Over the years, I’ve explored and greatly benefitted from a variety of body-cultivation traditions—the majority of which have their roots in India or China. Iyengar Yoga The first was Iyengar yoga, which I was drawn to for its therapeutic applications. I was in my early 20’s and still recovering from a serious ankle injury, which had been creating all kinds of problems, also, in my hips and …
Practice Notes
Practice Notes: Into-Me-See
Three times in as many weeks, I’ve come across articles and/or online discussions on the topic of spiritual intimacy vs. human emotional intimacy. Questions that have been posed and then discussed include: * Which is more important: spiritual intimacy or human intimacy? * Which should take priority: being devoted to the Divine, in love with God—or being in love with and devoted to human …
Spherical
Among geometric forms, the sphere is the one most commonly employed—by nondual spiritual traditions—as a visual symbol and metaphor of our True Nature: of knowingly abiding as Pure Awareness. The sphere embodies—and hence easily represents—perfect balance, harmony, and symmetry. No rotation or movement through space-time can disturb its shape. The surface of a sphere (like the surface of the …
Practice Notes: Apples & Oranges
The perception of any kind of phenomenal characteristics—size, shape, color, texture, taste, scent, etc.—and the assigning of names to the objects of our perception—requires discrimination. It requires that we notice differences. Horses and Cows I can assign the name “horse” to one animal and “cow” to another animal because I perceive relevant differences between the two. I can assign the name …
Practice Notes: Warp & Weft
Furnishings In recent weeks, I’ve been browsing area rugs, with the intention of finding one that feels right for the loft space of my new condo. Happily, I did indeed find a lovely wool rug, the perfect size, reasonably priced, and convenient to pick up, which now beautifully adorns that space. Yeah! As a side-effect of thinking a lot about rugs, my mind has been inclined toward rug-related …
Practice Notes: Wind
I’ve recently added a rainbow-spiral wind-dancer to my balcony. I love watching it hang quietly when the air is still, and dance in its spiraling way—creating the illusion of vertical movement—when it’s windy. Air In Motion Its presence has caused me to reflect upon the phenomena of wind—which really is just air in motion. Being essentially nothing other than air, wind—like air—is invisible. …