"Every man is the builder of a temple called his body."
— Henry David Thoreau
Your Body is a Mountain and Wind
During one of my practices, my instructor told the class to ground their body and breath. The idea was for your body to be solid but your breath to flow throughout, and for a moment I had to really picture how to do this. First, I pictured by body like a mountain range, the base of my head, back and legs all becoming one with the ground. The movement away from the ground was like the rise of mountains, a range that was unique in shape and only would work for me.
Then, I focused on my breath. I took a deep breath in and imagined it filling the mountain range. The breath shifted around each solid form and between each mountain, filling my range with a gentle and soothing wind. I was solid and yet relaxed, because I focused both on settling and letting the wind dance throughout my body. My body was both earth and wind, two harmonious elements assisting with my meditation.
Since that class, whenever I am in my final shavasana, I always picture myself as a mountain range in wind. Sometimes I am taller, and sometimes I am merely hills, but always I am in harmony.
Namaste
"Be okay with were you are, even if you know you want to change"
Jose Gonzalez’s Heartbeats - use it for meditation or yoga, it’s a beautiful song
(Source: sechristian)
"We don’t need to wait until illness, disease, or obesity happen before we seek balance; we can wake up anytime we are ready"
— Baron Baptise - 40 Days To Personal Revolution
Day 6 - Return
The past few days I have been absent from my practice. The world swept me up and drew me away from my intentions and my dedication. I know this journal has been quiet, and it is a reflection of my practice and service to myself. Today I was able to get back into my practice, though I had to do so in the morning in a much more relaxed manner. I have been very aggressive with my practice, and so today I worked on slow-flow basics, or a much slower day. Hopefully I can build up again tomorrow with a more intense practice.
Namaste
"Nothing is as certain as that the vices of leisure are gotten rid of by being busy."
— Seneca
Day 3 - Adaptation
Some days you really want to accomplish something, and you really want to spend time with your friends. However, other people and other engagements demand for you to make a change and adapt to a new plan. I was able to work on yoga today, and I pushed myself to make it through another power vinyasa class. The biggest challenge, however, was adapting to a new plan that changed my night. Though I thought it would be uneventful, I actually had an enjoyable dinner with my parents and even had some fun flirting with a waiter! Maybe it was the practice right before that assisted in my relaxed acceptance of the change of plans, maybe it was something else. Either way, adaptation is a natural means of life that we need to get used to accepting. If we can accept and appreciate the new experience, we may be surprised with the resulting adventure that we have. Namaste
Day 2 - Dedication
It was very hard for me to find time to practice today. I woke up with a paper due in school and over six hours of class. Wednesdays are an easy day for me find excuses and not practice for the day. It would be easy for me to make it my day off, but it is only my second day practicing. So I took advice from my practice and attempted my first home session. And I will say…it was hard.
The movements I made were not difficult, but having the dedication to stick to this plan means taking a step through a difficult door. I needed to push through that resistance of sticking to my old ways and attempt a new practice outside of my comfort zone. I was able to move through each pose, and though I felt discomfort and uncertainty, I still continued with my dedication to finish each move.
Dedication is key in trying to create a new routine. Even when you want to push it away, to say that you’ll start tomorrow or take one day off, don’t do it. Stay dedicated and push yourself to maintain that new routine until you no longer struggle to make it happen.
Namaste
Balasana
Sometimes you feel your mind begin to wander, and sometimes you fall into child’s pose and feel the a release as never before. I enjoy this pose both as a beginning to my practice and as a release from my Power Vinyasa. I actually really enjoyed this pose before I took my Power Vinyasa class yesterday, but as soon as I sunk down into the pose I found it even better than before.
Namaste
