A fun morning talk with fellow Ashtangi Jill Manning at 'citymousetrailingspouse':
http://citymousetrailingspouse.wordpress.com/interview-with-an-ashtangi/
Monday, April 16, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Resistance is Useless!
"Resistance is useless!"
-The Vogons
Wrapping up a series of thoughts on why I practice and on the gratitude I feel for all that surrounds the practice...
Similes and metaphors abound as we try to describe how and why the practice works. My current experience in practice is shining some light on my physical body as a manifestation of all that takes place in the mental and emotional body.
With each day that we wake up and live our lives, we create patterns, habits, and tendencies. They show up physically even when we are unaware of them or choose to be unaware of them.
Sharath has been quoted quite a bit recently about the importance of starting a yoga practice with asana....and just maybe I am finally starting to understand viscerally what that is all about.
Practice, done with raw honesty, makes us aware.
And then: we have a choice. Change the patterns, habits and the tendencies or face the very physical consequences.
Although practice does have a way of bringing things out and up at a rate that we are capable of working with them, it is still often deeply uncomfortable. I'm finding that a mental and emotional tug-of-war is being reflected physically, as if practice itself is echoing Tim Miller, "Avoidance is not the answer."
I can twist the emotional and mental thoughts that arise to mean anything I'd like. I can create stories that allow complete avoidance of all that arises mentally.
But physically, I can't get away.
That the yoga practice starts with the physical to address everything else is genius. It makes perfect sense.
And for that, I am painfully grateful.
-The Vogons
Wrapping up a series of thoughts on why I practice and on the gratitude I feel for all that surrounds the practice...
Similes and metaphors abound as we try to describe how and why the practice works. My current experience in practice is shining some light on my physical body as a manifestation of all that takes place in the mental and emotional body.
With each day that we wake up and live our lives, we create patterns, habits, and tendencies. They show up physically even when we are unaware of them or choose to be unaware of them.
Sharath has been quoted quite a bit recently about the importance of starting a yoga practice with asana....and just maybe I am finally starting to understand viscerally what that is all about.
Practice, done with raw honesty, makes us aware.
And then: we have a choice. Change the patterns, habits and the tendencies or face the very physical consequences.
Although practice does have a way of bringing things out and up at a rate that we are capable of working with them, it is still often deeply uncomfortable. I'm finding that a mental and emotional tug-of-war is being reflected physically, as if practice itself is echoing Tim Miller, "Avoidance is not the answer."
I can twist the emotional and mental thoughts that arise to mean anything I'd like. I can create stories that allow complete avoidance of all that arises mentally.
But physically, I can't get away.
That the yoga practice starts with the physical to address everything else is genius. It makes perfect sense.
And for that, I am painfully grateful.
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