challenges to replace bad habits that we had developed over decades. These arts have given us the philosophy to understand ourselves through our behaviors and have let us know that we are ALREADY SOMEONE. I am more proud of my identity as an artist than my identity as an engineer.

Looking ahead

As an artist becoming a certified instructor has reminded me that the path I have chosen would allow me to continuously grow every day. I have experienced life to be interesting when I learn and become better every day. Having identified the blank spaces that need to be filled and the need to discard fear from my spirit, the awareness to stay logical and dismiss emotion is the key. This simple yet profound message cannot be overlooked. I can be sure of what I have to offer others when I am without conflict. I humbly accept the role to share with others my path of growth. The changes that I went through with the yoga session have added more life experiences that I can share with those in need of a better quality of life. I am open to learning and growing as I share the knowledge and experiences that I gained from the 3 arts of Tang Soo Do, Yoga, and Chi-Kung.