Recently it was the holidays and I got away from my yoga practice. I moved cross-country -- I started two new days jobs, I moved back into my house -- so many many things: changes-- the new, the old it all collided around the holidays, until it was almost two weeks and I hadn't practiced regularly. If it's possible to feel your own circulation diminish I felt it. Blood, life, went into a stillness --- but not the stillness that we talk about in yoga. The stillness of stagnation -- lack of movement, lack of flow. All around my personal life was filled with challenge...my friends weren't getting along, strangers weren't getting along -- my cousin announced a divorce, a former colleague died. Is it a coincidence that I wasn't practicing -- I can sometimes be superstitious about certain things -- wear a lucky color, but that's about it. No, it isn't that if I don't practice bad things happen: it's that these types of things are always happening and when I don't practice I am not at 100 percent, and therefore dealing with these things throws me (much more than if I do practice). I recently watched two films: Food Inc. and Super Size Me...which also coincided with my yoga practice derailing... It all pointed in the same direction: take care of yourself. If you haven't seen either of this two films they are worth your while. Food Inc. shows how far away we have come from really knowing what is even in our foods, and Super Size Me, shows just how easy it is to get sick from all the fast foods we have readily available to us. Organic food is more expensive and fast food chains are all over working class neighborhoods. Yoga means union -- if we are so far away from where our food is -- if we are so far away from each other's neighborhoods (this includes the NIMBYS!) we are far away from yoga. I went back to class today. My mantra was, "I am at peace in my yoga practice".
Beautiful mantra. I love it. Things in life will always happen. We just don't need to invite it all in for tea!
ReplyDeleteI read this a while ago but my comment didn't get posted due to login difficulties - bleah! - I am totally with you on several levels here. I have been more fitness conscious lately (mostly weight training combined with my grappling and swordfighting) and have gone through periods of frequent and then infrequent practice of physical recreational activity. When I am away from my training I do feel like my body is slowing down in a bad way. I don't eat as much, and my heart races at odd moments. When I am actively involved, I feel muscle soreness all the time, but I feel like I am accomplishing something, and have greater confidence about myself. Food tastes better too.
ReplyDeleteHaven't tried yoga since I was, like, 5 and there was that program on channel 13., but from what I am learning about fitness these days, it it is starting to look attractive to me.
I recently completed the 30 day Bikram yoga challenge at my Bikram Studio in London. Tough, but so worthwhile! While I may not take on another daily challenge, I do practice four times a week when I am in town. I've now been out of town for a couple of weeks and feel the impact of not having practiced...so I am off to a studio in the area this morning..yea! Although I run, and cycle when not doing yoga, nothing can take it's place. All in all, it just makes me feel healthy. :-)
ReplyDeletei love yoga and do yoga daily
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