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| I'm always amazed by Maui's inspirational sunsets |
Family and friends who know me well will not be surprised by my admission of laziness. “Conserving energy” has always been one of my highest priorities. Nowadays, however, I don’t think of myself as lazy. Instead, I try to cultivate awareness of when it's time to rest, and recognize and honor this need fully and with mindfulness.
Part of my yoga teacher training was a daily practice of recording time spent on my work, leisure, activities and exercise. Because I was also becoming hyper-aware of my body, breath and mind during this period, I found that I could actually work harder than anyone (myself included) predicted. But it was my blooming self-knowledge of when to rest that really made the effort possible. I trained myself to calmly reach for my edge on every breath and if I heard my breathing change from long and smooth I learned to safely pull back or even stop what I was doing. Balancing effort and ease is at the heart of what we studied in Patanjali's Yoga Sūtras during my first training.
My next step has been simply applying this mindful awareness to every conscious moment of my life. I say simply, because it's our simplest chores that often put our bodies at risk. Gardening is a favorite activity and also one in which I find myself easily entering into a meditative state. By really focusing on my breath awareness (instead of slipping into lala land) I notice when I'm not physically supporting my breath with correct body alignment. So I catch myself before I even have a chance to harm my body. I use this practice throughout the day: knitting, washing the dishes, sitting at my computer, playing with the dogs, driving...the list is as varied as my day. And finally, I've learned that when I continually slip from my safe, focused state that it's time to take a break.
After work, I relax and recharge. I’m really a natural at this, but I’ve gotten even better by varying my styles of relaxation. This is just one way the inspirational power of Maui and my yoga practice have changed me. I am incredibly lucky to live in an island jungle oasis with kind and loving o’hana. I’m also blessed to have the opportunity to share Patanjali’s yoga teachings. If you’re on Maui, please join me for group class in Ha’iku and safely find your own edge of balancing effort and ease. I promise you’ll also have an opportunity to explore your most relaxing śavāsana ever. ☺
