The practice has been really tough for me the last month. Lot's of resistance in my body (and mind...), and I've been really stiff. Yesterday was the first day in like a month that I actually felt light and had a good practice. Well, good in the sence of feeling like "wow", the pain and heaviness is gone!
Today, I had another small victory. Most of the blocks were taken. I ususally use four blocks to do my urdhva danurasana, needing the hight of two blocks to hold my hands on. I've tried before to to use only the hight of one block, but then I haven't been able to push myself up into the bridge. Lately the teachers have been giving people extra supported poses to help them open up in certain parts, so the blocks these days are always in use by someone else. Since there hasn't been any blocks free, I've been doing only half bridge pose lately. This is not helping me forward. So, today I thought that I have to try to get up without the blocks, starting with using the block on the high end. It worked! I then tried putting the flat side down, thinking it was going to be too low, but it worked too! This is a major step for me! A small, but big victory! Soon I'll be doing bridge pose without any props!
Today I feel content.
onsdag 25 mars 2009
söndag 15 mars 2009
Ten Most Important Sutras
I found an interesting and easy to understand article by Judith Lasater on the ten most important sutras.
And some wise words by Donna Farhi
And some wise words by Donna Farhi
Bramacharya
Moderation
To not indulge in sensory pleasure. Often interpreted as chastity, in its wider sense it´s more about moderation in all aspects of life. Too much of something is not good, but too little is not good either.
Take food for example. If you eat too much you will become obese, and with that all sorts of diseases may come. Eating too little can result in anorexia and malnutrition. And it also afects your mind. Becoming obsessed with something will definately take a lot of energy, and probably take you away from the things that really matter. It makes it harder to enjoy life, even though in the moment of indulgence, it might seem like that is exaclty what you are doing. Eating one peice of candy can be a way of enjoying life, but eating ten peices can make you sick. Never allowing yourself to have candy can be a way of not alowing yourself to enjoy life. It takes discipline to say no, and courage to say yes, and self reflection and mindfullness to realize where you need to practice moderation. When practicing moderation, you are also practicing ahimsa.
Moderation also applies to your yoga practice. I know, I'm a person who easily gives 110% to the things I enjoy doing, like yoga, and even though it is something good, it can become too much. I "burn" myself out. I get a back lash and then usually the pendulum goes in the other direction, and I need some time when I hardly do anything at all, just to recuperate. Then slowly, slowly the pendulum comes closer and closer to the middle, and I realize that it is easier and more wise to take the middle way. It takes less energy but gives more. But perhaps it is a process that is needed to go through. To go to the extremes before you can find moderation.
I´m sure you can find your own areas where you are indulging.
Moderation is the key to balance, and balace is necessary for finding happiness and health.
To not indulge in sensory pleasure. Often interpreted as chastity, in its wider sense it´s more about moderation in all aspects of life. Too much of something is not good, but too little is not good either.
Take food for example. If you eat too much you will become obese, and with that all sorts of diseases may come. Eating too little can result in anorexia and malnutrition. And it also afects your mind. Becoming obsessed with something will definately take a lot of energy, and probably take you away from the things that really matter. It makes it harder to enjoy life, even though in the moment of indulgence, it might seem like that is exaclty what you are doing. Eating one peice of candy can be a way of enjoying life, but eating ten peices can make you sick. Never allowing yourself to have candy can be a way of not alowing yourself to enjoy life. It takes discipline to say no, and courage to say yes, and self reflection and mindfullness to realize where you need to practice moderation. When practicing moderation, you are also practicing ahimsa.
Moderation also applies to your yoga practice. I know, I'm a person who easily gives 110% to the things I enjoy doing, like yoga, and even though it is something good, it can become too much. I "burn" myself out. I get a back lash and then usually the pendulum goes in the other direction, and I need some time when I hardly do anything at all, just to recuperate. Then slowly, slowly the pendulum comes closer and closer to the middle, and I realize that it is easier and more wise to take the middle way. It takes less energy but gives more. But perhaps it is a process that is needed to go through. To go to the extremes before you can find moderation.
I´m sure you can find your own areas where you are indulging.
Moderation is the key to balance, and balace is necessary for finding happiness and health.
lördag 7 mars 2009
Asteya
Non-stealing - Non-greediness - Non-coveting
The previous yama was truth, or honesty, and you can see how it it related to the next yama, non-stealing. If you have not cultivated honesty, perhaps it is easier to take from others what is not yours to have. Thus cultivating your truth and honesty will make it easier to perform this yama.
Not taking material things that are not yours is perhaps quite easy for most (honest)people. But this yama goes much further than that. Not only is it about not taking things from others, but also about not coveting. Coveting is a way of not being satisfied with what you have, and with what you don´t have. So this yama is related to santosha, contentment.
