Harmony

10-17-10 Harmony.

   Duke Ai asked, "What do you mean by achieving full harmony?"
   Confucius said, "Life and death, profit and loss, failure and success, poverty and wealth, value and worthlessness, praise and blame, hunger and thirst, cold and heat - these are the natural changes in the order of things.  They alternate with one another like day and night.  No one knows where one ends and the other begins.  Therefore, they should not disturb our peace or enter our souls.  Live so that you are at ease, in harmony with the world and full of joy.  Day and night share the springtime with all things, thus creating the seasons in your own heart.  This is called achieving full harmony."
   "And what is this lack of ourtward manifestations of virture?"
   "Confucius said, "Balance is the perfect state of still water.  Let water be our model.  It remains quiet within and is not disturbed on the surface.  Virtue is the attainment of perfect harmony.  Because virtue has no outward form, nothing can escape from it."
                                                                        -Ch 5 Signs of Full Virtue, Inner Chapters by Chuang Tsu

The mind is a part of nature and is bound to change.  Perfection in action harms none and benfits one.

Reading with students in Salamba Baddha Konasana (supported bound angle pose).  Baddha Konasana stretches the inner groins and the inner thighs.  Strengthens the lower back and spinal muscles.  Relax here and come to the breath.  Be aware of any unnecessary effort and let it go.  3 OM's and Om Namah Shivah Gurave chant call and response in Sukhasana (easy seat).  Simple seated twist, Baddha Konasana, Janu Sirsasana (head to knee pose), Marichyasana I (sage twist).  Table, cat/cow, Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog), Uttanasana (forward bend), Adho Mukha Svanasana, Balasana (child's pose), table, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Uttanasana, Tadasana (mountain pose), Urdhva Hastasana (upward facing palms pose), Surya Namaskara (sun salutations).  Plank, Bhujangasana (cobra pose), Ardha Bekasana (halfway frog  pose), Bekasana, Dhanurasana (bow pose).  Hug knees into stomach lying on back moving into cool-down, ankle to knee pose, happy baby, Jathara Parvrittanasana (reclining twist), Savasana (corpse pose) with guided relaxation.

"Live so that you are at ease, in harmony with the world, and full of joy." -Confucius