To Sleep With Such Enthusiasm
one must be blissful in the present moment.
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Web Version of October E-Newsletter
Dear Friends,
Much of the conversation for the past few days has been about the weather. Some people have talked about how much they hate the heat and how excited they are about the coming of cool weather. Others are lamenting the passing of summer. When it was this temperature six months ago, the same conversations arose, but mostly in reverse. Right now, of course, it is perfectly and delightfully temperate. Neither heating nor air conditioning is needed to have a healthy indoor environment, but because it is our nature to compare, it feels cold, just as the same temperature had us throwing open the windows and dancing for the joy of it being warm last spring.
For me, the dialogue about the weather and the observation of my own reactions to the change of season is a perfect invitation to look at how perspective influences perception. One of the benefits of a steady and ever more refined practice is that it helps us feel a sense of awe and openess in the face of whatever comes and not be swayed by our history and personal inclination, allowing us to celebrate life more deeply and spectacularly.
Upcoming opportunities to cultivate a sense of wonder (this Fall’s theme):
The fall Willow Street session is underway. There is still time to register and drop-ins are always welcome. Join me Saturdays in Takoma Park for Flow at 8:45am and Gentle/Therapeutics at noon.
William Penn House classes continue on Tuesday nights at 6:30pm with a wonderful and dedicated group of friends and neighbors. All levels welcome.
More experienced yogis will have a great opportunity to expand their practice at:
Hanumanasana: Nemesis No More, Saturday, October 16, 2010, 2:30pm-5:00pm, Willow Street Yoga Center, Takoma Park. $35. Are there poses which make you cringe or yearn to have a break from class? One of the great fruits of yoga is “thinning the kleshas,” learning to feel aversions less powerfully and to better experience our intrinsically joyous light no matter what the world presents us. Enjoy an afternoon of exploring and delighting in a full-spectrum of standing poses, arm balances, and hip openers that might lead you to – dare we say it – a greater appreciation, if not downright enjoyment, of hanumanasana and will definitely bring you a delighted gratitude for vipariti karani (legs up the wall). For students Level I/II and up. To register on-line, please visit www.willowstreetyoga.com or just drop in on the day of the workshop.
Will you be in town for Thanksgiving? Want to share the love and gratitude? It’s the:
Eighth Annual Thanksgiving Day All-Levels Yoga Fundraiser for Oxfam. Thursday, November 25, 2010, 10-11:30am. $25. On Thanksgiving Day, join me at Willow Street Yoga Center, Takoma Park, for an all-levels fundraising class to benefit Oxfam. Stretch your body and embrace your own generous spirit as we give thanks for our families, friends, and bounty. Friends, family, and out-of-town guests of all levels of yoga experience, including first-timers, are welcome. To register on-line, please visit www.willowstreetyoga.com or just drop in on the day of the workshop.
I’ve been getting lots of positive feedback about the updated subscription feature for the blog. Give it a try, by clicking here and entering your information, if you haven’t already and make it even easier to join the discussion.
Look forward to seeing you soon.
Peace and light,
Elizabeth
Signs Around Town (Mixed Message)
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Coming Snowstorm (and Heyam Dukham Anagatam)
As I think about whether I will be able to get up to Willow Street to teach my last classes of the session, how much shoveling I will need to do , whether the next forecast storm (middle of next week) might create challenges for my planned trip to NY, etc, etc, my favorite (well, in the top 10) sutra of Patanjali, sprang to mind: heyam dukham anagatam, 2.16, which means roughly: the pain that has yet to come can be avoided.
I have several translations/commentaries of the Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras in my library. All have a different spin on what this means in practice. What I know is that it is at least partly about being in the present and taking things as they come. One should still practice and plan. By practicing and planning, we are better prepared for inevitable pains and challenges. (For those of you who are giddy with excitement with the thought of a “white Christmas,” this Sutra still helps. Part of the pain that can be avoided is disappointment when expectations are not realized the way we hoped they would be realized.) Once we have prepared in a healthy way, though, there is no point in agonizing about what might come, in being in pain in the present because of the possibility (or even inevitability) of a future pain.
The snow seems inevitable. I am charging my camera battery. I’m picking what is probably the last of the chard and the baby leeks from the garden, and I am getting ready for Serenity Saturday restoratives. As long as I can walk to the studio — eight inches is just plain fun, not impassable — I’ll be there with a warm and full offering. In the meantime, I am enjoying my day instead of worrying about the potential barriers to enjoyment.
