It's incredible how some of us can go through life and not be AWARE-clear, sensitive, and conscious of life's individual moments and of the being's in our life's- of what is really going on around us. Up until I had my son, the concept of being aware had not even surfaced in my frame of thinking; but once I became a mama the word totally came to life for me. As much as I'd experienced, loved, lost, conquered, traveled, accomplished, dreamed, wished, etc., for 28 years i'd been sleep walking. Quite a feat considering what i've gone through and even though hard times have not stopped knocking 'round here, the ride has been much less turbulent now that I'm aware of life...One of the many important pieces to the puzzle that is my life is my yoga practice, even if I only devote 10 minutes a day to it (some days that's about all the time I have for myself) it brings me a deep sense of harmony and you guessed it awareness ;-). It helps me connect a little deeper to my body (muscles, tendons, bones hard at work), my consciousness, my loved ones, to the broader world around me, and to God. Seems like a lot from such a seemingly simple act; that is the irony of life.
Yogajournal recently had a good post on Yoga and Awareness, it's an insightful yet quick read. I'm copying and pasting from my email, I can't seem to link directly to the article, only the website. You can access the website by clicking on the title above.
Be Inspired
Our asana practice can have a positive impact on our lives because it constantly asks us to become more sensitive, more conscious, and more aware of our bodies, minds, feelings, and emotions. As our sensitivity increases, life becomes more rich and enjoyable because we can taste the unique flavor of each individual moment. More important, we also become more aware of what moves us toward our dharma, or life path, and what takes us away from it. This awareness makes us clearer and more peaceful, more able to elegantly handle life's endless dilemmas without feeling overwhelmed or fearful. As a result, we become more effective in all of our actions, and our presence begins to inspire and bring out the best in people around us.
The awareness that we develop on the yoga mat, though seemingly small, affects all that is. As we become more aware in our yoga practice and in our lives, as we move away from force and violence and toward sensitivity, feeling, and awareness, we change our individual consciousness and actions. In turn, these changes influence the consciousness and the actions of everyone we meet. Slowly, we shift the direction the world is taking. As we practice each asana, whether it be a challenging twist such as Ardha Matsyendrasana II (Half Lord of the Fishes II Pose) or a simple standing pose such as Tadasana (Mountain Pose), we have the opportunity to become the embodiment of peace and to make our practice a prayer for harmony in the world.
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