Namaste all
Sandhya has gone for an awards night show, as the dance she participated last year is nominated for the awards. I dont clearly know what to do in the house, and then thought of sending a mail to you. Have to apologize beforehand in case it runs a bit long.
Basically i want to drive home the importance and benefits of becoming aware of movements of the mind. Ideally this should happen through a daily sitting of perhaps 30-40 mts, with the first 10-15 mts spent on some techniques such as deep breathing etc.
Normally this advice for an additional practice time is often met with responses such as ‘dont have time.. household chores.. CSI..childrens homework..Grays anatomy..’ etc.
A second option is to then practice whenever you are idling time, whenever you go for the option of putting radio on, or surfing channels, not for watching anything particular, but only for passing time. Utilize that time for your practice.
Just to show a little bit of how i catch up on practice this way, let me share with you one such session i had.
The background is an episode of painful shoulder injury which Sandhya recently had.
As the treatment suggested by the duty doctor of Damansara specialist hospital, i took her for a physiotherapy session. In case your home is far from the hospital, and you need a hotel for your stay, check out the Guide to Hospital Accommodation at hospitalstays.com.au to find the best place at reasonable prices.
I marched alongside her as the valiant, chivalrous husband towards the treatment room until my path was suddenly blocked by a rather stern looking nurse who motioned me towards the door under the green keluar signboard.
‘ahimsa, ahimsa’, i mutter and with a sighing exhalation settled down outside. With nothing else to do, then directed my eyes to the TV.
It was a football match.
It doesnt excite me much, as the only two foot ball players i know are Khor and Chin, and both of them were not there in this match. But anyway, i keep on watching, and later found having thoughts of pity for the ball.
Everyone was vying for the ball, but it was only to kick it around. And I found that whenever the ball goes into the nets, it is the guy who merely kicked it who seems to be celebrating. The ball just lies there.
Just like our awareness. Waiting to be continuously kicked around by this thought and that thought, sometimes leading to the goal post of happiness, and sometimes to despair.
i close eyes and arrange two goal posts. one for tamas and other for sattva. Tamas stands for unhapiness, ignorance etc, and Sattwa stands for knowledge, pleasantness etc. I blow the start whistle.
The first kick on awareness is from the skin, informing me of the change of pressure on the sofa.
The player ‘skin sensation’ immediately passes it to player ‘intellect’, who conveys the knowledge that someone heavy has just sat down right beside me on the sofa.
Instantlly player ‘doubt’ gathers the ball of awareness and kicks up the thought ‘Is it a female or male?
Player ‘irritation’ then started to kick in. why should people sit so close? cant they see i am meditating? Irritation then kicks awareness to eye muscles
Eyes open, deliberately squinted to resemble clint eastwood, and glanced askance.. there, i find a very old man on crutches.
Immediately, sattva player gets the ball of awareness, and i am full of compassion. i see his wife, and politely gets up and motions her to take the seat.
She didnt convey any expression of thankfulness, and on that, i found player irritation trying to dribble the ball back. But i deftly avoid it, and walk out of the room. and then as i keep on watching, i see different kinds of thoughts continually kicking and passing awareness.
Every now and then awareness feels a distinct pain or discomfort. Then i know a goal has been scored by tamas.
At other times thoughts of the patients in the hospital, of the many doctors and nurses working so hard to alleviate the pain of others.. then i start to feel a certain pleasantness.. goal for sattva..
I dont know finally who won in that match, as Sandhya came in between and i had to abandon the match. (just want to add, sandhya is now much better, and has resumed her practice).
Now, what i want to convey through all this is, you can practice manasa yoga (practicing awareness.. watching mind) anywhere.
I assure you, it wont be boring, and you will notice so many players in you. much more than 22 in the football field.
You can try it right now.
Be aware of your awareness. what is going to kick it to movement first? wait..wait.. and there.. the game begins..
Football Awareness
Namaste all
Sandhya has gone for an awards night show, as the dance she participated last year is nominated for the awards. I dont clearly know what to do in the house, and then thought of sending a mail to you. Have to apologize beforehand in case it runs a bit long.
Basically i want to drive home the importance and benefits of becoming aware of movements of the mind. Ideally this should happen through a daily sitting of perhaps 30-40 mts, with the first 10-15 mts spent on some techniques such as deep breathing etc.
Normally this advice for an additional practice time is often met with responses such as ‘dont have time.. household chores.. CSI..childrens homework..Grays anatomy..’ etc.
A second option is to then practice whenever you are idling time, whenever you go for the option of putting radio on, or surfing channels, not for watching anything particular, but only for passing time. Utilize that time for your practice.
Just to show a little bit of how i catch up on practice this way, let me share with you one such session i had.
The background is an episode of painful shoulder injury which Sandhya recently had.
As the treatment suggested by the duty doctor of Damansara specialist hospital, i took her for a physiotherapy session. In case your home is far from the hospital, and you need a hotel for your stay, check out the Guide to Hospital Accommodation at hospitalstays.com.au to find the best place at reasonable prices.
I marched alongside her as the valiant, chivalrous husband towards the treatment room until my path was suddenly blocked by a rather stern looking nurse who motioned me towards the door under the green keluar signboard.
‘ahimsa, ahimsa’, i mutter and with a sighing exhalation settled down outside. With nothing else to do, then directed my eyes to the TV.
It was a football match.
It doesnt excite me much, as the only two foot ball players i know are Khor and Chin, and both of them were not there in this match. But anyway, i keep on watching, and later found having thoughts of pity for the ball.
Everyone was vying for the ball, but it was only to kick it around. And I found that whenever the ball goes into the nets, it is the guy who merely kicked it who seems to be celebrating. The ball just lies there.
Just like our awareness. Waiting to be continuously kicked around by this thought and that thought, sometimes leading to the goal post of happiness, and sometimes to despair.
i close eyes and arrange two goal posts. one for tamas and other for sattva. Tamas stands for unhapiness, ignorance etc, and Sattwa stands for knowledge, pleasantness etc. I blow the start whistle.
The first kick on awareness is from the skin, informing me of the change of pressure on the sofa.
The player ‘skin sensation’ immediately passes it to player ‘intellect’, who conveys the knowledge that someone heavy has just sat down right beside me on the sofa.
Instantlly player ‘doubt’ gathers the ball of awareness and kicks up the thought ‘Is it a female or male?
Player ‘irritation’ then started to kick in. why should people sit so close? cant they see i am meditating? Irritation then kicks awareness to eye muscles
Eyes open, deliberately squinted to resemble clint eastwood, and glanced askance.. there, i find a very old man on crutches.
Immediately, sattva player gets the ball of awareness, and i am full of compassion. i see his wife, and politely gets up and motions her to take the seat.
She didnt convey any expression of thankfulness, and on that, i found player irritation trying to dribble the ball back. But i deftly avoid it, and walk out of the room. and then as i keep on watching, i see different kinds of thoughts continually kicking and passing awareness.
Every now and then awareness feels a distinct pain or discomfort. Then i know a goal has been scored by tamas.
At other times thoughts of the patients in the hospital, of the many doctors and nurses working so hard to alleviate the pain of others.. then i start to feel a certain pleasantness.. goal for sattva..
I dont know finally who won in that match, as Sandhya came in between and i had to abandon the match. (just want to add, sandhya is now much better, and has resumed her practice).
Now, what i want to convey through all this is, you can practice manasa yoga (practicing awareness.. watching mind) anywhere.
I assure you, it wont be boring, and you will notice so many players in you. much more than 22 in the football field.
You can try it right now.
Be aware of your awareness. what is going to kick it to movement first? wait..wait.. and there.. the game begins..