Wednesday, November 30, 2011

In the realm of action

November 30

I am thinking today about the distinction between yoga and stretching. Was I connected this morning? I was more connected when I was standing on my hands than when I was in shivasana…

Sometimes I feel, when I am coming back to myself it works slowly, in layers.
Some people say just breathe.
Some people say just show up.
Of course, at some point you just have to do the bloody work.
Today the work that is hard is being present. The Practice.
All of it. All of it is work today. Breathing, showing up, working.

When do we become present?

This morning my daughter asked me to wake her up early to practice the piano…

I’ve been reading the OED this week – I love that book so much. The richness of understanding that comes from sinking into history and layers of words… slowly, in layers.

Practice:
  1. “The act of  doing something: performance execution ...”
  2. “The habitual doing or carrying on of something …”
  3. “The doing of something repeatedly or continuously by way of study …”
  4. “An exercise; A practical treatise ...”
  5. “The carrying on of an exercise or a profession …”
  6. “The action of scheming or planning …”
  7. “The act of practicing on or upon a person …”
  8. something about multiplication
  9. “In the realm of action …”
  10. To put in practice …”

There’s no inclusion of results. No inclusion of how well…

In the realm of action...

Anything that has separations involved in the practice – separation and submersion…
writing, love… it sort of works like magic, doesn’t it?

2 comments:

fyrabarn said...

Showing up. That's really powerful. I think more so than anything. Because when you allow your "self" to align in a moment with something or someone, the possibility of spirit or magic is also there. We are magic. It's only our monkey minds that question every single thing...evaluate, study, judge, etc. I noticed yesterday in my practice of yoga that I was very aware of those who were way more advanced than me. One woman on one side who was pushing herself and succeeding. One woman on the other side who like me needed to go into child's pose more often after an intense set. And then this guy...this incredibly strong, gumby guy who would do the sets and then a full head stand or eagle or something I haven't yet attempted...and I noticed that I noticed...and I noticed that at first I felt envy, then desire to push myself, too...and then I released all that and thanked my body for everything she was already doing and the wonderful feeling I had being alive and healthy. I love practice.

Jennifer S. Flescher said...

yes! empathy and friendship with the self is hard in our culture, I think. good morning sweet body... good morning, sweet Lisa.