Practise with heroic effort
As I was reading information on meditation retreats on the internet this morning, I chanced upon the following instruction to would-be participants at a particular retreat:
There is only one task to be done by the meditators, i.e, to practise with:
* respect and sincerity
* diligence
* heroic effort
* perseverance
* patience
* sustained continuous, moment-to-moment mindfulness from the time of waking up in the morning to the time of falling asleep at night.
I believe the same instructions could be given to all yoga practitioners. I like the mention of "heroic effort". This is no exaggeration. When times are tough, say when you are undergoing the loss of a loved one, or when you are in depression, or are experiencing pressure or doubts regarding your sense of place in the world, you must persist in your practice with heroic effort. Your consistent practise in the face of the ups and downs of life will become a source of solace to you and a source of inspiration to others. The practice does not stop beyond the yoga mat. Outside of classes and your private practice sessions, a sustained careful participation in every task important or mundane expands our yoga practice to all aspects of our lives. Yoga afterall means union of all parts of ourselves, our lives, our practice, all other beings. All is yoga.
There is only one task to be done by the meditators, i.e, to practise with:
* respect and sincerity
* diligence
* heroic effort
* perseverance
* patience
* sustained continuous, moment-to-moment mindfulness from the time of waking up in the morning to the time of falling asleep at night.
I believe the same instructions could be given to all yoga practitioners. I like the mention of "heroic effort". This is no exaggeration. When times are tough, say when you are undergoing the loss of a loved one, or when you are in depression, or are experiencing pressure or doubts regarding your sense of place in the world, you must persist in your practice with heroic effort. Your consistent practise in the face of the ups and downs of life will become a source of solace to you and a source of inspiration to others. The practice does not stop beyond the yoga mat. Outside of classes and your private practice sessions, a sustained careful participation in every task important or mundane expands our yoga practice to all aspects of our lives. Yoga afterall means union of all parts of ourselves, our lives, our practice, all other beings. All is yoga.
