Hello and welcome to the August 2010 Newsletter.
This issue comes at a time when we are super busy with Teacher Training at the Knoff Yoga Headquarter in Cairns, Australia.
We have just graduated 15 newly minted yoga teachers – see them in the article below!
“We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.”
The month of August holds more fun and games with the Chair Yoga Teacher Training and Intermediate Level Teacher Training. Cairns students, you will be seeing new faces assisting in the classes!
Cairns yogi Monica Mesch has embraced the task of “Emma's Quest”, a drive to raise funds to support a child in serious need. Please read the article below and see if you can help in any way.
Leah Casey from Melbourne will be in Cairns for a short period, 30 August to 3 September, offering a special Indian healing modality – see article below. If you would like to book in please phone her on 0413 299 489 and make a booking!
This issue of the Knoff Yoga Newsletter has two excellent articles, 'Yoga & Ayurveda' and 'After the Ecstasy, The Laundry' plus the 'Yoga Pose of the Month'. We wish you excellent reading.
Keep in mind our Bali Yoga Retreat is looming on the horizon – 31 October to 6 November. The spacious Bali Mandala Resort can accommodation a maximum of 30 and we currently have 18 people booked. We would love for you to join us, so please see the details below and contact Janka asap on janka@knoffyoga.com
“Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can – there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.” Sarah Caldwell
Namaste,
Nicky Knoff.
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Discovery and Foundation Teacher Training 2010
By James Bryan
15 Teacher Trainees were successful in gaining their Teaching Certification and will now be able to register with the international Yoga Alliance and use the letters Registered Yoga Teacher 200 (R.Y.T.200) after their names.
Congratulations to:
- Jackie Harward
- Noreen Ng
- Tilana Qually
- Elise Campbell
- Ruth Campbell
- Kristine Ross-Hinton
- David Mathison
- Chanel Porter
- Jamie O'Loughlin
- Kim Chappel
- Robyn Jarvis
- Alison Ritchie
- Jessica Taylor
- Paul Chambers
- Bhudsakorn Suriyasongsaeng
These newly certificated yoga teachers have gained a solid understanding of:
- Asana, Pranayama and Meditation
- Applied Anatomy & Physiology
- Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle and Ethics
- Teaching Methodology
- Basic Sanskrit words and terminology
We wish these new ambassadors for yoga every happiness and success in their professional teaching careers and encourage them to illuminate the path for others!
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Quote
"Whoever ceases to be a student has never been a student.”
George Iles
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Yoga Pose of the Month - "UTTHITA TRIKONASANA"
EXTENDED TRIANGLE
===========================
Quote
"Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it's dark.”
Zen Proverb
===========================
Yoga and Ayurveda - Two Sides of One Coin
by Mark Halpern
"Whoever ceases to be a student has never been a student.”
George Iles
===========================
Yoga Pose of the Month - "UTTHITA TRIKONASANA"
EXTENDED TRIANGLE
A triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry and in the performance of this yoga pose the emphasis is upon an even sided shape, i.e. the base of the triangle is the same length as each side.
We start from Mountain Pose (Tadasana) and jump out to the side – right or left, alternating each day of practice. We then have a triangle between the legs and a straight line with the two extended arms, hence the name Extended Triangle Pose.
The distance between the feet is spaced to create an even sided triangle – the distance between the feet matches the distance from the feet to the groins, so looking between the legs it is easy to see a balanced triangle configuration. Most students will initially have the distance between the legs too short, but occasionally some will be too wide. However, it is easy to see and easy to correct!
Assuming we are on a right day, we kick out the left heel 15 degrees (maintaining the centre line on the yoga mat through the centre of the foot). Simply lift the heel up and pivot on the ball of the big toe. We then turn out the right foot 90 degrees by lifting in the heel 45 degrees and lifting out the toes 45 degrees, so the right foot is also centered on the yoga mat line.
