April 2022 Tidbits

ASANA (POSTURE)

Upaviṣṭa Koṇāsana (Seated Angle Pose)

-          Anchor your lower body; weight your pelvis; stamp down your thighs.

-          Project your feet away; lengthen your legs.

-          Pull back through your arms and resist the mighty forward reach of your legs.

-          Project your torso forward; boldy reach your spine out into space and hover just above the ground with control.

from Teaching Yoga With Verbal Cues by David Garrigues

(https://davidgarrigues.com/shop/teaching-yoga-with-verbal-cues)

HEALTH

Do you know its benefits? Here are 5:

• Reduces unnecessary stress

• Controls anxiety

• Promotes emotional health and creativity

• Increases attention span

• Improves sleep

Wise Action

“When you go out into the woods, and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree.

The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying ‘You are too this, or I’m too this.’ That judgment mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are.”

~ Ram Dass ~

Quote

Munindra, a Bengali teacher who trained in Burma was asked once why he practiced. His response was, “So I will see the tiny purple flowers by the side of the road as I walk to town each day.”

Story

The teacher’s dog loved his evening romp with his master. The dog would bound ahead to fetch a stick, then run back, wag his tail, and wait for the next game. On this particular evening, the teacher invited one of his brightest students to join him – an intelligent boy that was troubled by the apparent contradictions in the wisdom texts he studied.

“You must understand,” said the teacher, “that words are only guideposts. Never let the words or symbols get in the way of truth. Here, I’ll show you.”

With that the teacher called his happy dog.

“Fetch me the moon,” he said to his dog and pointed to the full moon.

“Where is my dog looking?” asked the teacher of the pupil.

“He’s looking at your finger.”

“Exactly. Don’t be like my dog. Don’t confuse the pointing finger with the thing that is being pointed at.

All wisdom texts are only guideposts. Every person must work their way through another person’s words to find the truth.”

Author Unknown

POEM

SANGHA by Donna Faulds

Teach me what I cannot learn alone.

Let us share what we know, and what we cannot fathom.

Speak to me of mysteries, and let us never lie to one another.

May our fierce and tender longing fuel the fire in our souls.

When we dare stand side by side, let us dare to focus our desire on the truth.

May we be reminders, each for the other that the path of transformation passes through the flames.

To take one step is courageous; to stay on the path day after day, choosing the unknown, and facing yet another fear, that is nothing short of grace.