I'm just not that inspired today. I have no idea why, wish I was. I have the energy and I'm ready to go, but no matter how determined I am the creativity just won't flow... and I love to flow. For some reason my body is moving at a lower energy level, and given my usual stamina that strikes me as a sign to move a little slower today. There are so many ways to go through the day, so many choices to be made and paths to take that if you are always rushing through, you forget to take time to understand what you are doing. In my daily activity as well as my personal practice I often enjoy taking the scenic route, strolling through, observing sights and sounds, and allowing myself to fully experience each moment. Unfortunately, I am not always afforded that luxury and I tend to spend my afternoons zigzagging around the underground city in a metal box filled with faces I likely will never see again, so, when I do find the time I try to savor it.
Given that today is my "day off", the only day I do not have a regularly scheduled class and have no recurring plans, I have decided to attend to tasks at home, primarily focusing on self study and research. As I said I do not feel inspired, and to me that means that it is time to reflect, to learn and to find a quiet focus. Its hard not to give in to the desire to load every second with activity, but time is not necessarily always meant to be filled and in always doing so it becomes hard to see the moment for what it is, for what you can learn from it and how you can gracefully move through it. I allowed myself to begin my day slowly, and in doing so it unfolded into a peaceful sequence of steady progressions, allowing me to accomplish all of those little tasks I put off simply because I never remember to do them at a convenient time. And while maybe I didn't erect the world's next masterpiece, I did use my hands to create something new and perhaps this entry did not come easily, but at least it has been written and in writing it, I have found a bit of understanding.
A common challenge I face as a teacher is a students desire to move faster than their body should on that particular day or during that specific time in their life. The need to feel accomplished outweighs the time necessary to observe and absorb, to comprehend and then properly apply the information that is given to us in every instant of the day. In practice, is important to slow down the motions whenever you have the chance in order to properly translate the messages of our bodies, both physical and subtle. The next time you move through a sun salutation, slow it down so much that you need to engage your entire being in order to continue moving strongly through space. You will see that it actually requires more energy and power to flow slowly than it does to speed through at the rate most of us have grown accustomed to.
On days like this, I prefer a more linear practice, moving slowly through Surya Namaskar A and focusing primarily on forward bends, standing balances, and isometric strengthening, taking the time in both posture and transition to access and activate from finger tips to toes and then circling back around. I practice the postures that require more detailed concentration than the average hour long class will allow. The bends calm my mind and the balances harness my focus so that I can culminate strongly in a safely supported inversion practice. Rather than feeling exhausted from forced effort my slow motions and concentrated attention leave me feeling strong and replenished and ready for another day.
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