Layers of Yoga, layers of practice... How deep do you want to go? How fully do you want to experience, move, change, expand, inspire? There are many layers.
This month as life invites us into full expression, spring blossoming, the fire of Aries, spring cleaning, etc.. I invite you to choose, commit and follow through.
As has been oft said in yoga land.. The way we do one thing is the way we do everything. So, ask yourself and be honest;
- Am I just getting by, doing only what is required of me by outside forces?
Did I come to Yoga hoping for great change and healing?
Do I expect great change to just happen?
Do I say one thing and then do another, or do nothing to follow up?
Do I leave my yoga in the classroom?
Am I bored, frustrated, disappointed, feeling like hopes and expectations are not being met?
These questions are not meant to judge yourself In a way that leaves you feeling bad. We do want to notice where we can work harder but beating ourselves up is not the good work. Let's go for the good work.
In the physical practice we can ground more, strengthen more and relax more at some point in most every pose and or transition. Seek these places. The curiosity, the investigation, the sense of wonder and discovery are truly what yoga is all about. It's not about more everything all the time, but if that's fun for you, then yes it can be!
We are often asked in the beginning of yoga class to set intention. I've always appreciated this and I think that it works on some level no matter what. Whatever we focus on grows, what we hold in our mind, we will see in our life. So in really noticing this and applying strong intention in my own practice, I have seen and felt viscerally how much faster/ deeper the evolution is. I've come to wonder even, wow, if I had been practicing with deep focused intention like this for the whole 20+ years I've been practicing so far,,, where would I be!? Of course we find things when we really need them, in our own time. And you have found me at this phase of your own evolution! So I feel it is my job to relate to you what I have learned, encourage strong intention setting, patterning of these intentions in on every level of being, in every physical opening, every energy raising and gathering.
I feel like the evolution of the whole world is speeding up! There is so much information available to us now. Things that were once secret, that people gave their lives for are all readily available at the click of a button. Ancient teachings are proven by science, etc... If we don't wake up now into our truth, fullness and oneness then I'm not sure what it will take! It's a very exciting time to be alive.
So on that, the neuroscience and cellular biology that we have available to us now of what thought, emotion and intention do in the body and in the world around us even, is incredible. If you are interested in learning more, some of the books that set me on this path are; "The Intention Experiment" by Lynn McTaggart, "Biology Of Belief" by Bruce Lipton, and "Everything You Need To Know To Feel Go(o)d" by Candace Pert. All of their other books are great too. These people were all scientists first who became spiritual or more deeply so due to their work. Funny, actually as I write this, I realize that I was more spiritual first and actually resistant to science "proving" what "we" (yoga) has known for thousands of years. But alas, it's absolutely fascinating and I am a synthesist, now devouring the science and weaving it in with my teaching.
And attention to some of the layers of being;
do I accept my past as my strength, having given me the foundation to be who I am today, knowing that I did the best I knew how along the way and so did my parents and teachers
Do I accept my masculine aspects
Do I accept my feminine aspects
Do I acknowledge my sexual needs, health, and well being
Do I have a healthy relationship with money
Am I connected to myself as part of nature and get enough time in nature to connect and reflect?
Do I allow myself creative expression?
Self worth, time to nurture self, quiet time for the mind, physical self care?
Do I speak my truth, own my power?
Have I addressed my feelings or thoughts around death?
Of course there are thousands of other valuable self reflective questions, I've just found these ones healthful and helpful to look at and used my practice, both physical, breath, meditation, & Lifeline to clear the samskaras, limiting beliefs, subconscious reactive patterns, etc..around these things so that I could pattern in the intentions that I choose to live from in these areas.. And the good work continues... Shine on beautyfull expressions of life!
PS - if you are a Yogi reading this because its a Yoga blog, then i understand you might have expected some talk of the koshas!? If so, or if yes but you dont know what im talking about .. Well, i thought i might talk about them too-
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