You can steal from others things that are intangible as well. Like someones time. Next time you are late to an appointment, think about the lack of respect this means for the other person. Taking someones energy. If you only talk about yourself and your problems with someone for example, never asking them about anything, you are actually stealing the other persons energy. Have you ever felt drained after meeting certain people? Then this person has probably taken your energy. Give people your full attention and respect, and this will not happen. Then you are giving, not taking.
Sometimes you can loose energy by coveting things that other people have. Like someones looks, job, relationships, house, money, fame or what have you. Take time to really think about what it is that you really want. Is it really those things, or does the feeling come from something deeper. A lack of self love maybe? Discontentment in general maybe? Instead, take that energy and direct it inward to cultivate the things that you already have. If you covet someones love relationship, realise that you already are full of love, and that you have the ability to express it, even though you don´t have a significant other. Express it to yourself, to your friends and family. To a stranger even! If you covet someones sucess, it probably has to to with the fact that this person is expressing what he loves and is good at. So can you. So instead of wasting energy on coveting, put that energy into expressing yourself.
On the mat; are you taking up someone elses space? Are you disturbing someones focus by sounding to much, or bumping into them?
In a conversation; are you talking so much that you don´t let other people say anything?
At work; are you taking credit for ideas that someone else has created?
At home: are you constanly buying new things, wanting a bigger flat, a new car, a better stereo and so on?
More wants more. Learn to distinguish between what is a healthy wish for something that is important for you, something that comes from the heart, and between desperately wanting things that are not sprung from within, but are perhaps a way of filling a gap for something else.
The previous yama was truth, or honesty, and you can see how it it related to the next yama, non-stealing. If you have not cultivated honesty, perhaps it is easier to take from others what is not yours to have. Thus cultivating your truth and honesty will make it easier to perform this yama.
Not taking material things that are not yours is perhaps quite easy for most (honest)people. But this yama goes much further than that. Not only is it about not taking things from others, but also about not coveting. Coveting is a way of not being satisfied with what you have, and with what you don´t have. So this yama is related to santosha, contentment.
You can steal from others things that are intangible as well. Like someones time. Next time you are late to an appointment, think about the lack of respect this means for the other person. Taking someones energy. If you only talk about yourself and your problems with someone for example, never asking them about anything, you are actually stealing the other persons energy. Have you ever felt drained after meeting certain people? Then this person has probably taken your energy. Give people your full attention and respect, and this will not happen. Then you are giving, not taking.
Sometimes you can loose energy by coveting things that other people have. Like someones looks, job, relationships, house, money, fame or what have you. Take time to really think about what it is that you really want. Is it really those things, or does the feeling come from something deeper. A lack of self love maybe? Discontentment in general maybe? Instead, take that energy and direct it inward to cultivate the things that you already have. If you covet someones love relationship, realise that you already are full of love, and that you have the ability to express it, even though you don´t have a significant other. Express it to yourself, to your friends and family. To a stranger even! If you covet someones sucess, it probably has to to with the fact that this person is expressing what he loves and is good at. So can you. So instead of wasting energy on coveting, put that energy into expressing yourself.
On the mat; are you taking up someone elses space? Are you disturbing someones focus by sounding to much, or bumping into them?
In a conversation; are you talking so much that you don´t let other people say anything?
At work; are you taking credit for ideas that someone else has created?
At home: are you constanly buying new things, wanting a bigger flat, a new car, a better stereo and so on?
More wants more. Learn to distinguish between what is a healthy wish for something that is important for you, something that comes from the heart, and between desperately wanting things that are not sprung from within, but are perhaps a way of filling a gap for something else.
söndag 22 februari 2009
Satya- Truth
Week two, and time for the next yama- truth. Grounded in ahimsa, satya is truthfulness and honesty, in thought, speech and action. As always, the intention is important.
- Honesty towards yourself: am I living my life according to my inner truth? Am I expressing myself as I am, or am I expressing someone elses expectations, or perhaps something I wish to be rather than what I am? Am I not facing the truth because I am afraid of it? I've noticed that with some people I feel that I can be more myself, i.e. express my truth than with others. It's as if though I am afraid that I will not be accepted if I show who I really am. Do you recognise this? I wish I could always be honest with who I am. I guess this also has to do with ahimsa, loving yourself for who you are.
