Practice and All is Coming

We have had some challenges arise this year and this summer; with little work for me, I chose to wallow a bit in my misery. What that meant was late nights drinking too much wine and eating food that I knew perfectly well didn't nourish me. Four weeks ago I went back to work, as well as began a class called the Psychology of Yoga, which was a study of the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras. With a more rigorous schedule, I told myself enough self pity, it was time to clean up my act.

I needed to immerse myself in the lectures that accompanied this class, to read the guidance of the gurus that came before me, and to once more apply these principles to my life. It has been wonderful to roll out my mat, to sit quietly in meditation, and to return to a more balanced existence. To practice my yoga as it was originally prescribed, at home, alone, in silence. How many of my yogi friends have thought about this group class phenomenon?
Before the 1950's group classes didn't exist.

We've Americanized yoga.

Don't get me wrong, I love a group class. At a group yoga class I feed off the energy of others; I am literally energized by my fellow yogis' company. It's how most of us here in America find our way to yoga.
However, it takes tapas, self-discipline, to practice at home. Alone.

This summer I found myself falling into mudha, a space of lethargy and dull mind. The longer I allowed this to go on the harder it was to get back to my practice.

Yet, when I practice, I am more balanced, my mind is easier to quiet, and I suffer less.

This morning I ignored the laundry waiting to be folded, the dogs begging for a walk, the floor that desperately needed to be vacuumed and I stepped onto my mat. I began with three Om's and then moved into a vinyasa flow to wake my body. I took my savasana and sat for a meditation afterwards. I wanted to ease my suffering this summer, I wanted to be happy again, yet I was doing nothing positive to help myself. The sutras reminded me that yoga's aim is to both discover and reduce the cause of my suffering, and to do that I must return to abhyasah, 

a persevering practice.

 Pattabhi Jois said “practice and all is coming”...I think I'm ready.