August 1, 2013

Yoga practice… practice…practice

 Say it 3 times and it’s yours! Practice yoga for 3 weeks and it becomes a habit- a good habit!

Or, consider these ideas about practice.

When I questioned a student-new-to-me one night in yoga class if he’d practiced yoga before, he said he’d done yoga before but not practiced it! I thought Ah! Yes! He’s tried yoga and done it a few times, but not engaged in the ongoing investigation of himself through the practice of yoga. What a wise beginner to the yoga journey.

Some thoughts about practice…for students new to yoga they don’t want to look out of place. They want to look practiced! And so they might have a fear of practicing yoga, being the new kid on the block. So there’s a seeming contradiction, as we want to be practiced, yet we have to practice to get that way.

How often should one practice yoga? It seems 3 times a week would be great, as is recommended for other exercise. Every day for 30 minutes would be nice. I know a practitioner who practices every day but Sunday. I think everyone needs to find their niche, their way of being successful at this thing we practice.

We are all so glib about how we practice yoga. I think we are. Someone recently told me I didn’t need to worry because I practice yoga every day. I did practice that day. I had a good practice, where I went inward and my body slowly flowed without me thinking. I was able to meditate and sit in the early morning sun on the deck, overlooking the Smoky Mountains as they meet the Blue Ridge. But it’s not always that easy, or successful.

Here’s a dictionary definition of Practice: Habitual or customary performance. to perform or do habitually or usually: to practice a strict regimen. I don’t think this definition fits exactly because to me the word “habit” implies we just do it, like we drive to work the same way every day, out of habit. And yet that’s without thinking, without consciously choosing a way.

Here’s another definition: to perform or do repeatedly in order to acquire skill or proficiency: to practice the violin. Here’s the one! We practice yoga to become proficient at it! We practice to do it better, to be able to hold posture longer, to receive the benefits of strengthening muscles and stretching, balance and focus.

 Guru Pattabhi Jois had several quotes that he used over and over to answer questions about the yoga method he espoused. "Practice and all is coming" is one of his most famous quotes. This quote, though certainly flexible enough to answer any number of questions, applied to students who questioned the effectiveness of asana practice as a method to achieve enlightenment. It also encourages a long-term, consistent practice such as Ashtanga –about yoga.com

"You cannot do yoga. Yoga is your natural state. What you can do are yoga exercises, which may reveal you to you.” - unknown

How can we practice yoga? By doing a little every day. By making it a habit. And yet a habit that is a conscious decision and a conscious performance.

Practice doesn’t mean simply on the mat. It doesn’t mean only the physical practice. Practice isn't always what you think it will be or even desire it to be. My practice one night…was letting go, letting go of what I had been holding on to, and changing the energy. I have had some run-ins with a neighbor. I’m not sure we’re on the same page. In this particular instance my tree cracked and fell down in her yard, just missing a vehicle and barely hitting the edge of the house. I called her to see if everyone was okay. She was not at home and heard the worry in my voice. I was right here, at the computer when I heard the crack and saw it right after it had fallen.

Well, neighbors were out and it was sad to me, that some neighbors were talking bad about others in our ‘hood. We were all without electricity due to trees fallen on the power lines at the corner, so there was a commonality among us. Yet there was some tension, and some words spoken, some of which spread toward me, like I was at fault for the tree falling, that I had been neglectful. I spoke with the insurance agent and felt reassured, and yet…I awakened at 4 AM one night. I woke up in fear, feeling very threatened by my neighbors. As I tried to calm myself and go back to sleep, I found that I needed to let go of the fear and let love in. In fact, I sent love to my neighbors, the ones I was feeling threatening vibes from. My practice became this, letting go of fear and sending out love. That was a new one for me at 4 AM!

From Rick Faulds, a Kripalu Yoga teacher and author of Kripalu Yoga: A Guide to Practice on and off the mat (I highly recommend this book!) new CD about Kripalu traditions, a student shared that discipline is freedom. Whoa! That’s a big one. Think of the times when you have wanted to practice your yoga and did not. Remember how you felt…imprisoned? Our yoga practice can be a way to set ourselves free. That’s a whole other topic. So for now…

I keep practicing being patient. I am getting more disciplined about it. I think I’m getting better at it, more proficient! My computer and email have had issues since early May. It’s been 2 months of dealing with these problems, finding a new computer person to work on my computer, and then a month ago, changing to a new website host, which created some new challenges. As it is still being worked through I sit in my chair, allowing the process to unfold in its time. Truthfully, I have a hard time when things don’t happen in a timely fashion, which for me, is….immediately. And so, practicing patience has helped me feel more calm about what is happening, or not happening, as the case may be. I feel less a prisoner of my own emotions.

Practice takes all forms. It can simply be getting out your yoga mat and thinking about postures. It can be setting the timer to sit and meditate. Mostly I think practice is actually doing it and not just thinking about it. It is an active thing, this practice. It’s a conscious decision to practice. Allow your practice to be conscious as well. Be awake. Be well!

I wish you best of luck on the mat and on the meditation pillow!

Namaste