- Honesty towards others: is speaking the truth always the right thing to do? According to the sutras you must look at the intention behind speaking the truth, and also see if the truth might hurt someone. I think that one is tricky. Maybe by pointing out the truth to someone, they first feal hurt, but sometimes making someone aware of the truth can actually be helpful in the long run. I have had friends telling me in a quite harsh way to open up my eyes to the truth. At first I was very hurt, but after a while I have was greatful for their honesty, because it helped me get past certain obstacles. But then, their intention was good.
fredag 20 februari 2009
Balance and Bliss
Well, here I am again, staying home from work with a cold. Nastier this time than last. I guess I'm not in balance.
Again, going through my notes from Dr. Kumar's course, he gave us the ayurvedic definition of health:
"Health consists of balancing the functions of energy, the digestive fire, the tissues and the excretions. Having bliss in the soul, the sense organs and the mind."
Digestive fire, excretions and sense organs are fine. I guess since I have a cold the tissues are out of balance. I don't have sufficient auyurvedic knowledge to know how to balance the right tissue and with what. But I am trying to boost my immune sytem. How? With spirulina, echinecea, garlic, probiotics, broccoli soup and green tea. I might be a little low on the proteins. I'll do my usual smoothie with banana, maca powder, hemp powder(loads of protein), oat milk and flaxseed oil. Tastes really good.
Energy, well, a bit low. I've been a bit over active lately. I think I did too much too soon after the last cold. How to balance? Gentle(!) yoga and rest I guess. Sleep. Taking walks in the sun and fresh air.
Mind? A bit uneasy at the moment. Meditation.
Soul. Maybe one of the most important things to balance, but also the most difficult. How do you balance your soul? I don't know. I'm just guessing. Listening to your heart and expressing what it wants to say? Being with people who accept and love you for who you are? Love and respect your self. Having fun, laughing! Having a vision, something that gives you direction. A will to go on despite the ups and downs. Hope.
Sometimes bliss seems like a word I don't really understand. Have I ever been blissful? Is it possible to acheive in a wordly, profane life? Maybe it's one of those things that just happen. Like happiness, when you look for it, it just seems to get further and further away. Like running after a ball. You just kick it in front of you all the time. But when you stop running, the ball might just come rolling back to you. Is it the same with love?
Again, going through my notes from Dr. Kumar's course, he gave us the ayurvedic definition of health:
"Health consists of balancing the functions of energy, the digestive fire, the tissues and the excretions. Having bliss in the soul, the sense organs and the mind."
Digestive fire, excretions and sense organs are fine. I guess since I have a cold the tissues are out of balance. I don't have sufficient auyurvedic knowledge to know how to balance the right tissue and with what. But I am trying to boost my immune sytem. How? With spirulina, echinecea, garlic, probiotics, broccoli soup and green tea. I might be a little low on the proteins. I'll do my usual smoothie with banana, maca powder, hemp powder(loads of protein), oat milk and flaxseed oil. Tastes really good.
Energy, well, a bit low. I've been a bit over active lately. I think I did too much too soon after the last cold. How to balance? Gentle(!) yoga and rest I guess. Sleep. Taking walks in the sun and fresh air.
Mind? A bit uneasy at the moment. Meditation.
Soul. Maybe one of the most important things to balance, but also the most difficult. How do you balance your soul? I don't know. I'm just guessing. Listening to your heart and expressing what it wants to say? Being with people who accept and love you for who you are? Love and respect your self. Having fun, laughing! Having a vision, something that gives you direction. A will to go on despite the ups and downs. Hope.
Sometimes bliss seems like a word I don't really understand. Have I ever been blissful? Is it possible to acheive in a wordly, profane life? Maybe it's one of those things that just happen. Like happiness, when you look for it, it just seems to get further and further away. Like running after a ball. You just kick it in front of you all the time. But when you stop running, the ball might just come rolling back to you. Is it the same with love?
söndag 15 februari 2009
Ahimsa- sowing positive seeds and watering with love
Yoga is, according to Sri K Pattabi Jois, 99 % practice and 1 % theory. This does not mean, as I unreflected thought in the beginning, 99 % physical practice and only 1 % philosophy...
It means that if you really want to learn something, if you really want to change and evolve on the yogic path, you have to practice what is taught. In other words- learning by doing.
So, this means that if you want to understand the yogic philosophy, you have to incorporate it in your life. A few years ago, when I was taking an intensive yoga course with my teacher Lisa Lalér, she gave us a home assignment every week to think about one of the yamas and niyamas in our daily life. This really helped in understanding what they meant, and it also helped in seeing the patterns in thought, speech and action that I had. In a way, a sort of self therapy. Since I am taking a course in Buddhism at the moment, and Buddhist philosophy seems so clearly similar to the yoga sutras, I thought this would be a good opportunity to conciously start practicing the yamas and niyamas again. One by one, week by week. Want to join me?
