Many of the Yoga classes I teach, are inspired by the lessons and guidance that are always being offered in the world around us. Last Monday, Memorial Day, I had the opportunity to take a day trip along the Ohio River. I was awe struck by the magnitude and multitude of hawks flying in the sky that day. I enjoyed watching them soar at such great heights, coasting on the currents of air, feeling a longing in myself for a kind of freedom like that. Then there was the realization that they weren’t soaring just for fun. It was lunch time and they too were searching for sustenance. Although their meals were likely to be found on the ground, they needed to get back, gain perspective, and find their target.
For many, meditation and the meditative aspect of Yoga, gives that feeling of gaining perspective. It’s a way to take a step back from the small details of life and gain perspective of the broader vision of our own lives. When we allow the mind to relax and expand, and when we make the intention to connect to our more essential selves, it’s easier to gain perspective and hone in on the priorities that will feed our spirits as well as our physical beings. Last week in class we explored the expanded mind experience through meditation in movement. We worked on being mentally flexible by alternating on experiencing broad perspective as well as paying attention to the small details our physical selves.
This week we’ll take the next step in our birds of prey inspired class…. recognizing our priorities and and staying steady on our path to connect with our targets. Life is full of obstacles and distractions so it is important to create a path that will serve us well. That path will often call for endurance to keep going and to stay true. It will also often call for flexibility and maneuvering when distractions and obstacles arrive. This week we will be working on endurance in our postures, focus in our minds, and freedom in our hearts.
This week I’m loving the Native American / Jazz / Guitar Music of R. Carlos Nakai & William Eaton on the album Ancestral Voices
