Yoga and oatmeal, because the two have sparked my interest in the mind-body connection.
It is unmistakable how the body absorbs the tension of the mind. I discover it again and again on the mat. One day I have an enjoyable practice - it stimulates my circulation as it stretches and strengthens me. I fully inhabit my body, filling it with the energy of the breath. Wisdom moves away from the chatter of busy-mind into the quiet, eager limbs. When I am done, I feel limber, open, and strong. I am taller, and calmer.
Two days later, I unroll my mat and discover that I have in me a re-occuring landscape of tightness. As it turns out, we don't live in a blissful vacuum between the times we practice; at some point the chatter picks up again. Reality is often lost beneath a static of distracting, self-generated noise: laundry lists, daydreams, attractions, and aversions. As the mind tells its stories about itself, unable to stop talking to itself, the body braces in reaction without our even being aware of it. As long as the stories repeat themselves (which they inevitably do - we are all subject to our own conditioning), tension collects in the same spots.
Continuing to practice is a great act of self-compassion. To set aside the chatter-mind for the sake of bringing attention back to your body, to kindly listen to its aches and open it again, restores a simple sense of clarity. We tend to forget: that our consciousness can inhabit this mass of energy, this body, is so mysterious as to be miraculous. Some would call this the divine. I think I would call this the divine.
Next time I'll talk about oatmeal.
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Dec 2, 2009
Nov 28, 2009
Oh, hello.
I am floating in a sea of my own baggage, and I've hardly any room to swim.
Wait. Let me start again.
My name is Jade. I am a 23 year old college graduate, with 60k in student debt and a degree in Writing and Publishing. I work at a used bookstore part time, and I eldersit a 101-year-old woman, also part time. She is, of course, remarkable, but you will learn more about her another time. For now let's focus on the baggage, and the swimming.
Maybe we are not so different, you and I. Here is a brief questionnaire, answer yes or no to the following:
1. Are you able to laugh at yourself? Do you invite the skeletons in your closet out to have a nice cup of tea every now and then? Do you want to do it more?
2. Are you actively trying to change your life for the better every day? Do healthful cooking, yoga, and meditation interest you?
3. Do you like books, art and music, and living on the cheap?
If you find yourself mostly in the affirmative, then we have come upon common ground.
I created this blog with the intention of sharing the things that inspire me on a day-to-day basis, which may be personal to me, or which may resonate with you as well. I'll track the progress of what I'm figuring out - from healthy recipes, to words of wisdom, to the yogic path, to general living well as a thrifty, inspired (broke) college grad. For me to say that I am in a time of transition - having just graduated in May and not knowing what I want to "do" with my life - might be too self-important. I think we are all always in transition, all of the time. The silly thing about living, which is not just silly but also very challenging and precious, is that as soon as you think you have something solid to stand on, something else is certain to come along and pull the rug out from under you.
So we learn to ride the waves with equanimity and good humor. It is no easy feat. Everyone has their own schtick, but here we are. Isn't it great?
I am constantly reminded of a time when I was very little, maybe 5 or 6, riding in a dingy with my grandfather. We were a ways out in the harbor, and rain was crashing down on our heads and wind was kicking waves up into our faces. He looked at me cowering in the bow, hugging my life jacket around my torso with one hand, my other hand in a white-knuckles grip on a secured line. Over all the racket of the storm and the motor, with his mustache streaming, his glasses fogged, he smiled up at me and yelled, "ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?!"
I hope you'll tune in.
Wait. Let me start again.
My name is Jade. I am a 23 year old college graduate, with 60k in student debt and a degree in Writing and Publishing. I work at a used bookstore part time, and I eldersit a 101-year-old woman, also part time. She is, of course, remarkable, but you will learn more about her another time. For now let's focus on the baggage, and the swimming.
Maybe we are not so different, you and I. Here is a brief questionnaire, answer yes or no to the following:
1. Are you able to laugh at yourself? Do you invite the skeletons in your closet out to have a nice cup of tea every now and then? Do you want to do it more?
2. Are you actively trying to change your life for the better every day? Do healthful cooking, yoga, and meditation interest you?
3. Do you like books, art and music, and living on the cheap?
If you find yourself mostly in the affirmative, then we have come upon common ground.
I created this blog with the intention of sharing the things that inspire me on a day-to-day basis, which may be personal to me, or which may resonate with you as well. I'll track the progress of what I'm figuring out - from healthy recipes, to words of wisdom, to the yogic path, to general living well as a thrifty, inspired (broke) college grad. For me to say that I am in a time of transition - having just graduated in May and not knowing what I want to "do" with my life - might be too self-important. I think we are all always in transition, all of the time. The silly thing about living, which is not just silly but also very challenging and precious, is that as soon as you think you have something solid to stand on, something else is certain to come along and pull the rug out from under you.
So we learn to ride the waves with equanimity and good humor. It is no easy feat. Everyone has their own schtick, but here we are. Isn't it great?
I am constantly reminded of a time when I was very little, maybe 5 or 6, riding in a dingy with my grandfather. We were a ways out in the harbor, and rain was crashing down on our heads and wind was kicking waves up into our faces. He looked at me cowering in the bow, hugging my life jacket around my torso with one hand, my other hand in a white-knuckles grip on a secured line. Over all the racket of the storm and the motor, with his mustache streaming, his glasses fogged, he smiled up at me and yelled, "ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?!"
I hope you'll tune in.
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