We apply Pada Bandha to the feet – spread the toes and lift up the arches of the feet. We co-contract the muscles in the legs and scissor the feet towards each other. These three techniques will provide a strong foundation to move further into the pose.
With an inhalation we extend (Utthita) the arms out in line with the shoulders (top of the wrists are in line with the top of the shoulders) and check to see that the middle finger of each hand is in line with the middle of the shoulders.
One of the greatest fears in life is 'Tuck Shop Arms', that is flabby under arms. Grandma waves goodbye and the hand stops, but the arms keeps flapping for a few more minutes!
Co-contract the arm muscles – hug all the muscles onto the bones and keep them firmly activated.
On an exhalation we flex the right hip and take the right hand down to the appropriate level. This could be on the lower leg or even the floor, depending on the hip mobility and hamstring length of the right side.
Keep the arms in line with each other, almost as if a bamboo stick has been tied across both wrists, preventing coming out of alignment with the arms.
As we move out to the right we keep the same upper body shape as in Mountain Pose, i.e. the sides of the trunk are even and the spine is straight. We are simply folding in the hip joint and the upper body stays the same – just tilted to the side.
Of course, the tendency is to bend off to the side and get the hand lower down the leg – to focus on the destination and not the journey!
You can easily check yourself: does the right side of the trunk (down side) match the left side (up side)? If you froze yourself in this position and then brought the trunk upright, would the trunk be in Mountain Pose?
Discipline yourself to only go as far as you can maintaining the Mountain Pose trunk. The goal is not to get the hand on the floor, but to deepen the body/mind connection.
As we move out and down to the side we keep our trunk in line with the line on the yoga mat. Look down for a moment, is your head on the inside of your leg? If yes, then gently press your hips forwards as you bring your chest back, so your trunk comes in line with your leg. Also your buttocks should not poke out! If your backside is pushed out behind you, then as you move your hips forwards, they will come into line.
Hold the Extended Triangle Pose for a minimum of 30 seconds and gradually build up to 1 minute per side. Train yourself to use your breath as a counter. While in the pose, focus on Ujjayi Pranayama, Mula and Uddiyana (minor) Bandhas and Drishti – look up along the left thumb.
Note we are not looking at the thumb, but using it to guide our eyes to the ceiling – in order to steady the eyes to focus the mind! When we come up to change sides, there is no need to look down at the floor first. Keep the eyes up and continue to look along the thumb when you lift the trunk back to standing – keeping the upper arm activated.
Inhale and stand up, keeping the activation in the feet, legs and arms. Exhale and reverse the feet. Inhale and activate the supporting techniques to prepare yourself to move to the other side. Exhale and go down to the left. Again holding from 30 seconds to 1 minute.
The Extended Triangle Pose falls under the asana category of 'Standing Poses', that is we do them standing on our feet. Standing Poses build strength in the legs and strong vitality in the body. They are also great for developing proprioception - the awareness of our body in space.
Standing Poses are often considered 'Beginner Poses' because anyone can attempt them, but to do them correctly, is very challenging and highly rewarding!
After completing the Extended Triangle Pose step or jump back to Mountain Pose and centre yourself in preparation for the next pose in the Knoff Yoga Foundation Level Asana syllabus – Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana 1), which we will investigate next month!
Namaste
James E. Bryan E.R.Y.T. 500
We start from Mountain Pose (Tadasana) and jump out to the side – right or left, alternating each day of practice. We then have a triangle between the legs and a straight line with the two extended arms, hence the name Extended Triangle Pose.
The distance between the feet is spaced to create an even sided triangle – the distance between the feet matches the distance from the feet to the groins, so looking between the legs it is easy to see a balanced triangle configuration. Most students will initially have the distance between the legs too short, but occasionally some will be too wide. However, it is easy to see and easy to correct!
