Personal reflections on Yoga as an Outer and Inner Journey Garuda as an expression of Yoga, began as an image and story within a dream during 1993 and coalesced two directions coinciding the beginning of personal pilgrimages to the Himalayas of North India, Nepal and Tibet with the completion of training work in Western psychotherapy.

One aspect was the idea of Yatra or Sacred Journeys as a means for self exploration and a support for the many changes we meet though everyday life.

It has long been recognised in India, as well as elsewhere in the world, as a means for change and fulfillment through personal journeying and expression of the inner significator through the outer travel to significant power points throughout the Indian sub-continent.

In the Indian tradition the act of spiritual pilgrimage, or Yatra, to significant places within nature each symbolising contact with the Divine is seen as important at some stage in each of our lives.

These sacred points are often linked through mythology to stories from the heart of India’s wisdom teachings. Though such journeys are very possible within our own Western mythological and spiritual roots my own leaning was towards the Indian tradition and culture.

The other direction led me to the completion of four years personal and professional training in Transpersonal Psychology and its emphasis on the wholeness of being, along with personal therapeutic and professional supervision over 15 years.

These two themes developed independently with the metaphor of the outer sacred journey as a symbol for the inner journey alongside workshops where the inner sacred journey can be explored as a map for the outer journey.

Represented by the mythical image of Garuda as a vehicle, together they help to support and carry the traveller across the transitions and challenges in our personal lives with their many natural evolutions.

Both the idea of sacred journeys and interpersonal workshops offer possibilities to experience more the richness and joy within the deeper self.

The two aspects existed within the symbol of the two wings of Garuda in a complementary yet separate relationship and are for whichever appeals most to our own interests and personal direction or need. Whether within the space in the mountains or the openness within the heart we are all travellers.

In the tradition of Yoga we can start with exploring the outer landscape say through journeys to India, Nepal or wherever touches you.

Or develop the idea of exploring our inner landscape through workshops and trainings linking Oriental and Occidental Psychological Teachings by Teachers in our own Healing and Psychotherapeutic traditions interested in Yoga, Vedanta, Samkhya and Buddhism in and for the West.

The focus, as in any quest into and beyond the mind, is on exploring the Yoga perspective on suffering and looking at how to explore the deeper dimension and context of our lives whilst living, as if, within a mutually dependent and supportive community environment.