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Blossoms Around Town
On the way to Willow Street Yoga in Takoma Park for Joe and Natalie Miller’s yoga practice to benefit Nepal.
Krishnamurti’s Daily Thought
Three or four weeks ago, I came out of my morning meditation thinking about the teachings of Krishnamurti. (I read a lot of Krishnamurti when I was in high school, so his teachings have influenced me with varying degrees of subtlety). Two or three days later, I was “spammed” with Krishnamurti’s Daily Thought. Someone, apparently somewhere in Europe, somehow got access to an email list to which I subscribe. As I had just been thinking about Krishnamurti, though, instead of hitting “unsubscribe,” I read the thought for the day. I’ve been reading it since, and I am exploring how much my readings in high school have been part of my foundational thinking.
When I was volunteering at the Lantern yesterday, one of the other volunteers called and reminded me that there were books put aside for me. It is not my habit to put books aside, and I had no recollection of so doing, so I was curious to discover the books were there. One of the two books was a slightly water damaged paperback of Krishnamurti On Right Livelihood. The universal energies are obviously suggesting I examine this early influence. I am contemplating what the following question means for me in today’s current context of multiple wars, a deep recession, and burgeoning environmental degradation:
Is it not necessary for each one to know for himself what is the right means of livelihood? If we are avaricious, envious, seeking power, then our means of livelihood will correspond to our inward demands and so produce a world of competition, ruthlessness, oppression, ultimately ending in war. Krishnamurti, Ojai, July 1944
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Invitation to Gratitude and Inspiration
Free Streaming Yoga Christmas Eve (TODAY!) and New Year’s Eve
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Prasad (and Opening to Grace)
During one of the sessions at the workshop last weekend in New Jersey, John Friend made a passing reference to the difference between receiving and taking. He did not go into any detail because it was not central to the theme of the class, but it led me to contemplate on my own about the difference between taking and giving in the context of yoga practice. In so doing, I thought about the concept of prasad — which is food that has been blessed and is offered to those who have participated in worship (puja).
When offered prasad, one does not take it. Instead, the cupped palm is turned up to receive the prasad. The recipient does not get to pick through the basket and choose which sweet looks the biggest or the tastiest, but simply receives with gratitude the sweet or fruit that is infused with the intention of spirit. The active part is the showing up with openness and receptivity to the offering, the blessing, the nourishment being offered.
Coming to yoga class or doing our own practice (asana or meditation) should be, I think, like preparing to receive prasad. What is primary in the practice of Anusara yoga is being open to grace, but we can no more force openings or enlightenment (grace and insight always elude grasping), than forcing any particular physical posture or goal really yoga practice. The point of effort in yoga to improve and expand alignment and knowledge is to enable the practitioner to receive more fully all the potential gifts and grace of practice, and then in turn make fuller and more complete offerings to others.
Below: offerings at the Chelsea Farmers’ Market
