Gosh! I have not written here for a long time. The pandemic has reached a peak and now thankfully chilling as we venture out and about and more people load up on their vaccinations. In yoga for the month of May, the theme has been Equilibrium or Balance. In the class last Saturday I used the word Equanimity. As nouns the difference between equanimity and equilibrium is that equanimity is the state of being calm, stable and composed, especially under stress while equilibrium is the condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced, resulting in no net change. (from Wikidiff.). Steiner (as in Rudolf Steiner – think Waldorf school or Anthroposophy) developed a Calendar of the Soul - weekly verses that express how the changing seasons in the natural world and in our own inner lives are helping our consciousness evolve. He also wrote about a virtue for each month with the idea of meditating on the quality of that virtue and coming to an understanding of its reflection in one’s life. How does this fit for yoga? May’s virtue is equilibrium and within the yoga system we hope to bring to balance the breath, body and spirit through our practice. The first week we began with an Immune System Booster using the breath to help unblock any stuck areas to harmonize and bring forward our strengths. The next week was a focus on the hips and in particular the pose Butterfly or Cobbler’s pose known as Bandakoasana. This particular asana helps digestion, and relieves stress which can unbalance us. Returning to the theme of this blog, the last two Saturdays I brought forward the concept of equanimity into the picture and as we rotated through our flow or yin, we noticed what was going on whether it be a difficulty reaching for our toes or our mind pulling us out of the space. The idea was to cultivate a clam and clear mind and realize that we do not need to identify with our emotions. Observation was the goal and not to become absorbed in the thought or action. What ultimately, we are after and reaching for is Progress. Equilibrium becomes Progress. Progress manifests in Yoga and in life and can be a constant awareness and inquiry if we so choose. May your path be filled with Light.
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