"Mr Duffy lived a short distance from his body".
This is a quote from a short story by James Joyce. This week we discussed "embodied awareness". Many of us live cut off from the wisdom and insight our bodies have to offer. We attempt to extinguish painful feelings with addictive behaviors and disassociating from what is going on in our inner world. We may have negative attitudes to parts of our bodies, longing for so called perfection. Donna Farhi reminds us that aliveness lives in the body. In order to enjoy the richness of being alive we must return to living in the body and not in our heads with an executive ego that controls the body. When we come into the body and the breath, it is a coming home to what is real, coming home to who we are with all our uniqueness and imperfections and knowing that we are always changing. We can then make choices from that "embodied awareness".
Friday, October 30, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
"The Freedom of Discipline"
Donna Farhi tells us that discipline is any practice that contains our thoughts, energy and actions so that we can use ourselves in a potent way.
She shares that a longing for freedom is healthy, and a vital component for any spiritual journey.
However, we need to be discerning about how we channel our energy and the choices we make so as not to be "drinking salty water to quench our thirst".
We can become more skillful in our choices by "increasing our tolerance for staying in the pause between desire and satisfaction". In the pause we make our choices.
When we practice, we make room for all of our feelings and yet not allow our feelings to become our identity. The feelings are just " a passing show", they are not who we are. We can be diligent about remaining a witness, a neutral witness to the "passing show" or "mind stuff".
"Today it is rainy but the sky is not wet, tomorrow it is sunny but the sky does not ignite into flames." The sky remains a neutral witness.
She shares that a longing for freedom is healthy, and a vital component for any spiritual journey.
However, we need to be discerning about how we channel our energy and the choices we make so as not to be "drinking salty water to quench our thirst".
We can become more skillful in our choices by "increasing our tolerance for staying in the pause between desire and satisfaction". In the pause we make our choices.
When we practice, we make room for all of our feelings and yet not allow our feelings to become our identity. The feelings are just " a passing show", they are not who we are. We can be diligent about remaining a witness, a neutral witness to the "passing show" or "mind stuff".
"Today it is rainy but the sky is not wet, tomorrow it is sunny but the sky does not ignite into flames." The sky remains a neutral witness.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Fourth Brahmavihara
In week # 4 we discussed the 4 attitudes or" brahmaviharas" that Patanjali gives us in the Yoga Sutras. We spent time looking at the last one as this one we believed was the most challenging.
These attitudes are a way to begin "cleaning up our social relationships" and a preliminary step to clearing the mind. The 4th attitude is "Remaining impartial to the faults and imperfections of others". (Yoga Sutra 1.33). Donna Farhi says,"Our spiritual fitness can be tested only in relationship to others". She says, "What we refuse in ourselves, we refuse in others". In other words what we refuse to see and accept in ourselves will make us intolerant of the same in another.
Think of the last time you were critical or harsh with your judgement toward another. How does that manifest in yourself? A good question to ask sometimes is just "And how am I that too?"
These attitudes are a way to begin "cleaning up our social relationships" and a preliminary step to clearing the mind. The 4th attitude is "Remaining impartial to the faults and imperfections of others". (Yoga Sutra 1.33). Donna Farhi says,"Our spiritual fitness can be tested only in relationship to others". She says, "What we refuse in ourselves, we refuse in others". In other words what we refuse to see and accept in ourselves will make us intolerant of the same in another.
Think of the last time you were critical or harsh with your judgement toward another. How does that manifest in yourself? A good question to ask sometimes is just "And how am I that too?"
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sloth
Donna Farhi writes a whole chapter on "sloth" in her book, Bringing Yoga To Life. "I know no better word than sloth to describe the habitula disinclination to effort that thwarts the potential of the budding spiritual seeker... Sloth makes it almost impossible to establish a firm ground for practice and even if we are able to do so , sloth may prevent us from sustaining any ground."
She suggests that if inertia is a way of life then we need to take a good look at what the cause is and that busyness does not necessarily mean that our actions are purposeful. Busyness can keep us in a stuck place just as much as inactivity.
She suggests that "the contemplation of death might help us to discriminate between what is salient to our very being and what is not... what is important and what is not". Using our energy wisely is part of the 4th yama, Brahmacharya, also expressed as merging our energy with God or the divine.
If in any moment we are aware that our actions are reflecting our values and our life purpose, we are aligning with the light within that is our "true nature".
She suggests that if inertia is a way of life then we need to take a good look at what the cause is and that busyness does not necessarily mean that our actions are purposeful. Busyness can keep us in a stuck place just as much as inactivity.
She suggests that "the contemplation of death might help us to discriminate between what is salient to our very being and what is not... what is important and what is not". Using our energy wisely is part of the 4th yama, Brahmacharya, also expressed as merging our energy with God or the divine.
If in any moment we are aware that our actions are reflecting our values and our life purpose, we are aligning with the light within that is our "true nature".
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Art Show Reception
Thank you to all of you who came out to support me at the ART WALK.
It meant a lot to me, seeing your smiling faces and enthusiasm. It was very successful and lots of fun.
I even sold some paintings... very exciting.
Remember, I will be bringing calendars to class. Don't forget to pick yours up.
It meant a lot to me, seeing your smiling faces and enthusiasm. It was very successful and lots of fun.
I even sold some paintings... very exciting.
Remember, I will be bringing calendars to class. Don't forget to pick yours up.
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