the human condition~ obstacles on your path home
You know that dullness, doubt, indecision, laziness, instability & general heaviness you're feeling ~ during those times you know you should be out walking the dogs, feeding yourself healthier food, moving your body more? Well guess what, the Ancient sages and seers felt it too, as has probably every human that's ever lived.
The Yoga Sutras (translation by Alan Finger, "Tantra of the Sutras) tell us there are 9 kinds of these conditions that get in our way from reaching and experiencing Samadhi ( that integral feeling of connection to the universal consciousness).
That's right, you've heard it before, your'e in YOUR OWN WAY.
And we tend to feel these a lot during winter. And we also tend to feel these whenever we start or commit to something new, like a Yoga practice, Meditation, daily Walk, whatever it might be. Old habits die hard, and you will find yourself feeling like the very thing that was supposed to help you ( your Meditation/Mindfullness practice) actually makes it worse.
I'm here to say. Its okay. It's a totally normal and natural reaction. ( See above the 9 Conditions - they experienced it way back when)
All you need is the tools to be able to ride the waves of this growth ~ you need the action, awareness & surrender to be able to experience the now.
Sutra 1.32-1.40 give us some simple and powerful tools to do this:
1) Cultivating compassion, joy, love and equanimity (even to those create suffering)
2) Using the breath. Specifically lengthening out the exhale and spending time at the pause at the end of the exhale in retention
3) Focusing on subtle, inner perceptions
4) Cultivating awareness in the mid-brain.
If you've been to classes you'll know we do a lot of the above. And that's in short, why we do what we do. I don't just make up poses I think will be good, I follow tradition but also teach from my heart and offer you freedom to explore and feel it in your own body.
Not sure where to start? Start now. With what you have.
And also, come to class with me. I'd love to see you on the mat. Prefer one on one time? yeah me too sometimes, I offer Private sessions from my Home studio or I can come to you. We can even do outdoors.
Contact me via Facebook or website for more info!
Till next week,
Mid x