Recent years have brought phenomenal awareness of yoga. Yoga is
"mainstream." Does this mean we're calmer, more peaceful and attuned
to our inner wisdom? Not exactly. We find ourselves living in a
society that is increasingly frantic. People live hard and fast, and
have very short attention spans. Competition is fierce. Yoga classes
can be found in many different venues, in forms that are new,
interesting and, at times, baffling to longtime practitioners. A
sense of urgency is pervasive. "I want transformation and I want it
now!" seems to be the current mantra.
I feel that urgency at times. When I feel that urgency to get more
yoga, get more transformation and to get it as fast as possible, I
start looking at my yoga practice as a chore to be done or put
aside. My practice has sometimes become a burden and my ideas about
my personal yoga practice become an obstacle to experiencing the
transformative power of the practice. In other words, I get in my
own way. When this happens, it's usually because my mind has raced
ahead of my heart. When I follow my mind, I'm like a wind-up toy car
that has been lodged in a corner. I keep going, bumping around,
getting nowhere until I run out of energy.
At other times, I feel connected to the timeless quality of the
practice itself. I still have a bit of the wind-up toy car in me,
but it's as though the practice itself has lifted me out of the
corner and turned me around, giving me freedom to move forward with
ease. I once had a dream in which I saw myself standing in a long
line of men and women, stretching into the past and the future, all
supported by generations of yogic discipline and practice. The
strength of tradition is fertile soil for heart-centered
transformation.
Late winter has always been a bit of a challenge for me. I just want
to curl up with a cup of hot tea and wait for the snow to melt.
Rather than struggling with that, I'm choosing to take some time
this month to take stock of my life (especially how I "spend" my
time) and to notice where there is potential for heart-centered
transformation.
It's been a full 10 weeks since the adventure that is 2007 began.
How's it going? Are you feeling balanced and at ease in your life?
MARCH 2007 PRACTICE:
Time and how
we live in it
Our March practice focuses on time and how we live in it. Remember
the intentions or resolutions you set way back in January? Let's
revisit them now and examine the adventures we have had in 2007.
What was a highlight for you over the two months?
What challenges have you faced?
What is working well?
What is not working well?
What do you hope will continue?
What do you hope will change?
What are you willing to do right now to create a space for
transformation?
Think about these questions and do some personal research. Read
through a journal (if you keep one). Better yet, pick up your 2007
appointment book (or Blackberry) and scroll through this more
objective inventory of your time. Imagine that you are an
anthropologist. What can you learn about this person from the
appointment book? What are his priorities? What does she value?
As you read through this log, have two colored pens or pencils
ready. Notice how your energy shifts as you consider each day.
Notice when you feel heavy, tired, sad or angry and place a mark
near that item in one color. Notice when you feel light, happy,
energized, warm and place a mark near that item in a different
color.
Read through all of the "heavy" items in your appointment book: what
do they have in common? Certain activities? Certain places? Certain
people? Write down any commonalities you find.
Read through all the "light" items in your appointment book: what do
they have in common? Again, note the commonalities.
Last August, when I read through the months of January through June
in my 2006 calendar, I noticed that the enormous amount of time I
was spending serving on school committees was "heavy" and the little
amount of time I had to spend just hanging out with my children was
"light." I surrendered the school commitments. It was difficult to
give up (this is the first time in six years that I haven't played a
significant volunteer role in the school community) but it made room
for many quiet blessings.
I noticed that my yoga practice was a tradition that supported me
and I surrendered to deepening my practice through 40-day
meditations. These meditations, from the Kundalini tradition, have
brought about deep physical, mental, emotional and spiritual
changes.
Reflect on how you are spending your time. As you reflect, you will
be working with Swami Kripalu's highest practice, "self-observation
without judgment" and opening your life to heart-centered
transformation.
My dear friend, Melissa MacKinnon, explores this by reflecting on
her passion for yoga and knitting on her blog
www.yogiknits.blogspot.com. You'll
see a photo of me wearing a beautiful scarf Melissa knitted. It was
made from the silk of old saris, spun into beautiful yarn. Melissa
said that it is a simple pattern but a challenging process. She had
three strands of silk yarn to knit as one strand and the three
strands had a tendency to knot frequently. It's a wonderful metaphor
for our lives. The dedication to working and completing a simple
pattern and the open-hearted willingness to take time to unravel the
knots along the way.
If you are reading this for the first time, welcome! And thank you
to everyone who sends this to their friends. If you enjoy what you
read, take a moment to visit the Web site and sign up to receive the
monthly newsletter! I never share my list with anyone. Sign up for
the newsletter by April 30 and you will automatically be entered in
a drawing for one of three free Yoga Nidra CDs, sent to you at no
charge! And if you have already signed up? Don't worry, you're
already entered in the drawing! One last piece of business: I've
heard from a few people that they have signed up but haven't
received a mailing. If this has happened to you, please send an
e-mail to SraddhaYoga@aol.com. I'm untangling a few "knots" in this
part of my life right now.
Blessings to you,
Lisa
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