I’ve been going to Bikram
yoga for almost two weeks now. Some times it’s
hard to muster up the energy to go, some times it’s much more appealing to go home, work on the bike and have some beer. It’s always rewarding when I do go to practice, though. It can be difficult some times, but other days it’s easy-peasy and feels great.
I always leave class with a clear mind and feeling refreshed. My favorite part is getting to be when we finish the last
pose and can lay down and relax for a few minutes. It is time to
think, utilizing the clear mind that I’ve built over the last hour and a half.
My time to think today lead me to the following
understanding, as well as I can write it down, at least:
- All things are connected.
- In yoga, a process takes place. First, we listen, then we act, then we understand. Wash, rinse, repeat... something like that.
- As we gain experience with each pose, we begin to understand it. We learn how to go deeper into it, how to move our bodies effectively and efficiently.
- As we become expert at each pose, we can put more and more energy into a single action. We learn where to focus our attention to complete the pose.
- As we can put more energy into a single action, knowing by experience that we are acting correctly, we move toward single pointed thought. Our mind is calm but exerted fully.
- At this point, we see past the noise and chaos that we experienced as we learned the pose. From the (eventually) single point where we put all our energy, we gain perspective on the rest of life and our minds. We see the relationship between our action and other distant things in our minds or our lives.