Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering tapas and endurance.
Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.
-The Buddha
People often find that meditation is easy for the first few months; but then, just when they think things are going well, it becomes difficult. It is like digging in your garden. The surface level of consciousness is soft loam, easy digging for the first twelve inches or so. The blade of the shovel is turning over the soil so easily that you say, "This is great! Isn't meditation wonderful?" Then you strike something hard and impenetrable. Your hands sting from the shock, and your arms ache. That is the first stratum of bedrock - a dense, rock-hard layer of sheer resistance. Congratulations! You are getting somewhere at last!
How do you know you have hit something? The most common sign is a wave of sleep during meditation. Your mind is saying, in effect, "My shovel is getting blunted, and my arms are tired. Why not stop digging and have a snooze?" It is extremely important not to yield to this inclination. Sit up straighter and draw away from your back support until the wave of sleep has passed. This problem of sleep may be with you for a long time. You have a lot of strata to dig through, and there is great joy in this digging.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to explore the third Niyama - Tapas. BKS Iyengar writes that, "tapas is a burning inner zeal and austerity, a sort of unflagging hardness of attitude towards oneself which make possible compassion and forgiveness towards others.” Apply the concept of tapas and the idea of endurance put fort by the Buddha to your own life and practices.
Light on the Yoga Sutras - BKS Iyengar
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Monday, December 19, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Pratyahara, patience, forgiveness, and freedom from likes and dislikes.
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering pratyahara, patience, forgiveness, and freedom from likes and dislikes.
The Perfect Way is only difficult for those who pick and choose; Do not like, do not dislike; all will then be clear. Make a hairbreadth difference, and Heaven and Earth are set apart.
-Seng-Ts'an (Jianzhi Sengcan)
Happiness and sorrow, good and bad, pleasure and pain - these are the very texture of life on the superficial level. The less you are bound by these dualities, the more clearly you will be able to see the core of purity and selflessness that is the real Self in everyone, even in people who cause trouble.
My grandmother had a pungent phrase for difficult people: "a lash in the eye." We all know from experience how an eyelash in the eye can be so irritating that we just cannot think about anything else. That is exactly how difficult people affect those around them, so naturally most of us try to avoid such people.
But this lash in the eye is an opportunity for learning the skills that matter most in life: patience, forgiveness, and freedom from likes and dislikes. It is only the spiritually mature person who can go and put his arm around someone who has given him a really difficult time, and say sincerely, "Without you, how could I ever have learned to be patient? How could I have learned to forgive?"
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to notice when a "lash in the eye" comes your way and be slow to respond. Consider the fifth limb of Yoga, pratyahara and how this practice can encourage the cultivation of patience, forgiveness, and freedom from likes and dislikes. Roughly, Pratyahara is the withdrawal or the refinement of the senses. The concept of pratyahara is found in verse II.54 and II.55 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering pratyahara, patience, forgiveness, and freedom from likes and dislikes.
The Perfect Way is only difficult for those who pick and choose; Do not like, do not dislike; all will then be clear. Make a hairbreadth difference, and Heaven and Earth are set apart.
-Seng-Ts'an (Jianzhi Sengcan)
Happiness and sorrow, good and bad, pleasure and pain - these are the very texture of life on the superficial level. The less you are bound by these dualities, the more clearly you will be able to see the core of purity and selflessness that is the real Self in everyone, even in people who cause trouble.
My grandmother had a pungent phrase for difficult people: "a lash in the eye." We all know from experience how an eyelash in the eye can be so irritating that we just cannot think about anything else. That is exactly how difficult people affect those around them, so naturally most of us try to avoid such people.
But this lash in the eye is an opportunity for learning the skills that matter most in life: patience, forgiveness, and freedom from likes and dislikes. It is only the spiritually mature person who can go and put his arm around someone who has given him a really difficult time, and say sincerely, "Without you, how could I ever have learned to be patient? How could I have learned to forgive?"
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to notice when a "lash in the eye" comes your way and be slow to respond. Consider the fifth limb of Yoga, pratyahara and how this practice can encourage the cultivation of patience, forgiveness, and freedom from likes and dislikes. Roughly, Pratyahara is the withdrawal or the refinement of the senses. The concept of pratyahara is found in verse II.54 and II.55 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Patience
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering patience.
Acquire a firm will and the utmost patience.
-Anandamayi Ma
We begin our journey towards the supreme goal of life from where we stand. Just as it is good to be patient with others, it is equally necessary to be patient with ourselves. After all, when the desire to live for others comes to us, we can be haunted by our past mistakes, by the amount of time we have wasted in selfish pursuits. But we must accept ourselves with all our strengths and weaknesses.
There are many obstacles on the spiritual path which can strengthen us, and these cannot be overcome unless we have infinite patience with ourselves. If we are patient with others, shouldn't we be patient with ourselves as well? Each of us is individual, with our own special qualities. We start now, where we are, with our partial love for money, partial love for pleasure, partial love for prestige, and a little love for God. We will progress at our own pace. It is not good to compare one person's progress with another's.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to connect how our Yoga path mirrors our path in life. Our practices ebb and flow, frustrations and successes, highs and lows, but a slow progression occurs. Practice being patient with any setbacks and keep coming back to your commitments.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering patience.
Acquire a firm will and the utmost patience.
-Anandamayi Ma
We begin our journey towards the supreme goal of life from where we stand. Just as it is good to be patient with others, it is equally necessary to be patient with ourselves. After all, when the desire to live for others comes to us, we can be haunted by our past mistakes, by the amount of time we have wasted in selfish pursuits. But we must accept ourselves with all our strengths and weaknesses.
There are many obstacles on the spiritual path which can strengthen us, and these cannot be overcome unless we have infinite patience with ourselves. If we are patient with others, shouldn't we be patient with ourselves as well? Each of us is individual, with our own special qualities. We start now, where we are, with our partial love for money, partial love for pleasure, partial love for prestige, and a little love for God. We will progress at our own pace. It is not good to compare one person's progress with another's.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to connect how our Yoga path mirrors our path in life. Our practices ebb and flow, frustrations and successes, highs and lows, but a slow progression occurs. Practice being patient with any setbacks and keep coming back to your commitments.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Passage Meditation
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering passage meditation.
How sweet it is to love, and to be dissolved, and as it were to bathe myself in thy love.
- Thomas a Kempis
In these times, a common prescription for a day packed with troubles is to go jump in your hot tub. Relaxation starts immediately; for a time, at least, the body is at peace.
Now imagine a hot tub for the mind. That is what meditation is; it can bathe your mind in relaxing thoughts. This requires a lot of practice, but when you have learned to jump in the hot tub of meditation at the end of a day, instead of rehashing problems with your co-workers or downing a double martini, you can close your eyes, start in with an inspirational passage, and let the accumulated tensions of the day dissolve.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to review how you choose to relax and let go of your stresses. Consider trying what Sri Easwaran recommends. Choose an inspirational passage that has strong meaning to you. Sit and repeat this passage in your head or out loud for a few minutes. See what happens. An example of an inspirational passage that most westerners know is the prayer of St. Francis.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering passage meditation.
How sweet it is to love, and to be dissolved, and as it were to bathe myself in thy love.
- Thomas a Kempis
In these times, a common prescription for a day packed with troubles is to go jump in your hot tub. Relaxation starts immediately; for a time, at least, the body is at peace.
Now imagine a hot tub for the mind. That is what meditation is; it can bathe your mind in relaxing thoughts. This requires a lot of practice, but when you have learned to jump in the hot tub of meditation at the end of a day, instead of rehashing problems with your co-workers or downing a double martini, you can close your eyes, start in with an inspirational passage, and let the accumulated tensions of the day dissolve.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to review how you choose to relax and let go of your stresses. Consider trying what Sri Easwaran recommends. Choose an inspirational passage that has strong meaning to you. Sit and repeat this passage in your head or out loud for a few minutes. See what happens. An example of an inspirational passage that most westerners know is the prayer of St. Francis.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Monday, November 7, 2011
Meditation
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering meditation.
Still your mind in me, still yourself in me, and without doubt you shall be united with me, Lord of Love dwelling in your heart.
-Bhagavad Gita
Children attending their first swimming lessons have a healthy fear of putting their faces underwater. They are afraid they are going to drown. This is the feeling we can get when we go deeper in meditation and begin to break loose from some of our long-cherished emotional attachments.
When I was first meditating, I had the same fears everyone has. All kinds of struggles were going on inside me, and it took time and effort to overcome them. But once the waters closed over my head and I began to get my bearings in these new realms, I knew this was what I had been looking for and longing for, and all my energy went into diving deeper.
When we put our heads under and dive deep, leaving selfishness on the surface, we find a joy that is a million times what any surface sensation can give, and a love that at its fullest expression embraces all of life. Initially we may fear losing the sensory satisfactions that lie on the surface, but waiting far below are joy, love, life.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to sit quietly for five minutes twice a day for a week. Try to do it in the same place and same time every day. Make sure you can sit comfortably and keep yourself upright - use a chair if you have to. Observe what happens.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering meditation.
Still your mind in me, still yourself in me, and without doubt you shall be united with me, Lord of Love dwelling in your heart.
-Bhagavad Gita
Children attending their first swimming lessons have a healthy fear of putting their faces underwater. They are afraid they are going to drown. This is the feeling we can get when we go deeper in meditation and begin to break loose from some of our long-cherished emotional attachments.
When I was first meditating, I had the same fears everyone has. All kinds of struggles were going on inside me, and it took time and effort to overcome them. But once the waters closed over my head and I began to get my bearings in these new realms, I knew this was what I had been looking for and longing for, and all my energy went into diving deeper.
When we put our heads under and dive deep, leaving selfishness on the surface, we find a joy that is a million times what any surface sensation can give, and a love that at its fullest expression embraces all of life. Initially we may fear losing the sensory satisfactions that lie on the surface, but waiting far below are joy, love, life.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to sit quietly for five minutes twice a day for a week. Try to do it in the same place and same time every day. Make sure you can sit comfortably and keep yourself upright - use a chair if you have to. Observe what happens.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Use the light.
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering using the light.
Use the light.
Come home to your true nature.
Don't cause yourself injury:
This is known as seizing the truth.
-Lao Tzu
As human beings, we have been born with the capacity to make choices. No other creature has this capacity, and no human being can avoid this responsibility. Every day, whether we see it or not, we have a choice of two alternatives in what we do, say, and think.
These alternatives are: what is pleasant and what is beneficial. The first pleases us now. The second may be unpleasant at the beginning, as anyone who has begun a physical fitness program knows; but it will improve our health and contribute to our peace of mind.
Both choices promise satisfaction. One we get immediately, but it comes and goes; the other requires effort, but its benefits stay with us and often benefit those around us as well.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to reflect on the hard work, or effort, that you bring to you Yoga practices and how we often do not get to the "final" pose. Work to let the practice unfold by itself watching the progress. Be aware of how the little changes cumulatively make your practice more strong and bring more light to your life off of the mat.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering using the light.
Use the light.
Come home to your true nature.
Don't cause yourself injury:
This is known as seizing the truth.
-Lao Tzu
As human beings, we have been born with the capacity to make choices. No other creature has this capacity, and no human being can avoid this responsibility. Every day, whether we see it or not, we have a choice of two alternatives in what we do, say, and think.
