Fear

Nothing in life is to be feared.  It is only to be understood.  

~Marie Curie

A few days ago I was up before the sun came up and I went outside to meditate in the cooler morning air. It's a treat to do this when the weather permits and I was particularly grateful on this morning to be surrounded by fresh air and nature while connecting to what one of my teachers calls “big mind” (a state of consciousness that leads to serenity, clarity and bliss).  It’s a heavenly feeling to sit tall, close your eyes and sink into stillness, feeling the presence of God around and within you. 

As I sat and allowed my wavering thoughts to settle, I started to notice with great clarity the sounds going on around me, starting with the sounds furthest away: the soft drone of cars on the interstate, a distant train whistle, a siren in the a few miles away, a car starting a few streets over, cicadas, frogs and crickets singing their early morning choruses, the neighbor opening her front door to let her dog out. The longer I sat, the more aware I became of sounds closer to me: something (perhaps a squirrel) moving around in the grass to my right, the neighbors dog lifting a leg to pee on the herb garden next to me, the growling of my hungry belly, but something else also caught my ear.  It was much closer to me, perhaps just a foot or so away that I couldn't quite identify... a light scratching sound.  What was it?  

Scratch, scratch, scratch...

Of course being out in nature means, well, being out in nature... replete with all things natural, like... bugs.

I'm not a big fan of bugs.  I don't know who among us really is a fan of bugs unless, of course, you are an entomologist or an exterminator. So as I listened to this “scratch, scratch, scratch”  my mind automatically conjured up the image of a huge, hideous palmetto bug (i.e. a GINORMOUS roach) making its way toward me.  My thoughts took a turn, “What if there's more than one?!”,  “What if it climbs up the leg of the chair!?”,  “What if it crawls on me!?”, “What if, what if, what if”!!!!!?????”. For a moment I became paralyzed with fear. Fear holds us still, stifles our progress, and distorts our view of reality. 

Yoga/meditation offers us a doorway to self-realization by honing our awareness. This newfound awareness grants us the opportunity to help focus our mind.  With a focused mind we can separate fact from fiction - much easier than a confused mind. As practices, yoga and meditation offer us many tools for stilling the mind. The first of these is Pranayama (Yogic breath techniques). Breath is the primary link between mind and body. One of the first things we learn as students is how to use the breath to focus the mind. 

So, back to the RABID palmetto bug, once I came back to my breath and the rootedness of my body on this particular morning, I was able to let go of all the “what ifs” and find greater stillness.  I am happy to report that when I opened my eyes there were no swarming masses of snarling Palmetto bugs waiting to devour me as my mind had come to believe.  Just an empy patio, quiet in the early morning light.  The “scratch, scratch, scratch” I heard that invoked such fear in the first place?  Just a hungry caterpillar munching on a leaf next to where I was sitting...

On the mat, one emotion we often run into is fear.  We might hold back for fear of falling out of a pose.  We might have fear of appearing weak or foolish - or worse -hurting ourselves!  Next time you find yourself falling out of a pose, notice how you react to falling. Yoga teaches us that we can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we choose to react.

Until next time...

"Fear is illusory; it cannot live...Courage is eternal, it will not die. Perils, calamities, dangers are the certain lot of every man who is a denizen of this world. Therefore, O Man! Fortify your mind with courage and patience. Fortitude, courage, presence of mind will sustain you through all dangers. Just as a rock on the sea-shore stands firm and the dashing of the waves does not affect it even a bit, even so a man who is endowed with courage is not affected by the dark perilous waves of this Samsara. He stands adamant in all trying conditions and circumstances and comes out victorious."

By Sri Swami Sivananda

Freedom

"Inhale, and God approaches you.  Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you.  Exhale, and you approach God.  Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God." 

-Krishnamacharya

In Monday's class we explored the concept of four part breathing.  In yoga, breathing is the most central and vital practice.  The breath opens a doorway into the deeper aspects of the practice such as freedom, intuition, lovingkindness, mindfulness, meditation, movement of energy, and a deep sense of connection to all things (to name a few).


In order to cultivate an awareness and reverence for the breath, we need to start by taking a look at its structure.  The complete yogic breath has four parts: the inhalation (called puraka in sanskrit), the retention (kumbhaka), the exhalation (rechaka), and the absence of breath within the body (shunyata).  The idea is that by simply becoming aware of their existence and differences as we breathe, we strengthen and slow down our breath.  As a result we begin to find clarity, focus and freedom.


