Inspirations: Archives

 Maintaining a Practice, any Practice that supports the soul we hope to know, the person we wish to be, offers a fighting chance to fully embody life.  It holds the possibility to fulfill wide dreams.  It offers re-newed hope to create the world we wish to live in.  Otherwise, all bets are off. As we rush and push to produce, meet deadlines and obligations, it is unbelievably easy to lose Self, to have visions grow befuddled, and dreams die because we think they have a shelf-life that expires. It is only by finding a Practice that returns us time and again to essential self that we do not lose soul- essence.  It is too easy to succumb to demands where a superficial self is ‘good enough.’  Soon we believe that is who we are.  Nurturing Practices hone us within time and again.  They are talismans of faith, and beacons of good will. Whatever the Practice, be it meditation, time on the mat, chanting, breathing, singing, walking, knitting…it is whatever dedicates you, whatever offers space and time to simply re-engage essence.  A good Practice bears non-judgmental witness to our hodge-podge of desires, our flailings and failings, and half baked attempts.  It is the silent friend standing by our side.  No small gift. Asana: Kapinjalasana/Bird Drinking Raindrops Pose, or a mundane Partridge, one that lives on raindrops and dew.  Nice.  Iyengar writes that it is a cross between Vasisthanasana and Padangustha Dhanurasana, an extreme Bow Pose.  Enter it from Vasisthanasana, with body turned sideways to R, balancing on outer edge of R foot and R hand. On exhale, bend L leg back and reach back with L hand, grabbing big toe, or ankle.  Now rotate L elbow and shoulder to bring arm up and over, pulling L leg higher toward the back… Read more »