I'm falling way behind on the blogging, but am determined to get caught up either today or tomorrow. I'm trying to remember something about Tuesday's class but drawing a blank. I know I went in feeling really tired, and came out feeling good. I also know I made it through without skipping anything. I seem to remember the back strengthening series as being really good, but beyond that its a blank. Either I let too much time pass before writing, or it was just one of those solid classes that simply fades from memory, and those classes are always good. So I'll go with that.
The day 187 meditation talks about how everyone is different, and thus we each discover different answers when seeking purity. He asks a few questions:
Dairy or no-dairy? For me, no dairy would be better, but I love cheese. Sherie says that I have congestion, and nasal congestion in particular, because of dairy. I believe her, but I haven't really done anything about it yet.
Meat or no-meat? I loved the Atkins diet when I was on it. All the meat and butter I wanted (but nothing to put the butter on except meat). I still like meat, but have been eating less and less of it since I started yoga. There are times when I get back from class and the thought of having meat is a bit revolting. And there are still times I really crave it.
Sunshine or no-sunshine? I think this is a false question, at least for me. I like being in the shade on bright sunny days. I get a bit antsy during the shortest, gloomiest days of the year. (Even more so when I lived in Minnesota.) But I rarely go out in the sun.
Stimulation or quietude? Like them both, and think that I need them both. I also have enough ability to concentrate that I can pretty much find quiet just about anywhere. (The time I fell asleep basically inside one of the speakers at a Jerry Garcia Band concert was maybe an extreme example of this. And yes, my ears recovered mostly.)
Ambles or power walks? Definitely prefer ambling. If the idea is to power walk, I'd rather ride my bike.
I realize all of this is beside the point. What I find interesting is the insistence I see again that everyone is different, and that we all have to find our own paths. I'm not sure how much I buy this. It strikes me as just as true, and just as profound, that we are all pretty much alike and that no-one is truly alone. The problem with the idea of saying that everyone is difference is that it seems to lead to an "anything goes" type of license. And taken to that extreme, its quite obviously false. And the problem with the "all the same" mentality is that it leads to dogmatism, and again is obviously false when taken to that extreme.
So I guess I'm content with hearing the appropriate platitude whenever someone brings it up. Sometimes it helps to remind people that we are all different, and sometimes what's needed is a reminder that we are all pretty much alike. And that's fine with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment