Cessation of the Fluctuations of the Mind
As we read through and listened to the The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali during training this past Saturday, I kept coming back to the second line; “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind”. How true I believe this one line to be and how often, without always realizing it, I continually strive for this sensation during my practice. Given this particular time of year I find myself frequently trying to slow down and take in the moment even beyond my yoga practice; for my own sanity, as well as the sanity of my family.
Except for the time I spend on my mat, I truly find there is no other time during my day that I am only thinking about the present moment and not replaying what I have already done and what I inevitably will be doing after. Yoga allows me to let go and focus on the strength of a particular pose or the flexibility I can achieve in a different one. And even then, I can still catch myself thinking of the unwritten holiday cards, presents yet to be bought or the many friends and family I am looking forward to seeing in the coming weeks. This is what makes me human and brings me back to my mat each day; the continual search for finding that moment when my mind is at peace.
So during the bustle this time of year inescapably brings all of us, I will just take the time to point out some moments I was able to step back over my last week and take notice of the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind (or maybe minds)…
– Finding my breath again when teaching. While I may have initially misplaced it as I settled into my own teaching, I have once again found it, allowing me to connect throughout any practice as a student or a teacher….
– Observing an aspiring yogini come into crow for the first time with minimal guidance from me…with her focus only on that moment she was able to come into the pose, letting go of the apprehension she had previously held…
– Watching an entire room of beautiful yoginis transform their downdogs last night, leaving me with no one to adjust but to just settle into downdog with them, sharing in the strength and flexibility this posture can bring anyone who is willing to accept it…
– Having not only one, but two, yoginis tell me this past week how easily they were able to let go during shavasana…pushing everything they carry with them aside being present simply in that exact moment…
May adding yoga to your day bring you the same sense of clarity and focus…
~The divine in me salutes the divine in you, Namaste~
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It is so encouraging to help bring people who spend most of their time in their heads, e.g., dwelling on past or future, to the moment. There is a priceless shift right there. And yes, they come in contact, many of them for the first time, to that pause between breaths. Maybe you will enjoy reading this (I didn’t write it, but I enjoyed it): http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2011/06/22/penetrating-postures-part-ii-the-psychology-of-yoga/
I loved reading that at some point there was no student’s posture to be fixed, so you just joined them! Keep up the good work!
Thereza
Thank you Thereza for passing along that article. I know when teaching last night’s class I couldn’t find my own mind-body connection after having a difficult evening with my son. It left me feeling incomplete but allowed me to go home and after my own mindful meditation I felt a renewed sense of myself; one I hadn’t noticed before. I guess no matter who we are everyday is a new opportunity to gain a further sense of clarity and focus…