Yoga: thoughts on daily practice: Humility leads to gratitude

 

Our Ganesha outside in nature. Photo by Margot Porter.

Humility leads to...

Humility is the act of bowing my head to Ganesha as I begin practice (my day) and gives time to note that the state of body, mind and ego are a smaller part of something of much bigger: the cosmic spin of life and energy. All I have to do is my best and slow down. Challenging sequences or individual poses ask me simply to be present, to be here in each moment with humility just as in life when I react to an experience. My yoga practice supports me by giving me space and practice at stepping back and really assessing my thoughts/emotions/reactions before acting- inaction in action. After all it is not the experience itself that is creating waves of attachment or aversion but the reaction to it.  It does not matter how many times I perform a beautiful handstand or for that matter fall out again - I just have to breathe and let the moment shape me.

So humility is kind of like 'ahimsa' or loving kindness/non-violence (the first yama from Patanjali's 8 limbs of Yoga) in that you make peace with yourself and stop pushing, hurting, trying to achieve that little bit more stretch or strength instead just be part of the swirling energy mass that is the world. It could be that humility is not a passive state and further changes perhaps even that you can encourage this state of being. Nip that negative thought in the bud...snap out of that moment of self- critiquing or comparing because we are all amazing just as we are. This sense of humility lends itself easily, naturally to gratitude.

 

Dedicate your practice make it an offering then go forth and shine.

... gratitude.

And gratitude is like santosha or contentment - one of the niyamas again from Patanjali. When life is cruising along and all is going well gratitude helps us to celebrate the goodness in life and when life takes a turn in a different direction then being grateful has the power to energise. Gratitude looks despair, depression, de-moralisation and brokenness square in the face and gives us the power to hope and the fibre to cope with hard times.

Yoga is on and off the mat! Time on my yoga mat is a way to keep reminding, reinforcing and reinvigorating me to keep trying to be kind, to be grateful for all that is. 

I am grateful for having a mat (probably don't even need one).

I am grateful making some time for myself - a luxury for many.

I am grateful for all my teachers.

I am grateful for me who is my greatest teacher even though I have to repeat many lessons.

 I am grateful for my practice that lets me know it is just a practice to feel into this life in this moment and all is well.

Go forth and shine. Light and laughter, 

Margot