Lately I’ve been going to a Yin Yoga class. Yin yoga is characterized by holding yoga poses for around 2-8 minutes. The class is 75+ minutes long, and very meditative. As the minutes pass you find yourself sinking deeper into poses, and surrendering more fully to the currents of life. More common, at least in terms of the number of classes you’ll find at any given yoga studio, is flow yoga, which is characterized by cycles or sequences of poses at a faster pace. I have to admit that I was very worried about being able to focus, and be still for that long. I, alas, have a spotty past with sitting meditation. To my bewilderment, I’ve become somewhat addicted to this kind of yoga practice.
Why am I telling you all of this? Well, I believe that there is a parallel to be drawn between the way that we conduct ourselves in relation to spiritual practice, relationships, and even our interests and learning. Being still, for even a short period of time, can seem horrifying to the average American, because it means taking a good hard look at the self, with all of our warts exposed. Our lives are so loud that we’re unable to hear the whisper of our own inner wisdom, and God seems to be on a frequency unavailable to our antennas. When, really, the static is just coming from us.
What all of this requires is deepening, consistency, and being unafraid of what we might see in ourselves. Like a channel of complexity that forms with a lifelong companionship, going deeper with any practice in life yields wild, meaningful beauty. After all, how can you improve something if you’re unwilling to see the problems, and how these problems separate you from the world, love, and God? As the old football saying goes, “Go deep.”
Peace, Love, and Laughter,
Emily
Why am I telling you all of this? Well, I believe that there is a parallel to be drawn between the way that we conduct ourselves in relation to spiritual practice, relationships, and even our interests and learning. Being still, for even a short period of time, can seem horrifying to the average American, because it means taking a good hard look at the self, with all of our warts exposed. Our lives are so loud that we’re unable to hear the whisper of our own inner wisdom, and God seems to be on a frequency unavailable to our antennas. When, really, the static is just coming from us.
What all of this requires is deepening, consistency, and being unafraid of what we might see in ourselves. Like a channel of complexity that forms with a lifelong companionship, going deeper with any practice in life yields wild, meaningful beauty. After all, how can you improve something if you’re unwilling to see the problems, and how these problems separate you from the world, love, and God? As the old football saying goes, “Go deep.”
Peace, Love, and Laughter,
Emily