Not all that long ago I sent an email blast to inform students of my upcoming events. Not all that long ago I starting signing off with the two words that are the title of this very blog.
love | practice
After this blast a student( it is so hard to distinguish between who is teaching who most of the time...for me anyway) wrote me back and said that as he reads my sign off he reads it both forwards and backwards. He is loving practice but also practicing love.
As I wind down this experience and go back to my little practice room in Rhode Island I hope to practice love more. I think I got this asana stuff down. I know enough people who have got the asana bit down literally to a science because they love Love LOVE practice but what if we all started to practice love more.
Jayashree said today that the intellect divides...that's it job and the emotion joins....that sounds like yoga to me a joining, a coming together, reducing the space between mine and yours. Notice how many times especially in yoga we (and I mean me first) use the a quality of possessiveness:
My practice
My teacher
My shala/studio
It sounds like what a terrible two year year old yammers on about. Have we (and I mean me first) not evolved on this path? Could a practice (notice I didn't say "the" practice;"the" practice only uplifts) actually develop all the qualities that are opposite of yoga?
I am going to work on The Practice. I am going to practice love more (thanks Luca.)
4 comments:
What a powerful thought...thanks to you Jill and Luca.
Stay safe, healthy, happy. Miss you lots! love and hugs
nice entry! love practice! I needed to remember that today.
You are so right about the love. As terrible as they can be, I have to say...the place where I see yoga the clearest is IN my two-year-old. I mean...she IS yoga. For me, yoga is just trying to get back to her.
The idea that a practice may effect the reverse of that which is anticipated is a really interesting concept for contemplation; thank you for sharing that and the rest of your experience with all of us!! It's very generous.
I am in the process of completing a 200-hour teacher training, and there have definitely been dark times, particularly when I get caught up in thinking of finishing the training course as the goal rather than experiencing the process/gaining the tools that I need to do any good if I do teach. Your post is helping me to remind myself that each day's practice is (I'm not sure if this is the right way to use this word, but I'll try...)"the juice".
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