|
 |
|
"I was
the average student in the class and the hours of asana we performed required
great effort, focus and non-judgment. As I moaned and groaned my way through
the week with sore ache joints, I was grateful for all the years of practice
that had come before. I was also attentive to see what new level of health
and well-being might emerge from the skilled guidance I was receiving.
I was not disappointed when the by the end of the week I was not broken,
but rather I had the muscle tone of a 30 year-old, greater knowledge,
vitality and clarity of purpose. My spirit was well. The promise yoga
has for us all was there within me. What a gift! As I look back on the
past 20 years of study and practice I recognize how my consistent inconsistency
of practice has served me.
By returning to the mat as often as possible, over coming various obstacles
(yoga recognizes eight) my awareness and familiarity with the poses and
the practice continues to deepen. As a wife, mother, and business owner
obstacles to sadana (practice) did have a way of slipping in. Sometimes
my practice would be so light I would feel guilty about being the yoga
teacher! Other times my practice would be so rich I could think of nothing
else more enjoyable or valuable.
Understanding the three gunas has
helped me to understand the qualities of nature and how they cycle together.
This understanding, which I will share with you, has allowed me to be
more compassionate, self-accepting and focused on the journey. It appears
that our behavioral patterns and energy can reflect either rajas - dynamism,
sattva - illumination, or tamas - inertia. When we are in need of making
a change or accomplishing a goal, raja sic energy and behavior are needed
to overcome the inertia. That means finding what it takes to grab your
yoga mat and get on it, rather than the remote control and the couch!
Or it could mean the mental energy required to say "no" to the
many distractions life offers, many of which as we know lead nowhere in
particular. Motivating toward our goals leads us from tamas through rajas
to a sattvic or illumined state. Here is the place where we find mental
balance, clarity, satisfaction, and health, as our intentions and goals
are fulfilled. However as nature would have it we return back to tamas
and begin again.
When we put
the new swipe card system in at Lighten Up, I spent seven months in a
very raja sic mental / technical state. When it came time for asana practice
I ended up in tamas-fatigue. So my practice naturally moved toward more
Pranayama (breath exercise) and meditation with a very basic asana practice.
The Pranayama definitely kept my heart and mind afloat, however my physical
conditioning went downhill. As much as I love connecting with the spirit
within in Pranayama and meditation, I have to also care for the needs
of my body. Pranayama is traditionally practiced at dawn, the first sublime
moment of the day allowing a minimum of one half-hour to one-hour break
before asana. Well... you can imagine how that could complicate your day!
In order to embrace both, my current resolve is three mornings a week
of focused asana practice and three mornings of Pranayama practice with
restorative poses and/or an inversion practice in the afternoons. As I
enter my menopausal years keeping the circulation and conditioning of
the body is vitally important. Yoga gives me the benefit not only of looking
10 years younger but also of mental stability.
The teachers at Lighten Up believe everyone needs a yoga practice however
great or small. How can we help you balance yours? We love yoga and we
love helping people, so share your process with us. We would love the
opportunity to help yoga help you.
See you in class.
Namaste,
- Lillah
Home Page
Site designed by
Brady
Market Group.
Copyright © 2003, 2004. All rights reserved.
Site maintenance provided by 707
Design.
Revised:
November 8, 2004