Once we become aware of our breathing and recognize that it is the way in which we can control the energy of our body and mind, we can begin to use it most effectively. Without established breathing, hatha yoga is simply a physical exercise. When we start to move with the breath (vinyasa), we experience a change in our state of mind. We become relaxed, focused, and peaceful. We also begin to enjoy and feel at home in our bodies.  With mindfulness and concentration, we can send the energy of the breath throughout the body, releasing tensions, build strength, and bringing stillness to areas where we are ill at ease. When practicing yoga, we often discover parts of our body that are tight, sore, congested, closed off, numb, or painful of which we were not even aware. This is the process of developing mindfulness.


"Yoga is all about freedom. Only a fraction of the world’s population is formally imprisoned, but the entire human race is imprisoned in the body and the earth itself. None are free from the inevitability of sickness, age, and death, however free of them they may be at the moment. The human condition is subject to innumerable limitations. Who really controls his life fully, attains all his goals, and knows no setbacks of any kind? No one.

Our real self, the spirit, is always perfect and free. But we have forgotten that. So we identify with our present experience of bondage and consequently suffer in countless ways. Our situation is like someone who is asleep and dreaming that he is being tortured and beaten. In reality he is not being touched at all; yet he is experiencing very real pain and fear. He need not placate, overpower, or escape his torturers. He needs only to wake up. Yoga is the practice of self-awakening." (Swami Nirmalananda Giri )


Ultimately, yoga is the practice of freedom. It's about clearing away whatever is in us that prevents us from living in the most full and whole way. Yoga is connecting all of the powers of the body, mind and soul to something greater and more profound.  It is the path of balance and equanimity. 
The poses and the breath are just a way in.  Once we understand how to "be" in a pose or how to breathe, it's then up to us to be brave enough to take what we observe and use it to evolve, to grow, to remove the obstacles placed in our path, and to free ourselves from suffering.

It all starts with the breath.

Until next time...

Try this:

Four-Part Breath
The point of this pranayama exercise is simply to bring your mind more clearly to your breath, so your breath can inspire your movements, rather than the other way around. It is also a lovely way to bring yourself back to the stillness we seek in yoga. I recommend establishing the four-part breath at the beginning of your practice, as you sit still. Then incorporate it as you begin to move. See if you can hold onto it through your entire practice, until you consciously let it go in Savasana.
1) Take a few rounds of breath, just observing the natural rhythm and feel of your breath. Be sure to breathe through your nose and take particular note of the feel of the air entering and exiting your nostrils, establishing your connection to something bigger.
2) Begin to observe the space between your breaths — that brief moment of stillness between the exhale and the inhale, and between the inhale and the exhale. Don’t alter it, just observe how you are perfectly still before reversing directions, like when you're on a swing!

3) When you are ready, take a long, slow inhale, counting to four to fill your lungs.
4) Pause at the top of the inhale, and count to four. Don’t struggle to hold your breath. Just be with the stillness.
5) Exhale slowly and with control for four counts.
6) Count to four at the bottom of your breath. Again, take care not to struggle. Just observe the stillness.
7) After a couple of rounds, you may wish to lengthen to counts of five for a round or two and then maybe even six. Take your time, complete each round, and if you start to struggle, back off. You are looking for peace and ease in this pranayama exercise.
8) When you are ready, stop counting and instead just feel the evenness of your four-part breath, giving equal space to the stillness between the exhales and the inhales as you give to the exhales and inhales themselves.
9) Carry this sense of balance and equanimity and peace into the rest of your practice and the rest of your day.
(From: http://www.yogamamame.com/pranayama/)


ONLY BREATH 
by Rumi
Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu,
Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion 
or cultural system. I am not from the East
or the West, not out of the ocean or up
from the ground, not natural or ethereal, 
not composed of elements at all. I do not exist,
am not an entity in this world or the next,
did not descend from Adam or Eve or any 
origin story. My place is placeless, a trace
of the traceless. Neither body or soul.
I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
worlds as one and that one call to and know,
first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.

Breath Is Enough 

by Robert Service

I draw sweet air

Deeply and long,

As pure as prayer,

As sweet as song.

