With gratitude, M-san, for the peace and quiet.
Despite the unexpected sounds, despite my growling stomach, despite all the unexpected and amusing disturbances,
I was not disturbed – not at all. I felt like that newborn baby tightly swaddled in a blanket… yes, that feeling… of being swaddled…and yet,
floating down a river…haaahhh…sigh:)
All I felt was deep calmness, warmth and kind energy … a quiet steady vibe – Arigato!
Remember, it is believed that 20 minutes of effective Yoga Nidra is equivalent to 3 hours of sleep – imagine, combined with Restorative Yoga, what would that mean? Outwardly seemingly passive, what you are doing to yourself on the inside may be …radical – you are asked to be “radically present” though altered state of consciousness. With that, I am saying good night:) I finally returned to my own old- former yoga practice after a 3-weeks hiatus (should practice what I preach about regular consistent practice:) – going back to one of my favorite teacher’s class. Yes, I can do it at home but I prefer the group energy that’s “real” (i.e. not online PC screen). There are 2 others I want to go to but… again, we cannot go see everyone we are in love with – I had paid a price for not following the discipline of regular practice (yang asanas) and rest – still not the same as I thought I was about to pass out going into dancer’s pose which made me feel light headed – wait, this is not supposed to be a spinning class … but I felt so much better to get back. Ready to crawl into bed now – with gratitude for today. Good Night! Tomorrow is another brand new day – let us meet it with freshness and vitality, all senses restored.
Arianna Huffington …she’s like your mom, sister, auntie… the wise one. Sleeping so that you can stay truly awake during the waking moments:) Common sense that’s been forgotten in the haze of … lost sleep:)
Sweet Dreams~~~~~ zzzzzzz
Playing with words…synonyms, antonyms…images come alive:
Movement vs. Stillness
Vibration, gyration, fluctuations, oscillation vs. calmness
Dynamic vs. Static
Surge, Swell, Waves vs. Ripples
Pouring, soaking vs. dripping… oozing…
Jumping, skipping, Stopping vs. Flowing
Splitting, pounding, stabbing, splintering, separating into parts vs. combining, folding, melding, merging into wholeness
Agitation vs Peace
Shaking, tremors, rolling, swaying vs. centering, grounding, settling…
Hardness, Toughness, tightness vs. Softness, tenderness…
Resilient vs. Delicate and Mellow…or the ideal would be resilient ANDdelicate and mellow probably…
Roughness rockiness vs. Smoothness…
Sharp vs. …. soft, cuddly, squishy…
Solid, firm & steady vs. Flexible, Fluid and …Foolish? no, no, Flowing:)
Which will you choose? No, no, that is the wrong question. It’s not about making a choice – its about striking a balance.
… Going from one extreme to the other? Or stuck in the extreme? Find the equilibrium, the balance of all the forces that whirls around you.
We are programmed to go into heightened “Flight & Fright” mode instantly – it’s a matter of seconds when we respond and that electric responsiveness, while meant to be a lifesaver in the pre-historic times may not be as beneficial when it leads to chronic stress, chronic tension, chronic fatigue, heart disease, anxieties and that general feeling of … un-wellness. We are wired to respond with alarm at a speed of light as our defensive mechanism is instinctive. After all, its developed since the primitive caveman’s time to protect ourselves from predators and other possible disasters where, without our alertness and quick responsiveness, we would have perished. We are the survivors – just the fact that we are here today, we are the by-products of chosen strains of DNAs after repeated tests of survival of the fittest…so we are already experts at sympathetic nerve system aiding us in times of crisis…or not.
On the other hand, to truly feel relaxed and comfortable … to feel fully safe, we normally take upwards of 20 minutes (or more for some Vatta and Pitta personalities) or so. Such “rest and digest” mode is needed for our body to nourish all its cells, repair some of its cells, renew all its cells so that we can once again be who we are – luminous light, our true nature to warm our heart and soul. Physiological part, we learned from Roger Cole, PhD. To get to para-sympathetic nervous system dominance, today, that usually means that we are getting our nervous system into balance as there’s a general deficit on the para-sympathetic nervous system. Most of the time, we have a tendency to dip more into the sympathetic nervous system dominance – that’s our modern life style with the constant barrage of stimuli coming at you. It’s hard not to respond, especially given the fine sensitively we have developed to hear, feel and heed our body.
It is interesting to note though, that harder the exterior shell, softer the interior flesh… and that exterior shell, that skin of our’s is also … an organ. The largest organ … all its pores opening and closing… breathing rhythmically. The rise and the fall…
May we feel the Source.
May we feel the Light.
May we feel GOOD.
May we find joy, ease and comfort. Namaste.