Day 142 – This reading is purely about practice. In this section of the book, which started so heady and esoteric, Rolf puts forth the afflictions which cause us roadblocks. More practically, Rolf suggests in this reading and the previous days afore that many roadblocks are mental, and that just doing the work and being present are the real tricks. As for postures/asana, he writes: “The trick is to see opportunity in our discomfort.”
Even more practical if we have done our self-study and readings is the advice to “bring the yamas and niyamas onto our mat, with nonviolence and surrender guiding us into the posture, and moderation getting us out. Tapas in the middle of practice, contentment at the end. Nonhoarding teaching us to let go of stuff we no longer need.” When I first studied these, I ardantly tried to put forth the tenets in my life off of the mat. Most appreciably, continuing to apply these off the mat, but continued practice on the mat has helped me see the importance of practice, the real benefit and amazing healing that takes place in just a short time and affects and infuses my whole day–actually makes it possible to practice the yamas and niyams off of the mat, or at least be more successful.
Although it really feels like all or nothing mentality (where do you think I get that feeling?), it is more of a gentle shift in the healing direction. It feels sort of like becoming whole from many diverging, broken, brittle parts of past, present, and future. When I step on my mat, most days, I enjoy all aspects of my practice and have learned to put aside judgment of what type of practice, pose, or time I am spending. It embodies sacredness, which I perhaps don’t feel at other parts of the day. In this way, I am gradually adding walking outside to my morning routine, just to be out under the stars and in Nature, which is fundamental to my existence and I deeply miss from my mornings (where I previously jumped around on the porch with indirect, but significant contact to the outside elements). And it was with Rolf’s urging through the readings that I just begin to do this.
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