Assuming we are on a right day, we kick out the left heel 15 degrees (maintaining the centre line on the yoga mat through the centre of the foot). Simply lift the heel up and pivot on the ball of the big toe. We then turn out the right foot 90 degrees by lifting in the heel 45 degrees and lifting out the toes 45 degrees, so the right foot is also centered on the yoga mat line.
We apply Pada Bandha to the feet – spread the toes and lift up the arches of the feet. We co-contract the muscles in the legs and scissor the feet towards each other. These three techniques will provide a strong foundation to move further into the pose.
With an inhalation we extend (Utthita) the arms out in line with the shoulders (top of the wrists are in line with the top of the shoulders) and check to see that the middle finger of each hand is in line with the middle of the shoulders.
One of the greatest fears in life is 'Tuck Shop Arms', that is flabby under arms. Grandma waves goodbye and the hand stops, but the arms keeps flapping for a few more minutes!
Co-contract the arm muscles – hug all the muscles onto the bones and keep them firmly activated.
On an exhalation we flex the right hip and take the right hand down to the appropriate level. This could be on the lower leg or even the floor, depending on the hip mobility and hamstring length of the right side.
Keep the arms in line with each other, almost as if a bamboo stick has been tied across both wrists, preventing coming out of alignment with the arms.
As we move out to the right we keep the same upper body shape as in Mountain Pose, i.e. the sides of the trunk are even and the spine is straight. We are simply folding in the hip joint and the upper body stays the same – just tilted to the side.
Of course, the tendency is to bend off to the side and get the hand lower down the leg – to focus on the destination and not the journey!
You can easily check yourself: does the right side of the trunk (down side) match the left side (up side)? If you froze yourself in this position and then brought the trunk upright, would the trunk be in Mountain Pose?
Discipline yourself to only go as far as you can maintaining the Mountain Pose trunk. The goal is not to get the hand on the floor, but to deepen the body/mind connection.
As we move out and down to the side we keep our trunk in line with the line on the yoga mat. Look down for a moment, is your head on the inside of your leg? If yes, then gently press your hips forwards as you bring your chest back, so your trunk comes in line with your leg. Also your buttocks should not poke out! If your backside is pushed out behind you, then as you move your hips forwards, they will come into line.
Hold the Extended Triangle Pose for a minimum of 30 seconds and gradually build up to 1 minute per side. Train yourself to use your breath as a counter. While in the pose, focus on Ujjayi Pranayama, Mula and Uddiyana (minor) Bandhas and Drishti – look up along the left thumb.
Note we are not looking at the thumb, but using it to guide our eyes to the ceiling – in order to steady the eyes to focus the mind! When we come up to change sides, there is no need to look down at the floor first. Keep the eyes up and continue to look along the thumb when you lift the trunk back to standing – keeping the upper arm activated.
Inhale and stand up, keeping the activation in the feet, legs and arms. Exhale and reverse the feet. Inhale and activate the supporting techniques to prepare yourself to move to the other side. Exhale and go down to the left. Again holding from 30 seconds to 1 minute.
The Extended Triangle Pose falls under the asana category of 'Standing Poses', that is we do them standing on our feet. Standing Poses build strength in the legs and strong vitality in the body. They are also great for developing proprioception - the awareness of our body in space.
Standing Poses are often considered 'Beginner Poses' because anyone can attempt them, but to do them correctly, is very challenging and highly rewarding!
After completing the Extended Triangle Pose step or jump back to Mountain Pose and centre yourself in preparation for the next pose in the Knoff Yoga Foundation Level Asana syllabus – Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana 1), which we will investigate next month!
Namaste
James E. Bryan E.R.Y.T. 500
===========================
Quote
"Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it's dark.”
