A big issue is that I've communicated with the other party a few times in the meantime, and they never bothered to say anything about it, even though I THANKED THEM for doing the work. Today would've been the outcome, the proof in the pudding, and guess what - no pudding, no oven, no mixing bowl - nothing... and, the answer I got was "oops, really busy, sorry we didn't run it - didn't I tell you?"
No, you didn't. And, so, I do my yoga, I teach the practice, I read the books and learn the lessons and right now I'm still so pissed that anything I say to that person will hurt, will cause anger and distance. I'll violate my own Prime Directive, the first Yama - "Don't Be Mean!". That's not ok, so time for skillz, mad skillz as Napoleon says.
Therefore, in the spirit of the practice and the teachings, let me offer you, from the Kundalini tradition, the Kriya known as Ego Eradicator - what to do when "I" and "ME" is all you can say, and it's all sooo personal!
First, you'll need to be able to do "Breath of Fire" - too tedious for me to teach in the little window with just open-mic sound, so check this link for a really good description of "Agniprana", a.k.a. breath of fire! She does a good job of teaching, of getting the physiology set, and gives some nice background.
For Ego Eradicator, begin by sitting on the heels , or with your legs nicely and comfortably crossed... sukhasana is fine.
You'll want to sit up nice and tall, apply a minimal engagement of the pelvic floor and the lower abdominal wall (mula- and uddyanabandha) to support the lumbar spine and keep the ribs floating above the belly.
Lift the arms up to 60 degrees, like you are making a big Y-shape. Then draw the shoulder blades down over the back of the ribs, so the shoulders are away from the ears; another way to think of this is to make your armpits more narrow to the front. This will keep your arms supported by your skeletal body, not so much muscular energy involved and a more comfortable and grounded experience.
Curl the fingertips onto the pads of the palms right at the base of the fingers, with the thumbs stretched outward, like hitch-hikers. The thumbs aim at each other above the head. These are the "Eagle Arms!!"
Begin the breath of fire - establish a rhythm, and for your first attempt, just go for 45 seconds to a minute. You can build up to 3 minutes over time. Breath of fire counts as one breath, but if you loose it, just breathe normally and then resume.
To end, inhale deeply, and then hold the breath. Lift up from the pelvic floor and concentrate on the spot one feet above the head as you slowly bring your thumbs to touch overhead. Open the fingers out, exhale and allow the arms to go gently down by your sides.
Some additional things to consider as you are working the kriya:
- Do not bend the elbows - keep your arms straight and powerful.
- Stretch up from the shoulders - root the shoulderblades down and reach outward.
- Do not arch the spine - keep yourself grounded and tall in the seat.
- Check the angle of the arms; it is a common mistake to have the arms lower than 60 degrees.
This is a great one, and if you can find a quiet spot and one to three minutes of your time, you can change your attitude immensely, almost immediately. When you've got a big case of the ego, the hurt feelings, the 'what about me' - get your Eagle Arms going and Breathe that Fire - Eradicate the Emergent Ego and get back on track!
Here's a quick video below of me giving you a demo - check it, try it, let me know what you think!
Give thanks and praise!