Tag Archives: spirit

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Taking Stock

by vitasamb2001

Today I want to invite you to take stock of all that you have been able to experience in your yoga practice. This can be looked at in several ways.

1. How was your mind with regard to the practice, when you began, and now? Just notice what differences there may be. Are they subtle differences? That is great. Slow and steady changes are actually preferable here in most instances.

2. How does your mind work with your present daily life? Does it seem the same as when you first began yoga? Are you doing something different, or it is just naturally happening on its own?

3. How do you feel emotionally in your yoga practice? In your daily life compared to when you first started yoga? Are there changes?

4. What other differences are there in your own experience of the practice of yoga, and in daily life? Have you made other changes in your life since you started practicing yoga? Are you able to be steady, consistent, kind, or patient in ways you were not before? Are these subtle changes or big ones?

This is really about noticing your own experience. But if you are seeing differences, or changes, have you noticed an appreciation that comes with noticing?

I, personally, feel a great appreciation. Not just for my practice, and the gift of yoga, but also for my own body’s ability to do this work, and to grow on so many different levels. I feel grateful that this is a way to experience the healing and development of my body, and that this can be shared instead of being a lonely process. This sense of gratitude for the process and the possibility is something that I seem to take stock of every day. How this has worked in your life, and your opinion of what it is that makes the body to adapt and strengthen, relax and change really matters. See how you experience this and notice how your appreciation might encourage you to move forward in your practice (give you motivation), in the encouragement of others, and in a growing sense of shared experience, or in some other way. Just see what your own experience invites you to do.

 

Yoga Pose of the Day: Pyramid Pose – Parsvottanansana

Yogic Concept of the Day: Notice what is appreciated about the practice and my experience of it, and how I feel encouraged to act in accord with this appreciation.

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Dharma

by: graur razvan ionut

This week we are studying the four basic paths for having a virtuous life. To be clear, in the yogic concept, all four paths should be followed, though one may be an area of particular concern, interest, or otherwise be a main focus for you at this time. Of course, throughout our lives, which area is a main focus will naturally change. However, to have a stable life in which a person is able to give of themselves what they can, and also to gain a sense of purpose, each of these areas should be cared for and developed appropriately.

The first of these areas is called dharma. Dharma can be literally translated as righteousness. Of course this means caring for the spiritual practice which you follow in the best way you know how.  It can also mean living rightly, refraining from harming oneself or others, and generally following the path that is true to your nature. Doing good deeds, practicing selflessness, and generally being helpful to others is a good guideline. If you need to go to school in order to offer your skills as a kind person through work as a social worker or doctor, then going to school would be a part of following your dharma, as well.

Today, you may want to take some time to think of ways that you may be able to honor your nature in a way that is supportive to others. It could be that you are a painter and would be able to donate some of your work to a local hospital for the waiting room outside surgery. Perhaps you sing, and could offer your skills at a nursing home. Maybe you are a great cook, and could offer to head up a food-based fundraiser for the local kids softball team or fire department. Maybe you are just good at lending a hand and can contact the local Red Cross and see what they need. How can you offer some service? You don’t need to promise 20 hours a week somewhere to be helpful. Sometimes all it takes is one day a week for a couple of hours. And maybe just asking around, you could find something that would be enjoyable.

By the way, if you have no idea what types of skills and talents may be of worth, sharing your time is a great way to find out!

After you have thought of what you may be able to offer your community in the way of time, talent, and effort, see if you can go ahead and take the first step.  Make a phone call, or show up to ask questions, and try to sign up for something. Remember that it is okay to say you only have a couple of hours a month. Just remember that using your talents to be of support to others has rewards you may not have considered. What you do can be a joy, to yourself and others.

This service contributes to a sense of purpose, a feeling of belonging, and a deeper connection to the heartbeat of our town. When you allow your life to weave into the life of your town, a new type of connection occurs, and this can be truly satisfying.

Yoga Pose of the Day: Boat Pose: Navasana

Yogic Concept of the Day: How can I be of service using my talents?

