House Arrest on Wednesday

Whilst I have been on holidays I have noticed that my mind's tendency toward reminiscing about the past has been re-ignited. This usually happens once I free my mind from work-related thoughts, but unfortunately the focus tends to be on heartbreaking incidents from the past which my mind clings to and re-lives in an effort to change what has happened long ago. It tries to barter with the universe to see if things could change now, for the better. "I'm a good person and I only want this one thing..." "When are things going to go my way?"... that type of thing. Horrid and wasteful, but the workings of a normal mind.

Yoga teaches us not to compare what is to what could be; it teaches us that the present is the only thing that is real, therefore dwelling on the past or projecting our desires onto the future is fruitless and a waste of the perfect time that we have right now. So I know that my mind's desire to change things, improve things, to acquire things goes against my efforts to follow a yogic path.

Tomorrow I will be spending a day under house arrest of the yoga type, dedicating hours to asana practice, meditation and reading and writing about yoga. Here is the approximate schedule I will be following:

7.15 – 8.45 Active Iyengar-inspired asana practice focusing on standing poses
8.45 – 9.30 breakfast and shower
9.30 – 10.30 walking
10.30 – 12.00 meditation
12.00 – 1.30 yoga reading/writing
1.30 - 2.00 lunch
2.00 – 4.30 meditation
4.30 – 7.30 yoga reading/writing (eat snack when hungry during this time)
7.30 – 9.30 Quieter asana practice with focus on sitting twists and restorative poses
9.30 – 10.30 reading

There is nothing harsh or unpleasant about this schedule. It is not supposed to be a bootcamp. I am not getting up earlier than usual, or punishing my body with gruelling practices. Instead, I have set up a day of yoga that I am excited to participate in, that will still allow me the time and space to go inward with no distractions, and experience the stillness and presence in the moment that I seem to be lacking in my daily life. I have included several hours of yoga reading and writing, as I feel that these practices are the ones most likely to be interrupted on any given day. I have also included a walk because, well, I like walking.

Tomorrow there will be no TV, no laptop, no mobile phone. No socialising. No planning. Only yoga!

Abhyasa and 'Living Your Yoga'

Wednesday's To Do List:

Do Asana practice, have shower, eat breakfast, work for 9 hours, go to meeting after work, drive for 45 mins to yoga teacher training, do training for 3 hours, drive 45 mins home, do reading for assignment, do grocery shopping, cook and eat dinner, wash dishes, organise clothes for tomorrow, sleep. Somewhere in there, have a few meaningful conversations with colleagues and housemates. Oh, and don't forget, meditate for an hour!

As part of my Yoga Teacher Training course I am required to meditate for one hour a day; no excuses. The reasoning behind this requirement is sound: a firm, regular meditation practice will make us yogis aware of the countless benefits meditation imparts; hence we will continue to practice upon completion of the course.

Since beginning meditation practice I have experienced many benefits: less likelihood of reacting unpleasantly to those around me; an ability to quiet the chatter in my head using tools such as mantra or focusing on the breath; reduced likelihood of falling back into old habits; less projection of my expectations onto others and the universe; and really just an overall sense of wellbeing.

What I have found difficult, however, is the ability to incorporate an hour's meditation into my daily life. To me, asana practice is equally as important, as I have found the benefits of this to be the most useful tool for healthy living that I have ever come across. I regularly refer to my asana teachers as 'life savers' and I don't think I'm overstating it! Other forms of exercise are also important to me: an hour's walk in the leafy park near my house brings incredible benefits to my mind and body. Spending quality time with friends or family over delicious food is another necessary ingredient for quality living, as is reading, reading reading (yogic texts and anything else).

Since 9 to 10 hours of my day are spent working (either at work or finishing work at home) the remaining hours need to be spent wisely!

And that's where Judith Lasater comes in. Today I was fortunate enough to find some affirming ideas in her yoga text, Living Your Yoga. In the chapter titled Discipline, Judith discusses how she once met a woman who meditated for 5 minutes every day without fail. Being a dedicated practioner of yoga, Judith found this amusing, and wondered what such a short practice could achieve. Upon reflection however she realised that practising meditation with full awareness for the amount of time that is realistic for you is an excellent example of abhyasa (constant effort/practice).

This reminds me that instead of trying to cram things in and carrying out tasks in an unthinking manner, I can participate consciously in daily activities, with the intention of being present in each moment. This is yoga. Therefore the need to set aside unrealistic amounts of time for meditation, asana and pranayama is not only unnecessary but may be hindering my efforts to lead a yogic life.

I am now inspired, and am going to come up with a realistic structure for spending quality time in daily asana and meditation practice whilst being able to give attention to those other rich, important aspects of life.