Practice, eat, live & sleep
After a magical summer of travel and adventure, I welcomed the cozy and grounding feeling of spending more time at home, in the city and at Kula. The outrageous pace of the past year left me feeling depleted, and my foundation in need of attention. Inviting more energy into my being began with remembering what a gift embodiment is, and how incredible and precious it is to hear, taste, touch, smell and feel.
Listing the fives senses seems un-extraordinary until we imagine what life would be like without even one of these. It’s so easy to sacrifice the things that nourish us the most when life becomes busy or challenging, but it’s difficult for the spirit to thrive when it’s dwelling is being neglected. Much like it is hard to feel at home when the sink is overflowing with the dishes and your favourite sweatpants are in the laundry. So, in honour of, and with great respect for my body, I committed to practicing five mornings a week with fellow Kula teachers. At the same time, my roommate and I committed to eating plant-based whole foods to energize the body, strengthen the immune system and replenish the adrenals.
The effect of my yoga/food commitment was profound, not because I perfectly executed all that I set out to do, but rather that I better realized the true meaning of practice. Through the steadiness of the commitment, I soon saw that some of my habits were actually limiting me from cultivating a healthy and happy life. The daily practice demanded me to look at parts of my life that I wanted to ignore, and showed me what I needed to do if I really wanted to see a change. The commitment also allowed me to see great transformation in my practice. For example, I conquered my fear of kicking up in the middle of the room and found balance in pincha mayurasana. Through the dedicated effort of continual practice, my core strengthened, something I believe to be a reflection of a deeper connection to my relationship within. Webster’s defines practice as “To perform often, repeatedly or habitually as to become proficient.” While not the most poetic definition, it reminds me that the practice is not about being perfect. It’s about the work, the commitment, and the journey toward living more skillfully.
In addition to the personal gifts I received from the practice, perhaps the sweetest gift was to wake up each morning and be in such good company. To close I offer you some of the other kula teachers reflections on this month’s morning practice sessions and perhaps some additional inspiration to join us in the upcoming Sunrise transformation.
A reflection by Chantal:
In yoga, the heart is more than the bodily organ that sustains physical life; it is the interior center form which all life flows. As we deepen and cultivate a daily practice,we begin to become more present to the events of our lives, and this presence puts us deeply in touch with our hearts, the core of our being. This brings an awareness and understanding that helps us manage problems, heal relationships and connects us to our communities. Practicing yoga daily invites the heart’s natural purity and simplicity to emerge, the body to grow stronger, and prepares us to experience life in new and unexpected ways. "Practice Practice all is coming" used to say the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. His words remind us that yoga is ultimately oriented not toward knowledge or philoshophy, but toward practice. Don’t take my word for it, develop a daily practice and see what happens!
A reflection by Marinella:
Each time we enter a space and become not only a participant but a witness of the community unfolding we find out a little bit more about ourselves and the path we choose to follow. The space is necessary for this to occur, followed by those people who will reflect our greatest goals and challenges. Over the course of these past weeks, we each have dived into our own physical bodies, into our own reflections and meditations, but because of the collective energy and commitment, we have opened our practice to witness … and in that we find Grace. She is not only a beautiful path, but a reminder of the freedom in our hearts and the hearts of others.
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