Don't Push Or Pull

Saturday, October 29, 2022,

Today's title of "Don't Push Or Pull" came from a small video I saw throughout the week.  In the video, there was a man explaining that wanting something (pulling it in), and despising something (pushing it away), are both equally bad for a person, and lead to equally bad, albeit different, outcomes. 

• Pulling Something= Wanting, desiring, attempting to draw something in, etc.
• Pushing Something= Avoiding, detesting, attempting to push something away, etc.

The principle (which may or may not be true), is that whether we work to push something away, or work to pull something in, our actions will eventually invert, and whatever it is we yearned for will leave us, and whatever it is we avoided will come in...........dang.....what a bummer.....

So what is the answer?  A principle of Religion is that desire is the root for much of our suffering.  How can I, a feeble-minded-evolved-chimp-person not desire something?....I'm lazy....I'm constantly hungry.....I like to each junk food, and watch cartoons.....I like to drink red wine and tell people what I think.......It's a paradox!!!!  

Through years of imperfect yoga practice, I would say that one can lear to become indifferent (indifferent even to suffering), through daily practice, and daily reminders to oneself that one's life is inconsequential, and to not want or yearn for anything.  In other words, remind yourself on a daily basis to extinguish your own will, as much as possible.  

Time to begin today's practice. 

Part II:

I typically practice during the week; Monday through Friday.  It's rare, if ever, that I get on my mat Saturday's or Sunday. 

However, due to feeling a bit under the weather, I didn't get up to practice this past week (other than Tuesday morning), and I feel as though I need to spend time on my mat praying, meditation, and working out some of the lactic acid build-up from Sunday's half marathon (yes.......I shamelessly drop that little fact in wherever I can). 

Today's practice was weak, but still fruitful (as all practices are).  As I always say, "the version that comes off the mat is always superior to the version that got on the mat in the beginning of the practice". 

Namaste