This weeks focus will then be AHIMSA.
Ahimsa: non- violence, non- harming, which really means having a loving attitude, towards others, and very importantly towards youself! In thought, action and speech. This yama is the base of all the other yamas and niyamas.
In the asana practice it's very easy to see your thoughts. Maybe you push yourself very hard so that you eventually harm yourself. Maybe you think badly of the person on the mat next to you because they can do something you can't, maybe you think you are worthless because you just never seem to be able to come into a certain asana. The teacher never sees me. I'm too fat. I'm too slow. I'm too restless. I'm not ambitious enough. I can never say no when I need to. And so on. At work or in your relationships, can you recognise these thoughts even there? In action and speech- Do you impose your views on others? Do you take other peoples time and space? Do you express anger on inoocent people? Do you manipulate people to get what you want? These questions also give rise to the principles of asteya (non-stealing) and satya (truth) that are the following yamas.
The antidote to these negative, harmful thoughts is to replace them with positive, loving thoughts. Don't let the harmful thoughts take root. Thouhts are seeds to your emotions. Sounds easy, right! But I know, it's hard, because your thought patterns are so deeply rooted! Especially harmful thoughts towards yourself. And it's a constant practice. It's not enough to do it just for a short period and then hope that the effect will last forever. And to begin with it might be necessary to sort of trick your mind. It might feel like you are not being sincere when replcing a bad thought with what might feel as a constructed good thought. But remember(you too Tina!), that you are not your thoughts. Just because you had a negative thought does not mean that it came from who you are at the moment, and it might not be a correct response to the actual situation. It is very likely that the thought came from your old thought patterns, the samskaras, the "autobahn" in your mind.
Thoughts preceed speech and action, so working with changing your harmful thoughts seems to me to be the first and formost important thing. And it needs to be done with a loving, non-judgemental attitude!
Next weeks subject on my course is metta-bhavana(loving-kindness) meditation. That's cultivating ahimsa!
Water your thoughts with love!
It means that if you really want to learn something, if you really want to change and evolve on the yogic path, you have to practice what is taught. In other words- learning by doing.
So, this means that if you want to understand the yogic philosophy, you have to incorporate it in your life. A few years ago, when I was taking an intensive yoga course with my teacher Lisa Lalér, she gave us a home assignment every week to think about one of the yamas and niyamas in our daily life. This really helped in understanding what they meant, and it also helped in seeing the patterns in thought, speech and action that I had. In a way, a sort of self therapy. Since I am taking a course in Buddhism at the moment, and Buddhist philosophy seems so clearly similar to the yoga sutras, I thought this would be a good opportunity to conciously start practicing the yamas and niyamas again. One by one, week by week. Want to join me?
This weeks focus will then be AHIMSA.
Ahimsa: non- violence, non- harming, which really means having a loving attitude, towards others, and very importantly towards youself! In thought, action and speech. This yama is the base of all the other yamas and niyamas.
In the asana practice it's very easy to see your thoughts. Maybe you push yourself very hard so that you eventually harm yourself. Maybe you think badly of the person on the mat next to you because they can do something you can't, maybe you think you are worthless because you just never seem to be able to come into a certain asana. The teacher never sees me. I'm too fat. I'm too slow. I'm too restless. I'm not ambitious enough. I can never say no when I need to. And so on. At work or in your relationships, can you recognise these thoughts even there? In action and speech- Do you impose your views on others? Do you take other peoples time and space? Do you express anger on inoocent people? Do you manipulate people to get what you want? These questions also give rise to the principles of asteya (non-stealing) and satya (truth) that are the following yamas.
The antidote to these negative, harmful thoughts is to replace them with positive, loving thoughts. Don't let the harmful thoughts take root. Thouhts are seeds to your emotions. Sounds easy, right! But I know, it's hard, because your thought patterns are so deeply rooted! Especially harmful thoughts towards yourself. And it's a constant practice. It's not enough to do it just for a short period and then hope that the effect will last forever. And to begin with it might be necessary to sort of trick your mind. It might feel like you are not being sincere when replcing a bad thought with what might feel as a constructed good thought. But remember(you too Tina!), that you are not your thoughts. Just because you had a negative thought does not mean that it came from who you are at the moment, and it might not be a correct response to the actual situation. It is very likely that the thought came from your old thought patterns, the samskaras, the "autobahn" in your mind.
Thoughts preceed speech and action, so working with changing your harmful thoughts seems to me to be the first and formost important thing. And it needs to be done with a loving, non-judgemental attitude!
Next weeks subject on my course is metta-bhavana(loving-kindness) meditation. That's cultivating ahimsa!
Water your thoughts with love!
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