These alternatives are: what is pleasant and what is beneficial. The first pleases us now. The second may be unpleasant at the beginning, as anyone who has begun a physical fitness program knows; but it will improve our health and contribute to our peace of mind.
Both choices promise satisfaction. One we get immediately, but it comes and goes; the other requires effort, but its benefits stay with us and often benefit those around us as well.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to reflect on the hard work, or effort, that you bring to you Yoga practices and how we often do not get to the "final" pose. Work to let the practice unfold by itself watching the progress. Be aware of how the little changes cumulatively make your practice more strong and bring more light to your life off of the mat.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Monday, October 17, 2011
Vertical Travel
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering vertical travel.
There are many going afar to marvel at the heights of mountains, the mighty waves of the sea, the long courses of great rivers, the vastness of the ocean, the movements of the stars, yet they leave themselves unnoticed!
-Saint Augustine
Today many people who enjoy traveling are not content with visiting London or Paris; they want to travel by camel in the Sahara, or kayak in the Antarctic. But no matter how exotic, this is horizontal travel, where we stay on the surface of life. Much more fascinating is vertical travel - that is, meditation, which takes us to the Land of Love in the utmost depths of consciousness.
For a long time we may not get very far, but if we insist on traveling deep, meditation will become a daring adventure. We will pass through level after level of consciousness, just the way one travels from one country to another. There is this difference: when we pass from the United States into Mexico, we know when we have crossed the border. We must stop and speak to the guard. Then the language changes. We know we are in a new land. In meditation, it is rather different. The changes are likely to take place so gradually that we may not even be aware of it immediately. But slowly and surely we will begin to have a strong feeling of coming home to our native land.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to learn to use your own life, your own experience to study the effects of your Yoga practices. Create the awareness to discover the subtle changes that might be taking place. Study, observe, experiment and use your own life as the research environment.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering vertical travel.
There are many going afar to marvel at the heights of mountains, the mighty waves of the sea, the long courses of great rivers, the vastness of the ocean, the movements of the stars, yet they leave themselves unnoticed!
-Saint Augustine
Today many people who enjoy traveling are not content with visiting London or Paris; they want to travel by camel in the Sahara, or kayak in the Antarctic. But no matter how exotic, this is horizontal travel, where we stay on the surface of life. Much more fascinating is vertical travel - that is, meditation, which takes us to the Land of Love in the utmost depths of consciousness.
For a long time we may not get very far, but if we insist on traveling deep, meditation will become a daring adventure. We will pass through level after level of consciousness, just the way one travels from one country to another. There is this difference: when we pass from the United States into Mexico, we know when we have crossed the border. We must stop and speak to the guard. Then the language changes. We know we are in a new land. In meditation, it is rather different. The changes are likely to take place so gradually that we may not even be aware of it immediately. But slowly and surely we will begin to have a strong feeling of coming home to our native land.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to learn to use your own life, your own experience to study the effects of your Yoga practices. Create the awareness to discover the subtle changes that might be taking place. Study, observe, experiment and use your own life as the research environment.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Respect
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering respect.
The test of a man or woman's breeding is how they behave in a quarrel.
-George Bernard Shaw
When tempers are frayed, and an argument is in progress, it is very difficult for anyone to listen with courtesy to an opposing point of view. If we could ask the mind on such occasions why it doesn't listen, it would answer candidly, "Why should I? I already know I'm right." We may not put it into words, but the other person gets the message: "You're not worth listening to." It is this lack of respect that offends people in an argument, much more than any difference of opinion.
But respect can be learned - in part by acting as if we had respect. We show respect by simply listening with complete attention. Try it and see: the action is very much like that of a classical drama. For a while there is "rising action." The other person's temper keeps going up; language becomes more and more vivid; everything is heading for a climax. But then comes the denouement. The other person begins to quiet down: his voice becomes gentler, his language kinder, all because you have not retaliated or lost your respect for him.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to make the connection between developing awareness through your Yoga practices to being respectful. How do the practices of Yoga support you in learning and practicing respect?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering respect.
The test of a man or woman's breeding is how they behave in a quarrel.
-George Bernard Shaw
When tempers are frayed, and an argument is in progress, it is very difficult for anyone to listen with courtesy to an opposing point of view. If we could ask the mind on such occasions why it doesn't listen, it would answer candidly, "Why should I? I already know I'm right." We may not put it into words, but the other person gets the message: "You're not worth listening to." It is this lack of respect that offends people in an argument, much more than any difference of opinion.
But respect can be learned - in part by acting as if we had respect. We show respect by simply listening with complete attention. Try it and see: the action is very much like that of a classical drama. For a while there is "rising action." The other person's temper keeps going up; language becomes more and more vivid; everything is heading for a climax. But then comes the denouement. The other person begins to quiet down: his voice becomes gentler, his language kinder, all because you have not retaliated or lost your respect for him.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to make the connection between developing awareness through your Yoga practices to being respectful. How do the practices of Yoga support you in learning and practicing respect?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Tapas
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering Tapas.
If someone takes your coat, give him your cloak as well; if he makes you go a mile with him, go with him two.
-The Gospel According to Saint Matthew
If you really want to land a blow at a compulsion, defy it. Do just the opposite of what it says. It is a daring approach which appeals to everyone with a sense of adventure. If somebody has been unkind to you, go out of your way to be kind to him. It can require a lot of endurance simply to be patient with such a person, but we're talking about more than endurance now; we're talking about daring.
Try it: there is an exhilaration in it, and a special delight in seeing the other person rub his eyes in disbelief, "I was just rude to him, and now he's being thoughtful. What's wrong with him?"
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to learn how the discipline we bring to our Yoga practice - part of our Tapas can help us move through life as described above. Tapas means to use burning effort under all circumstances to achieve ones goal in life. Tapas needs to be applied in three areas: body, speech and mind. Practicing non-violence towards your own body is one way to practice tapas of body. Speaking kindly and truthfully can be one way to practice tapas of speech. Developing an even mind that stays balanced in sorrow and joy and practicing self discipline is tapas of mind.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering Tapas.
If someone takes your coat, give him your cloak as well; if he makes you go a mile with him, go with him two.
-The Gospel According to Saint Matthew
If you really want to land a blow at a compulsion, defy it. Do just the opposite of what it says. It is a daring approach which appeals to everyone with a sense of adventure. If somebody has been unkind to you, go out of your way to be kind to him. It can require a lot of endurance simply to be patient with such a person, but we're talking about more than endurance now; we're talking about daring.
Try it: there is an exhilaration in it, and a special delight in seeing the other person rub his eyes in disbelief, "I was just rude to him, and now he's being thoughtful. What's wrong with him?"
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to learn how the discipline we bring to our Yoga practice - part of our Tapas can help us move through life as described above. Tapas means to use burning effort under all circumstances to achieve ones goal in life. Tapas needs to be applied in three areas: body, speech and mind. Practicing non-violence towards your own body is one way to practice tapas of body. Speaking kindly and truthfully can be one way to practice tapas of speech. Developing an even mind that stays balanced in sorrow and joy and practicing self discipline is tapas of mind.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Monday, September 26, 2011
Mediation, slowing down, the practices of Yoga and undoing negative conditioning.
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering mediation, slowing down and how the practices of Yoga can help us undo negative conditioning.
Where are you searching for me, friend?
Look! Here am I right within you.
Not in temple, nor in mosque,
Not in Kaaba, nor Kailas,
But here right within you am I.
-Kabir
Many have begun the spiritual search while still suffering from severe personal problems. Saint Augustine was deeply enmeshed in the life of the world, and pulled himself free only after great anguish of mind. Others suffered physically. Saint Therese of Lisieux endured the constant pain of tuberculosis. So there is no need for any of us to feel downcast about our situation or the particular difficulties we face, provided we do everything we can to purify our mind.
Meditation is essentially a discipline for slowing down the furious pace of thinking; if you can gradually bring your mind to a state so still that no movement, no thought, can arise except those you yourself approve, your mind will have become pure. We have no need to teach pure motives to the mind. All that is necessary to make the mind pure is to undo the negative conditioning to which it has been subjected; then we will be left with pure, unconditioned awareness.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to take the awareness you cultivate through your Yoga practices and apply it to your own situations. Challenge yourself when the mind tries to direct your attention towards your own negative conditioning and learn to "approve" your thoughts, undoing any unhealthy conditioning. Consider how slowing down in general can help you with this work.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering mediation, slowing down and how the practices of Yoga can help us undo negative conditioning.
Where are you searching for me, friend?
Look! Here am I right within you.
Not in temple, nor in mosque,
Not in Kaaba, nor Kailas,
But here right within you am I.
-Kabir
Many have begun the spiritual search while still suffering from severe personal problems. Saint Augustine was deeply enmeshed in the life of the world, and pulled himself free only after great anguish of mind. Others suffered physically. Saint Therese of Lisieux endured the constant pain of tuberculosis. So there is no need for any of us to feel downcast about our situation or the particular difficulties we face, provided we do everything we can to purify our mind.
Meditation is essentially a discipline for slowing down the furious pace of thinking; if you can gradually bring your mind to a state so still that no movement, no thought, can arise except those you yourself approve, your mind will have become pure. We have no need to teach pure motives to the mind. All that is necessary to make the mind pure is to undo the negative conditioning to which it has been subjected; then we will be left with pure, unconditioned awareness.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to take the awareness you cultivate through your Yoga practices and apply it to your own situations. Challenge yourself when the mind tries to direct your attention towards your own negative conditioning and learn to "approve" your thoughts, undoing any unhealthy conditioning. Consider how slowing down in general can help you with this work.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Our divided nature, the practices of Yoga, and moving towards oneness.
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering our divided nature and how the practices of Yoga can help us move towards oneness.
Like a ball batted back and forth, a human being is batted by two forces within.
-Yogabindu Upanishad
As human beings we have a divided nature - partly physical, but essentially spiritual. We are constantly batted by two conflicting forces. One force is the fierce downward thrust of our past conditioning as separate, self-oriented, physical creatures. Yet built into our very nature is an inner drive that will not let us be satisfied with a life governed only by biological laws. Some inner evolutionary imperative is constantly exhorting us to grow, to reach for the highest that we can conceive.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to learn how your Yoga practices help you move from the physical plane to the spiritual plane. Ask yourself how you use your body to move towards a state of oneness.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering our divided nature and how the practices of Yoga can help us move towards oneness.
Like a ball batted back and forth, a human being is batted by two forces within.
-Yogabindu Upanishad
As human beings we have a divided nature - partly physical, but essentially spiritual. We are constantly batted by two conflicting forces. One force is the fierce downward thrust of our past conditioning as separate, self-oriented, physical creatures. Yet built into our very nature is an inner drive that will not let us be satisfied with a life governed only by biological laws. Some inner evolutionary imperative is constantly exhorting us to grow, to reach for the highest that we can conceive.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to learn how your Yoga practices help you move from the physical plane to the spiritual plane. Ask yourself how you use your body to move towards a state of oneness.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Monday, August 22, 2011
Contemplation and the practice of asana....
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering contemplation and the practice of asana.
