Thoughts on Yoga
To Yoga or Not to Yoga
2008-03-13
The seduction of daily life is intense. Our lives are in a constant state of incompletion. Somehow we manage to muddle through it all. Let's face it-we're never going to get it all done.
When in the midst of daily-ness I weigh the option of doing some yoga or meditation, I often carry out this debate in my mind: Will I be better off doing my practice today (which is what wakes me up from the spell of daily-ness and makes me really effective) or should I just skip it, buckle down and try to get some extra things done?
In those moments I imagine I will feel more serene and in control if I skip my practice, put my nose to the grindstone and thereby dispatch all the important and pressing issues of the day. (Has anyone ever really succeeded in dispatching all the important and pressing issues of the day? I always go to bed without finishing everything.) Then I picture myself feeling harried and upset because I did my practice and in so doing wasted my precious time cultivating energy, discernment and inner peace. You see how the mind can be like a twisted house of mirrors? You can't trust what it tells you sometimes.
I honestly couldn't get as much done if I didn't practice yoga and/or meditation every day. Believe me I have tried again and again to save time by skipping practice. But it just doesn't work. In the end I get more tired, less effective, and less happy. My mind and body just don't have as much stamina when I don't nourish myself with the deep peace and prana (life energy) that only comes from practicing yoga and meditation.
If you want to enjoy the peace and energy I am talking about you just have to put first things first. Do some practice or go to class every day. Get your mind and heart aligned with inspiration, and then do your best with the messiness of daily life. You'll have more energy and time to get important things done when you take time out of your day to connect with yoga.