Here it is again: I'm wavering today between what I feel to be Truth and Freedom and the deep patterns held in my personality. It is a wave of a closing-off squeeze with a sense of ahhhh... there it is, who I truly am, a child of God if you will and the ability to see others as indeed children of God, making their way through life here on Earth!
I grew up rather fast, having a certain amount of responsibility without power to maneuver through. When my feet hit the ground upon adulthood I engaged with power, became very responsible for myself, for others and overextended my time and energy for years. [The jury is definitely out on causes but I did come down with a deadly cancer by age 37.] Although I'm getting out of the enabling business, I find myself occasionally livid with other people's behavior. This, of course, comes from my fantasy that others are actually going to meet my expectations. Now, STANDARDS ARE GOOD. They tell us who fits and does not fit into our lives and to what degree. What I need to navigate is the minefield of emotion during the decision process.
So... today I'm in the muck and the sunshine. There is a waving between love, truth and understanding and the basics of navigating my way in life, deciding who is to be part of mine and to what extent. My choices are for the greater good: inner peace.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Geography Of The Body by Julie Rappaport
These words by Julie Rappaport align nicely with the woods class:
Geography Of The Body
The sacred geography of the body is viewed by yoga texts and Vendata as a microcosm of the universe. The body itself becomes a temple, and thus the need for external places of worship becomes superfluous. Ancient practitioners used forests and caves as places of meditation, relying on the inner sanctum to meet God- their own true Self.
- #199 from the book 365 Yoga
Geography Of The Body
The sacred geography of the body is viewed by yoga texts and Vendata as a microcosm of the universe. The body itself becomes a temple, and thus the need for external places of worship becomes superfluous. Ancient practitioners used forests and caves as places of meditation, relying on the inner sanctum to meet God- their own true Self.
- #199 from the book 365 Yoga
Monday, June 18, 2012
What is asana practice about if the body is in a state of dis-ease or phase of decline?
Asana practice can be and is about building the body up so the speak: more fluid, flexible, stronger, more agile and less tense with more awareness. And, your body in the moment is the body you are working with. The practice is always within the context of NOW. This is where honoring the nature of duality* comes in. We move with and work with the vitality and accept the impermanence of our physical form. So using the same list from above, it's sometimes appropriate to let go of the idea of improvement and say to yourself a little more fluid, a little more flexible, a little stronger, a little more agile and a little less tense with more awareness.
Self-improvement has its place. It is the expression of Rajas. And I've seen a lot of unhappiness (imbalance) come out of the notion that we (and others) must always be improving or else _____________ (fill in the blank). "Unfortunately, by constantly comparing yourself to an ideal standard, you conclude that self-improvement is necessary for self-acceptance." - Byron Brown, Soul Without Shame, Chapter 12. [I am no master and humbly admit to being in a place (a lifetime!) of balancing the expression of control related to a self-improvement compulsion with the sense of Tamasic release.]
As the saying goes, "the only constant is change" or "change is the only constant". This and the balancing of duality are core aspects of Eastern thought. If the physical form is in a phase of perceived decline or in a state of dis-ease, there are opportunities to work awareness of the changes and find equilibrium with the body you have today.
There is one practice which addresses, and perhaps celebrates in a quiet way, the ultimate physical change. Most everyone does this in just about every yoga session. Perhaps appropriately, it is not talked about much but Savasana translates as "corpse pose". It is an opportunity to prepare for the biggest body transition we will all face, and that is death. Ultimately we will let go of physical form. The idea, if one wishes to embrace it, is to practice for the transition. Whether you actually reflect on this deeper idea or simply rest at the end of asana practice, in Savasana we let go of the body. We let it release and go to the back burner so to speak. In physical rest, we allow for awareness to step forward.
Remember, acceptance is part of asana. Listen to your self talk. Would you say these things to a person you care about? Another person in class? What would you say to a friend who is frustrated with her body with regard to asana? Sometimes we speak to ourselves in ways we would never speak to people we care about.
*Tamas-Rajas, Yin-Yang, Masculine-Feminine, Sun-Moon, Heat-Cold, Right-Left, Inhale-Exhale
Self-improvement has its place. It is the expression of Rajas. And I've seen a lot of unhappiness (imbalance) come out of the notion that we (and others) must always be improving or else _____________ (fill in the blank). "Unfortunately, by constantly comparing yourself to an ideal standard, you conclude that self-improvement is necessary for self-acceptance." - Byron Brown, Soul Without Shame, Chapter 12. [I am no master and humbly admit to being in a place (a lifetime!) of balancing the expression of control related to a self-improvement compulsion with the sense of Tamasic release.]
As the saying goes, "the only constant is change" or "change is the only constant". This and the balancing of duality are core aspects of Eastern thought. If the physical form is in a phase of perceived decline or in a state of dis-ease, there are opportunities to work awareness of the changes and find equilibrium with the body you have today.
There is one practice which addresses, and perhaps celebrates in a quiet way, the ultimate physical change. Most everyone does this in just about every yoga session. Perhaps appropriately, it is not talked about much but Savasana translates as "corpse pose". It is an opportunity to prepare for the biggest body transition we will all face, and that is death. Ultimately we will let go of physical form. The idea, if one wishes to embrace it, is to practice for the transition. Whether you actually reflect on this deeper idea or simply rest at the end of asana practice, in Savasana we let go of the body. We let it release and go to the back burner so to speak. In physical rest, we allow for awareness to step forward.
Remember, acceptance is part of asana. Listen to your self talk. Would you say these things to a person you care about? Another person in class? What would you say to a friend who is frustrated with her body with regard to asana? Sometimes we speak to ourselves in ways we would never speak to people we care about.
