8-29-10 Patience is a Virtue.
What is patience, and what is a virtue? We have all heard or said this before, but what does it mean? Patience is a state of endurance under difficult circumstances; the idea that we can wait. A virtue is a trait or quality deemed to be morally excellent that originates in your inner most thoughts and desires. It is a pattern of thought based on high moral standards. In Greek philosophy we learn the four basic virtues from Plato: temperance, prudence, fortitude, and justice. Aristotle defined virtue as a balanced point between deficiency and excess, the golden mean. Courage between cowardice and foolhardiness; confidence between self deprecation and vanity; generosity between miserliness and extravagence. The Golden Mean, The Golden Rule. Examples of virtues: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, dignity, justice, prudence, wholesomeness, truthfulness, moderation, cleanliness, non-violence.
(wikipedia.com)
Virtues are traits that in-born in all of us, we just need to awaken those qualities to live them.
Class began with viparni karni (legs up the wall) for five minutes. Breath awareness. Inhale and flex your feet, drawing your tailbone done to the earth; exhale and point your toes and release. Repeat at your own pace. Gentle welcoming followed while seated in Virasana on two blocks. Find a nice elongated spine, crown floating above tail, lengthening the side body, opening the heart. 3 OM's and virtue discussion. Pick a virtue that you want to work on or that you would like to create more of in your life. As you inhale, say that virtue to yourself and as you exhale, repeat the virtue. Example: Inhale patience, exhale patience. Slowly and evenly for several rounds.
Table/cat/cow connecting movements with breath. Adho Mukha Svanasana, peddle the feet, hip circles, whatever feels natural to your body. Welcome downdog into your practice with a playful attitude. Ripple body forward into plank, back and forth three times. Uttanasana > Ardha Uttanasana. Sun salutations -
Surya Namaskar (continued prep for global mala) 3 rounds moving through the poses like moving through water, graceful and full of intention. Then, break down all poses and hold for three breaths: Tadasana, Urdhva Hastasana, Uttanasana, Ardha Uttanasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, plank, Astangasana, Bhujangasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Uttanasana, Urdhva Hastasana, Tadasana with hands at heart in Namaskar. Balasana nine breaths, let it all go, come back to the breath. Virabhadrasana II > Trikonasana > Ardha Chandrasana. Vrksasana > Natarajasana. Dandasana > Paschimottonasana. Then viniyoga moving through staff pose, exhale and curl spine until almost laying down, then inhale forward to a forward bend and then inhale lift the arms up, exhale lower arms, inhale repeat three times. Work that core! Navel to spine. Navasana prep, hold behind the thighs with bent knees. Lay back, relax, then sit on hands and 10 leg lifts at your own pace. Knees into chest on back, give yourself a big hug, roll to both sides. Then hands to knees, draw circles on the ceiling with your knees, both directions. Another big hug. Jathara Parvrittonasana. Savasana with crystal bowl meditation.
He who follows the Tao
Is at one with the Tao.
He who is virtuous
Experiences virtue.
He who loses the way
Feels lost.
When you are at one with the Tao
The Tao welcomes you.
When you are one with virtue
The virtue is always there.
Ch 23 Tao Te Ching
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