Friday, April 17, 2020 (Part I), I woke at my usual 4:15AM this morning but, given that I have a day off from my normal routine, I slept in until 6:00AM, and then lounged casually sipping coffee and entertaining myself with Hulu, my phone, and even a neglected chore or two; such are the effects of caffeine.....
Because this morning is atypical, and I have more time on my hands, and I showered before going to my mat.
To the left, you'll see the first two branches of the eight limb yoga system; Yama, and Niyama, are shown at left. As you read through them, you'll probably identify with much of these principles (as they're found in many religions), but today I began thinking about the Niyama of Saucha-purity of mind, body, and spirit.
There are conflicting theories on the practice of bathing/showering before your practice but, for me, I've found a shower/bath to be a great "wake up" if you're not feeling particularly motivated. I wouldn't say the shower/bath is to "get clean", however, and would say it's more ritualistic, like a Japanese Sento, or when a priest washes his hands in a mass; it's symbolic as well as practical. In addition to the symbolism, I've found that the additional warmth can "kick-start" my body and mind if I'm feeling groggy and unmotivated. It's cold again here in St. Louis, so the heat from the water woke me up mentally and physically.
I've read and understood that one should always try to begin, and end your practice, at the same time each day so I'll be sure not to make today's lounge-around a habit.
Physically, I'm feeling well. The shower I took before coming to my mat warmed me up enough to have me sweating slightly as I sit on my mat writing this update. Time to begin...
Friday, April 17, 2020 (Part II),
I'm writing this at 11:22AM, having gone through an excellent practice.
It was such a nice treat to not have to wake up at a scheduled time, and to have an unstructured morning/afternoon. However, just like a physical treat (candy, wine, etc.), I won't let this morning's lazy structure become the routine.
Strength, control, and fluidity all came very effortlessly today. A great example of the abbreviated practice I went through today can be found here. I recommend this quick video to anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of a yoga practice.
As I drifted off into Savasana, I always relax myself physically, and then mentally; keen to first scan through my physical body and release any muscles that are gripping (jaw, neck, shoulders, the space between the eyebrows, etc.). After my body is relaxed, I release control over my mind and my thoughts; I allow my mind to go where it wants. Today, my mind drifted to the thought of detachment. Detaching from something seems counterintuitive in many ways.....why would I want to detach from the people, things, career opportunities, etc. that I value, and have worked hard to cultivate for myself? If you're a Star Wars lover, you'll know that Yoda tells Luke that he has to detach completely from those that he loves; attachment leads to jealously, jealously leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to the Dark Side of the force. Yes, I'm weaving Star Wars into today's update #notsorry
While it's only a line from a movie, George Lucas did his research when creating his characters and often drew inspiration from the tenants of religion to craft and shape the Star Wars world, and the character archetypes in it.
Detachment from everything in the world, including the people you love, is a good exercise to put yourself through; it helps align your perspective, and helps to remove emotion. Emotion is good at times, but you need to gain control over your emotions, not the other way around.
Tomorrow is Saturday and, while this is the traditional day of rest in yoga, I may wake up and hit my mat again.
Namaste
Comments
Post a Comment