Spring is my favorite time of year! I suspect this is because the energy of the earth is on full display. I’ve always been attracted to natural displays of energy. I even enjoy the spring rains because they invigorate the rivers and that means I’ll have the opportunity to feel that energy in my kayak! The spring season is alive with energy and possibility and it’s a living reminder that energy is a key aspect of life as well as the agent of change.
Each of us is energized in different ways. Have you ever examined the energy sources that invigorate you? The Sanskrit term for this kind of personal reflection is svadhyaya (it’s kind of fun to say) and it’s part of the Raja Yoga tradition. This self-reflection can be a valuable practice because while some activities are enjoyable at the moment, they don’t really leave us feeling energized. For example, sometimes we substitute entertainment for that which we really need. While there is nothing wrong with entertainment, it’s all about balance, and sometimes entertainment looks so much more appealing than doing the work required to engage in our energizing practice. This is certainly true of my yoga practice. I don’t always feel like doing yoga or teaching yoga, but I almost always feel better after I’m done!
Another challenge we face to living an energized life is the prevailing currents of the American culture. Unfortunately, we live in a culture that has somehow come to believe that being busy is a sign of living a life of significance. It’s so pervasive, that it can influence us at a subconscious level. Author Gordon MacDonald clearly distinguishes productive busyness from unproductive busyness when he writes, “There is a busyness that reflects a plan of activity, a pattern of priorities, and a sense of purposefulness. It is a good and satisfying busyness through which one grows and increases competence. But there is also a busyness (a destructive busyness, actually) that reflects a chaotic way of life—a way of doing in which one is simply responding to the next thing in the day. The next thing! It makes no difference whether it has significance; it’s just the next thing, and one does it because it’s there to do.”
When I went through my teacher training at Drishtiq, it became obvious that the yogis of old were searching for practices that would help them channel energy in ways that were beneficial. The Hatha yogis recognized that the body has a role to play in this process, and that is the basis of the chakra concept and physical postures of yoga.
What you may not know is, their ultimate goal was the energetic transformation of the highest chakra, which is in the mind. We are fortunate at Drishtiq to have a community of teachers who understand the significance of the mental transformation that yoga brings, as well as the physical benefits. Yoga is about the mind and body.
If your yoga practice is focused primarily on physical postures, you might want to consider adding the practice of meditation. You might be surprised to find that Raja Yoga, which predates Hatha Yoga, only had one asana (physical posture) and it was for sitting in meditation! In fact, the term asana means “easy seat”. It was supposed to be comfortable, so you could practice meditation for an extended period of time. Personally, I find that meditation and physical (a.k.a. Hatha) yoga both have a unique impact that I value. If you would like to get an overview of meditation, I’ll be facilitating a workshop on May 19th from 7:15 – 8:45 during the week of the yoga festival. If you would like to explore meditation by reading a book, here are a few you might check out.
“Aware – The Science and Practice of Presence”, Dr. Dan Siegel (provides a model for meditation) “Altered Traits”, Daniel Goleman and Dr. Richard Davidson (a scientific exploration of the mental impact of mediation) “10% Happier”, Dan Harris (CBS news anchor’s experience with meditation)
Namaste,
Guest Blogger - Glenn Terndrup