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You Don't Have A Soul-You Are A Soul; You Have A Body

Friday, November 6, 2020 (Part I), 

"Luminous beings are we; not this crude matter"- Yoda #starwars4lyfe

A yoga practice can bring the focus, and understanding, that your body, your mind, and your soul are all connected and all influence each other. 

However, which one these is the leader?.....which is the "senior"?.....which one is most important?

My opinion (that no one asked for), is that the only part of you that will continue on, is your soul.  Your body, and the Earth itself, will all be destroyed (the Sun will eventually expand into a Red Giant and engulf the Earth....think about that next time you're worried about your 401k).

Since your body can, and will, be destroyed, it is inferior and subordinate to its counterparts.  It, therefore, needs to be tended to very frequently as your physical body can still influence your heart, mind, and soul.  Eat too much, and you become docile and listless....eat too little and you become edgy and hangry....breath too fast, and your brain will start to skip and lose its ability to focus; physical changes effect your non-physical parts.       

It's impractical to sail through life saying, "I don't need to plan ahead,.....the world will all end one day, and what does it matter?", so that's an extreme that I don't identify with.  However, it's equally impractical to become wound up, anxious, 

While on this Earth, you're encased in your body.  As Yoda said to Luke in Empire Strikes Back, luminous beings are we; not this crude matter (as he gestured towards Luke's body).  

Time to begin...

Friday, November 6, 2020 (Part II), 

Today's practice, like yesterday's and every morning's, begins with addressing and connecting with the non-physical aspects of being.  This includes breathing exercises, prayers, and meditation.  Only after I've connected with that "luminous" side, do I feel fit to begin moving the "crude matter" (as Master Yoda put it). 

While I move the "crude matter" of my body, I try to make my Asanas/physical poses a moving meditation by holding an image (something meaningful, beautiful, etc.) in my head, and maintaining mental focus on that image alone while I move my physical body through the strain of certain poses, and sequences.  This focus helps make a yoga practice more than "exercise", and elevates a practice into something far more holistic and nurturing. 

Namaste

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