That prayer has great power which a person makes with all his might. It makes a sour heart sweet, a sad heart merry, a poor heart rich, a foolish heart wise, a timid heart brave, a sick heart well, a blind heart full of sight, a cold heart ardent. It draws down the great God into the little heart; it drives the hungry soul up into the fullness of God; it brings together two lovers, God and the soul, in a wondrous place where they speak much of love.
-Mechthild of Magdeburg
There is nothing on earth like meditation. Each day it is new to me and fresh. I find it difficult to understand why everyone does not take to it. Millions dedicate their lives to art, music, literature, or science, which reveal just one
facet of the priceless jewel hidden in the world. A life based on meditation penetrates far beyond the multiplicity of existence into the indivisible realm of reality, where dwell infinite truth, joy, and beauty.
In meditation I see a clear, changeless goal far above the fever and fret of the day. This inner vision fills me with unshakable security, inspires me with wisdom beyond the reach of the intellect, and releases within me the capacity to act calmly and compassionately.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to remind yourself that the reason to practice asana is to prepare yourself for a contemplation practice - be it prayer or meditation or something else. Through the practice of asana we learn to direct our attention just like in a contemplative practice. Learn for yourself how to make the leap from your asana practice to a contemplative practice.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering contemplation and the practice of asana.
That prayer has great power which a person makes with all his might. It makes a sour heart sweet, a sad heart merry, a poor heart rich, a foolish heart wise, a timid heart brave, a sick heart well, a blind heart full of sight, a cold heart ardent. It draws down the great God into the little heart; it drives the hungry soul up into the fullness of God; it brings together two lovers, God and the soul, in a wondrous place where they speak much of love.
-Mechthild of Magdeburg
There is nothing on earth like meditation. Each day it is new to me and fresh. I find it difficult to understand why everyone does not take to it. Millions dedicate their lives to art, music, literature, or science, which reveal just one
facet of the priceless jewel hidden in the world. A life based on meditation penetrates far beyond the multiplicity of existence into the indivisible realm of reality, where dwell infinite truth, joy, and beauty.
In meditation I see a clear, changeless goal far above the fever and fret of the day. This inner vision fills me with unshakable security, inspires me with wisdom beyond the reach of the intellect, and releases within me the capacity to act calmly and compassionately.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to remind yourself that the reason to practice asana is to prepare yourself for a contemplation practice - be it prayer or meditation or something else. Through the practice of asana we learn to direct our attention just like in a contemplative practice. Learn for yourself how to make the leap from your asana practice to a contemplative practice.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Using your gifts to the best of your ability and to serve others
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering if we are using our gifts to the best of our ability and to serve others.
I look upon all creatures equally; none are less dear to me and none more dear. But those who worship me with love live in me, and I come to life in them.
-Bhagavad Gita
There is no need to compare ourselves with others or to feel our contribution is less important than someone else's. Yesterday I read a story that makes this point very well. It was about a Hasidic rabbi named Susya, who said, "When I die, I will not be asked, Why weren't you more like Moses?' I will be asked, Why weren't you more like Susya?'"
Similarly, the Self is not going to say, "You could have been a doctor! Why were you just a nurse's aide?" He is going to ask, "Were you the best nurse's aide you knew how to be? Did you help your patients not just by your labor, but by your genuine concern for their welfare?" Each of us has a special gift, some special capacity by which we can contribute to the welfare of those around us. What is important is that we use that gift or skill to the very best of our ability.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to reflect about your gifts and ask yourself if you are using your gifts to the best of your ability and to serve others. Consider how your Yoga practice can support you in this process.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering if we are using our gifts to the best of our ability and to serve others.
I look upon all creatures equally; none are less dear to me and none more dear. But those who worship me with love live in me, and I come to life in them.
-Bhagavad Gita
There is no need to compare ourselves with others or to feel our contribution is less important than someone else's. Yesterday I read a story that makes this point very well. It was about a Hasidic rabbi named Susya, who said, "When I die, I will not be asked, Why weren't you more like Moses?' I will be asked, Why weren't you more like Susya?'"
Similarly, the Self is not going to say, "You could have been a doctor! Why were you just a nurse's aide?" He is going to ask, "Were you the best nurse's aide you knew how to be? Did you help your patients not just by your labor, but by your genuine concern for their welfare?" Each of us has a special gift, some special capacity by which we can contribute to the welfare of those around us. What is important is that we use that gift or skill to the very best of our ability.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to reflect about your gifts and ask yourself if you are using your gifts to the best of your ability and to serve others. Consider how your Yoga practice can support you in this process.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Monday, August 1, 2011
Kindess and Character Development
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering how our Yoga practices can empower us to be more kind to others and to develop our characters.
The words of the tongue should have three gatekeepers.
-Arab proverb
Before words get past the lips, the first gatekeeper asks, "Is this true?" That stops a lot of traffic immediately. But if the words get past the first gatekeeper, there is a second who asks, "Is it kind?" And for those words that qualify here too, the last gatekeeper asks, "Is it necessary?"
With these three on guard, most of us would find very little to say. Here I think it is necessary to make exceptions in the interests of good company and let the third gatekeeper look the other way now and then. After all, a certain amount of pleasant conversation is part of the artistry of living. But the first two gatekeepers should always be on duty.
It is so easy to say something at the expense of another for the purpose of enhancing our own image. But such remarks - irresistible as they may be - serve only to fatten our egos and agitate others. We should be so fearful of hurting people that even if a clever remark is rushing off our tongue, we can barricade the gate. We should be able to swallow our cleverness rather than hurt someone. Better to say something banal but harmless than to be clever at someone else's expense.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to catch yourself next time you start to say something at the expense of another. Instead of directing your energy outward towards someone else direct it inward and consider what it is that you need to be working on. How does coming to the mat every day help you in this process.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering how our Yoga practices can empower us to be more kind to others and to develop our characters.
The words of the tongue should have three gatekeepers.
-Arab proverb
Before words get past the lips, the first gatekeeper asks, "Is this true?" That stops a lot of traffic immediately. But if the words get past the first gatekeeper, there is a second who asks, "Is it kind?" And for those words that qualify here too, the last gatekeeper asks, "Is it necessary?"
With these three on guard, most of us would find very little to say. Here I think it is necessary to make exceptions in the interests of good company and let the third gatekeeper look the other way now and then. After all, a certain amount of pleasant conversation is part of the artistry of living. But the first two gatekeepers should always be on duty.
It is so easy to say something at the expense of another for the purpose of enhancing our own image. But such remarks - irresistible as they may be - serve only to fatten our egos and agitate others. We should be so fearful of hurting people that even if a clever remark is rushing off our tongue, we can barricade the gate. We should be able to swallow our cleverness rather than hurt someone. Better to say something banal but harmless than to be clever at someone else's expense.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to catch yourself next time you start to say something at the expense of another. Instead of directing your energy outward towards someone else direct it inward and consider what it is that you need to be working on. How does coming to the mat every day help you in this process.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Dharana
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the sixth limb of Yoga - Dharana.
I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmuted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power that can move the world.
-Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi provides a perfect example of how anger can be harnessed. As a young, unknown, brown-skinned lawyer traveling in South Africa on business, he was roughly thrown from the train because he refused to surrender his first-class ticket and move to the third-class compartment.
He spent a cold, sleepless night on the railway platform.
Later, he said this was the turning point of his life: for on that night, full of anger because of this personal injustice, as well as the countless injustices suffered by so many others every day in South Africa, he resolved not to rest until he had set those injustices right. On that night he conquered his anger and vowed to resist injustice, not by violence or retaliation, but through the loving power of nonviolent resistance, which elevates the consciousness of both oppressed and oppressor.
We may never be called on to liberate a people or lead a vast nation, but Gandhi's example can apply in a small way in our own lives, when we decide to return good will for ill will, love for hatred, in the innumerable little acts of daily life.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to consider the sixth limb of Yoga: Dharana – concentration. With the reading in mind consider how the practice of Dharana can help you cultivate the awareness needed to turn anger and other unhealthy emotions into something positive. How does the practice of asana help you in this process?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the sixth limb of Yoga - Dharana.
I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmuted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power that can move the world.
-Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi provides a perfect example of how anger can be harnessed. As a young, unknown, brown-skinned lawyer traveling in South Africa on business, he was roughly thrown from the train because he refused to surrender his first-class ticket and move to the third-class compartment.
He spent a cold, sleepless night on the railway platform.
Later, he said this was the turning point of his life: for on that night, full of anger because of this personal injustice, as well as the countless injustices suffered by so many others every day in South Africa, he resolved not to rest until he had set those injustices right. On that night he conquered his anger and vowed to resist injustice, not by violence or retaliation, but through the loving power of nonviolent resistance, which elevates the consciousness of both oppressed and oppressor.
We may never be called on to liberate a people or lead a vast nation, but Gandhi's example can apply in a small way in our own lives, when we decide to return good will for ill will, love for hatred, in the innumerable little acts of daily life.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to consider the sixth limb of Yoga: Dharana – concentration. With the reading in mind consider how the practice of Dharana can help you cultivate the awareness needed to turn anger and other unhealthy emotions into something positive. How does the practice of asana help you in this process?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Pratyahara
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the fifth limb of Yoga - Pratyahara.
The more we have the less we own.
-Meister Eckhart
We have been ruthlessly conditioned to think we can find fulfillment in possessions, to love things rather than people - so much so, that when we feel an emptiness in our hearts, we go to shopping centers to fill it up.
I am all for living in reasonable comfort, but when I go to shopping centers, I cannot help getting alarmed. Not at the money that is being wasted - there is enough money in this country to waste. But there isn't enough will to waste. There isn't enough energy to waste. When we hear of the energy crisis, this is it. All our vitality, energy, and drive is sapped and undermined by the constant propaganda: go after this, go after that, and you'll be happy. Things are not meant to be loved. They are meant only to be used. People are lovable and loving.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to study the fifth limb of Yoga - Pratyahara. Pratyahara is the control, or the refinement of the senses. Ask yourself what it means to practice Pratyahara and how that would help you retain your vitality and your energy.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the fifth limb of Yoga - Pratyahara.
The more we have the less we own.
-Meister Eckhart
We have been ruthlessly conditioned to think we can find fulfillment in possessions, to love things rather than people - so much so, that when we feel an emptiness in our hearts, we go to shopping centers to fill it up.
I am all for living in reasonable comfort, but when I go to shopping centers, I cannot help getting alarmed. Not at the money that is being wasted - there is enough money in this country to waste. But there isn't enough will to waste. There isn't enough energy to waste. When we hear of the energy crisis, this is it. All our vitality, energy, and drive is sapped and undermined by the constant propaganda: go after this, go after that, and you'll be happy. Things are not meant to be loved. They are meant only to be used. People are lovable and loving.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to study the fifth limb of Yoga - Pratyahara. Pratyahara is the control, or the refinement of the senses. Ask yourself what it means to practice Pratyahara and how that would help you retain your vitality and your energy.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, July 10, 2011
What does it mean to take the “Middle Path?"
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering what it means to take the “Middle Path."
Lunch kills half of Paris; supper the other half.
-Montesquieu
I suggest eating moderately. Fasting may not be as easy as feasting, but after a while it is not too different. Both are extremes. It is not hard to go the extreme way, but what is really difficult is neither to fast nor to feast, but to be moderate in everything we do. This is what the Buddha called the Middle Path. It requires great artistry and vigilance. Instead of negating the body and senses, we train them to be valuable instruments.
