day 3

one-pointed focus (eka tatva). fully grounded with energy and lightness swelling in the heart-centre. connected. connected within with the breath and the bandhas, connected as a group with energy flowing as we breathe together. being connected makes us light and gives us lift. lift!

~

this afternoon left me confused and a bit frustrated. i don't follow all the tangents and abstract ideas but i do feel that there are many ways to say the same thing. maybe one metaphor fits better for some people than others. i'm not worried, and that eases the frustration. i think it comes down to finding your true self and having your thoughts and actions come from a place of compassion. what we learn when we study the ashtanga system are the tools to help us find who we are and how to keep the stillness and joy when we are off the mat so that ultimately we can help others. we need to slow down, to listen and to feel what our bodies are telling us. when tired, take rest. the eka tatva is dependant on the energy which is moved by the breath. it always comes back to the breath.

john said he is giving us gifts, tools and advice we can put to use or set aside. he said these are pearls of knowledge on a continuous thread, just as the asanas are linked together by the continuous breath. once again, i'm looking forward to the sessions tomorrow. :)

here's a verse spoken by the buddha and recorded in the dhammapada that luke sent me a while ago. i taped it up in my locker at work and now i have it tucked away in my desk. i like it and every time i read it, it makes me stop and think...

The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character;
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings...

As the shadow follows the body,
as we think, so we become.