Action! Inaction!
My creative thesis proposal:
action
inaction: respose, restorative, rest
in music: silence, stillness, rests, the place between the notes and phrases
tadasana: where is the still point or where is the crossing point within the asana?
December 30:
Inaction can also be seen as time away from the practice and the readings. It's a bit of a mea culpa situation, a rebellious turning away from a strong practice for a few points and the mind's reprieve from studies. "Forgive me I have sinned!" But that it the old Protestant in me rearing its head. After a time away I have found myself more distant from my center. It is the difference between my exercises on the mat, which I DO keep up, and a focused practice.
Today as a new year is about to dawn I step back with more serious intent. Then it seems to me that yoga can be active devotion and self-study. We tune our bodies and polish them inside and out. It becomes a devotion and practice that demonstrates not only self-respect, but respect for all we have been given, though our ancestors and through creation. Yoga as a practice (not as teaching) can
at times seem like a self-focused act, a self improvement process.
But today I also came to think that the practice, while turning us inward and offering an inner focus, also prepares us to turn outward. It creates energy and restores us so that we can then go out into our communities and world to do, to act, to serve, and to be... in a better way than would have possible otherwise, without our practice. It is physical, but it is also spiritual as we build the inner reserves and discover our sattvic aspects.
Yoga as action. We tune our bodies and polish them. It is an acting devotion. A gift to ourselves but it is also the energy we build to serve others, then it is not all inner but outer.
January 6
This is a sluggish season; we are naturally more inactive than we are active. I try to accept rather than fight this. Even so we need exercise to be energetic and alert all through the year. A 92-year-old Australian is winning championships for race-walking. This strikes me as a wonderful thing to do. As I crave the action of opening, stretching, strengthening and releasing on the mat indoors, I also crave motion, especially when outdoors. So yesterday I started speed walking, cranking up my speed from my usual average pace. We will see.
From Book I of Victor Van Kooten and Angela's book: "Outer-body-work is mainly concerned with the grosser levels of the body/mind. Inner-body-yoga leads the experiencer directly to the workings of finer levels of bodymind energy."
I watch the action of my body while I practice and while I go through life. I also watch inaction as I rest, restore, sleep, or lounge reading or watching videos. I watch the action of my life as I go outward into the life of people and community. I watch the inaction of being inside my house . But the reversals are also true. I can be very active inside my house and its cocoon. I can be outdoors and in community but remain passive and relatively inactive. The stillness of tadasana is deceptive to the outside eye. Inside, there is the subtle action of lifting and grounding.
I ask: how much action is best/healthy/good? How much subtle engagement is needed? How much inaction is okay, or, at times, even beneficial as in restorative poses? What is a good balance for me and for others?
Too much yoga on the mat can seem selfish at times for me. Now I am volunteering on Wednesday mornings at my local food coop. I like the physical labor, the contact with good people who are hard working, and being around good food (and amused at some of the fads and choices). I have also volunteered to help and serve food at the MLK Day events here Ithaca.
I intend to explore the interplay of gross and subtle actions on and off the mat by focusing on dhyana (seated meditation as well as art as contemplative practice) in conjunction with the regular practice of asana and pranayama. The practice of karma yoga may also be part of this project.
action
inaction: respose, restorative, rest
in music: silence, stillness, rests, the place between the notes and phrases
tadasana: where is the still point or where is the crossing point within the asana?
December 30:
Inaction can also be seen as time away from the practice and the readings. It's a bit of a mea culpa situation, a rebellious turning away from a strong practice for a few points and the mind's reprieve from studies. "Forgive me I have sinned!" But that it the old Protestant in me rearing its head. After a time away I have found myself more distant from my center. It is the difference between my exercises on the mat, which I DO keep up, and a focused practice.
Today as a new year is about to dawn I step back with more serious intent. Then it seems to me that yoga can be active devotion and self-study. We tune our bodies and polish them inside and out. It becomes a devotion and practice that demonstrates not only self-respect, but respect for all we have been given, though our ancestors and through creation. Yoga as a practice (not as teaching) can
at times seem like a self-focused act, a self improvement process.
But today I also came to think that the practice, while turning us inward and offering an inner focus, also prepares us to turn outward. It creates energy and restores us so that we can then go out into our communities and world to do, to act, to serve, and to be... in a better way than would have possible otherwise, without our practice. It is physical, but it is also spiritual as we build the inner reserves and discover our sattvic aspects.
Yoga as action. We tune our bodies and polish them. It is an acting devotion. A gift to ourselves but it is also the energy we build to serve others, then it is not all inner but outer.
January 6
This is a sluggish season; we are naturally more inactive than we are active. I try to accept rather than fight this. Even so we need exercise to be energetic and alert all through the year. A 92-year-old Australian is winning championships for race-walking. This strikes me as a wonderful thing to do. As I crave the action of opening, stretching, strengthening and releasing on the mat indoors, I also crave motion, especially when outdoors. So yesterday I started speed walking, cranking up my speed from my usual average pace. We will see.
From Book I of Victor Van Kooten and Angela's book: "Outer-body-work is mainly concerned with the grosser levels of the body/mind. Inner-body-yoga leads the experiencer directly to the workings of finer levels of bodymind energy."
I watch the action of my body while I practice and while I go through life. I also watch inaction as I rest, restore, sleep, or lounge reading or watching videos. I watch the action of my life as I go outward into the life of people and community. I watch the inaction of being inside my house . But the reversals are also true. I can be very active inside my house and its cocoon. I can be outdoors and in community but remain passive and relatively inactive. The stillness of tadasana is deceptive to the outside eye. Inside, there is the subtle action of lifting and grounding.
I ask: how much action is best/healthy/good? How much subtle engagement is needed? How much inaction is okay, or, at times, even beneficial as in restorative poses? What is a good balance for me and for others?
Too much yoga on the mat can seem selfish at times for me. Now I am volunteering on Wednesday mornings at my local food coop. I like the physical labor, the contact with good people who are hard working, and being around good food (and amused at some of the fads and choices). I have also volunteered to help and serve food at the MLK Day events here Ithaca.
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