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Starting Momentum

So – if you haven’t checked out yesterday’s post, this might be a good time.

This is the season for giving. This is a season in which we typically think less about ourselves, and use our time to think of others and give to others. But we can also use this time to deepen our relationships with ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually. And we will have more to offer others, in so many ways, if we will enrich our own experiences through working steadily toward some goal. 

By now you have picked one thing to work on so you can finish strong for the year regarding a goal you have for yourself.  Maybe you have picked  a new goal, maybe a goal you set for yourself earlier in the year. You may be working towards passing a test to get into school, learning a language, getting in better shape, or learning about the stock market. It doesn’t matter. All the suggestions here would be good options. You can do it.

You have your goal. You have written it down. You have told at least one person, and have asked them to cheer you on.

You want to schedule, in your date book, specific time each day to work toward your goal. Regular, steady effort is recommended more than single long sessions once a week. You will learn most things more deeply in 20 minutes a day each day, than in 4 hour sessions for 4 Saturdays. This is true even for learning to draw. If you have chosen something that requires hours and hours each day – be sure you actually have that time. I mean, this may not be the right season for that type of exploration, so be honest with yourself about what is realistic for you and your schedule.

So far, we don’t have momentum built up, so these first few days we must create some heat (tapas – http://coldwaterhaven.com/2011/09/07/building-a-fire-within/) and some real momentum around our activity. My suggestion – stop right now and do something toward your goal. If you are cooking for the month, get a quick recipe or make the grocery list for tonight. If you are attempting to lose weight or doing something else you can’t do right this minute… take a second to set a firm resolve. But just about what you are doing today. Schedule, act. let go.

Today I can do one thing, and that is all I need to do.

Let tomorrow worry about tomorrow. Don’t think about the rest of the month.

As usual, once we make a firm commitment to do something, there will be some challenge. A co-worker shows up with fudge; you catch cold when the goal is about exercising; we realize we have set unrealistic expectations for ourselves. Today is the “safe to change it” day…It is the only ne you will get.  If you really did set unrealistic goals, you should reconsider, and choose something more realistic along the same lines. If you just don’t want to do the work today – too bad. I know you can do one simple thing today. Schedule something, make a choice to use today for your benefit. Eat to get something helpful to your body. Take a moment to acknowledge that you do want to care for yourself and this is the way we are doing that today.

I, personally, set the goal for 108 Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations). Today is not the day I will do that. Today I am just going to do as many as  feel comfortable with. In fact, I will stop here and do them.

I did eleven (11). I could do more, but this was where it felt like my heart rate was really up and I wanted to stop. I am getting over a cold right now. So, I am  interested in caring for my body more than meeting some goal. However, working each day, without pushing too hard will get me somewhere without my working so hard that I burn out and give up before the end of the month. I don’t want to burn out. I want to have some joy with what I am doing.

A recent blog post of mine was about letting go (http://coldwaterhaven.com/2011/11/10/let-go-of-results/). Once we have started on a path toward any goal, we can let go of the results and just stay with the work. Trust the process. There is nothing like actually doing yoga asana (poses) to work on this. You cannot simply just push through all those sun salutations. The mind opens up when you do repeated motion, so you will become really bored or really distracted by thoughts. Your mind will do this unless you have an intention to remain aware of the body and use the process to help the mind be more stable. Staying mentally aware of each movement in the process takes real effort and provides real rewards. I am not just working on “getting” something. I am not only trying to make some goal of 108 sun salutations. I am attempting to open myself up to what the mind can do with that time, with that process, and with that activity. What is it like to do 108 sun salutations as a regular daily practice? What is it like mentally, physically, spiritually?

Whatever you have chosen to work on this month can provide you with an opportunity to just go through the motions, or you can use the motions to become more awake, more aware.  You can use any activity to wake up your inner resolve and intention, and hone in on some real inner strength. This process has rewards beyond what you think they are. You don’t merely get a new look, or a new picture of yourself. You get some real gifts that may even matter more. Don’t you wonder what they will be?