I try to eat good food, wholesome food in temperate quantities in order to strengthen the body. If my body is not strong, I cannot contribute to the welfare of society, and I cannot give the best account of myself in life. We harness our physical, mental, and intellectual capacities not to make money or achieve power or fame, but to use these faculties to make our contribution to life.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to pay very close attention to the quantity and quality of what you eat. First just notice your habits. Second, try to eat a little bit less and stop before you are full. Be mindful of eating and take the time to enjoy all of the textures, smells, and tastes. Finally, consider what it means to take the “Middle Path” – being moderate in everything we do.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering what it means to take the “Middle Path."
Lunch kills half of Paris; supper the other half.
-Montesquieu
I suggest eating moderately. Fasting may not be as easy as feasting, but after a while it is not too different. Both are extremes. It is not hard to go the extreme way, but what is really difficult is neither to fast nor to feast, but to be moderate in everything we do. This is what the Buddha called the Middle Path. It requires great artistry and vigilance. Instead of negating the body and senses, we train them to be valuable instruments.
I try to eat good food, wholesome food in temperate quantities in order to strengthen the body. If my body is not strong, I cannot contribute to the welfare of society, and I cannot give the best account of myself in life. We harness our physical, mental, and intellectual capacities not to make money or achieve power or fame, but to use these faculties to make our contribution to life.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to pay very close attention to the quantity and quality of what you eat. First just notice your habits. Second, try to eat a little bit less and stop before you are full. Be mindful of eating and take the time to enjoy all of the textures, smells, and tastes. Finally, consider what it means to take the “Middle Path” – being moderate in everything we do.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Monday, July 4, 2011
Slowing Down the Mind and Resting our Nervous Systems
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering "slowing down the mind and resting our nervous systems."
Mental tensions, frustrations, insecurity, aimlessness are among the most damaging stressors, and psychosomatic studies have shown how often they cause migraine headache, peptic ulcers, heart attacks, hypertension, mental disease, suicide, or just hopeless unhappiness.
-Hans Selye
A great deal of psychological stress comes from the rush and hurry of a turbulent mind, which jumps recklessly to unwarranted conclusions, rushes to judgments, and often is going too fast to see events and people as they truly are. Such a mind keeps the body under continual tension. It is constantly on the move - desiring, worrying, hoping, fearing, planning, defending, rehearsing, criticizing. It cannot stop or rest except in deep sleep, when the whole body, particularly the nervous system, heaves a sigh of relief and tries to repair the damage of the day.
Simply by slowing down the mind - the first purpose of meditation - much of this tension can be removed. Then we are free to respond to life's difficulties not as sources of stress but as challenges, which will draw out of us deeper resources than we ever suspected we had. A one-pointed mind is slow and sound, which gives it immense resilience under stress. With a mind like this, we always have a choice in how we respond to life around us.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work on resting your nervous system even when you are not sleeping. Use the awareness of your breath to provide you with feedback about your physiological and mental states. Use this feedback to modify your thoughts, actions and your breathing to ultimately create the yogic response – a parasympathetic response. Work to learn what it is like to have a calm nervous system. Try to have a little bit of savasana in everything you do.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering "slowing down the mind and resting our nervous systems."
Mental tensions, frustrations, insecurity, aimlessness are among the most damaging stressors, and psychosomatic studies have shown how often they cause migraine headache, peptic ulcers, heart attacks, hypertension, mental disease, suicide, or just hopeless unhappiness.
-Hans Selye
A great deal of psychological stress comes from the rush and hurry of a turbulent mind, which jumps recklessly to unwarranted conclusions, rushes to judgments, and often is going too fast to see events and people as they truly are. Such a mind keeps the body under continual tension. It is constantly on the move - desiring, worrying, hoping, fearing, planning, defending, rehearsing, criticizing. It cannot stop or rest except in deep sleep, when the whole body, particularly the nervous system, heaves a sigh of relief and tries to repair the damage of the day.
Simply by slowing down the mind - the first purpose of meditation - much of this tension can be removed. Then we are free to respond to life's difficulties not as sources of stress but as challenges, which will draw out of us deeper resources than we ever suspected we had. A one-pointed mind is slow and sound, which gives it immense resilience under stress. With a mind like this, we always have a choice in how we respond to life around us.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work on resting your nervous system even when you are not sleeping. Use the awareness of your breath to provide you with feedback about your physiological and mental states. Use this feedback to modify your thoughts, actions and your breathing to ultimately create the yogic response – a parasympathetic response. Work to learn what it is like to have a calm nervous system. Try to have a little bit of savasana in everything you do.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Weaknesses and Relationships
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering " weaknesses and relationships."
Love is inseparable from knowledge.
-Saint Macarius of Egypt
When selfish desire is removed from a relationship, there is no hankering to get anything from the other person. We are free to give, which means we are free to love. Then we can give and support and strengthen without reservation.
Interestingly enough, it is only then that we really see each other clearly. The infatuated mind cannot help caricaturing: it sees only what it wants; then, when the desire passes, it sees only what it does not want. Two people who are really in love do not close their eyes to each other's weaknesses. They support each other in overcoming those weaknesses, so that each helps the other to grow.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to reflect about what your weaknesses may be and how those you are in relationship with can help you work through these weaknesses. Consider talking to these people and expressing your desire to overcome these weaknesses and share with them how you think they can help. Next, reach out to those you are in relationship with and offer your help in resolving, or working through, their weaknesses. Work on being gentle, patient, loving and compassionate.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering " weaknesses and relationships."
Love is inseparable from knowledge.
-Saint Macarius of Egypt
When selfish desire is removed from a relationship, there is no hankering to get anything from the other person. We are free to give, which means we are free to love. Then we can give and support and strengthen without reservation.
Interestingly enough, it is only then that we really see each other clearly. The infatuated mind cannot help caricaturing: it sees only what it wants; then, when the desire passes, it sees only what it does not want. Two people who are really in love do not close their eyes to each other's weaknesses. They support each other in overcoming those weaknesses, so that each helps the other to grow.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to reflect about what your weaknesses may be and how those you are in relationship with can help you work through these weaknesses. Consider talking to these people and expressing your desire to overcome these weaknesses and share with them how you think they can help. Next, reach out to those you are in relationship with and offer your help in resolving, or working through, their weaknesses. Work on being gentle, patient, loving and compassionate.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Patience and Love
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering "patience and love."
Nothing is more beautiful than the love that has weathered the storms of life. . . . The love of the young for the young, that is the beginning of life. But the love of the old for the old, that is the beginning of – of things longer.
– Jerome K. Jerome
Every morning, just after you step on the bathroom scale to make sure you haven’t put on an extra ounce when you weren’t looking, you can step on the scale of love and make sure your ego hasn’t put on any weight. The critical measure is your capacity to be equable and kind in everyday relationships.
We all tend to feel impatient when something we want is waiting round the corner; and we all occasionally get angry when that something slips away. The positive approach is to be aware enough of this cycle to say sincerely, “Tomorrow I am going to be a little more patient than I was today. The day after, I am going to be a little more self-controlled.” Working on equability every day yields results.
Where intimate relationships are concerned, your love should grow. Don’t ever be satisfied with telling your partner, “I love you every bit as much as that first time I saw you going up the escalator at Macy’s!” Love should never be static; it must never become stagnant. Fifty years after Macy’s you should be able to say, “I love you fifty times more than I did that first day.” That is true love speaking.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work on developing patience and love. Start by cultivating patience and love for yourself. Be gentle and loving with yourself. Forgive yourself when you stray. Use positive affirmations and remind yourself that tomorrow you will be more patient, more loving and more forgiving. Extend this practice to all beings.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering "patience and love."
Nothing is more beautiful than the love that has weathered the storms of life. . . . The love of the young for the young, that is the beginning of life. But the love of the old for the old, that is the beginning of – of things longer.
– Jerome K. Jerome
Every morning, just after you step on the bathroom scale to make sure you haven’t put on an extra ounce when you weren’t looking, you can step on the scale of love and make sure your ego hasn’t put on any weight. The critical measure is your capacity to be equable and kind in everyday relationships.
We all tend to feel impatient when something we want is waiting round the corner; and we all occasionally get angry when that something slips away. The positive approach is to be aware enough of this cycle to say sincerely, “Tomorrow I am going to be a little more patient than I was today. The day after, I am going to be a little more self-controlled.” Working on equability every day yields results.
Where intimate relationships are concerned, your love should grow. Don’t ever be satisfied with telling your partner, “I love you every bit as much as that first time I saw you going up the escalator at Macy’s!” Love should never be static; it must never become stagnant. Fifty years after Macy’s you should be able to say, “I love you fifty times more than I did that first day.” That is true love speaking.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work on developing patience and love. Start by cultivating patience and love for yourself. Be gentle and loving with yourself. Forgive yourself when you stray. Use positive affirmations and remind yourself that tomorrow you will be more patient, more loving and more forgiving. Extend this practice to all beings.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, June 12, 2011
contemplation
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering "contemplation."
My mind withdrew its thoughts from experience, extracting itself from the contradictory throng of sensuous images, that it might find out what that light was wherein it was bathed. . . . And thus, with the flash of one hurried glance, it attained to the vision of That Which Is.
-Saint Augustine
Even when we are not speaking or acting, most of us find that our mind still goes on working - thinking, daydreaming, planning, worrying, eating up precious energy that should be going to the body to maintain health. In a sense, our mind is in overdrive all the time. But in meditation we can learn to shift the mind out of overdrive and down into fourth gear, then to third, to second, and eventually to first. We may even learn how to put our mind into neutral and park it for a while by the side of the road.
When we can do that, a much higher faculty - which the Hindus and Buddhists call prajna, "wisdom," - comes into play. Then we will find that we see deep into the heart of life, with fathomless patience at our disposal. When we have learned to park the mind even for a short period, so much vitality is conserved that every major system in the body gets a fresh lease on life.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work on developing a contemplative practice. Something like seated meditation, walking meditation, prayer, chanting, or just choosing to be quiet for 10 minutes twice a day. Take this practice “off of the mat” and work to bring the practice into all areas of your life. Take this contemplativeness and expand it.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering "contemplation."
My mind withdrew its thoughts from experience, extracting itself from the contradictory throng of sensuous images, that it might find out what that light was wherein it was bathed. . . . And thus, with the flash of one hurried glance, it attained to the vision of That Which Is.
-Saint Augustine
Even when we are not speaking or acting, most of us find that our mind still goes on working - thinking, daydreaming, planning, worrying, eating up precious energy that should be going to the body to maintain health. In a sense, our mind is in overdrive all the time. But in meditation we can learn to shift the mind out of overdrive and down into fourth gear, then to third, to second, and eventually to first. We may even learn how to put our mind into neutral and park it for a while by the side of the road.
When we can do that, a much higher faculty - which the Hindus and Buddhists call prajna, "wisdom," - comes into play. Then we will find that we see deep into the heart of life, with fathomless patience at our disposal. When we have learned to park the mind even for a short period, so much vitality is conserved that every major system in the body gets a fresh lease on life.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work on developing a contemplative practice. Something like seated meditation, walking meditation, prayer, chanting, or just choosing to be quiet for 10 minutes twice a day. Take this practice “off of the mat” and work to bring the practice into all areas of your life. Take this contemplativeness and expand it.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Compassion
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering "compassion."
