Quote of the day

I wanted to share an exchange I had with my wonderful boyfriend the other night. I said something about Savasana being the "end of class/practice". He responded incredibly insightfully, saying "Oh, but Savasana is just the BEGINNING of practice! That's when you've worked through everything, found your peaceful state, and can then remain in that peaceful state as you extend your practice out into the world."

Thank you, Jer, you are absolutely right. Savasana is just the beginning of true practice.

May you all find inner peace and calm resting within you throughout every part of your day.

Non-attachment in the kitchen

Two dear friends of mine are in the kitchen, arguing about 'non-attachment' over a bag of chips. One claims that non-attachment equals "detachment", unfeeling and uncaring. The other tries to explain that non-attachment still allows us to care deeply; more deeply in fact than if our compassion is filtered through anger, sadness, or other emotions. Non-attachment simply means dropping our attachment to things being a certain way. When we are not attached to the outcomes of things, we are able to find joy and contentment in whatever happens. Of course, if there is injustice or suffering in the world, we must do what we can to alleviate it. But to identify with the source of the suffering, to take it into ourselves and let it turn our minds round and round as we fail to fall asleep... this is simply to create more suffering in the world: in ourselves. My friend arguing against non-attachment is absolutely correct in that we must never become complacent, we must always strive to create a better, more just, and more compassionate world. But his opponent is also correct. Whatsoever we witness in this world, we must practice gentle non-attachment in order not to create needless suffering in another creature (ourselves). This will allow us to move from the position of right-mind, taking the best course of action in the moment to help ease our fellow beings.   

...a continuation of yesterday's post

I ended yesterday's post by talking about recognizing our own habits, and changing those habits that do not fit with the way we'd like to live (and teach others to live) in this world. But of course, recognizing these habits and patterns is very hard, and often painful. Changing them can be even more so.



Many people think that meditation is supposed to instantly clear your mind. But this is not what happens, and not what should happen! Meditation (seated or moving) is an opportunity to witness the mad swirling of the mind in all its glory, and to say "Wow! I had no idea all that noise was constantly going on! I'm going to keep breathing as I watch it quiet down." It's a lot like when you have the TV on for background noise & you stop noticing it - but when you turn it off, the silence has a strong presence of its own.



Recognizing the mind's habits through the use of meditation and awareness practices, including yoga, may bring up many negative judgements about the self. It is very important to not listen to these judgements. They are just old baggage, and they are not in charge. If they were useful, they would have done something useful by now!! (Making you feel bad does not count!)



So what do we do when we see a negative pattern in ourselves? Instead of taking negative blame for it, we can take positive responsibility. This keeps us from blaming external circumstances while still practicing self-compassion. Gently congratulate the self for being willing to learn and change. The Universe is not against you! We are here to learn to overcome suffering, and to extend that knowledge to others.



The sooner you take ownership of the negative patterns in your life, the sooner you can disown them! Nothing in your past exists in your present, current-moment reality right now, so you can make any choice you want to. The past can evaporate into thin air, unless you choose to hold onto it. Ishvara Prandihana, as I referenced yesterday, is the "final surrender". Some take this to mean full, complete surrender to the yogic practice, some use it to mean total surrender to God/Goddess/The Divine, and others see no separation between the two. However you interpret the concept, surrendering to our practice, and breathing through any wobbles or intensity, brings ultimate joy, because there is no more fear and holding back, only engagement in the moment.

REMEMBER:

You are not your past actions.

You are not your past habits.

You are not how others see you or how they have treated you.

You are not what others have told you your "faults" are.

You are ONLY what you think and do in THIS moment.

And you are divine.

Breaking out of our Habits

Practicing yoga is a way to break our habit cycles and influence the direction of change in our lives. It's a slow and ongoing process. There is no end to self-development. It's work, step by step. The gift of yoga is that you don't have to jump to the top of the ladder. In fact, you can't; no one can. Just take the first step up. Don't worry about the last step. What is right there in front of you is the next step. So then the next step becomes obvious, achiveable. But if you try to figure out how to get to the top, you may become discouraged and stop trying.

We all reach points, both in yoga practice and in other areas of life where we think, "I give up." We feel it is all too much, we don't have the energy, we are in a rut, we can't move forward. This is a normal experience of being human. What's important is to find ways to move forward anyway, to break out of our rut, to challenge our habits.

Svadhyaya
The word "svadhyaya" comes from two Sanskrit words: sva, meaning "yourself", or "that which you really are", and adhyaya, meaning "to move forward, to go in the direction of, or return to". Svadhyaya means to move in the direction of your true self, to return to who you really are.
Svadhyaya implies knowing who you are in each present moment, and understanding what is best in your relationships with your partner, children, parents, teachers, students, employees, employers, etc. In asana practice, it's being present with the practice. Svadhyaya is being in "right relationship" with whatever is present.

Svadhyaya is also a form of meditation. Some popular forms of meditation practices have emphasized one-pointedness, or attention, which help us cultivate a focused mind; however, that doesn't necessarily help us resolve our behavior or relationship patterns. We need to challenge ourselves to do that. Thinking of our highest ideals for the world and the way creatures in it are treated, we must look honestly at ourselves and our actions to see if they support our ideals. If they do not, we must practice the yoga of right speech and right action to align ourselves. Alignment in speech and action is just as important as physical alignment on the mat. And when we falter, we try to remain compassionate with the self.

Svadhyaya has to do with self reflection and the journey into who we truly are. Ishvara Pranidhana deals with attitudes and it manifests in the way we handle situations. Do we have an attitude of openness & acceptance? Do we have the internal strength and stability to maintain that attitude of openness in our hearts, even in the midst of suffering and change? We see people every day that naturally possess this heart-opening and connecting ability, and because of that, they are able to be there and help others. Suffering does not have to close us off. It can help us open, to heal self and other. We can break out of the habits of suffering and negativity, and learn how to extend accptance and joy to everyone we meet, in any situation.