Thursday, April 10, 2008

At Ease

I recently had the wonderful experience of spending two days in a Judith Lasater workshop. She is one of my favorite yoga teachers (www.judithlasater.com) and I love the way she combines a physical yoga practice with her insights on yoga and life. One of the days, we thought about the Yoga Sutra 11.46, "Steady in your intention, you'll be steady in your posture. Asana can come naturally." (from the book, Yoga, Power, and Spirit by Alberto Villoldo. She had us think about that sutra as we did our practice and she talked with us about how we can take the meaning of this sutra off of our mats. She encouraged us to think about those things that make us uneasy throughout our day and try to understand why we are feeling uneasy. I have been trying this over the past few days and it is amazing how often I start to feel that sensation that starts in my belly and moves up to my brain--anxiety, anger, frustration, defensiveness. It may be while driving, waiting in line at the grocery store, during a conversation with my husband, or during a meeting at work. Just bringing my awareness to the feeling is the first step in letting it go and will often cause the feeling to dissipate. When it doesn't, I try to shift my thoughts, feeling compassion for the root of my uneasiness (the other driver, the clerk in the store, the person in the meeting, my husband)--but....that's another blog! Namaste

11 comments:

@MuseLaura said...

I love it! I played with the idea in regard to the piles my children leave around. I am amazed (and slightly chagrined) at how something so small can leave me feeling so uneasy. I just want to run over and pick them up.

@MuseKaren said...

I notice this when I'm driving. I tend to tighten up my abdomen and that sends the tension through the rest of my body. If I'm not conscious of it, by the time I get to my location, I'm frazzled! It has been a challenging habit to break! I often breathe deep as I drive and that helps to keep me calm and relaxed. (Oh yes, and if I leave on time - that helps too :-)

@MuseLaura said...

Come to my blog -- Reflections on Yoga. I have tagged you for a meme!

Unknown said...

I just love your post it's Awesome post Yoga isn't just exercising or meditation. Yoga is a way of life which would benefit the inner body, mind and soul.

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Unknown said...

One of my good friends invited me to a class and I was pretty nervous. Yoga has its stems in the ancient, so I was intimidated. However, the crowd is fairly diverse and once the lights for off everyone are the same.

Unknown said...

One of my good friends invited me to a class and I was pretty nervous. Yoga has its stems in the ancient, so I was intimidated. However, the crowd is fairly diverse and once the lights for off everyone are the same.
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Lisa Israeli said...

When I get upset at work, I close my eyes, breathe in through my nose and remember, "Enjoy the Journey."

It gives me a chance to put the problem into the proper perspective.

Brian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brian said...

I enjoy the peace of mind yoga brings. My anxiety has calmed drastically after constantly doing yoga.

Anyone else have this experience?

-Brian
Kulae Yoga Mats

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