July 25, 2011

When Indifference Moves You to Action

Yoga Sutra I.14
You must cultivate your practice over an extended period of time.

There are days cultivating my practice comes easy.  Like waking up with the warm cozy feeling of a goodnight sleep.  There are also days were this is hard like waking up feeling like you tossed and turned all night an surely the alarm DID not just sound.  I feel like even more difficult than either of those is the days of indifference.  The days where you wake up not feeling tired or rested.  The days where your head is buzzing with thoughts but nothing gets resolved.  The days where you chase your tail knowing you were VERY busy all day but what got done?

These are the days that the practice is the most important. Showing up for yourself and the mat and cultivating compassion and kindness.  Loving the familiarity of poses in a sequence even if you have done them a million times or a few.  Sun salutations for me are a familiar dance that help spark the heart and move past the indifference.  Maybe I will only go through Surya Namasakar A five or so times - not thinking about the breath just moving. I find that my breath knows what to do and so I deepen it.  Often times it leads me to other poses that I didn't think about just instinctually went to.  All it takes is stepping onto the mat.  Each and every time I step onto the mat it is a building block.  It's a way to still the mind and move the body. 


I must cultivate my practice over and extended period of time with patience, love and action.  I must not ask if I will practice but when. Just as I would not ask myself if I was going to eat.  I may have to decide when or what to eat but eating is a given - as is living yoga, cultivating my practice and well breathing...duh!  Enjoy the journey of cultivating your practice and please leave a comment on how you accomplish this or what gets you to the mat when indifference or lack of drive knocks :).  All love!

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