4 minute read
Each Day is a Blessing to Acknowledge Who I Am
Tammi Risim grew up in a home in India with her parents and grandmother, Kartar Kour. From the time Tammi was a very young child, she was brought by the patriarch of her family to Amritsar, Punjab to attend the Golden Temple, also known as Harmandir Sahib, meaning “exalted court.”
The first Harmandir Sahib was built in 1604 by Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru, who symbolically had it placed on a lower level so that even the humblest had to step down to enter it. He also included entrances on all four sides, signifying that it was open to worshippers of all castes and creeds.
This is where young Tammi learned to practice Sikhism. Twice each day, she would journey to the temple on foot to worship. After each worship, she would stay to help cook for others to show love and respect to all. Mindfully preparing simple, nutritious food and then serving this food to others was a big part of her daily practice. Every day over 100,000 free meals are served from the Golden Temple to anyone who wants to participate.
The word Sikh means Student of Discipline. There is nothing that is beyond or outside the one God. Therefore, nothing is being created or destroyed, as the creation and destruction are still only part of the one. The goal of life is to focus on being at one with God. This is attainable by meditation, prayer, and being in the company of others who share a similar goal.
When Tammi arrived in the United States in 1998, she was in her early 20’s. Finding others who shared the goal of attainment took some time. Fortunately, she was able to draw upon her strong spiritual practice as she looked for her community. While Tammy had a
Bachelor of Science degree and had experience in the worlds of IT, Modeling, Engineering, and Indian Television, she knew she needed to find a way to maintain herself always and be “At One” in her professional life as well.
As a yoga Instructor at Lifetime Fitness, Tammi is true to her core beliefs and has helped bring Rij Veda’s principles, the oldest form of yoga developed 10,000 years ago, to her students. Tammi realized people need to be living and breathing yoga as a way of life. Yoga was the answer. After a series of other jobs, she She started TammiShanti.com yoga Retreats found her way back to yoga and has significantly to “Achieve Tranquility.” She takes people grown her practice over the past 20 all over the world to practice yoga and years. She completed her yoga “When we see learn about other cultures while training certification courses the Beloved in maintaining peace and purpose. from yoga-fit, Karma Yoga, Life each person, it’s Her belief is that you have to Power, and Johnny Kest. Yoga like walking through be more than 100 percent in allows Tammi the ability to a garden, watching the moment of life, love, and give love unconditionally and flowers bloom all relationships and come from without expectations, which around us.” your own foundation with “The leads her to experience bliss, regardless of her circumstances. — Ram Dass. One.” Tammy’s love, acceptance, tools, and her rich foundation provides a beautiful space for her Each day she rises and takes time first by students to bloom. breathing in meditation and being one with herself. Then she begins her prayer ritual, Once she teaches the importance of which includes deep gratitude for many things, discipline and control, she then moves on including her ability to see and walk and talk. to Surrender. Her Surrender Yoga class is When she is finished communicating with her jam-packed with a waitlist every week. She God and Self, she nourishes her body with has the gift of strong intuition, and she can yoga and a devotional meal. All her meals help others connect to their souls. Tammy are Ayurveda which means “The Science of does not think about the future or the past Life,” and are often called “The Mother of All because it has no meaning in life if you are Healing.” Ayurveda, commonly practiced in present in every moment. This does not India, is based on the world’s oldest “whole- mean that you don’t make plans for your body” healing system. As a yoga instructor, future; it just means to do your best to stay yoga teacher trainer, and a vessel of spirit, in the moment. How you show up at this Tammi prepares herself to help others bloom moment will determine your future. from their strong foundation. As she lives in her truth, she can help bring others to their authenticity. “Every day, we have a choice to pick the Vibe of the day. This Vibe will become a feeling, the feeling becomes thought, and the thought will become a reaction. Positive minds create positive lives.” When Tammi is asked where to start to build a spiritual practice, she replies:
• Start with writing down your feelings in a journal.
• Do something that can be as simple as breathing through your nose - (research shows just breathing through your nose can clear a foggy mind), eat an
Ayurvedic meal, do a meditation, take a yoga class.
• Be consistent with some discipline. It takes time to figure out what works for you. Once you find something keep doing it.
These are life practices vs. a once and done.