Zen Proverb
===========================
Yoga and Ayurveda - Two Sides of One Coin
by Mark Halpern
In our Western culture, many people use Yoga asana as a stretching tool to keep the body limber and agile. To this extent there is no better practice. Traditionally, however, Yoga postures are a part of a much greater spiritual journey. Yoga is a complete science of helping the mind to become clear or pure. A clear mind is not affected by stress and a clear mind produces a healthy body. While the health benefits of a mind at peace are irrefutable, what is even more exciting is that a person with a clear mind is also aware of their deeper spiritual nature or connection. We say in Ayurveda that all disease is the end result of forgetting our spiritual nature. Hence, Ayurveda and Yoga strive to help a person re-connect to their true nature through direct experience.
Yoga and Ayurveda are so closely related they are often looked at as two sides of one coin. In fact, Ayurveda is the healing side of Yoga, and Yoga is the spiritual side of Ayurveda. Together they encompass a complete approach to the well being of the body, the mind, and the spirit.
With even a little knowledge of Ayurveda, the practitioner of Hatha Yoga can refine their practice so that it is in harmony with their internal balance of energy. As with diet, herbs, aromas, etc., some Yoga postures are best for one person while others can cause greater imbalance. Knowledge of one's constitutional balance (a balance between, what is known in Ayurveda, as the Vata, Pitta, and Kapha doshas) can allow the Yoga practitioner to use asanas to improve their health and well being.
Those people with an imbalance in Vata dosha tend to experience greater lightness, coldness, and mobility. They may suffer from weight loss, immune weakness, constipation, cold hands and feet, and anxiety or nervousness. For these people, calming and grounding yoga poses are best. Standing postures such the tree pose (Vrksasana) and mountain pose (Tadasana) root the feet into the ground and reduce anxiety and nervousness. Poses which compress the pelvis such as seated forward bends (Pascimottanasana) aid in reducing constipation while strength poses such as the crane (Bakasana) aid circulation. Fast-paced poses such as repetitive sun salutations (Surya Nanaskar) performed rapidly, for example, may increase nervousness over time and poses performed without attention to detail in position may injure the joints. While the proper poses bring about balance, improper poses can cause greater imbalance.
Those people with an imbalance in the Pitta dosha tend to suffer from excess heat in their bodies. They feel warm and may have a multitude of skin conditions such as acne or psoriasis. They may also suffer from diarrhea, burning eyes, and liver weakness. Calming and cooling poses which compress the solar plexus help balance them, while poses which extend the solar plexus help dissipate heat in the body. Poses such as the cobra (Bhujangasana) and the bow (Dhanurasana) are examples of poses which dissipate excess heat. Those people of pitta imbalance need to avoid overheating themselves with their Yoga practice.
Those with a Kapha imbalance tend to experience excess heaviness, sluggishness, coldness, and dampness in their body. They suffer from congestion, weight gain, and lethargy. Stimulating, heating forms of Yoga suit their needs well. Aerobic forms are recommended though they should begin slowly and work their way up in aggressiveness. The sun salutation, as the name suggests is quite heating and performed with repetition, is perhaps the best Yoga sequence for Kapha imbalance. Its aerobic nature alleviates lethargy and assists with weight loss. Poses which extend or open the chest reduce congestion and aid breathing. These include the upward bow pose (Urdhva Dhanura) and the bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana). While meditative poses can be performed by those of Kapha nature or imbalance, they must always be balanced with active postures to avoid an increase in lethargy.
Yoga and Ayurveda are so closely related they are often looked at as two sides of one coin. In fact, Ayurveda is the healing side of Yoga, and Yoga is the spiritual side of Ayurveda. Together they encompass a complete approach to the well being of the body, the mind, and the spirit.
With even a little knowledge of Ayurveda, the practitioner of Hatha Yoga can refine their practice so that it is in harmony with their internal balance of energy. As with diet, herbs, aromas, etc., some Yoga postures are best for one person while others can cause greater imbalance. Knowledge of one's constitutional balance (a balance between, what is known in Ayurveda, as the Vata, Pitta, and Kapha doshas) can allow the Yoga practitioner to use asanas to improve their health and well being.
