Ever had that moment, where you are trying to open a jar and it just won't open?? You know, you just grab that jar of pickles, and you twist and grasp and strain - then, nothing.
You go to the drawer, you get the knife out and use the edge of the knife to bang that lid, hoping to break the seal. Nothing; twisting, grasping, exasperation, futility.
But, you are resourceful - so, you run it under the tap; hot water, that'll loosen the seal and let you open it. Nope - white knuckles, sore fingers, beads of sweat on your brow - no gherkins!
Your friend walks in, looks at you and laughs - then you hand them the jar. They take it, twist and off comes the lid, just like that, with that little satisfying 'pop'.
What are you going to do, except say "Hey, I loosened it up for you."
Asana practice - teachers ask you to persevere, to hang in there, to not back away from the edge. To honor the breath, but to continue to move deeper. Sometimes, while teaching (or practicing), I notice that we might be doing some core work, repetitive and difficult. I know, I see it, and I feel it when I practice.
There is that point, right near the edge. The monkey mind, it just leaps and shouts "stop, knock it off, take a break!" It acts like you might be killing it and fights for survival... But that is the moment. It is being effectively confronted, this leaping and screeching internal dialog; it fights for it's very survival through a variety of methods - "I'm hurting;" 'This is stupid." "Screw it, I'm not doing this."
Don't do it for the teacher - but do it. Do the rest of the work. Take all that prior knuckle-whitening and brow-furrowning and stay in that moment. Right into that sensation, then under it, then beyond it.
Because, I offer, within you, there isn't friend to walk-in and do the rest of the twisting. And if you put it down, or walk away and cast is aside, you just don't get the pickles...
I'm asking you to consider this - when you are doing core work, when you are in that quad-burning Warrior, just stay with it. Endure, persevere, hold on loosely, but don't let go. And, stay until that final effort opens the pickle jar.
Make any sense? Give it a try! Then, give thanks and praise!
You go to the drawer, you get the knife out and use the edge of the knife to bang that lid, hoping to break the seal. Nothing; twisting, grasping, exasperation, futility.
But, you are resourceful - so, you run it under the tap; hot water, that'll loosen the seal and let you open it. Nope - white knuckles, sore fingers, beads of sweat on your brow - no gherkins!
Your friend walks in, looks at you and laughs - then you hand them the jar. They take it, twist and off comes the lid, just like that, with that little satisfying 'pop'.
What are you going to do, except say "Hey, I loosened it up for you."
Asana practice - teachers ask you to persevere, to hang in there, to not back away from the edge. To honor the breath, but to continue to move deeper. Sometimes, while teaching (or practicing), I notice that we might be doing some core work, repetitive and difficult. I know, I see it, and I feel it when I practice.
There is that point, right near the edge. The monkey mind, it just leaps and shouts "stop, knock it off, take a break!" It acts like you might be killing it and fights for survival... But that is the moment. It is being effectively confronted, this leaping and screeching internal dialog; it fights for it's very survival through a variety of methods - "I'm hurting;" 'This is stupid." "Screw it, I'm not doing this."
Don't do it for the teacher - but do it. Do the rest of the work. Take all that prior knuckle-whitening and brow-furrowning and stay in that moment. Right into that sensation, then under it, then beyond it.
Because, I offer, within you, there isn't friend to walk-in and do the rest of the twisting. And if you put it down, or walk away and cast is aside, you just don't get the pickles...
I'm asking you to consider this - when you are doing core work, when you are in that quad-burning Warrior, just stay with it. Endure, persevere, hold on loosely, but don't let go. And, stay until that final effort opens the pickle jar.
Make any sense? Give it a try! Then, give thanks and praise!
