Dear Yogis,
Don’t forget, this morning is our Yoga Cafe. A time of fellowship, not teaching (specifically) although we always learn something. I started asking the people at the zoom get-together to bring something to show, something they made or would like to share. You don’t have to do this, you can just bring a glass of champers, and or a croissant. By the way – as a pastry aficionado, I have found that Coles sells “ready to bake” raw French croissant in their pastry section. They are splendid. I am going to show them at the show and tell. Not exactly yogic, but gorgeous. Yesterday I spoke about priorities. When I have a croissant, a good one is important.
TIME
As I have been saying – When you have a croissant, have a lovely one. When you do anything enjoy it. We run around all the time, doing more in less time, forgetting the moment. We are even told to soap our hair in the shower just once to be more efficient.. I did try it when I had shorter hair, and it did save me three minutes, but was it worth it? When I was tiny my dad washed my hair. He soaped it twice, and rinsed until it was squeaky clean. When I wash my hair I listen for that squeak. In spite of these lovely memories I tried the “time-saving” idea and soaped once. It was faster but I just didn’t feel the same. I hadn’t washed my hair “right”, plus I was cross with myself for buying in to the “finish as fast as you can” mentality.
I like being in the shower, hair washing or no. I don’t rush, I dawdle. It is not an automatic car wash. I wash mindfully, slowly. I relax and prepare for the day. It is not a waste of time. When I step out of the shower I am ready for the day – I am not pumped, I am just READY. I use the shower as a mindfulness moment. A meditation. Every out-breath allows me to let go of yesterday. I imagine being in a waterfall of light and prana washing any negativity clear away. When my mind wanders I come back to this simple meditation. Doing it this way I have more energy and can move into the day with calmness. I am a recovering perfectionist. Perfectionism narrows the mind and pulls you out of the present into the past or the future..
How about taking a yoga attitude into the day, applying it to everything. EVERYDAY YOGA. Patanjali said that in our yoga practice there should be “no gaps”. He didn’t mean we should practice vinyasa, he meant that everything we do every day should be done in a yoga way. Life is not what happens after you have had your three minute shower, raced through breakfast, scrambled to load the dishwasher, wrangled the kids into the car and to school and so on.
Just for the next few days (just as an experiment) ditch the tyranny of time and make some different choices. Take time to have a shower, savour breakfast, really hug the children, go through your chores MINDFULLY. Covid has taken lots away from us – but it has given us TIME. Relax and enjoy even the small things and you will come home to yourself. Life practised this way will leave you time for a gentle 3 minute meditation, and a body opening, glorious, unhurried, Five Tibetan routine (7 minutes). Ten “yoga minutes” out of 24 hours is do-able. You might even have time to do a 10 minute read before the children hit the kitchen. People tell me they haven’t got time for yoga because they have children. It is an illusion, an excuse. We all have the time, we just have to use it better.
Remember the yamas. They also apply to Time. No killing, Stealing, Lying, respecting all things, or taking more than you need… all apply to time as much as anything else in your life.
Walk gracefully through the day, it is your gift to your children (and yourself).
ENJOY TODAY.. ONE MINDFUL MINUTE AT A TIME.
NAMASTE. JAHNE
ZOOM
FRIDAY: 11am YOGA CAFE, 5.30pm RESTORATIVE YOGA with eights and bands
SATURDAY: 12.30 RESTORATIVE YOGA, 2pm MAKING YOUR OWN TAROT
SUNDAY: 10am Teacher Training THE BHAGAVADGITA (you don’t have to be a teacher to come… interested? Join in)