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Found Exhortation (and Santosha?)
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
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A Weekend of Practice (Ways of Maintaining Focus for the Long Resistance)
This was the first weekend in some time where I did not have any commitments. I knew I’d have to get some errands and correspondence done, but I’d thought it might be nice to find an asana class on Saturday morning. I ultimately decided to go to the opening class at the new Yoga Shala studio in Shaw . I really enjoyed the class, the studio itself has a good vibe, and they are looking to integrate into the neighborhood, sharing the block with Bread for the City. I expect to return. After class, I took a long walk and a good nap and then made a nourishing meal and went to bed early.
On Sunday, I noticed in my “promotion” emails, that Dharma Mittra was leading a day of classes at the convention center; Yoga District had arranged for him to come. I’ve never felt a calling to study with him, but I like Yoga District’s community focus, Dharma Mittra is an iconic figure in Western Yoga, and there he was and there I was and I’ve recently had a few different students ask me about the Dharma yoga classes in town, so I took the master class and stayed for yoga nidra. It was a deep three hours with an enthusiastic group of practitioners. I found some of the darshan of interest, though Dharma Mittra speaks too much of God and is [insert politically correct way to say sexist; he’s 78 and originally from a macho culture]] to resonate with my beliefs, and I prefer more focus on alignment with the physical postures. I liked very much that he says the first principle of yoga is compassion and that one must maintain the state/practice of compassion throughout all the other practices or they do not have any import.
It was good to reinvigorate my practices and my intentions for all that I can offer.
And it was really a treat top watch Dharma Mittra demonstrate poses.
A Different Perspective
This view is always there, we just do not always get to see it from our habitual place on the ground.
Sometimes people ask me how I can sometimes still feel unworthy or get depressed or be edgy with all the committed practice that I do. A friend said recently that an answer to that question might be to suggest what I might have been like if I was not doing the practices.
Let There Be Light!
These matches were a gift a few years ago. They caught my eye today. Behind it is kumkum from Chidambaram temple that a different friend sent me in the mail when she went.
Boxing Day
The rain was just beginning to get heavy after a dusting of snow, and the wind was picking up. This time last year, I was looking at the bright colors of India. What was consistent was sitting for meditation.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
