I am your host Kristen Simons and today we'll talk about the practice of yoga
navigating a path of patience and personal growth.
In the past I practiced yoga daily without fail.
It was a crucial part of my
routine that brought me peace and helped me maintain physical and mental health.
However,
Over the past few years my health issues have taken quite a toll on
me.
I find it very challenging to keep up with my once daily yoga practice.
Nowadays I can only manage to practice about once a month if I'm lucky.
The
strength and endurance I once possessed has diminished making it harder to keep
up with the demanding poses that once came so effortlessly to me.
Despite the
struggles I am determined to find a way to continue to incorporate yoga in my
life to experience its many benefits.
We do need to keep in mind that yoga is not
only the asanas.
The eight limbs of yoga as outlined by the sage Patanjali in
the Yoga Sutras provide a comprehensive guide for living a meaningful and
purposeful life.
The eight limbs of yoga are Yama which focuses on moral
disciplines and includes principles such as non-violence,
Truthfulness,
And
non-stealing.
Niyama which is self-discipline and spiritual observance
involving practices like cleanliness,
Contentment,
And self-study.
Asana which we are most familiar with which is the physical postures which aim
to achieve stability and comfort during meditation.
Pranayama concentrates on breath control and breathing techniques which are
important for calming the mind improving overall well-being and helpful with
meditation.
Pratyahara involves withdrawal the senses shifting focus
from the external distractions to internal awareness and concentration
also helping with meditation.
Dharana is concentration where the mind is trained to focus on a single point or
object without wavering.
Dhyana is the practice of meditation
fostering uninterrupted awareness and mental clarity.
And finally Samadhi the
final limb represents a state of complete absorption and union with the
object of meditation leading to transcendence and profound realization.
These eight limbs of yoga collectively offer a holistic approach to leading a
balanced harmonious and purposeful life encompassing physical mental and
spiritual aspects.
So my current challenge is with practicing yoga asanas.
I am in the
process of recovering from complications caused by recurrent Epstein Barr which
led to changes in my neurological function,
Migraines,
And resulted in
symptoms like weakness,
Vertigo,
Numbness,
Confusion among others.
I have learned to
slow down even though I am eager to practice more frequently.
I listen to my
body.
Do I have a headache?
Is there a weakness or pain?
I understand that
pushing myself too hard can lead to setbacks and I am very attuned to my
body signals.
I'm patient knowing from the past two years that healing takes
time.
In this journey of recovering I have deeply immersed myself in the
additional practices of yoga.
It has become an essential part of my healing
process allowing me to cultivate patience,
Mindfulness,
And a profound
connection with my body.
Each yoga session serves as a gentle yet powerful
reminder to move at my own pace honoring the signals and limitations of my body.
Through this practice I've come to recognize the art of listening to my
body's whispers and respecting its boundaries.
It really is a delicate dance
of self-awareness and self-care where again I must pause to inquire of my
state of being.
Do I have a migraine?
Are there symptoms of vertigo?
Is perhaps
doing the asanas going to make my health worse in this moment?
These questions
have truly become my compass guiding me back towards a more balanced and
nurturing practice.
Pushing myself beyond what my body can currently handle will
definitely lead to setbacks.
I embrace each moment with more profound attunement
understanding this is a gradual journey that requires patience and self-compassion.
However I carry with me the wisdom gained over the past two years that this
is a gentle evolving process.
Currently my yoga asana practice is more Hatha or
somatic than vinyasa.
I am unable to keep up with the pace of a float practice.
Currently my practice is anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour.
Each session is
vastly different and I have learned to accept these limitations.
Gratefully I
continue to improve and my practice is slowly deepening.
I do look back over the
past with gratitude for my previous practice.
Although I may not be able to
do headstands or have the flexibility and strength for a scorpion,
I still reap
the myriad of benefits of a yoga practice with simpler expressions such
as tree pose or warrior two.
The body-mind connection is the important
aspect of practice,
Not the challenge of a pose one can hold.
Gentle yoga promotes
relaxation and stress reduction.
It helps to alleviate anxiety and calm the mind.
It improves flexibility and mobility,
Reducing risk of further injuries and
enhancing overall physical well-being.
My gentle yoga practice encourages
mindfulness and present-moment awareness,
Fostering a deeper mind-body connection,
Allowing me to discern areas of tension before I make it worse.
This form of
practice contributes to a better sleep quality and helps achieving a more
restful and rejuvenating sleep,
Especially if I add a few gentle yoga
asanas to my practice right before bed in my meditation practice.
This has
provided a more nurturing environment for me to listen to my body,
Allowing me
to honor the physical limitations and learn new aspects of my being.
Additionally,
I have started a new job which provides me a more relaxed and
attentive experience.
I began my career in science over 20 years ago as an
engineering geologist specializing in petrology.
However,
I had shifted into an
analytical chemist position,
Gaining experience and knowledge to author
methodology and procedures for wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence.
At the start of this year,
I transitioned back to geology and petrographics with
an enhanced view of the interdisciplinary relationship between these two fields.
My
passion has always been geology.
The study of the natural processes of this
planet and others allows a keen understanding of the interconnectedness
of existence.
The study of geology not only provides insights into Earth's
history and the processes that have shaped it over millions of years,
But
also imparts valuable lessons in patience.
By examining geological
formations and gradual effects of natural forces,
One appreciates the slow,
Meticulous nature of geological change.
From the formation of mountains to the
carving of canyons,
Geology showcases the enduring impact of time and
perseverance.
It reminds us that significant transformations often
require patience and a long-term perspective,
Serving as a metaphor for
life's challenges and the need for persistence in pursuing our goals.
Yoga and the study of geology both promote the practice of patience in
different ways.
Mindfulness and patience.
Yoga encourages practitioners to
cultivate mindfulness and patience through deep breathing,
Holding poses,
And
being present in the moment.
In a similar way,
The study of geology requires
patience in observing,
Analyzing,
And understanding the slow processes that
shaped the earth over millions of years.
And both yoga and geology emphasize the
concept of deep time.
In yoga,
Practitioners develop an appreciation
for the present moment while recognizing the influence of past experiences.
Geology provides tangible understanding of deep time through the study of rock
formations,
Fossils,
And the gradual changes that occur in Earth's landscape.
These two seemingly dissimilar fields also imply resilience and adaptation.
Yoga teaches individuals to adapt to discomfort and challenges on the map,
Fostering a patient approach to personal growth.
Geology reveals the Earth's
ability to endure gradual transformation and cataclysmic events,
Showcasing the
significance of patience in understanding natural processes.
By
recognizing the similarities in promoting patience,
I have been able to
integrate the principles of both disciplines to enhance physical,
Mental,
And emotional well-being.
Remember,
Everything in nature implies everything
else.
In embracing the intertwining journeys of yoga practice amidst the
health challenges and the profound study of geology,
I have found a harmonious
fusion of resilience,
Patience,
And self-compassion.
Through the art of gentle
yoga,
I have rekindled a deep connection with my body and encountered moments of
stillness and movement in perfect balance.
Simultaneously,
The timeless
wisdom gleaned from the study of geology has bestowed upon me an enduring
perspective on the beauty of patience and the profound impact of gradual
transformation.
By intertwining the principles of mindful patience from yoga
and geological understanding,
I am navigating a path of holistic healing
and profound self-discovery,
Uniting the physical,
Mental,
And spiritual dimensions
of my being in a harmonious and purposeful journey of self-realization.
Thank you so much for joining me here today.
As always,
I am grateful to have
met you on the path.
Namaste.
