How Do You Take Care of Your Life?

How Do You Take Care of Your Life?

Day One: Bali Yoga & Meditation Retreat
Meditation: Guided-Walking-Silent

Breakfast

Ayurvedic Teachings & Asana Practice

Visiting the Tegallalang Rice Paddies 

Our teaching began with this question posed by our teacher, Andrea: How do you take care of your life? We were asked to really ask ourselves this question, to wrestle with the paradoxes in our lives. Paradoxes in our lives?! I had to look up the definition of paradox in order to begin to apply it to my life. According to the dictionary a paradox is, "a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory." Okay, now that I know the definition, how do analyze these paradoxes and apply them to my life? Back to research. I looked for examples of paradoxes that are seen in society. I did find a few that resonated with me:

• The more you hate a trait in someone else, the more likely you are avoiding it in yourself.

• Are those characteristics a reflection of ourselves? 

• The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. 

• As you learn, more questions arise. 

• The more you’re afraid to fail, the more likely you are to fail.

• Self-fulfilling prophecy.

• The only certainty is that nothing is ever certain. 

• An important one to recognize 

• The only constant is change.

• A most important one to remember. 

We all want to live a lift of longevity. We all want to live a balanced life, so that when we are faced with the paradoxes we have the strength to confront and rebalance. In order to "wrestle" with these and other paradoxes it is so important that you are strong in body, mind, and spirit. The more resources you have to help you grow strong, the healthier you will be. And, you will be able to find balance and adjust to the paradoxes that may confront you. Yoga, is one resource that can be utilized and living an Ayurvedic lifestyle is a second resource. Yoga, means "yoke, to join". Yoga is the union of body and mind.  Ayurveda, is the sister science to yoga. AYUR: means life & VEDA: wisdom, knowledge, science. In Ayurveda, the healthier you are the more resources you have to live your dharma (your duty in life). 

     

     According to the teachings of Ayurveda there are Four Aspects of Life:

1. Body: Our body needs to be nourished. To be nourished is the foundation of life. If we are not rested or not eating properly our ability to live a balanced life is in jeopardy. Our body is made up of muscle, fat, bone, plasma, our nervous and reproductive system. An imbalance in our body will usually show up in our digestive system & moves out from there. Ask yourself: What is your weak link? What might create an imbalance in your body? Our bones/muscles/joints need strength work (especially as you age), yoga, and exercise. Our nervous system shows balance and imbalance through our parasympathetic (rest & digest) and sympathetic (fight or flight) responses. Ask yourself: When a sympathetic event occurs, how long does it take you to come back to the parasympathetic?  

2. Mind: How do we nourish our minds? Meditation, pranayama breathing, reading, stimulating activities. 

3. Senses: Our five senses: smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch. We need to nourish, cleanse and protect our senses. 

4. Soul: Atman in Hindu. Our soul lives midway between understanding consciousness & partly in time & eternity. Ask yourself: what feels soulful to you? What awakens that feeling? Our experiences in life are what nourish us.  Learn to pause and take in  those experiences that feel soulful. Which experiences are well nourished and which need more care.

As we ended our teachings Andrea again posed the question: "How do you take care of your life?" and asked us to take it into our hearts and mind, and to know that there is not a right or wrong answer as no one can tell you how to live your life. I have to be honest and say that I have never asked myself this question. Do I make a list? Do I prioritize the list as to what helps me stay balanced and what creates imbalance? I found myself asking more questions, but I think that was the point of the teaching. To question our lives physically, mentally, and spiritually. This question stayed with me the entire retreat. I pondered as I went through my daily practice, meditation, even when I ate and shopped. I discovered there is no "quick" answer. I like that.

Our Asana practice focused on Flexion & Extension of the body, and the Internal and External Rotation of the lower body: hips, legs, and ankles. In addition, Andrea brought in the difference between an "active" and "passive" pose. How to turn a very passive stretch into an active/strengthening pose. Necessary props: blanket, tennis or racquet ball, 2 blocks,

RETREAT SEQUENCE I

Internal/External Rotation

OPENING

Meditation

BACK

Constructive Rest/ diaphragmatic breathing (hands across lower ribs)

SEATED

Point/Flex feet

Circle ankles/femurs/ankles toes

STANDING/STRENGTH & STABILITY

Tadasana: balls under feet

Heel raises

Sumo

Pelvic Flexion: knee hip height (active/passive)

Knee bent hip extension/heel to bum

Psoas leg Pendulum (on block)

SUN SALUTATIONS

Prone Mtn./Hamstring Extension Straight Leg Lift & Hamstrings Bent Knee

STANDING/ASANA SEQUENCE

Chair

Warrior I: Ankle Flexion Version (pay attention to ankle/foot placement)

Chair

Warrior I/ Step Backs

Warrior II

Side Angle
MOVE BETWEEN WARRIOR II & SIDE ANGLE

Wide Legged FF/twist & hands clasped
FLOW/REPEAT

BALANCE/PASSIVE & ACTIVE

Bent Knee: Hamstrings/Hip Extension Straight Leg Lift

Bent Knee: Hamstrings

Hip circles

SEATED

Squat on Blocks: internal/external rotate out (side of foot)

Forward Bend

BACK

Wind Removing Pose A & B/Passive & Active

Supine Squat; Happy Baby

SAVASANA
Legs over bolster/feet in Cobbler

Ending Thought

Awakening Now (Danna Faulds)

Why wait for your awakening?
Do you value your reasons for staying small 
more than the light shining through the open door? 
Forgive yourself,
Forgive yourself.
Now is the only time you have to be whole.
Now.
Now is the sole moment that exists to live in the light of your true nature.
Perfection is not a prerequisite for anything but pain.
Perfection is not a prerequisite for anything but pain.
Please, oh please, don't continue to believe
in your stories of deficiency and failure.
This is the day of your awakening.

Resources:

Define Paradox: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/paradox?s=t

Paradox Examples: https://markmanson.net/paradoxes-that-are-true