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- Asana, Pranayama, and Yoga Practice | Community and Family | Food for the Mind (Yoga Philosophy, etc)
Nilakantha (and personal strength and practice)
It takes incredible strength to take on the sorrows and poisons of others. How many times have you witnessed someone who is awe-inspiringly dedicated to bringing out change to society, but does so at the expense of his or her own health or intimate relationships? Have you felt yourself getting worn down by trying to make things better?
The archetype of Nilakantha (who drank up the poison churned up by the devis to save humanity) includes what most of the tales of Shiva tell us: that Shiva was able to drink the poison and become stronger from the experience because he was already strong from deep, long term practices.
When we ourselves wish to serve, we must serve ourselves also, and perhaps first. To have the strength and boundaries to ourselves live richly and fully while serving those who are suffering or wreaking destruction without such service destroying ourselves means we must have a practice that enables us to come from a place of light even when going into darkness. (Doesn’t get much more challenging than that).
To some extent, for modern yogis, this includes a physical practice. For all yogis, it means a steady practice of meditation and a way of life that aligns with nature.
Some Perspective
Thanks to my friend Dan Harper for sharing this quote from Alice Walker, along with his own cogent thoughts This morning, when I was thinking about how to address some of my current challenges, I decided it was important for me to remember that one of the reasons I keep my job is to be able to cultivate generosity. I went on-line and became a monthly, rather than an occasional donor, to “So Others Might Eat.” I stayed with the emotion of how it feels as a small, middle-aged woman to walk, as I do a few times a week, past a homeless shelter on the way out of the office towards home. I thought about what it would be like to be homeless and food insecure, especially in the unseasonable months. I thought about how hard it is to be so many humans so crowded together.
I thought about how helpful the yoga and meditation practices have been for me to be present in the tangle of society. Though after tonight’s class at Willow Street Yoga, I will be teaching only one public class (the William Penn House class on Tuesday nights), I will be writing and practicing and studying and exploring. One of the many intertwined threads leading me to limit my public teaching is to give me more time and space to pursue other creative outlets, even as I continue to deepen my explorations of the yoga and other practices and teachings.
- Art and Culture | Asana, Pranayama, and Yoga Practice | Food for the Mind (Yoga Philosophy, etc) | Meditation
What a Good Murder Mystery Can Teach Us About Sadhana
Surely that’s what life was all about? Opening doors and peering through them–perhaps even finding the rose gardens there… (Colin Dexter, The Dead of Jericho)
The good murder mysteries — the ones that teach much about human nature and do not dwell graphically on gore and violence — can teach us much about the power of sadhana (yoga practice). The best mysteries are ones in which the protagonist teaches us by his or her investigation into the mystery that with careful, steady discipline, the application of well-developed technique and study, consistent effort, and an openness to trust intuition tempered by discrimination, we can reveal to ourselves the truth of the matter. The truth revealed is not just the identity, means, and motive of the murderer (mystery solved), but the knowledge of the extraordinariness of human being in all of its manifestations, both good and evil.
Sculpture Around Town (Dan Flavin at the Hirshhorn)
When I find myself wrestling with thought or emotion, it always helps to go look at art (when a walk in nature is not available). It the combination of walking and seeing that opens me and invites me to find more clarity and perspective.
What do you do for yourself (in addition to formal meditation and asana practice) when you need to get some perspective/deeper wisdom?
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.





