The Toa Te Ching

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

~ Lao Tzu


Practice Notes:

Once again, made it up to Eka Pada Bakasana... my nemesis...who will soon become my friend, I hope. It's all coming down to whether I have enough juice to gather some sort of hang time by the time I reach this point in the practice. The thing about 3rd Series isn't necessarily that each individual posture is challenging...but, its a matter of doing them sequentially, in order, maintaining composure, concentration, and flow...among other things.

Strange, lately after practice, even though the temps outside have been warm, I get cold and feel as if I need to bundle myself up...not sure what that's all about. Today, I was severing...



I met up with RW today. He just got into town from Japan last night...we met in Mysore, India. Ironically, he is originally from Columbus, Ohio. I'm so happy we have stayed in touch, and I sincerely feel him as being one of my great friends, and confidants. We talked for hours...catching up on everything from life, love, and fond memories from India. What a great guy. I can always count on him to keep it real...there aren't that many people I've come across that aren't afraid to ask some pretty big questions...but at the same time laugh at it all. What great qualities to posses.

My morning mysore sisters gave me the most lovely going away gift...a copy of the Tao Te Ching. Thank you...It's funny because in the last several days I had made a mental note wanting to pick up a copy to read and study...talk about flow...you ladies are good!!!

Now its all about what to pack...hmmm...this isn't my forte. RW told me to lay everything out I want to take and only pack half...hahahaha...I'll see how that goes.

The key to Joy is unconditional kindness to all life, including ones' own, which we refer to as compassion. Without compassion, little of any significance is ever accomplished in human endeavor. We may generalize to the greater social context from individual therapies, wherein the patient can't be truly cured or fundamentally healed until he invokes the power of compassion, both for himself and others. At that point, the healed may become a healer.

~Power vs. Force, David R. Hawkins, M.D., P.h.D.

Practice burned deep this morning. Let's hope the tapas burned away many of my samskaras. Hey...anything is possible. I dripped with sweat today. Obviously the warmer temps brought it about, but also I focused on maintaining my flow...not allowing the mind to grasp onto any one thing. I moved a bit faster...however, I did my best to maintain awareness. Its a delicate balance. When the mind doesn't enter into the picture I have much more fun. Only had enough time to make it up to Durvasana. Part of me is wanting not face the dreaded Eka Pada Bakasana. So, I blame it on time. Hee, hee.

Had a productive morning. Got everything sent out for my Visa. Also, had to order an official copy of my diploma for acquiring a work permit. Which meant I had to take a stroll onto my Alma Mater, The Ohio State University. Got a bit nostalgic walking on campus. So many memories made there. Ha! And, I can't help it, but I love this school...I'm a Buckeye for life.

The difference between treating and healing is that in the former, the context remains the same, whereas in the latter, the clinical response is elicited by a change of context so as to bring about an absolute removal of the cause of the condition rather than mere recovery from its symptoms. It's one thing to prescribe an anti-hypertensive medication for high blood pressure; it's quite another to expand the patient's context of life so that he stops being angry and repressive.

~Power vs. Force, David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.