Reading Reflection Week Three
1.12 the vrtti [changing] states of mind are stilled by practice and dispassion [renunciation]
1.13 From these, practice is the effort to be fixed in concentrating the mind
1.14 Practice becomes firmly established when it has been cultivated uninterruptedly and with devotion over a prolonged period of time
1.15 Dispassion is the controlled consciousness of one who is without craving for sense objects, whether these are actually perceived or described in scripture
1.16 Higher than renunciation is indifference to the gunas [themselves]. This stems from perception of the purusa, soul.
In the thirteenth sutra, I enjoyed the definition of the word practice. Practice is defined as an effort and concentrating the mind. Now I knew that any type of practice is an effort, but I like the focus of practice in concentrating the mind or “stilling the vrtti states of mind” to use the yoga lexicon. Right now, I am trying to get in the practice of doing the poses, but I also hope along with that I can get into the practice of concentrating my mind. It will be hard take a chunk of time out of my day where I am not multitasking but focusing on one practice. I don’t think that this will come as easy as doing the physical poses throughout the day, but hopefully I will begin to appreciate the practice in concentration.
I think the hardest part of practice will be not multitasking and focusing on the practice. This is what made the Rest & Relaxation class at Baylor so difficult for me. I kept thinking about other things I needed to be doing and tests I needed to be studying for. I didn’t give myself a chance to enjoy the meditative side of practice which is just as important as the physical poses. I am having an easier time focusing in this class, I’m not sure if my concentration is getting better or if the atmosphere is more conducive to concentrating. I do know that is a large part of enjoying the yoga practice this time around.
I find concentrating on the practice during class much easier than I thought it would be, as well. I think that you are right; the atmosphere is focused on the yoga. For me, the poses are much more difficult than I expected and I need the concentration and focus in order to do them correctly. I find myself thinking about nothing else but balancing, bending, stretching and twisting correctly. I think I'm beginning to understand why we want to still "the changing states of the mind;" it is a welcome reprieve to think of nothing but yoga for three hours each week.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that drew me to yoga originally was the fact that I got so easily absorbed in it. I liked the break from anxiety about time.
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