How fitting that the very week of my theme of abundance, it finally rained. And boy did it rain. For about 3 days straight. On the second day of rain, I walked my daughter to school under a sprinkling sky. The full blown rain held off until my daughter was safely inside the building, and then it opened up on me.
As I felt my clothes soak through, I realized that had it been a year ago, I probably would have been resentful for being rained on. But after so many months of watching the land around me shrivel up with lack of moisture, I felt nothing but gratitude.
Walking home in the rain, glasses fogging up, clothes wet, shoes squishing with every step, and feeling more alive than I can remember, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or to cry. So I did both.
Abundance indeed.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Abundance
The teachings of yoga tell us that at our core, we are good. Actually, we are better than good. At our core, our true nature is divine. So why do we so often feel like we are lacking some essential ingredient for happiness? One more raise, or home, or yoga pose, and then we'll be happy.
Let us begin by acknowledging that probably all who read this blog are blessed to have free time that is not spent simply on survival. Spiritual seeking is a privilege for those of us who take food, clothing, and shelter for granted. Certainly there are rare souls who find enlightenment amidst the direst of circumstances, but I am well aware that my audience is mostly one of privilege.
Even among the riches of our culture, where obesity is a greater danger to our lives than starvation, we still often feel like we are lacking. This fear of not having enough comes from looking to the outside world for our abundance, rather than the inside.
Don't get me wrong. I am not vilifying material comforts. I like my ipod, nice yoga clothes, and good food to name a few. It is the focus on these exterior things as a gateway to happiness that I believe is the root of much unhappiness and suffering.
It is my experience that most of the time that we spend a lot of time and energy wanting something, when we finally get it our satisfaction is fleeting, soon replaced by wanting something else. Exterior abundance is transitory in nature. None of it will last, all of it can be taken away in a moment.
The irony is that while our wanting of material things can never be satiated, our desire for internal connection needs only the recognition that we already have what we want. When we acknowledge our innate abundance, then things begin to fall into place. It is my experience that when we focus on all our gifts (rather than what we lack) more and more of these blessings fall into our laps. So to create more abundance in our lives, we need only to recognize all that we already have.
When we are able to make a connection to the beauty and light that resides inside each of us, it is our duty and our joy to share it with others. This richness that we have inside cannot be depleted. The more we share it with others, the more we are able to feel it within ourselves.
So next time you are feeling as if you do not have all that you need in order to be happy, give to someone else. Remember that yoga happens on the inside. Even the joys of asana are external and fleeting. Yoga is not about advanced poses (though they can be fun) It is about connecting with our true nature, and our true nature is divine. Offer a smile, or a helping hand, or a hug. Connect with another by giving of yourself. That is yoga.
Let us begin by acknowledging that probably all who read this blog are blessed to have free time that is not spent simply on survival. Spiritual seeking is a privilege for those of us who take food, clothing, and shelter for granted. Certainly there are rare souls who find enlightenment amidst the direst of circumstances, but I am well aware that my audience is mostly one of privilege.
Even among the riches of our culture, where obesity is a greater danger to our lives than starvation, we still often feel like we are lacking. This fear of not having enough comes from looking to the outside world for our abundance, rather than the inside.
Don't get me wrong. I am not vilifying material comforts. I like my ipod, nice yoga clothes, and good food to name a few. It is the focus on these exterior things as a gateway to happiness that I believe is the root of much unhappiness and suffering.
It is my experience that most of the time that we spend a lot of time and energy wanting something, when we finally get it our satisfaction is fleeting, soon replaced by wanting something else. Exterior abundance is transitory in nature. None of it will last, all of it can be taken away in a moment.
The irony is that while our wanting of material things can never be satiated, our desire for internal connection needs only the recognition that we already have what we want. When we acknowledge our innate abundance, then things begin to fall into place. It is my experience that when we focus on all our gifts (rather than what we lack) more and more of these blessings fall into our laps. So to create more abundance in our lives, we need only to recognize all that we already have.
When we are able to make a connection to the beauty and light that resides inside each of us, it is our duty and our joy to share it with others. This richness that we have inside cannot be depleted. The more we share it with others, the more we are able to feel it within ourselves.
So next time you are feeling as if you do not have all that you need in order to be happy, give to someone else. Remember that yoga happens on the inside. Even the joys of asana are external and fleeting. Yoga is not about advanced poses (though they can be fun) It is about connecting with our true nature, and our true nature is divine. Offer a smile, or a helping hand, or a hug. Connect with another by giving of yourself. That is yoga.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Obstacles and Limitations
What do you do when, not only are the plants you planted in your garden not growing, but the weeds are growing fast and furious instead? What about those times when not only do you have to work for what you want, but it seems like life is throwing one obstacle after another in your path?
