This month is about practicing with feeling. In a body that’s rather wired and tired, we might feel most sensations as discomfort, bony parts that meet the earth are assessed as painful. The slightest breeze is felt as cold. In a resilient body we feel like we can cope. We notice a sensation with interest rather than fear.
Yogis get to experience the myriad of sensations available in their body, from the big stuff; knees on the earth in table top to the subtle body; peaceful waves of breath gently rocking the body in savansanā. We’re brave, we’re not afraid to feel the uncomfortable, the awkward, the unfamiliar. If we can do that in the body, we can do that with emotional sensations and feelings. We can stay present with disappointment, uncertainty, delight and pride.
I don’t think we see or listen properly. Less and less seems to get in or out. I think there’s a potential to become less receptive and when we do, we miss the delight, sensuality and depth of feeling that comes from being engaged with life.
It’s the perfect time to practice with feeling and you can start now; notice how it’s getting cooler. Hands and feet are beginning to feel the chill. My natural inclination was to put the heating on (I know we’re all trying to do that less these days, so it feels apt to make this a conscious yogi choice), because I didn’t want to feel cold. I wanted a body kept at the optimum temperature, so I could what…? Potentially whittle away a few hours uninterrupted by bodily sensations. Not wanting to feel. But feeling a little chill is aliveness… brrr it’s the much sought-after present moment!
If I get chilly enough I might have to move around and create my own warmth which is far more beneficial than being passively heated. But more than that I’m training my nervous system to understand a sensation isn’t a threat that needs to be fixed or remedied straight away, if indeed at all. This is huge...
Click here for class details, here to read about the October retreat, and here to learn how amazing the body is.
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