Those people with an imbalance in Vata dosha tend to experience greater lightness, coldness, and mobility. They may suffer from weight loss, immune weakness, constipation, cold hands and feet, and anxiety or nervousness. For these people, calming and grounding yoga poses are best. Standing postures such the tree pose (Vrksasana) and mountain pose (Tadasana) root the feet into the ground and reduce anxiety and nervousness. Poses which compress the pelvis such as seated forward bends (Pascimottanasana) aid in reducing constipation while strength poses such as the crane (Bakasana) aid circulation. Fast-paced poses such as repetitive sun salutations (Surya Nanaskar) performed rapidly, for example, may increase nervousness over time and poses performed without attention to detail in position may injure the joints. While the proper poses bring about balance, improper poses can cause greater imbalance.
Those people with an imbalance in the Pitta dosha tend to suffer from excess heat in their bodies. They feel warm and may have a multitude of skin conditions such as acne or psoriasis. They may also suffer from diarrhea, burning eyes, and liver weakness. Calming and cooling poses which compress the solar plexus help balance them, while poses which extend the solar plexus help dissipate heat in the body. Poses such as the cobra (Bhujangasana) and the bow (Dhanurasana) are examples of poses which dissipate excess heat. Those people of pitta imbalance need to avoid overheating themselves with their Yoga practice.
Those with a Kapha imbalance tend to experience excess heaviness, sluggishness, coldness, and dampness in their body. They suffer from congestion, weight gain, and lethargy. Stimulating, heating forms of Yoga suit their needs well. Aerobic forms are recommended though they should begin slowly and work their way up in aggressiveness. The sun salutation, as the name suggests is quite heating and performed with repetition, is perhaps the best Yoga sequence for Kapha imbalance. Its aerobic nature alleviates lethargy and assists with weight loss. Poses which extend or open the chest reduce congestion and aid breathing. These include the upward bow pose (Urdhva Dhanura) and the bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana). While meditative poses can be performed by those of Kapha nature or imbalance, they must always be balanced with active postures to avoid an increase in lethargy.
Yoga poses themselves are not a complete healing program. They are a part of a complete regimen for balancing the body and mind utilizing all of the components of Ayurveda, including proper diet, meditation, detoxification, rejuvenation and creating a harmonious lifestyle.
The individual who follows an Ayurvedic program is assured of creating an optimal environment in their body for healing to take place. In an optimal environment, the body can reach its greatest potential. We say in Ayurveda that where there is harmony there is health, where there is disharmony there is disease. Ayurveda and Yoga combine to lead a person on the path to perfect harmony and optimal health.
Patanjali, author of the Yoga Sutras , laid out the path for using Yoga as a guide to enlightenment. He said: "We must proceed gradually through all of the steps of yoga practice." Yoga postures are just one step of the process of preparing the body to be able to manage both the increase and the heightening of energy that occurs with spiritual practice. Asanas, along with proper lifestyle (including proper diet, disciplines, and restraints), are the foundations upon which spiritual growth can occur. Once the proper foundation has been achieved, the deeper practices can begin.
Both Yoga and Ayurveda incorporate meditation and breathing techniques in their practices. Meditation as a tool can be used both for healing as well as for spiritual awareness. While Ayurvedic techniques focus on the healing component of meditation, Yoga focuses on its spiritual components. Regardless of one's focus, meditation clears the mind and relaxes the body resulting in both healing and spiritual awareness.
There are many forms of meditation which act like tools helping the practitioner to achieve their desired end result. While some individuals resonate with one particular type more than others, for the most part meditative techniques are tools and all of them have value for the right person.
Healing ourselves with Yoga and Ayurveda is indeed a journey. It is not a quick fix or a magic pill. It heals us at the core of our nature, in essence, through the transformation of consciousness. It is a discipline in harmony with all of nature. As we practice, we grow and evolve as people. Stress is reduced, harmful emotions dissipate, sorrow is no longer, joy and peace return to our lives. Our internal energy builds and our eyes shine radiating the light that is life itself.