That one I love who is incapable of ill will, and returns love for hatred. Living beyond the reach of I and mine, and of pain and pleasure, full of mercy, contented, self-controlled, of firm resolve, with all his heart and all his mind given to Me – with such a one I am in love.
– Bhagavad Gita
In personal relationships, we all get troubled when we do our best to be kind to someone and that person treats us with hostility or ill will in return. This is common in life today, and most of us quickly reach the end of our tether. “I don’t want to see you again,” we say. “I want to get as far away from you as possible!”
All of us have these human impulses. But that is just where the Gita or Jesus or the Buddha would say, “No. That is the way of the timid. That is the way of the weak.” Stick it out: not by becoming a doormat, not by blindly obeying whatever command the other person gives you, but by resolutely refusing to hurt anyone no matter how much you have been hurt. It is a great art.
Compassion comes with insight into the heart of life, as we see more clearly the unseen forces that drive a person into action. Ultimately, compassion extends to every creature.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is, in any inter-personal situation, to pause before you respond. During this pause consider if you are being impulsive or are being impatient, if you are, consider what it would take to turn your energy into compassion. Next remember that when extending compassion to all creatures to include yourself.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering "compassion."
That one I love who is incapable of ill will, and returns love for hatred. Living beyond the reach of I and mine, and of pain and pleasure, full of mercy, contented, self-controlled, of firm resolve, with all his heart and all his mind given to Me – with such a one I am in love.
– Bhagavad Gita
In personal relationships, we all get troubled when we do our best to be kind to someone and that person treats us with hostility or ill will in return. This is common in life today, and most of us quickly reach the end of our tether. “I don’t want to see you again,” we say. “I want to get as far away from you as possible!”
All of us have these human impulses. But that is just where the Gita or Jesus or the Buddha would say, “No. That is the way of the timid. That is the way of the weak.” Stick it out: not by becoming a doormat, not by blindly obeying whatever command the other person gives you, but by resolutely refusing to hurt anyone no matter how much you have been hurt. It is a great art.
Compassion comes with insight into the heart of life, as we see more clearly the unseen forces that drive a person into action. Ultimately, compassion extends to every creature.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is, in any inter-personal situation, to pause before you respond. During this pause consider if you are being impulsive or are being impatient, if you are, consider what it would take to turn your energy into compassion. Next remember that when extending compassion to all creatures to include yourself.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Junk Thoughts
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering "junk thoughts."
Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts.
-Buddha
Today, many people are very well informed about nutrition. We worry about “junk food,” which is a legitimate concern, but shouldn’t we be just as worried by the low-grade food we sometimes feed our mind? There is junk food, yes. But there are also “junk thoughts.”
Take a close look at the entertainment pages of your newspaper, for example. We have become so used to this kind of fare that we seldom even question it. I can imagine what people who lived in the Dark Ages would say if they say today’s paper from the Bay area: “They think we lived in the Dark Ages! What about them?” Millions of people spend hours every day feeding their minds and the minds of their children with unadulterated junk.
It is not just a few nude scenes or explicit language, which are often more juvenile than alarming, but the terribly unkind attitudes people display toward each other on the screen, on stage, and on the printed page, which they vent in harsh words and harmful acts. All this goes into our minds and gets absorbed; it cannot help but resurface in our behavior. It is not that we want to live in a germ-free world, which is impossible, but we need to remember that mental states are affected by what we see, hear, and read every day.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to notice your thoughts more. Notice your negative thoughts and work to replace them with positive thoughts. Change negativity into love, anger into compassion. Remind yourself that negative behavior starts with negative thoughts.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering "junk thoughts."
Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts.
-Buddha
Today, many people are very well informed about nutrition. We worry about “junk food,” which is a legitimate concern, but shouldn’t we be just as worried by the low-grade food we sometimes feed our mind? There is junk food, yes. But there are also “junk thoughts.”
Take a close look at the entertainment pages of your newspaper, for example. We have become so used to this kind of fare that we seldom even question it. I can imagine what people who lived in the Dark Ages would say if they say today’s paper from the Bay area: “They think we lived in the Dark Ages! What about them?” Millions of people spend hours every day feeding their minds and the minds of their children with unadulterated junk.
It is not just a few nude scenes or explicit language, which are often more juvenile than alarming, but the terribly unkind attitudes people display toward each other on the screen, on stage, and on the printed page, which they vent in harsh words and harmful acts. All this goes into our minds and gets absorbed; it cannot help but resurface in our behavior. It is not that we want to live in a germ-free world, which is impossible, but we need to remember that mental states are affected by what we see, hear, and read every day.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to notice your thoughts more. Notice your negative thoughts and work to replace them with positive thoughts. Change negativity into love, anger into compassion. Remind yourself that negative behavior starts with negative thoughts.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Saturday, May 14, 2011
What does it mean to “make a contribution to life” and what is “pure consciousness."
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering what it means to “make a contribution to life” and what “pure consciousness” means.
Old age is the most unexpected of all the things that can happen to us.
– Leon Trotsky
When the first grey hair appears on our head, it is a critical juncture in life. We go to the mirror with a sinking feeling of dread and try to pluck out the evidence – one here, two there. But the more we pull out, the more seem to come in.
I tease my friends by asking which of them would like to relive their adolescence. It always brings a groan. Youth has a lot to offer, but so does the experience of age. In India we have a joke about a man going to a barber and asking, “Do you have anything for grey hair?” “Yes,” the barber says, “respect.” Just because we don’t have wrinkles or a grey hair, we are not necessarily alive in the fullest sense of the word. Real living comes from making a contribution to life.
This is the paradox of life: when we cling to the body, it loses its beauty. But when we do not cling to the body – and use it as an instrument given us to serve others – it glows with a special beauty, as we can see from the lives of many great saints and mystics. When our consciousness becomes pure, even the body begins to reflect its light.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to figure out for you what it means to “make a contribution to life” and what “pure consciousness” means. Consider how your yoga practice can help you answer these questions and support you in making a contribution to life and to develop pure consciousness.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering what it means to “make a contribution to life” and what “pure consciousness” means.
Old age is the most unexpected of all the things that can happen to us.
– Leon Trotsky
When the first grey hair appears on our head, it is a critical juncture in life. We go to the mirror with a sinking feeling of dread and try to pluck out the evidence – one here, two there. But the more we pull out, the more seem to come in.
I tease my friends by asking which of them would like to relive their adolescence. It always brings a groan. Youth has a lot to offer, but so does the experience of age. In India we have a joke about a man going to a barber and asking, “Do you have anything for grey hair?” “Yes,” the barber says, “respect.” Just because we don’t have wrinkles or a grey hair, we are not necessarily alive in the fullest sense of the word. Real living comes from making a contribution to life.
This is the paradox of life: when we cling to the body, it loses its beauty. But when we do not cling to the body – and use it as an instrument given us to serve others – it glows with a special beauty, as we can see from the lives of many great saints and mystics. When our consciousness becomes pure, even the body begins to reflect its light.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to figure out for you what it means to “make a contribution to life” and what “pure consciousness” means. Consider how your yoga practice can help you answer these questions and support you in making a contribution to life and to develop pure consciousness.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Ahimsa
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering Ahimsa.
Ahimsa is the attribute of the soul, and therefore, to be practiced by everybody in all affairs of life. If it cannot be practiced in all departments, it has no practical value.
-Mahatma Gandhi
Ahimsa is usually translated as "nonviolence," but this is misleading and falls far short of the real significance of the word. When all violence has subsided in my heart, my native state is love. I would add that even avoiding a person we dislike can be a subtle form of himsa or violence. Therefore, in everyday terms, ahimsa often means bearing with difficult people.
In Kerala we have a giant, fierce-looking plant called elephant nettle. You have only to walk by for it to stretch out and sting you. By the time you get home, you have a blister that won't let you think about anything else. My grandmother used to say, "A self-willed person is like an elephant nettle."
That is why the moment we see somebody who is given to saying unkind things, we make a detour. We pretend we have suddenly remembered something that takes us in another direction, but the fact is that we just don't want to be stung. Whenever I complained of a classmate I did not like, my granny would say, "Here, you have to learn to grow. Go near him. Let yourself slowly get comfortable around him; then give him your sympathy and help take the sting out of his nettleness."
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to practice being more tolerant of people that irritate you. Try to find common ground with these people. Start with little things like we all need shelter and food. Work from there to cultivate more understanding, more respect, more tolerance and more love.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering Ahimsa.
Ahimsa is the attribute of the soul, and therefore, to be practiced by everybody in all affairs of life. If it cannot be practiced in all departments, it has no practical value.
-Mahatma Gandhi
Ahimsa is usually translated as "nonviolence," but this is misleading and falls far short of the real significance of the word. When all violence has subsided in my heart, my native state is love. I would add that even avoiding a person we dislike can be a subtle form of himsa or violence. Therefore, in everyday terms, ahimsa often means bearing with difficult people.
In Kerala we have a giant, fierce-looking plant called elephant nettle. You have only to walk by for it to stretch out and sting you. By the time you get home, you have a blister that won't let you think about anything else. My grandmother used to say, "A self-willed person is like an elephant nettle."
That is why the moment we see somebody who is given to saying unkind things, we make a detour. We pretend we have suddenly remembered something that takes us in another direction, but the fact is that we just don't want to be stung. Whenever I complained of a classmate I did not like, my granny would say, "Here, you have to learn to grow. Go near him. Let yourself slowly get comfortable around him; then give him your sympathy and help take the sting out of his nettleness."
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to practice being more tolerant of people that irritate you. Try to find common ground with these people. Start with little things like we all need shelter and food. Work from there to cultivate more understanding, more respect, more tolerance and more love.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
The Development of Your Inner Voice
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the development of your inner voice.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
- Proverbs
In the interest of good health, in the interest of a long life, in the interest of loving relationships, it is essential to learn how to deal with our anger creatively and constructively. If we do not, in time it will no longer be isolated outbursts of anger; we will become the victims of an unending stream of rage, seething just below the surface of life, with which no human being can cope.
Through meditation and the mantram every one of us can learn to reduce the speed of our thinking, and install a reliable speedometer in our mind. Then, whenever the speed of thinking goes over, say, fifty-five, one of those recorded voices will automatically whisper, “Be careful. You may not be able to keep your car on the road.”
Positive thoughts travel slowly, leisurely. The slow mind is clear, kind, and efficient; in the beautiful phrase of the Bible, it is “slow to wrath.” Patience means thoughts puttering along like Sunday drivers, taking the trouble to notice the needs of people around.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to develop your inner voice in two ways. The first is to try to notice when your mind is speeding up and take a few deep breaths to remind yourself to slow down. The second is to take the time to determine the needs of those around you and act on those needs. Listen to yourself.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the development of your inner voice.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
- Proverbs
In the interest of good health, in the interest of a long life, in the interest of loving relationships, it is essential to learn how to deal with our anger creatively and constructively. If we do not, in time it will no longer be isolated outbursts of anger; we will become the victims of an unending stream of rage, seething just below the surface of life, with which no human being can cope.
Through meditation and the mantram every one of us can learn to reduce the speed of our thinking, and install a reliable speedometer in our mind. Then, whenever the speed of thinking goes over, say, fifty-five, one of those recorded voices will automatically whisper, “Be careful. You may not be able to keep your car on the road.”
