Unstuck

I have been listening to a lecture (?) given by Pema Chodron called "Getting Unstuck."  (You can find it on Audible.com and I highly recommend it!)

What has struck me most about this series of talks she gives on meditation, is the principle of becoming "unstuck."  She talks about letting thoughts pass through your mind like clouds in the sky.  They happen; you can't stop thinking (or at least I can't yet!), but you can stop being hooked by these thoughts.  Allow them to pass by without getting sucked into the thought process.

I've been trying to notice which thoughts "hook" me most in my daily practice.  It's almost always planning what comes next in my day.  I'm on the mat, I'm enjoying my yoga, but inevitably my mind wanders to what happens after yoga.  What do I have to do today?  What is on the calendar for this week?  When am I going to be able to go grocery shopping?  Did I remember to schedule a sitter for the parent-teacher conference on Friday?

And pretty soon I'm no longer on my mat, I'm already onto the next activity.

Now that I know that I get hooked easily by planning, the next step is to recognize when I've been hooked and come back out of it.  Let go.  Come back to my breath.

Bodhi Yoga

Sleep

Sometimes I think yoga is merely a wakeful sleep.

When we sleep our breathing deepens and lengthens.

In yoga, we lengthen and deepen our breath.

When we sleep our mind is free to explore the subconcious.

In yoga, we seek to free our mind.

When we sleep our body is at rest.

In yoga, we seek to bring rest and relaxation to our body.  We release tension.

When we sleep, our body is busy ridding itself of toxins, food, and waste from the day.

In yoga, we detoxify, ignite digestion, and speed-along waste removal through twists, bends, and deep breathing.

Obviously one does not replace the other, but I do think they improve together.  I certainly sleep better when I've practiced yoga that day, and my yoga practice is always more beneficial when I've had a good night's rest.  Lovely symbiosis of sorts.  :)

Bodhi Yoga