The practices continue as before with breath in three planes of movement, into the joints,and marma points of the lymphatic system. However, something more is possible.
Svadhyaya. Self-examination. What is there to examine? My pains? My pleasures? My habits? My biases confirmed? To examine what I think I know? My beliefs and doubts? My breath? And what am I supposed to find? or do about it? Perhaps the best way to make Svadhyaya is to cultivate stillness.
Yes, we can examine ourselves in “flight,” that is as we go about our daily routines, but
to examine oneself in a cold light and to full depth requires an isolation from daily, external influences and who has the time to do that? To retreat to a silent monastery, ashram, or abbey among like-minded souls, while most beneficial, may not be possible. To go alone to a private residence or a place out away from the habits of daily routine, even that may not be possible. Yet, wherever you may find yourself, you can set yourself a place to sit, a designated chair, or even a place on the floor. Quiet is helpful to unwind the cycles of the senses and the mind.
Find a quiet place where you will be undisturbed.
What is needed for hand balances? How do they build? How do we enter and exit? Where is shtira?
Beginning again means asking familiar questions and looking for the answers in the posture, observing what doesn’t work, and what does. Learning twice, and twice again in Beginners Mind.
I recorded this last night because I must be on the road during our usual time. Here we observe three planes of functional spinal movement with breath. I invite you to recall warm-ups of this past week and to practice from whatever you can recall. If you cannot recall, then reboot yr favorite livestream recording and use that.
This week marks the start of a new endeavor at the SAMURAI INTI Martial Arts Studio in Frisco. I’ll be teaching i a group class there at Sendai Sebastian Mejias ‘ dojo on Monday and Wednesday mornings.
Although not a true morning wake up, the song remains the same.
Today’s practice is my first intentional movements with breath. Three planes, lymphatics, joints. That’s the way we address the experience written in our bodies like physical graffiti. Through our intentional breath and movement we recognize our state of being dazed and confused. We can move with grace through good times bad times. We awaken our bodies like houses of the holy. Not to say that our practice is a stairway to heaven, but we cannot hope to get clear and strong if we try to sneak in through the out door.
You don’t need to go down to the seaside, or over the hills and far away, or even to california. Practice wherever you are in the light.
And after practice? It’s a celebration day. Eat a Tangerine, I will listen LOUD to a British rock n roll band who made their fortune in the U.S. of A. I will boogie with Stu and my black dog. These are dancing days. Led Zep is dead, long live Led Zep....