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Dear Yoga Community,
Blessings of
Thanksgiving!
This is the month
when we offer our thanks, our gratitude, to the harvest of the earth as well as
the bounty of our lives. At such times we may look back and give thanks for those things
that, at the time, seemed the most difficult or for which we carried the
strongest aversion. In hindsight,
we see most clearly how we have been shaped by adversity as well as by
love.
In community,
Sarahjoy
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Dharma Highlight
dharma: wisdom teachings, duty, wisdom in action
Cultivating Love, Easing Suffering
From the yoga tradition we learn that there are five causes of suffering. Whenever I reflect on this I think
"Wow, five, is that all! Humans
seem to have created countless reasons to suffer!" Of course, those countless reasons can be distilled down to
five: our likes and dislikes, our
sense of self and other, our clinging to past and planning (or fearing) the
future, and, most essentially, forgetting what the Koshas teach us - that we,
at heart, are love itself.
Of course, these are my translations as I write this
morning. More traditionally
speaking, the Kleshas, or the causes of suffering, are Avidya, Asmita, Raga,
Dvesa, and Abhinivesa. Also known
as ignorance, ego, desire, aversion, and fear.
Most of us would like to avoid suffering, or even just plain
discomfort! While I don't think we
can avoid suffering altogether, especially if we want to live in this world
with heart, examining how we feed or perpetuate the unnecessary suffering in
our lives yields a tremendous benefit. From my perspective, it's not just that we benefit as this examination
lessens our habitual suffering, more importantly it frees us up to be available
to our hearts and to others when real suffering is present. This examination will also cultivate
our deepest compassion, a word which translates as "to suffer with" and which
reflects our capacity to "quiver" with the heart of another when suffering is
present.
How do we know when we are caught in suffering, creating the
conditions for suffering, or reinforcing patterns of suffering? Sometimes our first indication that we
are heading for a collision with suffering is physical. We start to feel contracted, uneasy,
thirsty, or realize that our heart rate has changed. We may also feel the symptoms of mental resistance or
overload. Perhaps we grip the jaw, the steering wheel, the cell phone in our
hand, or disconnect, numb out, dismiss another person's relevance on the
planet. Scientists could measure
changes in our eyes, skin, body temperature, and endocrine pathways. Yoga teaches us tools to manage these
symptoms, but also the essential tool of mindfulness where we can see or
anticipate the storm cloud on the horizon and learn to respond differently.
I'm guessing that most of us can appreciate handling a storm
cloud differently, yet we still want to know how to prevent those storm clouds
altogether. And, as I suggested
earlier, since not all suffering can be prevented, why not save our vitality
and response engines for those sufferings that would benefit from our deep
grounding in compassion, presence, and love?
So, back to the question, how do we know when we are creating
the conditions for suffering? One
specific example comes to mind. I'm reminded of my earlier years living in community...I contributed to
relational suffering, not consciously, nor with any overt intention to do
so. I contributed to this
suffering by engaging with others about their story about a third person, which
was common practice at this community. I added to the "self and other" story (deepening this chasm creates the
conditions for suffering in the form of ingraining separateness and
triangulation). Often, it was my
intention to help or to soothe my friend. I did not know how to skillfully avoid collusion, gently challenge my
friend's story about herself and the other, and maintain connection to the
highest ground for our relating. And sometimes, I was just tired, distracted, or trying to put out food
for 120 people waiting in the dining room. (Perhaps this indicates how important timing is!)
We create the conditions for suffering when we fall into
forgetfulness...we forget how important deep rest and renewal are, we forget the
sanctity of relationship with another person, we forget the importance and
impact of words and actions, we forget the bigger picture and the vast space
through which all of our lives are hurtling on this planet. We forget...and we don't catch ourselves
reinforcing our pathways into suffering!
I had a button on my jacket in college that read: "If that which doesn't kill you makes
you stronger, I must be Arnold Schwarzenegger by now!" While we can use suffering for our
deepest learning (and we are often forced to do so to free ourselves from our
habits of suffering), I want encourage us not to reinforce the petty sufferings
as learning opportunities. Sometimes the learning opportunity is in dropping
the suffering habit* and living nakedly in love for others, with deep respect
for your health and radiance, and with a heart as wide as the world. This takes real courage. And perhaps the button would read: "If that which doesn't kill you teaches
you, we'd be radically humble by now!"