Positive thoughts travel slowly, leisurely. The slow mind is clear, kind, and efficient; in the beautiful phrase of the Bible, it is “slow to wrath.” Patience means thoughts puttering along like Sunday drivers, taking the trouble to notice the needs of people around.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to develop your inner voice in two ways. The first is to try to notice when your mind is speeding up and take a few deep breaths to remind yourself to slow down. The second is to take the time to determine the needs of those around you and act on those needs. Listen to yourself.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Impact of Having Expectations
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the impact of having expectations.
A tree is known by its fruit; we by our deeds. A good deed is never lost; one who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and one who plants kindness gathers love.
– Saint Basil
I am the first to admit that it takes a lot of endurance to mend a relationship, especially when your efforts seem to be met with indifference. When you start giving another person your best, especially in an emotionally entangled relationship, he may not notice it for weeks. This kind of indifference can really sting. You want to go up to him, tap him on the shoulder, and say, “Hello, Thomas, I’ve just been kind to you.” Thomas would say, “Oh, thank you, I didn’t even know it” – not because he was trying to be rude, but because he was preoccupied with himself.
To be patient and go on giving your best, you can’t have expectations about how other people are going to respond. You can’t afford to ask, “Does he like me? Does he even care?” What does it matter? You’re growing. You’re learning how to rub off the edges and corners that make human relationships difficult. You are becoming the kind of person that everyone wants to be with, that everyone admires and feels comfortable with.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work on understanding what your expectations are of people that you are in relationship with. Evaluate these expectations and try to visualize what would happen if none of your expectations were to be realized. What would the outcome be? Consider that expectations lead to disappointment and that having fewer expectations can create space for more joy in your life.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the impact of having expectations.
A tree is known by its fruit; we by our deeds. A good deed is never lost; one who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and one who plants kindness gathers love.
– Saint Basil
I am the first to admit that it takes a lot of endurance to mend a relationship, especially when your efforts seem to be met with indifference. When you start giving another person your best, especially in an emotionally entangled relationship, he may not notice it for weeks. This kind of indifference can really sting. You want to go up to him, tap him on the shoulder, and say, “Hello, Thomas, I’ve just been kind to you.” Thomas would say, “Oh, thank you, I didn’t even know it” – not because he was trying to be rude, but because he was preoccupied with himself.
To be patient and go on giving your best, you can’t have expectations about how other people are going to respond. You can’t afford to ask, “Does he like me? Does he even care?” What does it matter? You’re growing. You’re learning how to rub off the edges and corners that make human relationships difficult. You are becoming the kind of person that everyone wants to be with, that everyone admires and feels comfortable with.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work on understanding what your expectations are of people that you are in relationship with. Evaluate these expectations and try to visualize what would happen if none of your expectations were to be realized. What would the outcome be? Consider that expectations lead to disappointment and that having fewer expectations can create space for more joy in your life.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, April 17, 2011
What Does it Mean to Look Within?
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering what it means to look within.
A sheltered life can be a daring life as well. For all serious daring starts from within.
-Eudora Welty
I am sitting in my chair at home in the country, looking out on the green hills. There is everything right here to satisfy me: birds, flowers, trees, reasonable comfort, loyal companions, and the precious opportunity of selfless service. Right here is everything I need for complete happiness always.
But as I look out of my cottage window I see a camper in the distance traveling along the road. Somewhere in my mind is the uneasy stirring of a desire to jump into that camper and go out chasing rainbows to find the pot of gold at the end. This belief that somewhere out there is the land of joy dogs our footsteps wherever we go. As long as we look upon happiness as something outside us, we shall never be able to find it. Wherever we go it will still be beyond our reach, because "out there" can never be "in here."
As Jesus says, "The kingdom of heaven is within."
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to explore what it means to look within. Consider the idea that all of our happiness comes from within. What would it mean to no longer be dependent on something external to you for your happiness? How would this play out in life? How would this impact your relationships?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering what it means to look within.
A sheltered life can be a daring life as well. For all serious daring starts from within.
-Eudora Welty
I am sitting in my chair at home in the country, looking out on the green hills. There is everything right here to satisfy me: birds, flowers, trees, reasonable comfort, loyal companions, and the precious opportunity of selfless service. Right here is everything I need for complete happiness always.
But as I look out of my cottage window I see a camper in the distance traveling along the road. Somewhere in my mind is the uneasy stirring of a desire to jump into that camper and go out chasing rainbows to find the pot of gold at the end. This belief that somewhere out there is the land of joy dogs our footsteps wherever we go. As long as we look upon happiness as something outside us, we shall never be able to find it. Wherever we go it will still be beyond our reach, because "out there" can never be "in here."
As Jesus says, "The kingdom of heaven is within."
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to explore what it means to look within. Consider the idea that all of our happiness comes from within. What would it mean to no longer be dependent on something external to you for your happiness? How would this play out in life? How would this impact your relationships?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Choosing the "Joy of the Spirit"
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering choosing the "joy of the spirit".
The joy of the spirit ever abides, but not what seems pleasant to the senses. Both these, differing in their purpose, prompt us to action.
-Katha Upanishad
When we let the senses follow their own lead, they cannot help going after pleasure; that is their nature. As a result, it should come as no surprise to see that most of the world today is on the road to sensory satisfaction.
It takes real toughness, and a lot of practice, to wait out all of the blandishments of passing pleasure when they lead us away from our real goal. When we lack this toughness, despite better goals we may cherish in our hearts, we will not be able to take the road that leads where we want to go.
It is a poignant paradox: wanting only happiness, yet going systematically in the other direction. But if we keep choosing the joy of the spirit, I can assure you, we will reach our goal.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to explore what it takes to choose the “joy of the spirit” over sensual pleasure. What does it mean to pass on sensual pleasure and move towards the “real” goal? What is the “real” goal? How will the discipline you bring to your yoga practice help you on this path?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering choosing the "joy of the spirit".
The joy of the spirit ever abides, but not what seems pleasant to the senses. Both these, differing in their purpose, prompt us to action.
-Katha Upanishad
When we let the senses follow their own lead, they cannot help going after pleasure; that is their nature. As a result, it should come as no surprise to see that most of the world today is on the road to sensory satisfaction.
It takes real toughness, and a lot of practice, to wait out all of the blandishments of passing pleasure when they lead us away from our real goal. When we lack this toughness, despite better goals we may cherish in our hearts, we will not be able to take the road that leads where we want to go.
It is a poignant paradox: wanting only happiness, yet going systematically in the other direction. But if we keep choosing the joy of the spirit, I can assure you, we will reach our goal.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to explore what it takes to choose the “joy of the spirit” over sensual pleasure. What does it mean to pass on sensual pleasure and move towards the “real” goal? What is the “real” goal? How will the discipline you bring to your yoga practice help you on this path?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Monday, April 4, 2011
Accepting Change
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering accepting change.
There has never been a time when you and I have not existed, nor will there be a time when we will cease to exist. As the same person inhabits the body through childhood, youth, and old age, so too at the time of death he attains another body. The wise are not deluded by these changes.
– Bhagavad Gita
In our modern civilization we try to cling to time as it rushes past, almost begging time to stop. We want to continue to be what we are now. We don’t want to be subjected to the ruthless physical changes that are an inescapable part of life. Yet it is the nature of the body to change, up to the last change we call death. Anybody who tries to cling to what is changing cannot help feeling insecure.
Yet we needn’t be helplessly caught in time. There are a number of very simple steps we can take to begin to free ourselves. One of the easiest is to get up early in the morning. This gives us the opportunity to start the day with a leisurely pace – to take a short walk, if we like, and then to have our meditation, without worrying about catching the bus or being on time for school.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work to accept change. As many great mystics and philosophers have said, “change is the only constant” and “change is the only thing you can count on”. Yoga asks that we live in this present moment free from reflection of past events and from too much planning for the future. Explore how to use your yoga practice, and in particular, the breath, to support your efforts to be present and accept change.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering accepting change.
There has never been a time when you and I have not existed, nor will there be a time when we will cease to exist. As the same person inhabits the body through childhood, youth, and old age, so too at the time of death he attains another body. The wise are not deluded by these changes.
– Bhagavad Gita
In our modern civilization we try to cling to time as it rushes past, almost begging time to stop. We want to continue to be what we are now. We don’t want to be subjected to the ruthless physical changes that are an inescapable part of life. Yet it is the nature of the body to change, up to the last change we call death. Anybody who tries to cling to what is changing cannot help feeling insecure.
Yet we needn’t be helplessly caught in time. There are a number of very simple steps we can take to begin to free ourselves. One of the easiest is to get up early in the morning. This gives us the opportunity to start the day with a leisurely pace – to take a short walk, if we like, and then to have our meditation, without worrying about catching the bus or being on time for school.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work to accept change. As many great mystics and philosophers have said, “change is the only constant” and “change is the only thing you can count on”. Yoga asks that we live in this present moment free from reflection of past events and from too much planning for the future. Explore how to use your yoga practice, and in particular, the breath, to support your efforts to be present and accept change.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Letting Go
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering letting go.
Each day is a little life; every waking and rising a little birth; every fresh morning a little youth; every going to rest and sleep a little death.
– Arthur Schopenhauer
My grandmother, my spiritual teacher, used to tell me that the pain we associate with the great change called death arises from our innumerable selfish attachments. One day she illustrated this in a simple way by asking me to sit in a chair and hold tight to the arms. Then she tried to pull me out of the chair. She tugged and pulled at me, and I held on tight. It was painful. She was a strong person, and even though I held on with all my strength, she pulled me out.
Then she told me to sit down again, but this time not to hold on anywhere, just to get up and come to her when she called. With ease I got out of the chair and went to her. This, she told me, is how to overcome the fear and pain of death. When we hold onto things - houses, cars, books, guitars, our antique silver teapot - we get attached and tied down.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to practice letting go. Make a list of some of the things you are “holding” on to. Be honest with yourself. Let the list sit for a few days and then revisit it and see if any revisions are in order. Then choose one thing from your list to completely let go of. Say to yourself, “This moment is the perfect moment to let go.”
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering letting go.
Each day is a little life; every waking and rising a little birth; every fresh morning a little youth; every going to rest and sleep a little death.
– Arthur Schopenhauer
My grandmother, my spiritual teacher, used to tell me that the pain we associate with the great change called death arises from our innumerable selfish attachments. One day she illustrated this in a simple way by asking me to sit in a chair and hold tight to the arms. Then she tried to pull me out of the chair. She tugged and pulled at me, and I held on tight. It was painful. She was a strong person, and even though I held on with all my strength, she pulled me out.
Then she told me to sit down again, but this time not to hold on anywhere, just to get up and come to her when she called. With ease I got out of the chair and went to her. This, she told me, is how to overcome the fear and pain of death. When we hold onto things - houses, cars, books, guitars, our antique silver teapot - we get attached and tied down.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to practice letting go. Make a list of some of the things you are “holding” on to. Be honest with yourself. Let the list sit for a few days and then revisit it and see if any revisions are in order. Then choose one thing from your list to completely let go of. Say to yourself, “This moment is the perfect moment to let go.”
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Miracles
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering miracles.
