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Control Your Mind; Your Body Will Follow

Thursday, April 2, 2020 (Part I),
Woke at my usual 4:15AM this morning.  For whatever reason, it was difficult to get up today. 
Luckily for me, I know enough about myself, and keep my alarm/phone across the room in my robe pocket so I have to physically get up out of bed and cross the room to turn it off.  At that point, I groggily shamble to the kitchen to enjoy a lovely cup of coffee that's ready, hot, and waiting.

To compensate for yesterday's lolli-gagging, I'm on my mat a bit earlier than usual, at 5:07AM.

Physically, I'm feeling well today.  I didn't have much enthusiasm yesterday, and that's ok; going through an abbreviated practice is better than no practice.

Ashtanga/Ashthanga yoga follows an "8 Limb Path"; check out the fundamentals of it here.  Each "branch" of the tree could be studied for a lifetime, and one would still only scratch the surface of it.

I most frequently talk about Asanas/physical postures that most associate with yoga, with a little bit of discussion around Pranayama/breath control.

As always, I will begin today's practice with prayers and meditation.  As I do this, I begin to exercise the principles of breath control/Pranayama to try and focus my mind.  I suppose that, without realizing it, I also practice Dharana/mind-control while I move through my practice.  Today, I will put additional effort into Dharana, and will attempt to corral and control my mind's focus while I practice.

Time to begin...

Thursday, April 2, 2020, (Part II), 
I'm writing this post-practice update having just come out of Savasana/Corpse pose.

Watch an excellent example of Sun Salutes/Surya Namaskara here.  I begin with four Surya Namaskara A, and two Surya Namaskara B; five of each is more traditional.  I highly modify Surya Namaskara B to the point where it's nearly double the length and double the poses.

Today's practice, as a whole was exceptional; strong, focused, and exceptional.  What makes for an exceptional practice?  For me, I've learned that maintaining controlled mental focus very often defines a "good practice" rather than controlled physical endurance.  In other words, I feel as though what I've accomplished is greater when I leave my mat having corralled and controlled my mind, rather than corralling, and controlling my body.  Your body will obey you far quicker than your mind will obey you.

I began the Part I of today's update talking about Dharana/mind-control.  I went into today's prayers/meditation, my warm-ups, and my physical practice/Asanas, with an increased focus on Dharana.

How do I interpret the principles of Dharana:

  • Focusing your thoughts on your breath
  • Focusing your thoughts on a single object
    • For me this is usually a flame, a cross, a light, or a single, static thought like "I offer myself to God."
Whatever the chosen point of focus is, I hold that image/thought in my mind while I begin by prayers and meditation.  This progresses into breathing/Pranayama, and then into physical warm-ups and then into the physical/Asana sequence of poses I execute (shown at right).

Due to this heightened mental focus I brought to today's practice, I moved at a steadier, more even pace.  At times, when I'm not maintaining good mental focus, I'll find myself "hanging around" in certain poses, only to have my brain say, "uh-oh...I've been sitting in this position for a long time and I've been thinking about how adding parmesan cheese to that pizza I'm making tonight will improve the flavor....".  naturally, I don't immediately realize when my mind "skips off down a path" on its own accord, and it's only after I've stalled or lolli-gagged in an Asana for too long that my brain finally cues me back into motion. 

Today, there was none of that (or much less of that).  Today, when my mind wandered, I brought it back down to the point of focus that I chose for today's practice (a small candle flame in my head, heart, body).  

This increased mental focus allowed me to "disengage" from much of the physical strain and stress that comes in a practice.  I'm fully "there", of course, but I become an observer of my body and the pain or discomfort I feel from a pose, doesn't seem "real" at the time.  

I went through my full version of the Ashtanga Primary Series today, ending with a marvelous back-bending sequence.  As you know, I'm a firm believer that back-bending is the fountain of youth.  

Time to shower up, and share this version of myself with the world. 

Namaste

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