24 March 2013

Practising with peace


"I may not ever get back to practising second series again.
I may not ever get further or deeper in my current poses than where I get to now.
I may never do Vrchikasana, or Dwi Pada or Kapotasana in their fullest expression.

Perhaps the glory days of physical practice have actually been and gone and I must be prepared to accept that, whether it is or isn’t the case.


That exhilarating uphill climb to the ever receding peak of physical perfection just might be over and the only option now might be to stay still, where I am, and enjoy the view before the inevitable time comes when I have to say thanks, turn around and sadly go downhill.

The long held vision of inhabiting a body that is light, open, agile and free from mortal afflictions is rapidly disappearing into the graveyard of Reality, to be buried along with all the other unfulfilled dreams and hopes that an authentic life has methodically killed off.

But once they’re all dead and buried, waiting for us is Peace.

And I think reaching that state of inner Peace while still alive allows us to rest in and ultimately know the ocean in which we are bathed."


I wrote this in my blogging journal on Thursday 1st June 2006 but didn't publish it.  The title of the entry was  "Practicing with injury and Peace".
That was almost 7 years ago.

And I was right...
I never got back to practising second series, or to doing those advanced poses to their fullest expression.
The glory days were over.  My body had peaked and then started to decline after reaching middle age.
But in the past 7 years, as I was forced to increasingly modify my yoga practice, it has quite beautifully and peacefully...intensified. 

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