Soma Temple founded ‘Aum Rudraksha Designs’ in 2003 in Bali, with the intention of spreading the spiritual wisdom of the holy bead—the Rudraksha—to the western world as apprised by her guru in India. Here, the yogini tells us about her product, her path and her purpose.
I have been practicing yoga for 45 years. I started in 1972 when I was 18 years old, and my teacher was an elderly Indian man in California.
Yoga keeps you flexible in body and especially in your mind, and I highly recommend it to everyone. True yoga is a combination of asana, mantra and meditation. In Bali, where I live, the locals refer to meditation as yoga, and don’t just focus on poses and asana practice. In the Balinese culture, yoga means meditation.
For me, the most important benefit of yoga is that it quietens the mind. What we need the mind for is to perform routine daily activities, such as buying tickets, making reservations, etc. We really do not need all the mental chatter that goes on inside it, as it is mostly about judging, analyzing, confusing and questioning trivial things over which we have no control. Most of that chatter actually disturbs our peace of mind. I find that my mind quietens after I stretch my body through asana, and sit quietly for a few mantras and meditation. With a quiet mind, I am able to do all my daily activities with far more grace and ease.
My favorite pose is Padmasana (the lotus pose) as it keeps the spine straight, allowing the kundalini to rise. It is the pose for meditation, which is what I love more and more as I get older. It also keeps my knees flexible and strong.
My guru told me, more than 20 years ago, that my Dharma (purpose in life) was to spread the Rudraksha to the West. Used for centuries by the Hindus and the Buddhists, Papaji believed that given the pure power of the Rudrakshas, “the world would be at peace if everyone was wearing them.” With that began my life changing journey. My motivation is to radiate peace and touch each individual that crosses my path with love, helping them to discover themselves.
From starting off as a hobby that weaved the Rudrakshas into elegant jewelry, Aum Rudraksha now supplies products to more than 60 stores in five different continents. Find out more here.
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This article was first published in Yoga Journal Singapore, a magazine owned by the same company that publishes Yogahood Online.
