Rumi Contemplations

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
~~

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase 'each other'
doesn't make any sense.
~~

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want. Don't go back to sleep.

People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch.

The door is round and open. Don't go back to sleep.
~~

quotes from the Essential Rumi,
translations by Coleman Barks with John Moyne

Message from Karen

Dear friends,

I don't need to tell you - these are troubling times. Our world is coming awake to pain and suffering, locally and globally. Spring arrives with warm days, budding trees and blossoming flowers, and we mourn our collective losses. Children and adults who die from gun violence - on the college campus and in the war zones around the world. While our politicians debate political issues, lives are forever changed. Whether it's gun safety or global warming, the essential question is: How do we want to live? What are our moral principles and where do we draw the line? And what are we willing to do to effect positive change?

Rumi said: "Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don't open the door to the study and begin reading."

He might have said: "Don't open the door to the study and read your email or watch TV."

And then: "The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep." Don't be complacent. "You must ask for what you really want. Don't go back to sleep."

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Is there room for common ground? Can we individually and as a society act toward the common good?

I am reminded again of the yogic tools, the yamas and niyamas. These are the ethical principles of how we treat ourselves and how we treat others - in thought, word and deed.

Ahimsa ~ non-harming in thought, word or deed. Ahimsa is the central teaching of many spiritual practices. Non-harming is more complicated than not engaging in physical violence. Non-harming is a way of thinking and acting. By reflecting on our attitudes, our thoughts, our words and our behaviors we learn much about ourselves. There is hardly an action that doesn't harm someone or something.

Satya ~ truthfulness in thought, word or deed. Especially important to be truthful to ourselves. I've discovered that this practice can be very difficult, even painful. Perhaps this is where compassionate self-acceptance leads to attitudes of compassion and acceptance for others.

Asteya ~ non-stealing. The misappropriation of other people's stuff, including their ideas and creations. Ateya invites us to be at peace with what we have.

Brahmacharya ~ moderation and self-restraint. Conscious use of all forms of energy. Moderation in all sense pleasures. In the science of ayurveda, there are two main causes of illness: wrong use of the discriminating mind and wrong use of the sense organs. David Frawley once said that we gravitate to what keeps us out of balance. Impulses that come through the senses are not always good for us. The senses are the main way to take in and use prana (lifeforce energy.) Brahmacharya invites us to practice moderation and conscious choices.

Aparigraha ~ non-hoarding. Acknowledging abundance, trusting that we have enough, we are enough.

Saucha ~ purity, healthy lifestyle, wholesome mind. Saucha invites us to live in balance with a yogic lifestyle that includes exercise, diet, sleeping and eating in moderation.

Santosha ~ contentment, joyfully accept whatever life provides. The more centered we are, the more balance we have in all aspects in our lives, the more contentment comes naturally. Santosha invites us to be content no matter what.

Tapas ~ standing in the fire of oue lives, open to all the experiences, light and dark; to be with ourselves in a way that reveals the truth.

The word tapas means heat. It's often used to describe asceticism or austerities. What I learned from Yoganand's workshop at the KYTA conference is that tapas leads to wholeness, the choice to see what is. Before there was yoga there was tapas. Yoga evolved from tapas. Tapas is the choice see what's real, to cultivate an informed practice. Yoga invites us to be with the self in a way that reveals truth - beyond the self-talk of I hope, I want, I'm afraid, I screwed up.

Swadhyaya ~ self-study and intense introspection. The practices already mentioned provide context and support for a deeper understanding of our divine nature. Nischala Devi, as quoted from her new book on the Yoga Sutras, The Secret Power of Yoga, says this about Swadhaya: "Swadhaya guides us to know our selves through outward observation and inner reflection...Yoga Sutra 2.44 Sacred study of the Divine through scripture, nature and introspection guides us to the Supreme Self."

Iswara Pranidhana ~ devotion and surrender to a higher power. Faith. Again Nischala Devi, "Iswara Pranidhana encourages us to live with wholehearted devotion to the Divine and Divine creation. As Ahimsa is the pinnacle from which all of the Yamas flow, Iswara Pranidhana is the zenith of the Niyamas. Devotion is the key to unlocking our hearts. When living with an open heart, we see clearly as the pathways of our lives unfold. Faith allows us to trust in the present moment as we observe our part in the Divine plan."

In another sacred text, the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says, "All mankind is born for perfection and each shall attain it will s/he but follow her/his nature's duty...S/he who does the task dictated by duty, caring nothing for fruit of the action, s/he is a yogi...Let them show by example how work is holy when the heart of the worker is fixed on the Highest."

