10.6.2008

Where does the anger and frustration hide?

Today had its difficulties as I was doing a restorative practise and an hour later of resting in poses for 20min I was getting pretty restless. It's been great to have David and Lucy around with their healing hands, they both massages and worked into my neck and my back as I rested. But I must have got so bored of being still that soon anger and frustration surfaced. I was getting aggitated, kicked off my eye pad and started watching people so that at least my mind was entertained. There was a point in supta konasana I remembered how Scott had given me reiki as I did another restorative practise a month ago on my birthday. How caring was that? I still feel his energy and warmth around me.

Just had a session with swami and realised that we hide anger and frustration in our miscommunication. In fact, when we want to make a point, a point that has been bothering us for some time a bit of oomph behind it sends the message directly.

Swami's session was based on 8 limbs of yoga, in asana particularly. I think she wanted to makeappoint that asana as we understand it is not what it is in yoga philosophy, it is the seat you sit in meditation, to be focused, alert…not the yoga class you attend or the hard sweaty gymnastic you may interpret it as.

So her point was that if you are a yogi, you are serious, and you are to teach, then you should be able to sit comfortably for a long period upright, not slouching or lying on the floor. Because that it not only disrespect to the teacher and what they are about to pass on but also not respecting ourselves. And how can be so attached to our asana practise when we can even sit up straight in the classroom?

So as she told us off, our faces changed, our focus sharpened and interesting enough we all sat up tall for the whole session.

I also came to a nice analogy when we moved onto Samadhi, it is not a state we need to seek or travel to get to, as we are already in it but don't realise it. So here is my story: I don't want to grow up to be an orange on an orange tree, what I want to do is realise that I am already an orange and just peel away the layers of skin! Swami reckons I finally understood it…Penny droppedJ

Then the session unfolded even more interestingly as John and Lucy, and David were also in the session and the rest of what happened shouldn't really be shared here!