"The Riptide of Strong Emotions"

This chapter in Farhi's book draws our attention to how a strong emotion can lead to a reactive, indulgent moment where we feel compelled to just vent. We have all felt that overwhelming need to release an emotion, to find a quick way to reduce the pressure that is building up inside of us.
We may even tell ourselves that it was the right thing to do because the receiver of our venting "had it coming".... it was justified!
However unskillful venting often leads to further problems for both the receiver and the doer.
We might ask ourselves " Am I a reactive person?" "Am I able to identify a feeling and then take a moment or more to decide what would be the most helpful response to this situation?" If we are reactive, our responses will probably create a greater emotional charge and defensiveness. When we actually take time to feel what is happening in our bodies, we can recognize what is going on.
Hurt and fear can turn to anger very quickly. If we catch the hurt first, we can catch the disappointment and sadness. We can then see it as something that we can open to in ourselves instead of harming someone else with a "knee jerk" response.
We can pause and then say something that is helpful to the situation. We can also decide to say nothing... saying nothing is sometimes a bigger statement.

The Seasons of Our Lives

Our lives are always changing and so should our practice. We move through different stages, phases and what Donna Farhi refers to as seasons of life. Like the seasons of nature we sometimes want to stay in one particular season... like summer for instance. However I suspect we would get tired of summer if we had it all year round. The seasons of our lives allow us to grow and develop all the different parts of ourselves. If we have lived well in one season of our life we are apt to look forward to the next season for its own particular newness and challenges. If we cling to one phase of our lives and attempt to relive it over and over, we will miss the beauty of where we are now.
In regards to yoga practice, the way we practice and what we practice needs to reflect the stage of life we are in. If we are in our 50's or 60's and still trying to practice like we did when we were in our 30's or 40's, we will be hammering away at beliefs or practices that no longer suit our body-mind spirit. We must always be evolving.

Blind Spots....

We all have "blind spots". Donna Farhi says we know we are in the vicinity of a blind spot when we keep experiencing the same dilemma over and over again. We complain about this to our friends or anyone who will listen, yet we are defensive if someone highlights what we are unwilling to identify in ourselves.
Most of us think of blind spot as negative traits, or behaviors. What if some of our blind spots are actually positive traits or habits. What if we are talented, skilled, smart, kind, beautiful, funny, loving, or courageous etc in ways we are completely unaware of? If someone has pointed this out to us did we dismiss it and continue to berate ourselves for not being enough??

We know we are becoming more conscious when we are willing to accept and learn from our "blind spots".

Slowing Down

Donna Farhi says it all in her chapter on "Slowing Down".
However she does not give us many reasons why it is so hard to slow down. Some of us have a deep belief that if we accomplish many things at a speedy pace we will be happier, not to mention more successful. If we come to yoga with this attitude, we will find it difficult to experience what we really long for and that is "peace of mind". Our minds will be racing and we will be uncomfortable if not frustrated learning the tasks of focus, concentration and meditation.
At some point we need to release the idea that faster is better, in our daily lives. There may be a few situations where speed is important, but slowing down is where most of us need to place our attention.
Today see if you can simplify your day in some way to make room for more pauses, more enjoyment. Do something that makes you happy. :)