The practice of yoga is more than asana. When fully embraced, the practice of yoga teaches us about ourselves, our connections to others and to the world. When we give embrace the other as ourselves, peace has a chance.

"Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground."

Namaste,
Karen

Rescheduled: Community Program in Warwick, Rhode Island

June 8, 2007

Free! Adaptive Yoga for MS Community Program
Sponsored by the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Location: Warwick Public Library, 600 Sandy Lane, Warwick, Rhode Island

6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

A free introduction to adaptive yoga for people of all levels of ability who have multiple sclerosis. This will be a chair yoga experience that focuses how yoga can address specific symptoms. This workshop will adapt to the needs of the group. Take home practices will be included.

This program, part of Teaching Adaptive Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis, was rescheduled from March 16, 2007. Yoga teachers who participated in the training will participate in this evening event.

Call: Gwen Reeve at (401) 738-8383

What is Hatha Yoga?

Are you interested in the history of yoga? Have you ever wondered about the different styles of yoga? And what is hatha yoga anyway?!

This has been on my mind lately because there are many styles of yoga. The way I think of it is that hatha yoga is the generic term for the type of yoga most recognizable in the United States. It includes asana and pranayama and sometimes meditation, mudras, etc. There are many "brands" of hatha yoga including Kripalu, Viniyoga, Iyengar, IYT, Anusara, Ashtanga, Integral, and more.

Each style has a distinct philosophy as well as a unique focus. For example, Iyengar yoga focuses on proper alignment in the poses. This style developed an extensive use of props that encourage proper alignment. Ashtanga focuses on a particular series of movements based on the sun saluation. This is usually an intensely physical practice.

Kripalu yoga uses the same postures. However, the focus is on the student's individual experience. Kripalu has developed a 3 stage methodology that first emphasizes proper alignment and the details of alignment as experienced through the senses. Stage 2 focuses on the deeper practices of self-exploration through holding the pose. Stage 3 involves the spontaneous movements of the body as it exits a pose and seeks equilibrium and a return to balance. What differentiates Kripalu yoga from some of the other styles is the focus on personal experience.

Techniques from one style often make their way into the practice of other styles. For example, Kripalu yoga teachers may use alignment principles from the Iyengar method or the Anusara method but apply those methods with the Kripalu philosophy and methodology.

Some styles focus more on the teacher as knower or authority. Kripalu focuses on the student, the practitioner, as knower. The techniques are meant to bring us into relationship with our true nature where we confront our believes and assumptions to discern what is real. Therefore, a comprehensive practice of yoga includes self-study using all the tools of the 8 fold path.

Each student is drawn to the teacher and the style that best suits their personality. However, all yoga came from the same source.

Teaching Adaptive Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis

We had such a great time in Albany! Each time I present this program I fall in love again - with yoga, with the teachers who participate in this program, and with the courageous students who come to teach us what MS is like for them so that we can understand and be of service to students who have physical challenges.

At this training, all of the teachers had a Kripalu connection - trained in Kripalu Yoga, Integrative Yoga Therapy, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy. The spirit of this wonderful group still resonates in my heart.

Over a dozen students who have MS came to teach us about their experiences with MS and what life is like for them. Some of the students practice yoga regularly and some were new and eager to learn about yoga. Some of the students had motorized wheelchairs, some walked with assistance, and some showed no visible symptoms.

This experience reminds me that there is a yoga practice for every body but not every yoga practice is right for every body. Students who have disabilities are challenged in very fundamental ways. As yoga teachers, we reach deep into our tool box to find ways to make yoga accessible, meaningful and effective.

For yoga teachers who are new to working with students who have disabilities, the first experience can be overwhelming, especially as we personally identify with their situation. However, making yoga accessible and inviting to students who live with disabilities can be life affirming, empowering and deeply rewarding.

As teachers, we are called to focus on our students as people first and to create a yoga practice that fits their current situtation I am always reminded that people who have disabilities often receive many medical interventions and are often treated as "less than" by well meaning care givers and providers. The very essence of yoga is our relationship to spirit and our relationship to community. As yoga teachers, we can be of service by honoring each student with our presence and our capacity to listen deeply with respect for each of our journeys and dharmic paths.

"We can begin practicing yoga from any starting point, but if we are to be complete human beings we must incorporate all aspects of ourselves...including our relationships with others, our behavior, our health, our breathing, and our meditation path." T.K.V. Desikachar

Wanted: Your Yoga Story

Has yoga helped you live better, feel better, changed your life in some way? If the answer is yes and you are interested in sharing your experience with others, send me an email. I'd love to post your comments in a future newsletter as an inspiration to others.

Contact

Karen O'Donnell Clarke
(860) 204-0797
yogahealsus@yahoo.com