How is your practice
Tuesday evening on zoom class, i asked the sangha members who have been practising together for 5-10 years, how is your practice ?
Sangha member Kelvin’s reflection:
In my reflection on Tue, I think I said wrongly. It is suffering peacefully not suffer in silence.
Suffering: It tells me the body is working (not at the easy end including falling asleep).
Breathing: It tells me I am not overexerting (not at the violence end including reaching my maximum with brute force)
Smile (i.e. Suffering Peacefully): It is the outcome when the above two comes into equilibrium - approximately at least.
When this happens, I believe I am more able to access the state, where it is "pure blackness" when I close my eyes (which I experienced for about maybe half a minute at one noisy session at Daryl's gym) - a state where nothing existed (not even the noise and suffering), only my breathing, a state of pure calm and serenity.
However, the moment I start thinking about it i.e. "Oh. This is what Mei meant.", it vanished immediately and completely. I haven't been able to access it since.
I also believe,
the body will remember easy very quickly because there is simply no resistance (path of "no" resistance).
the body will not remember violence because it is resisting with all its might
the body remembers and starts to change when it has time to stay outside its comfort zone for sometime, uncomfortable yet not resisting, aching yet welcoming, suffering yet peaceful.
Yoga for me is this. The biggest challenge is doing it at least 10 - 15 mins everyday. 🙏🏻
Touching STILLNESS
I understand Kelvin’s sentiment. I am learning a lot about myself and my body even in 6 months after starting. I try to sit in virasana about 5 days a week - every day is slightly different. Sometimes the body is pliant and the minds is still (best!), sometimes intrusive thinking comes in, sometimes I feel uncomfortable in the position and need a lot of blocks. But the good days are starting to out number the bad ones and it’s a start