Where lilies glow

And roses wreath,

Heart-joy I know

Is just to breathe.

Aye, so I think

By shore or sea,

As deep I drink

Of purity.

This brave machine,

Bare to the buff,

I keep ice-clean,

Breath is enough.

From mountain stream

To covert cool

The world, I deem,

Is wonderful;

The great, the small,

The smooth, the rough,

I love it all,--

Breath is enough.

How Do You Fill Your Moments?

Flipping through a recent issue of Yoga Journal magazine, I spotted an article about meditation that resonated with me so I thought I'd share it in class this past Friday.

The gist of the article was that meditation, while a beautiful and ancient practice, does not necessarily have to happen while sitting in silence on a meditation cushion, chanting mantras and handling mala beads. I am a true and passionate believer in the power of a daily seated, silent meditation practice and I am here to say that it works wonderfully.  

That being said, meditation and stillness can happen wherever we happen to be at any given moment.  Everyday we find ourselves with free minutes while "waiting" for something to happen.  This waiting provides many opportunities for personal transformation.  Whether we're stuck in traffic or at a red light, standing in line at the bank, or waiting for an appointment, we have the choice to either fill our moments with the simplicity of stillness or we can fill the still moments by chatting on the cell phone, sending text messages, logging onto Facebook or turning on the TV.  Not to say that any of these things are wrong in and of themselves, but taking a look at the need to fill space is where we begin to move closer to transformation.

By setting an intention, we can transform our free moments into stillness or relaxation and experience the qualities of meditation.  The Yoga Journal article suggested some ways to cultivate stillness in your free moments.  Here are a few:

1) Stand more firmly on your feet or settle into your sitting bones and hips.  Breathe deeply.

2) Soften your facial muscles!

3) Free your hands - rest them by your sides or place them gently on your lap.

I'd also like to add a few of my own:

4) Take a moment to close your eyes and deeply inhale then slowly exhale (not while driving of course!).  Notice how it feels to be present with yourself.

5) Rather than getting in the car and turning on the radio first thing, roll down the window(s) and feel the breeze in your hair.  Breathe!

6) Standing in line at the grocery store?  Use it as an opportunity to inhale/exhale then pause for 5 seconds before drawing in another inhale.  Repeat until the line begins to move.  Instant stillness!

Asana practice can also be a moving meditation. At home and have a few free minutes?  Roll out your yoga mat or find a quiet space to stand and practice the following flow:

Be sure to match your movements to the length of your breath which is ideally long, slow and deep.  Let your mind, body and breath move together as one.

Start out standing in mountain pose (Tadasana).  Root yourself.  

Inhale, slowly raise your arms over your head.

Exhale, slowly release your hands to your sides and clasp them behind your back.

Inhale, draw the clasped hands away from your back, open you chest/heart, lift your gaze towards the sky!

Exhale, fold forward from the creases of your hips with your hands still clasped behind your back.

Inhale, lift the chest, sweep the arms over head

Repeat 5 times or more.  

This flow is a wonderful way to not only root yourself in your body, but it also opens your heart, your chest, and your shoulders.  It increases your lung capacity (more breath=more energy!). It helps to connect you to the meditative power of linking breath with movement (also known as Vinyasa).

How do you fill your moments? The choice is yours!

Until next time!

Kimberley

What To Remember When Waking

by David Whyte

In that first hardly noticed moment in which you wake,

coming back to this life from the other

more secret, moveable and frighteningly honest world

where everything began,

there is a small opening into the new day

which closes the moment you begin your plans.

What you can plan is too small for you to live.

What you can live wholeheartedly will make plans enough

for the vitality hidden in your sleep.

To be human is to become visible

while carrying what is hidden as a gift to others.

To remember the other world in this world

is to live in your true inheritance.

You are not a troubled guest on this earth,

you are not an accident amidst other accidents

you were invited from another and greater night

than the one from which you have just emerged.

Now, looking through the slanting light of the morning window

toward the mountain presence of everything that can be

what urgency calls you to your one love?

What shape waits in the seed of you

to grow and spread its branches

against a future sky?

Is it waiting in the fertile sea?

In the trees beyond the house?

In the life you can imagine for yourself?

In the open and lovely white page on the writing desk?