In our lives there are many choices. In yoga, we try to make the choices that are shri or life-enhancing. The choice to use obstacles as a springboard for growth rather than as an excuse to be miserable is one of those choices. Be sure to remind me of that next time I complain...
Try this meditation to dissolve obstacles:
Sit comfortably on a chair or on the ground. It is helpful to have a wall or chair back to support your spine as being uncomfortable doesn't actually assist your meditation at all. You may also lay on your back, perhaps with a bolster under your spine or under your knees.
Begin by choosing a perceived obstacle or limitation in your life to focus on. It can be something you have been struggling with for a while, or something that is current to the moment. As you think of this obstacle in your life, notice what feelings and thoughts come up around it without judging. Take a few deep slow breaths and allow yourself to feel these feelings without trying to change or judge them.
Now, take a step back from this situation in your mind. Try to view it from a distance, as an observer rather than a participant. Notice that you are separate from this situation, notice that it does not define who you are. Anytime that you feel yourself getting emotionally involved, take a breath and imagine yourself stepping farther away from the situation, removing yourself for the time being. Allow the feelings of resentment, want, deprivation, betrayal, etc to fall away.
When you are able to feel neutral towards the situation and observe it with interest rather than resentment, open yourself up to the idea of gratitude for the situation. If the moment you do that, the negative emotions rush back in, go back to the previous step and try again. At first you may be able to feel only the faintest twinge of gratitude. As you practice, you may be able to feel it more and more strongly. If you are having a hard time connecting to the feeling of gratitude, you may repeat silently to yourself something like "thank you [god, universe, higher power, whatever] for [insert situation]. Thank you for this challenge. Thank you for this opportunity to grow."
Continue with this practice of gratitude as long as you want to or have time for. You can do this every day or even several times a day during challenging times. When you are practicing frequently, you will be able to go through all these steps almost instantly anywhere anytime. Leave a comment and let me know what your experience is with this meditation.
Friday, August 8, 2008
More on water
I just found a quote that puts my last post in a concise and beautiful form. This is from Julie Rappaport in her book 365 yoga daily meditations:
Practicing yoga without clear attention to the breath is like trying to grow a plant without giving it water.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
water your garden
The earth is bone dry. It's rained less than a handful of times all summer. I usually can count on the rain to cool off the worst of the mid-summer heat, but this year there is no relief. The second summer in a row of severe drought. I am almost used to it. But whenever I look at a photograph of how my property used to look, I am shocked at the difference. Although the drought does make yard maintenance easier, I miss extravagant growth of the vegetation around here.
The other day I happened to be on my back porch, and caught a glimpse of my garden. The front of my garden was much taller and healthier looking than the back. This is because I always begin my watering up front and then work my way back, and sometimes I run out of time.
There is a ring of healthy green grass around the front of my garden, a by-product of the more assiduous watering there. It is a little sad to see how pathetic the rest of my lawn is, but there is this bright green semi-circle glowing like a beacon of hope.
Sometimes our lives are full of rain. Things grow in abundance without much effort on our part. Other times, we need to be disciplined about watering in order to make anything happen. Our yoga practice is the same. Some days the practice is easy and abundant. Other times it feels dry and devoid of life. Handstand comes easily one day, and is unattainable the next.
The breath is to our yoga practice as water is to a garden. It is the essential ingredient we need to practice. If we do nothing else but sit and breathe deeply for an hour, we finish feeling vital, refreshed, and energized. The poses are wonderful, I love them, but really, they are just the icing on the cake. Without the breath there can be no other practice. No meditation, no asana, no philosophy.
Any day that I get on my yoga mat and feel a yoga less than inspired, I begin with pranayama. The focus on the breath usually spills over into my asana practice too. Often, these practices wind up being the most rewarding of all.
The best kind of breath to get my juices flowing is called Ujaii. It is one of the most commonly taught breath exercises in yoga. Some yoga styles recommend breathing in this way throughout the entirety of each and every yoga practice. I personally like to switch it up a bit more than that, but I do often use it through most of my practice.
Ujaii breathing consists of a slight constriction at the back of your throat so that each breath creates a hissing sound. This constriction slows the airflow and facilitates a longer, deeper breath. Because the breath takes more time, your body is able to utilize more of the oxygen it takes in. This increases your endurance and makes you feel energized. It's like a free oxygen hit! This makes a challenging practice feel easier, and a gentle practice feel positively nourishing. The sound of the breath is also a great tool to focus the mind, something we can use in any kind of practice, and in many situations throughout our day.
To practice ujaii breath:
Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale through your mouth make a long Haaaaah sound. Feel how the muscles in the back of the throat constrict to make this sound. Now try to make the same sound as you breathe in. Try breathing in and out several times through your mouth as you make this sound.
