"think of your yoga practice as a study in perseverance. not the gut-wrenching, willful approach that is sometimes demanded by a challenging class, but rather the kind of perseverance that can be sustained over time. a yogi shows up each day, gets on the mat, and starts doing poses. every day is different - a different feeling or sensation appears, a different insight reveals itself. a seasoned yogi follows, explores and tests whatever unfolds on that particular day. but what sustains the commitment to show up in the first place? for me it's a sense of wonder, not the force of will...
"each day that i get on my mat, i open to the vastness of yoga rather than narrow myself to a goal for that particular day. i feel wonder as i realize that every pose is infinite and that ultimate mastery is not possible. i feel wonder that time, dedication, and curiosity are what brings me progress, not the intensity of my will...
"finally, i am filled with a sense of wonder that my yoga practice allows me to refine the quality of my existence."
matthew sanford
the path less traveled
yoga journal, february 2009
"each day that i get on my mat, i open to the vastness of yoga rather than narrow myself to a goal for that particular day. i feel wonder as i realize that every pose is infinite and that ultimate mastery is not possible. i feel wonder that time, dedication, and curiosity are what brings me progress, not the intensity of my will...
"finally, i am filled with a sense of wonder that my yoga practice allows me to refine the quality of my existence."
matthew sanford
the path less traveled
yoga journal, february 2009
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3 Comments:
I'd have to say that "perseverance" IMHO is not a requirement to yoga practice. In my view, if it doesn't feel easy, you're "doing it wrong"!
But each to their own, of course.
I think perseverance would turn the whole concept of yoga upside down, on its head in fact, in sirsasana.
masterymistery at
cosmic rapture
i totally agree with you. and it is in fact, exactly what the passage i quoted is pointing out. the perseverance in yoga is not something of achieving a goal. it is more of cultivating the discipline of discovery.
hi, selenakyle!
i wanted to let you know that we'll be hosting another teacher training information session this month at the urban ashram manila.
it'll be a great way for people looking to deepen their own practices or maybe considering traversing the teaching path, to ask questions about what the program will be like, what to expect, etc.
i hope to see you there! =)
marc
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