Sadhana

Across from the White House, April 4, 2019

Across from the White House, April 4, 2019
The Indian equivalent of the pony ride, is, not surprisingly, the elephant ride.
This elephant, who is now 37 years old, became the giver of rides for tourists and birthday parties after having been rescued from malnourishment and the back-breaking labor of years of hauling lumber. I was lucky enough to be able to get lots of hugging from her before people gathered for their rides. She especially liked to be scratched behind her ears.
Though the ride was rather tame–or perhaps because tame (i.e. gentle)–I rather enjoyed moving with this gracious being. A horse might now seem small (though likely feistier).
A couple of years ago, I took a brilliant class with Desiree Rumbaugh in which she used the theme of “getting out of our own way” to lead us to a place to better integrate our shoulders. As I was practicing with the Anusara principle of “thigh loop” this week, I was reminded of that class. We’ve all been in the situation where our habitual mindset, physical posture, life style, or emotions get in the way of our finding more freedom and happiness.
When our thigh bones move into the front plane of the body, the forward movement keeps us from opening our hips more fully and from getting into deeper and stronger poses that require our hips to be open (in fact, out of the way). When we take our thigh bones back, we physically have more freedom, more range of motion and are better able to access the deepest places of power and openness that allow us to soar on the mat. I’m working on it on the mat as a great reminder to get out of my own way off the mat.

Sign on door reads “HOPE.”
Well, not always and not as much for some than others in particular embodiments or at certain periods in life, but at least for the moment. A moment of stillness, of being at peace, of creativity, of effulgence, of some sort of contentment is always possible. Discovering sri is knowing how to find/make/connect into such moments, especially when things don’t seem easy.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.