“Doing” yoga

Despite thousands of miles that separate us physically Donovan is still “my” yoga teacher.  And I am still his “oracle”.  We chat at least once per week on Facebook, gchat, Skype or phone.  Typically, other than a “hail up” (a Jamaican way for saying “hi – how are you”), our conversations centre around two things:  our yoga practice and our love lives.  When we reach out to each other for either of these it is because of the challenges we are experiencing in these and other areas.  And somehow it always comes back to yoga.

Earlier this week, I fired off a terse text to Donovan “Body stiff.  Starting back yoga this week”.  D, responded with a perspective so unexpected and profound that I had to share:

Marguerite,

As I grow more in my yoga, the more I understand the balance. I practice yoga, the physical aspect to remind me of the ebb and flow of life. Forming a personal/home practice takes a lot out of you. It’s firstly demanding, it requires an enquiring mind, diligence, commitment and practice. It also ebbs and flows!

There are times when my mat gathers dust but does this mean I am not doing yoga? I talk to people and have people come to me so I can do what I do best. Is this not yoga? I go spend time with older family and friends, just checking in on then, is this not yoga? I spend time in my bed focusing on my breath, is this not yoga?

So all I am saying is that yoga is not just a physical practice. We do asana practice to remind us just as how the poses suture into each other and we meet up on challenging poses (called gateways) so too does your yoga practice take shape. It flows and then pauses for a bit. You also practice to quell the cessations of the mind. Then when you do the asanas they wring out and detox the body preparing your vessel before you connect to your Higher self.

The beauty about yoga Marguerite, is this, it calls you back no matter how far you feel you have strayed. It’s like an enchantment. So its time to get on your mat again. Wow, welcome back.

Remember to always set your intention, follow your breath and practice first truth and then non-violence towards self. I recently came and started to practice my mantra or intention of releasing all that no longer serves my higher self. Membha mih told yuh!

Intense revelations. I will email you more later about this particular path when my eyes stop hurting.

In love and light,

Donovan

What Donovan is saying, or what I am hearing, is to be easy on myself.  There is no “going back to yoga” for one can do yoga in one’s daily life.  In a “yoga state of mind”, one is always doing yoga.  If we return to the root meaning of yoga – unity – we will see that whenever we are connected, in unison with someone we are practicing yoga.  Whenever we are connected to our own self, we are practicing yoga.  And when we are connected to our Higher Self and acting from that place, we are not only practicing, we are BEING yoga.

I have not yet taken out my mat.  That’s OK.  I continue to breath, to practice compassion and to come from a place of love.  I continue to view each person and situation as an opportunity to show and be love – to unite, to yogate (new word – just flowed).  Yes, Donovan, I am doing yoga.  And one day soon I will lay down my mat and start my Sun Salutations.  In the meantime ….. I breathe …. and do yoga