Yogified
The way of the yogi - returning to a more complete yoga
Yoga can be so much more than just an exercise practice, an
add on to our busy, stressful lives. Living the Yoga,
on and off the mat, could go a long way to redressing the imbalances
that we are now experiencing as a race of beings.
The more I practice, the more I realise the need to extend
my practice of yoga off the strip of mat I use for asana .
Yoga asana is great, truly great. There is little
that compares to the feelings of wellbeing and satisfaction
that a good session of Ashtanga Vinyasa brings on.
And.
Of course, feeling great makes a big difference to the day.
It can make a big difference to your being too. Looking good
in a fit, strong, glowing body is nice. Self confidence: tick.
Discipline: tick. Health potential: tick.
And.
Then I get in my car, burn a few fossil fuels on my way to
the supermarket. I buy foods that are chosen for me, grown
to a shape and style prescribed for me, from farmers that are
so controlled they can only say, "Yes, sir. Please sir. Don't
shut me down." I might, even though I can say I "do yoga",
put some meat in the basket, but I wont think about how it's
been reared.
I might, if it's a very good day, smile at the
checkout girl, forgetting that she's trapped by a minimum
wage trying to support 3 kids whilst meeting the demands of
endless cycles of bills for things she doesn't want or can't
remember how to do without. I'll then definitely go to work,
because I have to, where I'll sit in front of my VDU in an
air conditioned office, while the sun shines on outside and
the wind blows. Mid morning my headaches so bad I call the
doctor for some pills, but I don't worry about the medical
cocktail I consume everyday since the doctor tells me it's
ok, as long as it just doesn't hurt anymore.
Lunchtime and
I might throw a bit of my pre-packaged sandwich to a little
sparrow I notice on the bench outside the office, if I'm
not still thinking about the new proposal. I wont notice how
the sparrows feathers change with the seasons. Or that there
used to be so many more sparrows. I might try reading the newspaper,
it's full of horror stories about human blindness, killing
each other, destroying their environment, multiplying their
own suffering... I wonder why I feel depressed afterwards.
In the afternoon, I probably won't remember to call my brother
because I'm too busy and after the sun sets I'll leave the
office.
I'll wonder yet again why I feel so tired. I'll blame
the traffic, which is solid all the way home. When I get
home, I'm so wound up I'll have a row with my girlfriend/lover/wife
then have a beer or 3 to numb out the aches. I'll probably
have a quick bath before bed, lying there blaming my girlfriend/lover/wife
for being everything she isn't. Then I'll go to bed. Haven't
been sleeping too well but never mind. It's yoga on Wednesday
night.
Yikes, scaring myself again.
Yes, the point? The point is that we can have fun. We can
open our minds, our beings, our Selves to a different experience.
We can change. We can certainly try loving each other a bit
more. Or our selves a bit more. More love all over is generally
a good thing.
There's lots of tools. One of them is yoga. For a bit at least
anyway. There may come a time when you don't need this system
either, but whilst you're getting the hang of it why not? It's
fun, it pushes the boundaries. It opens your being. It cleans.
It brings in more energy. It gives experience. It builds awareness.
It helps you see. Especially if you carry it with you off your
little plastic mat.
So we're going to the Himalaya. We're gonna do some yoga.
We're going to do extreme(ly silly) things like stuff tubes
up our noses to get out the grot and vomit water to rebalance
the mucous linings. We're gonna eat good food, have good chats,
have good silence, sit and look at scenery that is so beautiful
it doesn't actually seem real. Maybe we'll discover that actually
it's not all that real...
Then let's think about giving up asana: it is after all, only ever 30 years of practice just so I can sit up
straight. Maybe then I can be truly Yogified.
As a great Yogi once said, " It's not the body that's stiff, it's the mind."
