A couple of weeks ago my wife and I attended a fund raiser for the Hamilton Co. Humane Society. The HSHC is unique in that they don't euthanize animals except in extraordinary circumstances, and they will keep animals as long as it takes to find them a home. During the fundraiser they showed a slide show of several of the "difficult case" adoptions that had happened over the past year: abuse cases, severe injuries, cases that would have condemned animals at many other shelters to an unhappy end. At the end of the slide show they brought out the featured animals with their new families. One of the dogs they featured was Nico, a Dogo Argentino which was discovered in a shelter in LA. He was in pretty bad shape, and would probably not make it out alive. A woman from a local rescue group took a photo of Nico (see above) which she posted on Facebook. The photo was seen by another woman who arranges animal rescue transports, who was able to raise the funds and manpower to transport Nico across the country to the HSHC. From there he began working with a local trainer who is fostering him and helping to socialize him. Nico is well on his way to finding his "forever home." (click here for Nico's full saga)
Gandhi said to "be the change you wish to see in the world." "One candle can light a thousand others" is a quote that has been attributed to the Buddha, but is also used in many other traditions in one form or another. Both of these ideas have at their core the notion that one person can be the catalyst to elicit change. They are calls to action, but they also require commitment, direction and intention.
On a physical level we cultivate this quality by giving our breath intention and direction through the use of pranayama, then the body receives intention and direction through our asana practice. When we practice Ujjai Pranayama (Victorious Breath) we direct the breath along the back of the throat and the soft palette to produce a breath that is both strong and controlled. When we hone our awareness to how our breath is behaving (too harsh? too labored? too lethargic?) we can then begin to adjust our energy levels by adjusting the power of our breath. So, our Ujjai Pranayama practice then becomes a thermostat that we can use to apply more energy when needed, or to calm ourselves when we begin to move into an aggressive state of mind in our practice.
In our asana practice we begin with a series of simple movements to begin to warm and lubricate the major muscles and joints. As we begin to refine the simple movements into more complex patterns and combinations we begin to create strength where there is dullness and opening where there is resistance. This is why we generally begin classes with some form of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation), rather than beginning with Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose): our bodies need time to awaken, and need to be led mindfully toward the goal we wish to achieve. In that way we begin to coax forth our inherent strength and grace.
We all have qualites or traits that we'd like to cultivate or develop. We reflect on situations where we wish we'd have behaved differently. What our yoga practice provides us with is the opportunity to begin cultivating those qualites or traits, to begin to focus on changing our behavior. When we practice, we can bring these qualties or situations to mind, and let our attention to them provide the focal point for our practice. Can we practice in a way that is generous of spirit? Can we bring a quality of gratitude to our practice? Can we begin to change the way we treat others by first practicing treating ourselves in that manner? When we practice in this way, our intentions become ingrained in our psyche, and these intentions become part of our very make-up.Our intentions begin to provide direction for our lives, and our actions begin to reflect the qualities we practice in our minds. Our practice becomes habit, then becomes our state of being.
I am guilty of seeing problems or situations where I think "Someone should do something about that!" The thought may even cross my mind that I should be the person to do it, but then the situation looks too large for just me. In frustration I don't even begin. What I forget is that all I have to do is rely on my intention to act with grace and compassion. This provides me with the direction I need to take the action necessary. In so doing, I create the possibility for a chain reaction to occur so that the solution is presented. My part may have been small, but the result could be enormous or life changing.
There is a story of a man walking along the beach with his granddaughter. They come upon thousands of starfish washed up on the beach from a recent storm. The granddaughter starts running around picking up the starfish and throwing them back into the ocean. "Why even bother?" asks the grandfather. "There are so many, you''ll never save them all!" The granddughter throws another starfish into the ocean and says, "Well, I saved THAT one!"
Have a happy, healthy holiday season!
Gandhi said to "be the change you wish to see in the world." "One candle can light a thousand others" is a quote that has been attributed to the Buddha, but is also used in many other traditions in one form or another. Both of these ideas have at their core the notion that one person can be the catalyst to elicit change. They are calls to action, but they also require commitment, direction and intention.
On a physical level we cultivate this quality by giving our breath intention and direction through the use of pranayama, then the body receives intention and direction through our asana practice. When we practice Ujjai Pranayama (Victorious Breath) we direct the breath along the back of the throat and the soft palette to produce a breath that is both strong and controlled. When we hone our awareness to how our breath is behaving (too harsh? too labored? too lethargic?) we can then begin to adjust our energy levels by adjusting the power of our breath. So, our Ujjai Pranayama practice then becomes a thermostat that we can use to apply more energy when needed, or to calm ourselves when we begin to move into an aggressive state of mind in our practice.
In our asana practice we begin with a series of simple movements to begin to warm and lubricate the major muscles and joints. As we begin to refine the simple movements into more complex patterns and combinations we begin to create strength where there is dullness and opening where there is resistance. This is why we generally begin classes with some form of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation), rather than beginning with Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose): our bodies need time to awaken, and need to be led mindfully toward the goal we wish to achieve. In that way we begin to coax forth our inherent strength and grace.
We all have qualites or traits that we'd like to cultivate or develop. We reflect on situations where we wish we'd have behaved differently. What our yoga practice provides us with is the opportunity to begin cultivating those qualites or traits, to begin to focus on changing our behavior. When we practice, we can bring these qualties or situations to mind, and let our attention to them provide the focal point for our practice. Can we practice in a way that is generous of spirit? Can we bring a quality of gratitude to our practice? Can we begin to change the way we treat others by first practicing treating ourselves in that manner? When we practice in this way, our intentions become ingrained in our psyche, and these intentions become part of our very make-up.Our intentions begin to provide direction for our lives, and our actions begin to reflect the qualities we practice in our minds. Our practice becomes habit, then becomes our state of being.
I am guilty of seeing problems or situations where I think "Someone should do something about that!" The thought may even cross my mind that I should be the person to do it, but then the situation looks too large for just me. In frustration I don't even begin. What I forget is that all I have to do is rely on my intention to act with grace and compassion. This provides me with the direction I need to take the action necessary. In so doing, I create the possibility for a chain reaction to occur so that the solution is presented. My part may have been small, but the result could be enormous or life changing.
There is a story of a man walking along the beach with his granddaughter. They come upon thousands of starfish washed up on the beach from a recent storm. The granddaughter starts running around picking up the starfish and throwing them back into the ocean. "Why even bother?" asks the grandfather. "There are so many, you''ll never save them all!" The granddughter throws another starfish into the ocean and says, "Well, I saved THAT one!"
Have a happy, healthy holiday season!
1 comment:
great insights as always eric. thank you so much for sharing! namaste. :)
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