Avidya, the first cause of suffering, means the absence of
wisdom, also translated as ignorance.
I like to just call it forgetting, or forgetfulness. When we have forgotten, we create the
conditions for suffering. When we
remember, we radically transform any condition into one in which love and
wisdom can thrive.
*Eckart Tolle refers to this as not
feeding the pain body. Eknath
Easwaran teaches a pathway out of our deeply grooved mental pathways, the ones
that keep us in contraction or conflict and prevent us from love. Anthony de Mello encourages a radical
relaxation of all effort so as to allow the suffering that we fabricate to
dissolve while also allowing our essential nature as love itself to guide us.
For my personal reflections about Koshas, I'm reading A
New Earth by Eckart Tolle, The Inner Tradition by Michael Stone, The Heart of
Yoga by Desikachar, The Way to Love by Anthony de
Mello,
and Love is God by Eknath Easwaran. In this month's Dharma Study Group
we'll discuss the Kleshas in a traditional and psychological sense.
I look forward to our time together! Please join us on Tuesday, November
17 at 7 pm. Click here to read more about the ongoing Dharma Study Group at amrita...
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Karma Yoga
A chance to make a contribution to the changes
we wish to see in the world...
This month I want to bring your attention to two opportunities
to be of service to others.
Thanksgiving Services:
Help with Loaves & Fishes' Donate Dinner Event
(SE Portland - Wednesday, Nov 25)
Donate Dinner is one of the largest volunteer events in the
Portland metropolitan area. Last year, 1,500 people volunteered for 2-hour
shifts and the outcome was incredible - more than $230,000 raised to support
Meals-On-Wheels. Join us for a 2-hour shift this year!
Annual Thanksgiving Dinner
(Downtown Portland - Thursday, Nov 26)
A whole lot of Thanksgiving going on at 12th Avenue
Terrace! Dinner is provided for residents on Thanksgiving day for those that can
not go elsewhere to friends or family and/or are not able to get out for the
holiday.
Both of these events can be viewed by clicking here.
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Muscle of the Month
This month's muscle focus is the lower trapezius, which you can
find by palpating the shoulder blades of a friend! Trace the triangle shaped
bone called your scapula, or shoulder blade. Find the inside edge and walk from
the tip that points toward the spine down to the tip that points toward the
pelvis. Along this bony ridge you will find your lower trapezius
attachments.
The lower trapezius then moves toward your spine and attaches at
the vertebrae in your mid-back, near to the back of your diaphragm.
The job of this muscle is to depress the scapula, or said in
yoga class terms, to bring your shoulder blades down the back of your
body. This is a critical action
for many of your yoga poses, but especially important as our explorations of
upper back and shoulder alignment, shoulder stand, and head stand continue.
A useful book for your self-study on this would be Anatomy of Movement by Callais-Germaine, available in the lobby.
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Poses
of the Month
Based
on the seasonal changes & our evolution as students
This month's
focus is on strengthening the upper body for our continued explorations of
inversions. Whether you are coming
to asana class or to the strength conditioning classes, you can expect a focus
on upper body mobility and arm strength.
These approaches can also generate heat in the practice - something
which I relish this time of year as the cold and wind try to sneak in! Head stand and shoulder stand are both
considered invaluable for your mind, for meditation, and for pacifying vata
(that cold and wind!).
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Ayurveda & You & Me...
As Ayurveda consistently teaches us that the three pillars of
health include proper nourishment, balanced routine, and proper exercise, this
time of year I am reminded to adjust the foods I eat, the schedule I maintain,
and the exercise (yoga and otherwise) that I use to sustain my vitality. With the time change being somewhat
flung upon us (even though I know it's coming every year, I still feel its
abruptness), we may have responded with a bit of dejection about the earlier
sun set or perhaps greater enthusiasm for the early morning wake up!
My Ayurvedic inspirations have told me regularly to look at the
cycle of digestive fire as being connected to the cycle of the sun. Richard Haynes, my colleague, neighbor
and friend, suggests finishing the evening meal before or during sundown. While that might seem impossible to
some of us this time of year (and getting more impossible as those holiday parties
come along?!), the notion of the Thanksgiving celebration (usually eaten in the
middle of the day and in large quantity) suits this suggestion really
well.