Close your mouth, and make the closest approximation you can to that sound while breathing through your nose. This is ujaii. Some say it sounds like Darth Vader breathing, or like the sound of the ocean. Notice how constricting the throat causes your exhalation to lengthen. Notice how the next inhalation lengthens in turn. Your breath should be smooth and even. Breathe this way for several minutes, then return to a normal, unforced breath. The normal breath will be deeper without effort.
There is never any need to force or strain the breath. Always keep it smooth and steady. You can intersperse normal breaths anytime you feel like you want or need one. Sometimes when students are first learning this breath, their throats become scratchy or slightly sore after a while. Do not be discouraged. There is no need to keep going past discomfort. Practice often and for short periods of time, and your throat will soon get used to breathing in this manner.
Once you are comfortable with the ujaii breath, you will find many situations where it comes in handy. For example, when I am excited and trying to sleep, the sound soothes me, calms my mind, and allows me to surrender enough to sleep. However, it has the opposite effect when I am tired and need to stay awake. Then the extra oxygen energizes me and keeps me alert. I also use the ujaii breath when I walk up many flights of stairs. There seems to be no limit to uses for this breath. How do you use your ujaii breath? Comment on this post and let me know.
The other day I happened to be on my back porch, and caught a glimpse of my garden. The front of my garden was much taller and healthier looking than the back. This is because I always begin my watering up front and then work my way back, and sometimes I run out of time.
There is a ring of healthy green grass around the front of my garden, a by-product of the more assiduous watering there. It is a little sad to see how pathetic the rest of my lawn is, but there is this bright green semi-circle glowing like a beacon of hope.
Sometimes our lives are full of rain. Things grow in abundance without much effort on our part. Other times, we need to be disciplined about watering in order to make anything happen. Our yoga practice is the same. Some days the practice is easy and abundant. Other times it feels dry and devoid of life. Handstand comes easily one day, and is unattainable the next.
The breath is to our yoga practice as water is to a garden. It is the essential ingredient we need to practice. If we do nothing else but sit and breathe deeply for an hour, we finish feeling vital, refreshed, and energized. The poses are wonderful, I love them, but really, they are just the icing on the cake. Without the breath there can be no other practice. No meditation, no asana, no philosophy.
Any day that I get on my yoga mat and feel a yoga less than inspired, I begin with pranayama. The focus on the breath usually spills over into my asana practice too. Often, these practices wind up being the most rewarding of all.
The best kind of breath to get my juices flowing is called Ujaii. It is one of the most commonly taught breath exercises in yoga. Some yoga styles recommend breathing in this way throughout the entirety of each and every yoga practice. I personally like to switch it up a bit more than that, but I do often use it through most of my practice.
Ujaii breathing consists of a slight constriction at the back of your throat so that each breath creates a hissing sound. This constriction slows the airflow and facilitates a longer, deeper breath. Because the breath takes more time, your body is able to utilize more of the oxygen it takes in. This increases your endurance and makes you feel energized. It's like a free oxygen hit! This makes a challenging practice feel easier, and a gentle practice feel positively nourishing. The sound of the breath is also a great tool to focus the mind, something we can use in any kind of practice, and in many situations throughout our day.
To practice ujaii breath:
Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale through your mouth make a long Haaaaah sound. Feel how the muscles in the back of the throat constrict to make this sound. Now try to make the same sound as you breathe in. Try breathing in and out several times through your mouth as you make this sound.
Close your mouth, and make the closest approximation you can to that sound while breathing through your nose. This is ujaii. Some say it sounds like Darth Vader breathing, or like the sound of the ocean. Notice how constricting the throat causes your exhalation to lengthen. Notice how the next inhalation lengthens in turn. Your breath should be smooth and even. Breathe this way for several minutes, then return to a normal, unforced breath. The normal breath will be deeper without effort.
There is never any need to force or strain the breath. Always keep it smooth and steady. You can intersperse normal breaths anytime you feel like you want or need one. Sometimes when students are first learning this breath, their throats become scratchy or slightly sore after a while. Do not be discouraged. There is no need to keep going past discomfort. Practice often and for short periods of time, and your throat will soon get used to breathing in this manner.
Once you are comfortable with the ujaii breath, you will find many situations where it comes in handy. For example, when I am excited and trying to sleep, the sound soothes me, calms my mind, and allows me to surrender enough to sleep. However, it has the opposite effect when I am tired and need to stay awake. Then the extra oxygen energizes me and keeps me alert. I also use the ujaii breath when I walk up many flights of stairs. There seems to be no limit to uses for this breath. How do you use your ujaii breath? Comment on this post and let me know.
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