Life Adjustments

There are time when yoga teacher steps onto our mat, stand close by us, adjust the posture and leave us on our own.
Some teachers come forth with a strong grip, and release till the student is ready to hold the pose independently. Some with a rough touch, and leave abruptly which may even cause a fall. Some are just like passers-by, walk pass us with a light touch.

Living out of the mat, people walk into our life to make some adjustment to us, and leave. It may be friends, families, gurus or soul mates. Eventually, the time when we allow them to enter out circle, there will be a time when they will have to leave the circle when the necessary adjustments has happen.

I'd once got an adjustment from a teacher, which made me really uncomfortable. I was lifted off from the mat, and the teacher released me suddenly--- i almost bang my face into the wall. Whether the adjustment was beneficial, a lesson learnt; a note for myself that i would not do this to others.

In life, we do meet people who adjust us to be more align; there are ones who give us misalignment. In one way or another, they will take their leave and its for us to stand alone. We either manage to stand firm before their departure--- we proceed on. Or tumble down to a fall--- we learn the harder way of picking up and get back to work.

Practice discrimination. Discriminate your practice.

It is so interesting, one hand there are students who push their way through for a hard core practice; on the other hand there are those who move reluctantly. The fine line that cuts between his two is " practice with wisdom".

A lady was telling me about her herniated disc problem that the doctor advice to practice the back- bends, but to avoid the forward- bends. She came up asking for a second opinion what should be done. I supported the idea on using the muscles around the spine all around: forward, back and twist. To do it with care, she probably can be gentler on flexing her spine forward.

" That's the problem! I can't get myself to back off a little. If i bend forward, i like to max it out." 

Engaging in a yoga practice comes forth for an initial thought of relieving the discomforts in our body. But many time as our practice slowly develops, our focus shifted in feeding what our ego ( mind) wants it to be--- and stop serving the body. 

When this happens, we are doing more harm than good to ourselves; and this is not Yoga practice anymore.

I've heard many people got themselves injured everywhere after yoga classes. Later to know that, they are treating their old injuries harshly with multiple falling from handstands and the advance poses--- and inviting new injuries. 

Viveka or discrimination. Practice with discrimination. For a body with injuries, choose the suitable practice for recovery and healing; instead of beating hard on the wounds. Know the limit of the body by practicing wisdom, and discriminate the mind (ego) for hindering the process.

   

So what if we can finally kick up to a handstand steadily, coming down with another injuries to attend to?

Once, Master Paalu mentioned that one can never get enlightened in an extreme condition.
In relation to being "enlightened", it is not referring to follow a path of becoming a sage or a saint; rather in a human way in this society. Beyond physical and sense stimulation level of activities.

Being able to be born as a human being, we have ample chance to live beyond a life of animals. There are more than just survival needs, more than just pure animal instinct, in the way we operate our life. But our mind, often terrorist our humanity, and we, actually allowing it to take over this operations.

Each of us has a thought to bear a fruit of our dreams; but the seed seldom bears any fruit. Because we like to put ourselves in extreme ( sense stimulating) conditions. We want to lead a life of a roller- coaster, that our energy level fluctuate like stock market. How can this seed even root properly for further growth?

It is just like a child, who keep running about the classroom. When will he be able to finish his homework, when his focus is scattered? Only when he stops, going everywhere... then he can get his work done.

Being in extreme weather ( too cold or too hot) causes illness to the body.
Being in extreme activities ( intense stress or laziness) causes illness to the mental.
Being in extreme emotional hypes ( intense love or hate) causes illness to the soul.
If one keep moving from one end to another end, no fruitful work will happen.

Its always a debate over the intellectual ( mind) and intelligence ( intuition).
When the intellect can analyse the known, while the intelligence can reveals the unknown.
Where the mind moves to the extreme points, the intelligence in equilibrium flow.

With the mind, we gain book knowledge. It tells us the step-by-step of growing a tree, and getting the fruits.

Withe intuition, we again wisdom. It teaches us how to grow a tree that can bears sweet fruits.