MOVING INTO STILLNESS

Wednesday morning I picked up a copy of Erich Schiffmann’s book “Yoga, The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness.” I barely cracked the cover and was knocked over by the profound wisdom that he shares.

I don’t know if this is a copyright issue, but I am going to pass on an excerpt from his introduction.

He writes:

“The purpose of yoga is to facilitate the profound inner relaxation that accompanies fearlessness. The release from fear is what finally precipitates the full flowering of love. In this state you will love what you see in others, and others will love you for having been seen. This is the softened perception of the world that yoga promotes.”

Wow, to see the world with a softened perception, to release the hardness from our hearts, which is generally the onslaught of fear: this is what our breath-work, what the asanas and what mediation promote. How profound, and gentle is that? I took this thought with me to my practice this week. I opened myself up to release fear; releasing fear is so much more difficult than it sounds. It can be so painful and yet totally cathartic.

Opening yourself up to that is so brave.

I deeply thank Schiffmann for his words, which although only read in a book, felt as deep and honest as they would if they came directly from his lips.

To the release of all that blocks our hearts and minds.

Namaste.

Backbend Bliss

The Beautiful Backbend: Urdhva Dhanurasana



Benefits
A Stretches the chest and lungs
Strengthens the arms and wrists, legs, buttocks, abdomen, and spine
Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary
Increases energy and counteracts depression
Therapeutic for asthma, back pain, infertility, and osteoporosis


Urdhva Dhanurasana or Upward Bow Pose

A heart opener; Stacey joyfully pushed up into this pose—yes blood may have been rushing to her face and her wrists and arms may have trembled a bit, but as she stretched into Urdhva Dhanurasana she felt energy rushing through her body. This pose stimulates all sorts of areas that we as adults forget to feel. In my practice, I find a child-like joy in the pose. Not only does it strengthen the core, but it also opens the heart.

I found a perfect break down in Yoga Journal: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/473

I suggest following up with a lovely “legs up the wall pose” for a counter stretch. End your day with this…bliss!

Namaste.

A Loving Hand (Or Foot)

We were frustrated. Correction, I was frustrated. So I withdrew. I did the classic cool-down to the point of coldness that I was this big ice zombie walking around. For a good week I snapped and crashed, cried and threw my weight around—also known as brat syndrome.
What caused this inner tension and outward aggression I’m not sure. Maybe just the daily passage of life; the traffic, the horns, the “hurry up”, “the hustle” the missed lunches, the need for more hours, the bags under my eyes, or the dishes in the sink. Whatever it was it irked me.
I stopped kissing, stopped touching, pulled back, and went numb.
For a solid week I carried this weight with me to yoga. I tried to breathe the anxiety out. I tried to push it out through Camel and Triangle, and yet I took it home with me at the end of the day.
I’m not sure when I realized that this feeling needed to be solved in a very literal “hands on” way. I didn’t realize it when I pulled into the driveway that Friday night, and didn’t realize it as I lit candles and dimmed the lights, I still didn’t realize it as I rolled out my yoga mat and came to a seat.
I think it was a few minutes after that, as my boyfriend walked through my door, that I had set up my room not for myself, but for him. I brought him to the mat, my mat, and tried to recall a bit of Thai Yoga massage. I walked up and down his spine, rubbed his feet with mine, and ran my fingers through his scalp. We didn’t say a word. We remained silent for almost an entire hour and at the end he sat up smiling, but with a glimmer of tears in his eyes.
It was at this very moment that this “hands on” realization hit me. A full week of tension had drained for my body. I was overwhelmed with relief, a sensation I was not expecting. Through pushing myself to love, I loved myself. It was the ultimate freeing experience.