*Tamas-Rajas, Yin-Yang, Masculine-Feminine, Sun-Moon, Heat-Cold, Right-Left, Inhale-Exhale
Upcoming Gentle Yoga Classes in the Park - 8:30 AM
Monday Classes in the Park: June 25th, July 16th, July 23rd, July 30th
In case of rain, I will send out an email regarding whether we will cancel or meet at an indoor location.
With the summer heat, it is advisable to bring a bottle of water.
Please note the 8:30 start time. We will return to 9am in the fall.
Although participants can "take what they need and leave the rest", the emphasis of this class is to cultivate awareness by using the body & breath and the natural environment as tools for concentration. I hope to help participants build a foundation for bringing yoga practice into regular life, even if in small ways. In the process we do indeed build muscle, stretch, move toward fuller diaphragmatic breathing and thus move closer to a little more physical harmony.
There is no class fee. Donations are accepted and these funds cycle back in to support my teaching path.
Part of the way I teach is through the blog, a good portion of which centers on my practice and understanding of yoga. In learning about my comfort with an inner world I've come to find writing is a way for me to bridge that world with the outer. But there are simple resources on the blog too.
In case of rain, I will send out an email regarding whether we will cancel or meet at an indoor location.
With the summer heat, it is advisable to bring a bottle of water.
Please note the 8:30 start time. We will return to 9am in the fall.
Although participants can "take what they need and leave the rest", the emphasis of this class is to cultivate awareness by using the body & breath and the natural environment as tools for concentration. I hope to help participants build a foundation for bringing yoga practice into regular life, even if in small ways. In the process we do indeed build muscle, stretch, move toward fuller diaphragmatic breathing and thus move closer to a little more physical harmony.
There is no class fee. Donations are accepted and these funds cycle back in to support my teaching path.
Part of the way I teach is through the blog, a good portion of which centers on my practice and understanding of yoga. In learning about my comfort with an inner world I've come to find writing is a way for me to bridge that world with the outer. But there are simple resources on the blog too.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The Private Self, The Embarrassing Aspects, What We Keep From Others
One of the assignments at the end of chapter 12 in Soul Without Shame is to list the things kept hidden. In doing the assignment there was the realization of how I've judged myself as a phony because there are parts of my human experience I choose to hold back from society. Of course there are things to tuck back and not expose to the world. TMI = too much information. And, it is empowering to look at them squarely. [Pen and paper or a word processor are wonderful tools.] The assignment allows one to acknowledge and consider, as applied to the self, the existence of such things as resentment, greed, anger, laziness, denial, not to mention cellulite, warts, gas and pimples.
What I'm learning with self-study and maturity that comes from time is the idealist part of personality can be a stumbling block. Maybe you have to read and follow the book to understand what I'm getting at in this post. I do hope to convey here that we have things hidden away and it may be helpful to look squarely at them in written form as a point of observation. Thus, there is a little more space for your true, pure, radiant self to shine through.
What I'm learning with self-study and maturity that comes from time is the idealist part of personality can be a stumbling block. Maybe you have to read and follow the book to understand what I'm getting at in this post. I do hope to convey here that we have things hidden away and it may be helpful to look squarely at them in written form as a point of observation. Thus, there is a little more space for your true, pure, radiant self to shine through.
Yama & Niyama Fall In The Center
I have written that one can enter onto any limb of yoga. This notion is not my own as I've heard it from others. This post is to explore that statement. There's nothing wrong with questioning! Please post a comment if you have something to share from your experience.
In approaching the 8 limbs of yoga, reading and understand the lead-up in the yoga sutras is helpful. The first 28 verses present how to embrace the yogic system. The 8 limbs fall in the center of the text. A foundation of understanding is helpful... AND... isn't it just fine to approach yoga any way one is introduced to the practice? In the case of America today, most likely through asana initially?
As mentioned previously, I am studying Soul Without Shame: A Guide To Liberating Yourself From The Judge Within by Byron Brown. Interestingly, about mid-way through the book on page 158, he mentions something the inner judge does which is akin to Yama and Niyama: "... two broad categories: those designed to maintain control over "bad" or unacceptable parts of the self and those designed to move you toward your ideal of what a good person should be." Yama are things to abstain from; Niyama are observances to move toward, personal conduct in particular. Now, just as Patanjali did in the yoga sutras, quite a bit of lead-up has been provided by Brown on to how to go about approaching these aspects of human experience.
So, again, please comment if you have insight into the notion of how to approach yogic philosophy as structured by the 8 limbs. I'm not one for dogma and yet, will continue to reflect since my personality is one that appreciates efficiency.
In approaching the 8 limbs of yoga, reading and understand the lead-up in the yoga sutras is helpful. The first 28 verses present how to embrace the yogic system. The 8 limbs fall in the center of the text. A foundation of understanding is helpful... AND... isn't it just fine to approach yoga any way one is introduced to the practice? In the case of America today, most likely through asana initially?
As mentioned previously, I am studying Soul Without Shame: A Guide To Liberating Yourself From The Judge Within by Byron Brown. Interestingly, about mid-way through the book on page 158, he mentions something the inner judge does which is akin to Yama and Niyama: "... two broad categories: those designed to maintain control over "bad" or unacceptable parts of the self and those designed to move you toward your ideal of what a good person should be." Yama are things to abstain from; Niyama are observances to move toward, personal conduct in particular. Now, just as Patanjali did in the yoga sutras, quite a bit of lead-up has been provided by Brown on to how to go about approaching these aspects of human experience.
So, again, please comment if you have insight into the notion of how to approach yogic philosophy as structured by the 8 limbs. I'm not one for dogma and yet, will continue to reflect since my personality is one that appreciates efficiency.
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