To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle, Every cubic inch of space is a miracle. Every square yard of the surface of the earth Is spread with the same. . . . What strange miracles are these! Everywhere . . .
-Walt Whitman
Once when I was giving a talk I used the word "miracles," and someone in the audience asked skeptically, "Tell us about one."
Every moment you remain alive is a miracle. Talk to medical people; they will tell you there are a million and one things that can go wrong with this body of ours at any given instant. It is only because we haven't developed the capacity for appreciating miracles that we don't see them all around us. Life is a continuous miracle: not only joy but sorrow too; not only birth but death too.
But the most precious miracle of all is to see the divinity in every creature - when we see that the divinity in our hearts is our real Self, and that it is the same Self shining in all.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work to appreciate the little things and find the miracles in the simplest of daily activities. Next consider what it would mean if we all looked at each other as if the other was divine, as if the other was truly a miracle. How would this impact our relationships and the way we treat each other?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering miracles.
To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle, Every cubic inch of space is a miracle. Every square yard of the surface of the earth Is spread with the same. . . . What strange miracles are these! Everywhere . . .
-Walt Whitman
Once when I was giving a talk I used the word "miracles," and someone in the audience asked skeptically, "Tell us about one."
Every moment you remain alive is a miracle. Talk to medical people; they will tell you there are a million and one things that can go wrong with this body of ours at any given instant. It is only because we haven't developed the capacity for appreciating miracles that we don't see them all around us. Life is a continuous miracle: not only joy but sorrow too; not only birth but death too.
But the most precious miracle of all is to see the divinity in every creature - when we see that the divinity in our hearts is our real Self, and that it is the same Self shining in all.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work to appreciate the little things and find the miracles in the simplest of daily activities. Next consider what it would mean if we all looked at each other as if the other was divine, as if the other was truly a miracle. How would this impact our relationships and the way we treat each other?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Reducing Self-Will
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the topic reducing self-will.
Love makes everything that is heavy light.
-Thomas a Kempis
It is love that teaches us our real stature and reveals the heroism we never thought we possessed. The renunciation that might be well-nigh impossible in a vacuum can be blessedly simple when someone we love stands to gain. Turning down a second glass of wine might take some doing in ordinary circumstances, for example; but when you're in the company of an impressionable teenager, you'll gladly set it aside.
Suppose you're tempted to add to your collection of antique fire screens: hard to resist, maybe, if your aim is solely to reduce your own acquisitiveness. But if the money you save can be spent on a tent for family camping trips, it can be a breeze. You feel so good inside! A knack for quiet self-sacrifice is the very life and soul of friendship. Reducing self-will needn't be a joyless deprivation - it can be so many little acts of love, performed over and over throughout the day.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to explore what it means to “reduce self-will”. Consider that reducing self-will is a practice; like asana, meditation, or prayer. In The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Sadhana (practice) is defined as Tapas (burning desire), Svadhyaya (self-study) and Isvara Pranidhana (devotion to God) or together as Kriya Yoga. Sadhana is practice to reach a goal in spite of obstacles. Develop a practice to help you reduce your self-will.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the topic reducing self-will.
Love makes everything that is heavy light.
-Thomas a Kempis
It is love that teaches us our real stature and reveals the heroism we never thought we possessed. The renunciation that might be well-nigh impossible in a vacuum can be blessedly simple when someone we love stands to gain. Turning down a second glass of wine might take some doing in ordinary circumstances, for example; but when you're in the company of an impressionable teenager, you'll gladly set it aside.
Suppose you're tempted to add to your collection of antique fire screens: hard to resist, maybe, if your aim is solely to reduce your own acquisitiveness. But if the money you save can be spent on a tent for family camping trips, it can be a breeze. You feel so good inside! A knack for quiet self-sacrifice is the very life and soul of friendship. Reducing self-will needn't be a joyless deprivation - it can be so many little acts of love, performed over and over throughout the day.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to explore what it means to “reduce self-will”. Consider that reducing self-will is a practice; like asana, meditation, or prayer. In The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Sadhana (practice) is defined as Tapas (burning desire), Svadhyaya (self-study) and Isvara Pranidhana (devotion to God) or together as Kriya Yoga. Sadhana is practice to reach a goal in spite of obstacles. Develop a practice to help you reduce your self-will.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Path Towards Self-realization
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the obstacles we have on our paths towards self-realization.
We ought to fly away from earth to heaven as quickly as we can; and to fly away is to become like God, as far as this is possible; and to become like him is to become holy, just, and wise.
-Plato
We are all capable of flying like eagles high in the sky of love, but often we prefer running on the ground instead.
Have you seen that curious bird, the quail? We have many of them where we live. When we are driving down the lane, they won't get out of the way. They won't fly. They try to outrun the car. It is only when they conclude their number is up that they start flying. They know how to fly, but they would rather stay on the ground.
Most of us are like that. But our wings are there; we have only to spread them to experience the exhilaration of soaring into the sky and looking down to see all life as one.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to explore what obstacles you have in your path towards self-realization. This work should be non-judgmental and supportive in helping you better understand yourself. Use the skills of presence, concentration and awareness that you are developing in your yoga practice to help nurture the skills and behavior you need to open your wings.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the obstacles we have on our paths towards self-realization.
We ought to fly away from earth to heaven as quickly as we can; and to fly away is to become like God, as far as this is possible; and to become like him is to become holy, just, and wise.
-Plato
We are all capable of flying like eagles high in the sky of love, but often we prefer running on the ground instead.
Have you seen that curious bird, the quail? We have many of them where we live. When we are driving down the lane, they won't get out of the way. They won't fly. They try to outrun the car. It is only when they conclude their number is up that they start flying. They know how to fly, but they would rather stay on the ground.
Most of us are like that. But our wings are there; we have only to spread them to experience the exhilaration of soaring into the sky and looking down to see all life as one.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to explore what obstacles you have in your path towards self-realization. This work should be non-judgmental and supportive in helping you better understand yourself. Use the skills of presence, concentration and awareness that you are developing in your yoga practice to help nurture the skills and behavior you need to open your wings.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, February 27, 2011
What it Takes to Fill Your Tank
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering what it takes to “fill your tank.”
Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength. . . . It is therefore able to undertake all things, and it completes many things, and warrants them to take effect, where one who does not love would faint and lie down.
-Thomas a Kempis
Without a tank full of gas, no car can drive very far. The mind, too, needs a full tank of vitality to draw on for patience, resilience, and creativity. Filling that tank every morning is one of the most practical purposes of meditation. The test of your meditation is: How long can you be patient with those around you? In the beginning, you should aim to make it at least to noon acting like the proverbial angel.
Most of us, however, even if we start with a full tank, have little control over the thousand and one little pinpricks that drain vitality as we go along: worry, vacillation, irritation, daydreaming. By lunchtime the indicator may be hovering around empty.
Then it is that you have to be acutely vigilant. The tank is nearly empty, but by sheer effort and deft defensive driving, and using the mantram, you manage to coast through to the end of the day without any serious accidents.
The more effort you make, the more endurance you gain. The next day you may find the tank itself a little larger; you start the next day with a greater capacity for love and patience than before.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
Note: A mantram is a powerful spiritual formula which, when repeated silently in the mind, has the capacity to transform consciousness. Learn more at http://www.easwaran.org/.
The homework is to learn what it takes “fill your tank.” Work to notice when your “tank” is becoming low and recognize when it is time to nurture yourself. When you find yourself loosing your patience do whatever works for you to find patience, love and compassion.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering what it takes to “fill your tank.”
Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength. . . . It is therefore able to undertake all things, and it completes many things, and warrants them to take effect, where one who does not love would faint and lie down.
-Thomas a Kempis
Without a tank full of gas, no car can drive very far. The mind, too, needs a full tank of vitality to draw on for patience, resilience, and creativity. Filling that tank every morning is one of the most practical purposes of meditation. The test of your meditation is: How long can you be patient with those around you? In the beginning, you should aim to make it at least to noon acting like the proverbial angel.
Most of us, however, even if we start with a full tank, have little control over the thousand and one little pinpricks that drain vitality as we go along: worry, vacillation, irritation, daydreaming. By lunchtime the indicator may be hovering around empty.
Then it is that you have to be acutely vigilant. The tank is nearly empty, but by sheer effort and deft defensive driving, and using the mantram, you manage to coast through to the end of the day without any serious accidents.
The more effort you make, the more endurance you gain. The next day you may find the tank itself a little larger; you start the next day with a greater capacity for love and patience than before.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
Note: A mantram is a powerful spiritual formula which, when repeated silently in the mind, has the capacity to transform consciousness. Learn more at http://www.easwaran.org/.
The homework is to learn what it takes “fill your tank.” Work to notice when your “tank” is becoming low and recognize when it is time to nurture yourself. When you find yourself loosing your patience do whatever works for you to find patience, love and compassion.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Detachment from Likes and Dislikes
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the topic “detachment from likes and dislikes.”
Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.
-Lao Tzu
Detachment from likes and dislikes, habits and opinions, is not a sign of weakness. It is an enormously strong and positive quality. Nor does freedom from likes and dislikes mean that life is insipid for us, but rather that we are not driven compulsively by rigid ways of thinking. Even if we don't get what we want - or if we do get what we don't want - we can still function cheerfully and efficiently.
Detachment from habits does not mean that we have no habits. Good habits can be very useful to cultivate in life. But we should be able to change our habits gracefully, or drop them altogether when necessary, especially if we learn that they are harmful to us or are not exactly endearing us to those around us. If we are used to a cup of coffee every morning with our breakfast and one morning we discover that we are out of coffee, we don't say, "I can't function without my coffee," and go back to bed. We should be able to say cheerfully, "I'll have tea instead - or soy milk."
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to cultivate awareness and to evaluate your habits. Part of our asana practice exposes our habits on the mat and asks us to face them, to explore them, and to possibly make some changes – at the least we generate more awareness of what we are doing. Take this “awareness” off of the mat and explore your habits without judgment and try to make some subtle changes in your patterns to better support your practices.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the topic “detachment from likes and dislikes.”
Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.
-Lao Tzu
Detachment from likes and dislikes, habits and opinions, is not a sign of weakness. It is an enormously strong and positive quality. Nor does freedom from likes and dislikes mean that life is insipid for us, but rather that we are not driven compulsively by rigid ways of thinking. Even if we don't get what we want - or if we do get what we don't want - we can still function cheerfully and efficiently.
Detachment from habits does not mean that we have no habits. Good habits can be very useful to cultivate in life. But we should be able to change our habits gracefully, or drop them altogether when necessary, especially if we learn that they are harmful to us or are not exactly endearing us to those around us. If we are used to a cup of coffee every morning with our breakfast and one morning we discover that we are out of coffee, we don't say, "I can't function without my coffee," and go back to bed. We should be able to say cheerfully, "I'll have tea instead - or soy milk."
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to cultivate awareness and to evaluate your habits. Part of our asana practice exposes our habits on the mat and asks us to face them, to explore them, and to possibly make some changes – at the least we generate more awareness of what we are doing. Take this “awareness” off of the mat and explore your habits without judgment and try to make some subtle changes in your patterns to better support your practices.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Starving our Egos
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the topic “starving our egos.”
Wherever you go, you will always bear yourself about with you, and so you will always find yourself.