The individual who follows an Ayurvedic program is assured of creating an optimal environment in their body for healing to take place. In an optimal environment, the body can reach its greatest potential. We say in Ayurveda that where there is harmony there is health, where there is disharmony there is disease. Ayurveda and Yoga combine to lead a person on the path to perfect harmony and optimal health.
Patanjali, author of the Yoga Sutras , laid out the path for using Yoga as a guide to enlightenment. He said: "We must proceed gradually through all of the steps of yoga practice." Yoga postures are just one step of the process of preparing the body to be able to manage both the increase and the heightening of energy that occurs with spiritual practice. Asanas, along with proper lifestyle (including proper diet, disciplines, and restraints), are the foundations upon which spiritual growth can occur. Once the proper foundation has been achieved, the deeper practices can begin.
Both Yoga and Ayurveda incorporate meditation and breathing techniques in their practices. Meditation as a tool can be used both for healing as well as for spiritual awareness. While Ayurvedic techniques focus on the healing component of meditation, Yoga focuses on its spiritual components. Regardless of one's focus, meditation clears the mind and relaxes the body resulting in both healing and spiritual awareness.
There are many forms of meditation which act like tools helping the practitioner to achieve their desired end result. While some individuals resonate with one particular type more than others, for the most part meditative techniques are tools and all of them have value for the right person.
Healing ourselves with Yoga and Ayurveda is indeed a journey. It is not a quick fix or a magic pill. It heals us at the core of our nature, in essence, through the transformation of consciousness. It is a discipline in harmony with all of nature. As we practice, we grow and evolve as people. Stress is reduced, harmful emotions dissipate, sorrow is no longer, joy and peace return to our lives. Our internal energy builds and our eyes shine radiating the light that is life itself.
"Who burns with the bliss and suffers the sorrow of every creature within his own heart, making his own each bliss and each sorrow. Him I hold highest of the yogis."
Bhagavad Gita translated by Swami Pravhavanada.
Bhagavad Gita translated by Swami Pravhavanada.
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AFTER THE EXCTASY - THE LAUNDRY
by Jack Kornfield
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For almost everyone who practices, cycles of awakening and openness are followed by periods of fear and contraction. Times of profound peace and newfound love are often overtaken by periods of loss, by closing up, fear, or the discovery of betrayal, only to be followed again by equanimity or joy. In mysterious ways the heart reveals itself to be like a flower that opens and closes. This is our nature.
The only surprising thing is how unexpected this truth can be. It is as if deep down we all hope that some experience, some great realization, enough years of dedicated practice, might finally lift us beyond the touch of life, beyond the mundane struggles of the world. We cling to some hope that in spiritual life we can rise above the wounds of our human pain, never to have to suffer them again. We expect some experience to last. But permanence is not true freedom, not the sure heart's release.
Says one Western lama, "What became clear is that spiritual practice is only what you're doing now. Anything else is a fantasy."
Every wise voyager learns that we cannot hold on to the last port of call, no matter how beautiful. To do so would be like holding our breath, creating a prison from our past. As one Zen master puts it:
"Enlightenment is only the beginning, is only a step of the journey. You can't cling to that as a new identity or you're in immediate trouble. You have to get back down into the messy business of life, to engage with life for years afterward. Only then can you integrate what you have learned. Only then can you learn perfect trust."
Quote
"If you can go through life without experiencing pain you probably haven't been born yet."
Neil Simon
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Guest Authors
Do you want to contribute an article about Yoga for today's world?
To submit an article for review, attach it to your e-mail and send it to: james@knoffyoga.com
Feel free to pass this newsletter on to your friends
===========================
Knoff Yoga ©
AFTER THE EXCTASY - THE LAUNDRY
by Jack Kornfield
For almost everyone who practices, cycles of awakening and openness are followed by periods of fear and contraction. Times of profound peace and newfound love are often overtaken by periods of loss, by closing up, fear, or the discovery of betrayal, only to be followed again by equanimity or joy. In mysterious ways the heart reveals itself to be like a flower that opens and closes. This is our nature.
