A Friend And Teacher

Buddhist Teacher Pema Chodron writes "Welcome the present moment as if you had invited it in. It's all we ever have, so we might as well work with it rather than struggle against it. We might as well make it our friend and teacher rather than an enemy."

I've been using these wise words to guide my own yoga practice this week, as well as the teachings I am offering in my classes too. Each time we step onto the mat we are working with a different body than the time before. Even within the same practice, moment by moment breath by breath we are working with something new, fresh, and unique.

If we slow down enough to allow the present moment to be our teacher and friend, we create so much space for the moment to reveal to us our body's innate wisdom about what will be the most healing choices to make in our practice. However if we work against the present moment, rushing into what's next, or operating in what I call "automatic pilot mode" we risk missing out on all the great information being presented to us.

For example, this week I have been having students focus specifically on their transitions to and from poses. Often times we skim the surface of these transitions, and in so doing we often sacrifice form for expediency sake leaving our shoulders, wrists, and knees compromised. Because it happens so quickly, we often don't notice--until it's happened so frequently that we start to get aches and pains and sometimes even serious injuries.

Specifically bring awareness to your hands in down dog and in plank/chaturgunga. Are your hands pressed firmly, are your index finger and thumb pressed down too? Every time? As you get tired are you still able to ground fully? If not, maybe it's best to come down to your knees. Are your shoulder blades on your back when you come down into chaturgunga or are your shoulders rounded forward? Again, maybe you need to come down on your knees, or even widen your hands if you have tight shoulders.

In standing poses are you able to press evenly through both legs or does one feel more dominant? Are your feet evenly supporting the pose? If you can't find even energy and balance maybe you need to change your stance for more support whether it means a shorter stance in poses like warrior 2 or even a wider one in warrior 1.

Every pose and every moment reveals so much to us. If we greet each moment as a friend and teacher our practice will refresh, heal and help us to grow. If we treat it as an enemy or something we have to avoid, ignore, or even work against we run the risk of losing out on some rich opportunities for healing and insight from our practice.

It's been said that the truth of the present moment is much more interesting than any fantasies we create about it. So work with what is true for you in this moment rather than anything made up, or anything you think your practice "should be" and let the fresh, new, and interesting nowness take you into a deep and powerful relationship with this present moment of your life and practice.

Have a wonderful visit with your new friend!

What is Sacred?

‎"Freeing the body leads inevitably to freeing the heart" Gabriel Roth

Asana, the physical movement of yoga, has served as my gateway to a deeper and richer life. In fact, of all the practices I've done it's been the one that has offered me the most healing, and the greatest opportunity to open to life as it is. To me the body is inherently sacred and choosing to consciously create with it through the breath and intention is a holy act.

The body and the mind are not obstacles to a deeper connection to the divine or spirit. Breath is spirit and all we have to do to connect is breathe. The body is infused with consciousness and Spirit is woven into the very fabric of every cell of our being and its sacred pulse flows through us.

Practicing asana is a fun, engaging, and worshipful experience of co-creation with spirit. In a culture that is so far removed and disconnected from the body, asana seems like a perfect laboratory to, as Donna Farhi says, "ground spirituality in the body". The body is the gateway to a rich a mysterious union with all that is. Through breath and intention we create a fertile foundation that can grow transformation in the deepest layers of consciousness in all levels of our being. Asana makes us lighter and freer, and at the same time, grounded and connected to the source of all life.

Donna says in her book "Yoga Mind Body and Spirit" that this "down to earth, flesh and bones practice is simply one of the most direct and expedient ways to meet yourself" and that "the goal of asana practice is to learn to live in your body and to perceive things clearly through it."

Through practice we heighten our sensitivities, our awareness, and our connection to the source of life itself. We learn to trust, open, surrender, and embrace our inherent strength and resilience. In a world that has aimed to desensitize us, pollute our our bodies, numb our senses, and dumb us down, I can't think of a better practice to help us in waking up and participating in life in a radical, open-hearted way.

Any practice that can open us up to the sweet richness of life in the now and in deep connection to the spirit within is a powerful practice. You can trust and know deep in your heart that as you open you are opened to all that is.

Love,

Michael