Here's a few things to keep in mind:
- choose foods
that are growing now, in your garden, or in our region
- eat the biggest
meal in the middle of the day - make it a satisfying feast
- at sundown,
enjoy a much more moderate (supplemental*) amount of food
Still, what can you do when the sun's going down and you're not
home yet? I personally love using
a crockpot and a timer. I set it
up with rice, lentils, and some root vegetables. I put the seasoning in and set the timer. (We also use a
timer at the studio for getting the water ready for the miso and green
tea. If you need support with this
process, please ask Jim Wanless, our master of maintenance!)
Another option that proves quick is to steam vegetables (root
and cruciferous) and enjoy them with ghee, flax seed oil, salt and pepper. You
might have toasted nuts, smoked salmon, fresh goat cheese, or other delectable
on the side. Eaten mindfully, this
supplemental meal goes a long way to nourish. (Oh, and I see nothing wrong with a bite of chocolate to
finish the palate!)
I'll encourage you to try this method for several days in a row
and observe how it affects your sleep, your morning appetite, your
digestion. (On the note of that
morning appetite, be prepared to crave something other than caffeine and sugar!)
According to Ayurveda, we will know we are at our optimal health
when we have the same abundant energy at the end of the day that we started
with in the morning. We can not
accomplish this if the meal in the middle of the day is a snack on the go, eaten
in the car, micro-waved and eaten at the desk, or taken in while discussing
heavy business matters.
Check our Richard's web page at www.ayurvedaplus.com
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International Travel & Yoga
Yelapa, Mexico Yoga and Culture Immersion
March 20 - 27, 2010
Just south of Puerta Vallarta, this little fishing village is traffic free,
hosts a bird sanctuary, and invites us into its culture with warm hearts.
Judith Roth is our host for this adventure. A long time yoga teacher, she moved
to Mexico 5 years ago and is inviting teachers to bring their travel-hungry
students for a vacation, cultural immersion, opportunity to work with village
children, and more. Trip limited to 20; registration now open. Click here for pricing and registration info...
Winter Solstice at Breitenbush Hot Springs
December 17-20
Join us for a magical weekend in the Cascade Mountains at Breitenbush. In celebrating the Solstice, we'll look
deeply at the Shadow side of the psyche with the intent to understand its power
and its promises. As the light
returns on Solstice, we'll also explore the integration of yoga principles for
remembering and living from our innate radiance. The weekend is open to both beginning and intermediate
students. Click here for pricing and registration info...
Women's Only Retreat at Breitenbush Hot Springs
December 11-13
For women everywhere...a women's only retreat during Breitenbush's
women's only weekend! This weekend
is for women wanting to explore, understand, or transform their relationship to
their body, body image, food, vitality, and interpersonal freedom. Limited to 20 women, our time together
will include yoga, meditation, pranayama, educational presentations, and
intimate circle sharing. You can
expect to leave feeling renewed, connected, empowered, and inspired. Click here for pricing and registration info...
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Quotations of the Month
Intended to simply inspire, mildly challenge, or thoughtfully provoke
contemplation!
"You
learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by
working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving."
- Saint Francis de Sales
"Thus...we begin to see how the recrudescence of the Shadow can have a
compensatory, even healing effect upon us. When we remember the simplest, most functional definition of
the Shadow is that which renders us uncomfortable with ourselves, then we realize
that authentic, less adapted parts of us may challenge and even threaten the
ego but remain who we really are, and insist on coming into expression in the
world. In this way we see that the
Shadow can play a positive role in our individuation process. It is less adapted and therefore more
honest; less acclimated and therefore more original; less conventional and
consensual and therefore more nearly expressive of the whole person we are
meant to share with others."
-
James Hollis, PhD
"Sometimes I forget completely
what companionship is.
Unconscious and insane, I spill
sad Energy everywhere."
-Rumi
"Learn to recognize the counterfeit coins
that may buy you just a moment of pleasure
but then drag you for days
like a broken man
behind a farting camel."
-Hafiz
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