The only surprising thing is how unexpected this truth can be. It is as if deep down we all hope that some experience, some great realization, enough years of dedicated practice, might finally lift us beyond the touch of life, beyond the mundane struggles of the world. We cling to some hope that in spiritual life we can rise above the wounds of our human pain, never to have to suffer them again. We expect some experience to last. But permanence is not true freedom, not the sure heart's release.
Says one Western lama, "What became clear is that spiritual practice is only what you're doing now. Anything else is a fantasy."
Every wise voyager learns that we cannot hold on to the last port of call, no matter how beautiful. To do so would be like holding our breath, creating a prison from our past. As one Zen master puts it:
"Enlightenment is only the beginning, is only a step of the journey. You can't cling to that as a new identity or you're in immediate trouble. You have to get back down into the messy business of life, to engage with life for years afterward. Only then can you integrate what you have learned. Only then can you learn perfect trust."
Like the monk in the ox-herding pictures [a traditional Zen parable], most of us have to reenter the marketplace to fulfill our realization. As we come down from the mountain, we may be shocked to find how easily our old habits wait for us, like comfortable and familiar clothes. Even if our transformation is great and we feel peaceful and unshakable, some part of our return will inevitably test us. We may become confused about what to do with our life, and how to live in our family or society. We may worry how our spiritual life can fit into our ordinary way of being, our ordinary work. We may want to run away, to go back to the simplicity of the retreat or the temple. But something important has pulled us back to the world, and the difficult transition is part of it.
One lama remembers:
"When I came back it was as if my 12 years of experiences in India and Tibet were a dream. The memory and value of those transcendental experiences was in some way a dream challenged by the culture shock of returning to my family and to work in the West. Old patterns came back surprisingly quickly. I got irritable, confused. I wasn't taking care of my body, I worried about money, about relationship. At the worst point I feared that I was losing what I had learned. Then I realized I couldn't live in some enlightened memory. What became clear is that spiritual practice is only what you're doing now. Anything else is a fantasy."
The integration of spiritual experience is a process of many years. After a three-month silent insight meditation, retreat participants are cautioned to expect 12 months of transition states, of joys and disappointments and newfound wisdom, as they learn to take into their lives all they have seen. The rule of thumb for those who have been in a monastery or traveled to Asia is that 5, 10, 15 years away usually mean 5 or 10 years of transition just to reestablish one's life in a whole and grounded way.
One insight meditation teacher tells of five-year cycles. Her first five years of intensive practice opened her to a vast inner world of profound, liberating understandings.
"It's as if my heart absolutely needed that stability and nourishment before I could begin to touch the grief of my past. But then when it finally came up, the next five years was the opposite. The well of pain and agony was equal to the ecstasy of the years before. I guess I had to have both."
In a similar spirit, a Christian contemplative abbess found an enormous grace on first entering her monastery, but then a cycle of difficult practice arrived.
"The life of our community was simple and sane, and I threw myself into it with all my love and energy. I did this with all the skill of a very strongly formed and defended personality. Deep prayer and meditation experiences sustained me for a long time. After some years I felt I could trust the community, so I rested for a breather. Around this time, one of the older sisters died. I had been close to her, and it triggered a succession of memories: the death of my twin brother at our birth, the near-death of my mother, the distance, hatred, and loss of my father. I realized how split off my life had been because of my sorrow. I saw that even in the monastic community I had lived on the surface, had been running from the grief and emptiness. I finally stopped. That realization started years of healing work to find the place where the grief, the monastery, the pain of my own life, and the pain of the world could be held in the same sacred heart."
