12-26-10 Living in the Present.
With the holidays come and gone, our stomachs and our hearts are happy. Let us fill our Selves with this peace and savor every moment. Live with gratitude.
Class began with Salamba Baddha Konasana (supported bound angle pose) with two bolsters in a "t" and a belt around the sacrum, over the thighs and under the feet to support the groins. Blocks and/or blankets for under the knees if necessary to support the knees. Feel weightless. Come to the breath.
Reading from Sri Swami Satchidananda's To Know Your Self, p. 194-196
"Once a man named Alnasur went to the market where he was given the opportunity to do an ordinary laborer's job by picking up some things, carrying them to another place, and putting them down. He was given five dollars. That was the most he had ever had in his hand at one time. 'My goodness, what shall I do?' he thought. 'Let me buy some eggs from this market with these five dollars, take them home to my village, and sell them.' So he bought the eggs, arranged them in a well-padded basket, put the basket on his head, and began walking home.
"After a while he became tired, and he sat down to rest with the package nearby. Even on his way, he had been dreaming, 'When I get back, I'll sell these in my little village where they don't have such fine eggs. I can easily sell these for double the price, and make ten dollars - a one hundred percent profit!' He was so excited by this prospect that he got up and walked until he was tired again. Again he put the basket down in front of him, leaned back to rest, continuing to dream, "With the ten dollars I'll return to the market and get ten dollars worth of eggs, return to the village, sell them, and get twenty dollars. But with that twenty dollars, I won't buy eggs. That's menial business. I'll buy something more desired in the towns, return and sell it - maybe for triple this time, because with the eggs I can only make one hundred percent. If I buy some cosmetics, I can easily make 300 to 400 percent.
"He sat there leaning against a tree with the basket near and continued to dream. In his dream he very soon made several thousand dollars. He became a rich man, and he said, "Now that I'm really very rich, I can't just live alone. Naturally I should look for a beautiful girl to marry. And no doubt when they all see how wealthy I am, Mirastar, the richest man in town, will come and offer his lovely daughter to me. After a little hesitation on my part, I will marry her. Then, of course, she'll give me a nice baby. When I come from the office she will bring me the baby to play with. Sometimes I might come home a little tired, and if she brings the baby, I'll just say 'Oh I'm too tired. I don't want the baby now. Take him away.' If she says, 'No, please be with him now', and insists, I will insist too. 'No, no, no, I am too tired.' If she continues to insist, I will just kick her out - like this. And Alnasur kicked so hard that his foot went into the basket of eggs and broke them.
"That's the story of Alnasur. By seeking benefits in the future, we can't live well in the present. I'm not saying building castles in the sky is never good at all. If you build constructive castles with good ideas, just one step at a time, it can be useful to you. A little expectation is good for your motivation. But don't insist on some personal beneift or you will be easily disappointed and frustrated. As the beautiful hymn says: Just one step is enough for me. Let me not go all the way. Just show me the next couple of steps and when I go there I'll be ready to see further.
"The joy of doing a job well is the best reward. Nobody can take that satisfaction away from you. If you wait to be satisfied by results, you are certainly going to be dissatisfied. That's why in many situations, no matter how small or large, people become disturbed and unhappy as they move toward their objective. If you are ever disturbed by such emotion - or by the excitement of anticipation - know that you are not being a Karma Yogi at that moment.
"As a Karma Yogi, you act without attachment to the fruits of your labors. Your actions are performed just for the joy of performing them - not for later benefits. Your mind is in the present, and your actions are perfect. Your service is for God or all of humanity. As a Karma Yogi, you must pay even more attention to detail than the most miserly businessperson does. You must do a job ten times better than the person who is sowing seeds of karma.
"People who act with their mind on the future benefits don't even think about what they are doing. Thus they lose efficiency. Go slow, be steady. If you think fast, you lose all your power. Don't even think about the fruits. If some fruit comes to you, you may certainly taste it, but don't reach for it. Do one thing at a time. Concentrate your efforts."
Seated in Sukhasana (easy seat) 3 Om's and one round of Om Namah Shivah Gurave Satchidananda Mortaye Nishprapanchaaya Shantaya Niralambaya Tejase - The guru is auspicousness, embodiment of truth, knowledge, bliss. Salutations to the one who is above the worlds, peaceful, independent and radiant.
Table, Cat/Cow, Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog), lunge, high lunge, Virabhadrasana I (warrior I), Adho Mukha Svanasana, Virabhadrasana II (warrior II), Trikonasana (triangle pose) at the wall and on the mat, Parsarita Padattonasana (wide legged forward bend), Uttanasana (standing forward bend), Tadasana (mountain pose). Dandasana (staff pose), Paschimottanasana (west back stretch), Marchiyasana I (sage twist) two ways, Ardha Matysendrasana (half lord of fishes pose), hip cradle and circles, foot massage, ankle circles, Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose), Savasana (corpse pose) with guided relaxation. Played the solar plexus crystal chakra bowl coming out of Savasana.
Ending reading refers to beginning reading from Sri Swami Satchidananda:
"People who act with their mind on the future benefits don't even think about what they are doing. Thus they lose efficiency. Go slow, be steady. If you think fast, you lose all your power. Don't even think about the fruits. If some fruit comes to you, you may certainly taste it, but don't reach for it. Do one thing at a time. Concentrate your efforts."
Ending peace chants:
Asato Maa Sad Gamaya Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya Mrityor Maa Amritam Gamaya - Lead us from unreal to real. Lead us from darkness to the light. Lead us from the fear of death to the knowledge of Immortality.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
Lokaah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu - May the entire universe be blessed with peace and joy, love and light.
Namaste.
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