-Thomas a Kempis
There is only one way to get a real vacation: get as far away from the ego as possible.
Worrying about your problems all the time makes for misery with a capital M. For getting away from misery, I recommend this "economy plan": do not feed your ego and your problems with your attention. They will slowly lose weight.
When we feed them, constantly begging them to have one more helping even when they are gorged, we acquire obese problems that hug us tightly and weight us down. So if you really want a vacation, do not brood on your troubles. Do not let yourself get jealous or say uncharitable things about anyone. In other words, do not give the ego breakfast in bed; do not pack it a bag lunch; do not fix its dinner; do not give it pocket money for buying snacks; do not even give it a glass of water. Slowly, surely, the ego will lose weight, until one fine day it will be nothing but a thin ghost of its former self.
You will be able to see right through it, to the divine presence that shines in each of us.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to use the concentration skills you are developing in your asana practice to starve your ego. Recall the extra effort you often use in class to stay in an asana a bit longer than you thought you could. Use this attention to help you to become aware of when you are worrying and try to “not feed” your worry.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the topic “starving our egos.”
Wherever you go, you will always bear yourself about with you, and so you will always find yourself.
-Thomas a Kempis
There is only one way to get a real vacation: get as far away from the ego as possible.
Worrying about your problems all the time makes for misery with a capital M. For getting away from misery, I recommend this "economy plan": do not feed your ego and your problems with your attention. They will slowly lose weight.
When we feed them, constantly begging them to have one more helping even when they are gorged, we acquire obese problems that hug us tightly and weight us down. So if you really want a vacation, do not brood on your troubles. Do not let yourself get jealous or say uncharitable things about anyone. In other words, do not give the ego breakfast in bed; do not pack it a bag lunch; do not fix its dinner; do not give it pocket money for buying snacks; do not even give it a glass of water. Slowly, surely, the ego will lose weight, until one fine day it will be nothing but a thin ghost of its former self.
You will be able to see right through it, to the divine presence that shines in each of us.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to use the concentration skills you are developing in your asana practice to starve your ego. Recall the extra effort you often use in class to stay in an asana a bit longer than you thought you could. Use this attention to help you to become aware of when you are worrying and try to “not feed” your worry.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Monday, January 31, 2011
Personal Vitality
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the topic “personal vitality.”
We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it.
– George Bernard Shaw
Shopping for things we do not need, even if it is only window-shopping, wastes a lot of vitality; energy flows out with every little desire. It is a surprising connection, but an extravagant shopper will find it difficult to love. He or she scatters love like largesse all over the department store. We can become bankrupt in love this way.
When it comes to our personal vitality, we have no atoms to split, no windmills to set up, no sun to draw on for an alternative source of energy; we have to conserve what we have and make it last. When we find it difficult to love, we can think of it as a personal energy crisis. By not buying things which are neither necessary nor beneficial, we conserve the precious natural resources of the earth, and we save our personal energy, too.
So if you want a good, stiff test of your capacity to love, go into your favorite store some day – preferably when there is a sale – and see if you can walk straight through, looking neither left nor right, and come out unscathed. It may sound unbelievable, but it can be done.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to explore what vitality and personal energy conservation means to you. Discover what it takes to keep your vitality bank full. Does it involve having more awareness about your desires and not necessarily following through on all of them? How would meeting the needs of others help you to fill your bank?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the topic “personal vitality.”
We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it.
– George Bernard Shaw
Shopping for things we do not need, even if it is only window-shopping, wastes a lot of vitality; energy flows out with every little desire. It is a surprising connection, but an extravagant shopper will find it difficult to love. He or she scatters love like largesse all over the department store. We can become bankrupt in love this way.
When it comes to our personal vitality, we have no atoms to split, no windmills to set up, no sun to draw on for an alternative source of energy; we have to conserve what we have and make it last. When we find it difficult to love, we can think of it as a personal energy crisis. By not buying things which are neither necessary nor beneficial, we conserve the precious natural resources of the earth, and we save our personal energy, too.
So if you want a good, stiff test of your capacity to love, go into your favorite store some day – preferably when there is a sale – and see if you can walk straight through, looking neither left nor right, and come out unscathed. It may sound unbelievable, but it can be done.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to explore what vitality and personal energy conservation means to you. Discover what it takes to keep your vitality bank full. Does it involve having more awareness about your desires and not necessarily following through on all of them? How would meeting the needs of others help you to fill your bank?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, January 23, 2011
p e a c e and l o v e
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the topic “ p e a c e and l o v e .”
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
-Saint Francis of Assisi
When we ask to be made instruments of peace, what we are really asking for is the boundless determination to empty ourselves of every state of mind that disrupts relationships – anger, resentment, jealousy, greed, self-will in any form. Our first priority is to reform ourselves; without that, how can we expect to help other people reform themselves? It is the living example of a man or woman giving all they have to making love a reality that moves our hearts to follow. We do not need a bumper sticker that says, “You are following an instrument of the Lord.” Our everyday actions speak for themselves.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to notice when you experience a disruptive state of mind and work to turn that disruption with something positive. Try to turn anger into love, resentment into sympathetic joy, jealousy into understanding, and greed into giving.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the topic “ p e a c e and l o v e .”
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
-Saint Francis of Assisi
When we ask to be made instruments of peace, what we are really asking for is the boundless determination to empty ourselves of every state of mind that disrupts relationships – anger, resentment, jealousy, greed, self-will in any form. Our first priority is to reform ourselves; without that, how can we expect to help other people reform themselves? It is the living example of a man or woman giving all they have to making love a reality that moves our hearts to follow. We do not need a bumper sticker that says, “You are following an instrument of the Lord.” Our everyday actions speak for themselves.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to notice when you experience a disruptive state of mind and work to turn that disruption with something positive. Try to turn anger into love, resentment into sympathetic joy, jealousy into understanding, and greed into giving.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Forgiveness
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the topic “forgiveness.”
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
-Saint Francis of Assisi
There are times when past mistakes swim into our vision and do their best to consume us in guilt or regret. At such times it is essential to repeat the mantram and turn all our attention outwards, away from ourselves. Analyzing our mistakes and dwelling on how to repay them is of no earthly benefit at all. If, when you were in Milwaukee, you happened to say something insulting to your girlfriend’s dog, it is not necessary to go to Milwaukee and find your old girlfriend or her dog to make amends. Every dog you treat with kindness will be a proxy for that dog. If you have treated a particular person badly, even if you can no longer win that person’s forgiveness, you can still win the forgiveness of yourself, of the Lord within, by bearing with people who treat you badly and doing your best not to treat anyone badly again. Whatever we have done, we can always make amends for it without ever looking back in guilt or sorrow.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to remember that forgiveness starts with forgiving yourself. Choose a few mistakes from your past and make a conscious effort to forgive yourself. Work to realize this self-forgiveness in your daily life by expressing lovingkindess (metta) in all of your relationships.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the topic “forgiveness.”
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
-Saint Francis of Assisi
There are times when past mistakes swim into our vision and do their best to consume us in guilt or regret. At such times it is essential to repeat the mantram and turn all our attention outwards, away from ourselves. Analyzing our mistakes and dwelling on how to repay them is of no earthly benefit at all. If, when you were in Milwaukee, you happened to say something insulting to your girlfriend’s dog, it is not necessary to go to Milwaukee and find your old girlfriend or her dog to make amends. Every dog you treat with kindness will be a proxy for that dog. If you have treated a particular person badly, even if you can no longer win that person’s forgiveness, you can still win the forgiveness of yourself, of the Lord within, by bearing with people who treat you badly and doing your best not to treat anyone badly again. Whatever we have done, we can always make amends for it without ever looking back in guilt or sorrow.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to remember that forgiveness starts with forgiving yourself. Choose a few mistakes from your past and make a conscious effort to forgive yourself. Work to realize this self-forgiveness in your daily life by expressing lovingkindess (metta) in all of your relationships.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Learning to Love
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the topic “learning to love.”
Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.
-Saint Francis of Assisi
Millions of people today suffer from loneliness. Here St. Francis is saying, “I know the cause of the malady and I know the secret of its complete cure.” No matter what the relationship may be, when you look upon another person as someone who can give you love, you are really faking love. That is the simplest word for it. If you are interested in making love, in making it grow without end, try looking on that person as someone you can give your love to – someone to whom you can go on giving always.
Learning to love is like swimming against the current of a powerful river; most of our conditioning is pushing us in the other direction. So it is a question of developing your muscles: the more you use them, the stronger they get. When you put the other person’s welfare foremost every day, no matter how strong the opposite tide inside, you discover after a while that you can love a little more today than you did yesterday. Tomorrow you will be able to love a little more.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work on cultivating unconditional love. Start by putting others needs before your own without any thought of getting something in return. Try to extend this love to those closest to you first and move out from there.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the topic “learning to love.”
Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.
-Saint Francis of Assisi
Millions of people today suffer from loneliness. Here St. Francis is saying, “I know the cause of the malady and I know the secret of its complete cure.” No matter what the relationship may be, when you look upon another person as someone who can give you love, you are really faking love. That is the simplest word for it. If you are interested in making love, in making it grow without end, try looking on that person as someone you can give your love to – someone to whom you can go on giving always.
Learning to love is like swimming against the current of a powerful river; most of our conditioning is pushing us in the other direction. So it is a question of developing your muscles: the more you use them, the stronger they get. When you put the other person’s welfare foremost every day, no matter how strong the opposite tide inside, you discover after a while that you can love a little more today than you did yesterday. Tomorrow you will be able to love a little more.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to work on cultivating unconditional love. Start by putting others needs before your own without any thought of getting something in return. Try to extend this love to those closest to you first and move out from there.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Remaking Ourselves
Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering the topic “remaking ourselves.”
As an irrigator guides water to the fields, as an archer aims an arrow, as a carpenter carves wood, the wise shape their lives.
– The Buddha
The glory of the human being is our ability to remake ourselves. The Buddha is very rightly called the Compassionate One because he holds out hope for everybody. He doesn't say our past has been dark, therefore our chances are dim. He says whatever our past, whatever our present, the sky is bright for us because we can remake ourselves.
The Buddha says, be a good woodworker. Consciousness is the wood, and you can make it take any shape you like. Just as a carpenter works the wood to build a house or a fine piece of furniture, similarly we can fashion the responses and attitudes we desire: love, wisdom, security, patience, loyalty, enthusiasm, cheerfulness.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to consider how your yoga practice can help you “shape” your life. What does the discipline of yoga have to offer you?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
This week in class we are considering the topic “remaking ourselves.”
As an irrigator guides water to the fields, as an archer aims an arrow, as a carpenter carves wood, the wise shape their lives.
– The Buddha
The glory of the human being is our ability to remake ourselves. The Buddha is very rightly called the Compassionate One because he holds out hope for everybody. He doesn't say our past has been dark, therefore our chances are dim. He says whatever our past, whatever our present, the sky is bright for us because we can remake ourselves.
The Buddha says, be a good woodworker. Consciousness is the wood, and you can make it take any shape you like. Just as a carpenter works the wood to build a house or a fine piece of furniture, similarly we can fashion the responses and attitudes we desire: love, wisdom, security, patience, loyalty, enthusiasm, cheerfulness.
Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to consider how your yoga practice can help you “shape” your life. What does the discipline of yoga have to offer you?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003
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