I know it's just 90 minutes, but what you do in your practice is often a reflection of how you treat and go about your daily life; at the very least, it is a place where you can spend 90 minutes practicing how you want the rest of your life to be. We want to be strong, we want to be flexible, we want mental focus, determination, willpower and at the same time patience, calm and serenity. We want the ability to nurture and love. I try to make my practice follow suit and then watch it unfold in my life.
Everyday is different, and I try to take them one at a time. Some day’s I'm strong and balanced, and my practice is brilliant. Other times it’s not so bright. I may be nursing an injury, feeling sick, stress or dealing with any of the one hundred and one thousand things in life. These times I tend to be more introspective in order to make the most of those 90 minutes.
The point here is not to be rigid. Instead, listen to what your body is telling you, and adjust your practice to suit. If your hip is stiff or sore, be gentle in Tree. If you're on balance today, really kick into Standing Bow. The key is to be reflective in your practice. That's an important part of the discipline. Try not to lose sight of the real goal of your practice. Remember, we're not in this to conquer each pose, but to receive the benefit from it. If we're contemplative throughout, in posture and the stillness between, we can maximize our reward regardless of how we started our day.
Likewise, in life we have a similar set of circumstances to navigate everyday. I take the attitude that I nurture in practice and apply it to the rest of my life. What once were roadblocks become opportunities for self-discovery. Setbacks are redefined through corrections. It's not always easy to stay on task, but I have to be willing to start over when I slip; like in the 90 minute practice: if I fall out, I just jump back in. My progress, health and well-being are in my own hands.
It's all a process, and life, like your postures, is about the journey, not the destination.
Namaste
-Kat
Thursday, September 27, 2007
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3 comments:
I look forward to the opening of your facility and taking a class.
Can't wait 'til you open! Looking forward to next weekend!
Just like the beads of sweat that roll off of my body in tadasana I dream of a day when "it is what it is" will be the mantra for the entire class. I've felt it before and the air is as soft as a mothers bossom. Attaching any kind of judgement or assessment to the practice robs you of the lesson, but then the lesson preceding this lesson comes. It might sound like a wild ride in semantics,but life is a joyous event, and even while suffering never let them see you SWEAT. It is only temporary. I see great things in you Kat,no trying be in synch, be ready, and doing will replacing trying Congrats. Here's to locking the knee.
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