Tuesday, May 12, 2009

That Yoga Thing


to live is to fly, low and high,
so shake the dust off of your wings, and the sleep out of your eyes...
Townes Van Zandt

...had stuff to do in a whole lotta different places in the city today...without a lotta time to do any of it...running around like a chicken with its head cut off...but on a bike...and a bit on foot...healthier, cheaper, and avoids the waking nightmare of trying to get around center city Philadelphia in the middle of the day by car...hectic, crazy, frenetic movement...which, strangely enough, left me feeling better than I have in weeks...

...by the time I got to this evening’s yoga class, was exhausted, sore all over the place...and, as I know already, yoga class can be downright painful after biking crazily around town all day...and it was...but I was cool with that...not ignoring, transcending, or escaping sore and tired, but deep inside both...pumping on all cylinders...feeling whatever I felt...and good with it...

if the spirit moves ya, let me groove ya...
Marvin Gaye

...it’s never been exactly unusual for me to feel alienated from any thing or body around...especially my own...which is one reason that yoga thing’s been particularly potent...working that mind & body thing...even if I’m a bit more ambivalent about the spirit thing...tending to be kind of a trippy mystical dude when hanging out with atheists, and a grumpy non-theist when hanging out with believers...overall, probably happiest swimming in the boundless unknown...when I can manage it...

just to dig it all and not to wonder, that’s just fine...
Van Morrison

...then, I think I’ve come to some kind of understanding of that namaste thing...which doesn’t mean you’re cool because you believe what I do....it means whoever you are and whatever you believe or don’t believe, what's in you is as holy and sacred as anything...

...thanks to Brooks and Lea for sending some blog love my way...even while I’ve been barely reading anybody else’s blogs lately...so it goes...namaste to all...

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I manage, every other day or so, to listen to Van Zandt's 'Don't Take it Too Bad' and then try to avoid hearing 'Waitin' Around to Die.' There's probably a point, halfway between the sentiments of those two songs which is akin to 'swimming in the boundless unknown.' Excellent vantage point for seeing that 'whoever you are and whatever you believe or don’t believe, what's in you is as holy and sacred as anything..' Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I hope you are feeling better too.

Its just nice to imagine you well and out and about.

I understand the contrary energy all too well. Do you think that its because you are sensitive to issues of authenticity to boot? Believe too much and doubting too much---makes me want to ask others, "Who are trying to convince?"

elderyogini said...

I LOVE this paragraph:

"...by the time I got to this evening’s yoga class, was exhausted, sore all over the place...and, as I know already, yoga class can be downright painful after biking crazily around town all day...and it was...but I was cool with that...not ignoring, transcending, or escaping sore and tired, but deep inside both...pumping on all cylinders...feeling whatever I felt...and good with it..."

I tend to think this is when the deeper dimensions of yoga (sorry feuerstein!) open to the practitioner. I'm finally starting to "get" that yoga practice is pretty much the same as sitting practice: you do it no matter the prevailing mood, state of physical being, chores calling, duties to perform.....etc etc...

On another topic --though maybe there is only one topic after all --glad to hear someone else admit to blog-reading negligence. I'm still trying to find some sort of middle ground with blogging after suddenly becoming burned out in March. I developed a craving for the physical world that this old 'puter was not offering.

Good to read you again Jay...and thanks for inviting us all in to your practice last night -- the vibes were mellow and inspiring.

RB said...

Something about this post made me think that we also have to apply namaste to ourselves. The way you describe being sore and tired, but having an experience anyway--sometimes we have to accept our own practice for whatever it is at a given moment, and it may not always be ideal.

human being said...

namaste!

Anonymous said...

It sounds good to me that even in the business and soreness you can find a peaceful part that is satisfied. You must be doing something right!

Patricia said...

I definitely relate to, "...tending to be kind of trippy mystical dude when hanging out with atheists, and a grumpy non-theist when hanging out with believers...overall, probably happiest swimming in the boundless unknown...when I can manage it..."

Yeah. I think it's the certainty of one side or the other that makes looking things the other way so compelling at any given time. That and a general sense of contrariness in my case. Contrariness, however, is not conducive to inner peace so I'm trying to keep it down to a dull roar in my head. Sounds like you're doing it right.

namaste

Melinda said...

There is something really satisfying after working your body hard, such as in an intense bike ride (all over Philly) and then taking your body even further with an evening class of yoga. I have only recently started doing yoga and the first week was extremely difficult! I was as sore as could be that first week yet there was something so satisfying about feeling your body's response to such workouts.

These days, when I come back from my yoga class, I go into the sauna and then a soak in the hot tub. Then I noodle off to bed. . .

One thing I will say about yoga--it has helped my chronic back condition so much! I should have started this much earlier.

I hope you are feeling better from the flu, Jay--I wonder if you picked up *the* one from Mexico as it sounds like yours was a particularly nasty version.

Take care,

Melinda

DESPERADO said...

yoga is one thing which fills me with energy even after a busy day.
I haven't been sincere in practising it daily and feel bad about it.