Ordinary cycles of opening and closing are necessary medicine for our heart's integration. In some cases, though, there are not just cycles, there is a crash. As far as we ascend, so far can we fall. This too needs to be included in our maps of spiritual life, honored as one more part of the great cycle.
A Zen koan...is asked of students who have experienced a first awakening: "A clearly enlightened person falls in the well. How is this so?" One Zen master reminds his students, "After any powerful spiritual experience, there is an inevitable descent, a struggle to embody what we have seen." The well we fall into can be created by clinging to our experience and spiritual ideals or by holding inflated ideas about our teachers, our path, or our self. The well can be the unfinished business of our psychological and emotional life--an unwillingness to acknowledge our own shadow, to include the human needs, the pain, and the darkness that we carry, to see that we always have one foot in the dark. As bright as it is, the universe also needs us to open to its other side.
One lama remembers:
"When I came back it was as if my 12 years of experiences in India and Tibet were a dream. The memory and value of those transcendental experiences was in some way a dream challenged by the culture shock of returning to my family and to work in the West. Old patterns came back surprisingly quickly. I got irritable, confused. I wasn't taking care of my body, I worried about money, about relationship. At the worst point I feared that I was losing what I had learned. Then I realized I couldn't live in some enlightened memory. What became clear is that spiritual practice is only what you're doing now. Anything else is a fantasy."
The integration of spiritual experience is a process of many years. After a three-month silent insight meditation, retreat participants are cautioned to expect 12 months of transition states, of joys and disappointments and newfound wisdom, as they learn to take into their lives all they have seen. The rule of thumb for those who have been in a monastery or traveled to Asia is that 5, 10, 15 years away usually mean 5 or 10 years of transition just to reestablish one's life in a whole and grounded way.
One insight meditation teacher tells of five-year cycles. Her first five years of intensive practice opened her to a vast inner world of profound, liberating understandings.
"It's as if my heart absolutely needed that stability and nourishment before I could begin to touch the grief of my past. But then when it finally came up, the next five years was the opposite. The well of pain and agony was equal to the ecstasy of the years before. I guess I had to have both."
In a similar spirit, a Christian contemplative abbess found an enormous grace on first entering her monastery, but then a cycle of difficult practice arrived.
"The life of our community was simple and sane, and I threw myself into it with all my love and energy. I did this with all the skill of a very strongly formed and defended personality. Deep prayer and meditation experiences sustained me for a long time. After some years I felt I could trust the community, so I rested for a breather. Around this time, one of the older sisters died. I had been close to her, and it triggered a succession of memories: the death of my twin brother at our birth, the near-death of my mother, the distance, hatred, and loss of my father. I realized how split off my life had been because of my sorrow. I saw that even in the monastic community I had lived on the surface, had been running from the grief and emptiness. I finally stopped. That realization started years of healing work to find the place where the grief, the monastery, the pain of my own life, and the pain of the world could be held in the same sacred heart."
Ordinary cycles of opening and closing are necessary medicine for our heart's integration. In some cases, though, there are not just cycles, there is a crash. As far as we ascend, so far can we fall. This too needs to be included in our maps of spiritual life, honored as one more part of the great cycle.
A Zen koan...is asked of students who have experienced a first awakening: "A clearly enlightened person falls in the well. How is this so?" One Zen master reminds his students, "After any powerful spiritual experience, there is an inevitable descent, a struggle to embody what we have seen." The well we fall into can be created by clinging to our experience and spiritual ideals or by holding inflated ideas about our teachers, our path, or our self. The well can be the unfinished business of our psychological and emotional life--an unwillingness to acknowledge our own shadow, to include the human needs, the pain, and the darkness that we carry, to see that we always have one foot in the dark. As bright as it is, the universe also needs us to open to its other side.
From "After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path"
by Jack Kornfield.
by Jack Kornfield.
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Quote
"If you can go through life without experiencing pain you probably haven't been born yet."
Neil Simon
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