Do Yoga and Rock On

 Joanie, David and Me

"If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?"  — Rumi

While practicing at KPJAYI in Mysore, India, during conference, Sharath talked about the importance of bringing a sense of joy to our practice. He pretty much explained if there isn't joy, then what's the point. Yeah, sure, there are days where it feels like it is the last thing I want to do. Sometimes my body hurts, other days I'm just plain tired. With all of that, stepping into the heart of what yoga is doesn't make joy a hard thing to find. Often what we are up against is our own tendencies that quite frankly need to fall away. I am beginning to realize that I only need to let the yoga do the work. All I need is to place my two feet on my mat and start breathing. The sequencing is there, no guess work required. I can deliberately dismantle my limits one vinyasa at a time, and it's beautiful. Rub. Rub.

Even though I've complained about being back in Stockholm, practicing with sub-zero temperatures outside, I really do believe if I can practice here, in the dark and in the cold, using tapas as my fuel, I can do it anywhere. Why should it be easy? Much of our obstacles are in the mind anyhow. If I think it's gonna be hard, then it will be. A little bit of momentum going in the right direction gives a world of benefit.  Rub. Rub.

Ha! And why can't our practices be fun? What a concept! Doing, for the pure sake of doing, is what it's really about. When relaxing into this mind state, it's amazing what can develop. We enter into a place of discovery that amounts to endless possibility.

Rub, Rub, and rock on.

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