Week Two • What Do You Give Yourself To?
December 8, 2020
Week Three • Is Your Heart In It? The influence of attitude and practices to work with it
December 15, 2020
Dear fellow traveler in the Challenge,
When planning the theme of this week, attention, I initially thought of it in a kind of skill-honing way, there are plenty of tools in yoga that help us align a scattered mind towards a focused intention. This week has moved me beyond the processes of concentration. What I’ve found is that the quality of attentiveness is a textured “thing” for lack of a better word. In observing what it feels like to be attentive, to be conscious, we can feel the different mental modes of attending to life: busy or at restful? Changing directions often, or sustained? Broad or narrow? Wandering, scattered, focused, multitasking?
A question to work with: Before and after a yoga practice, how has your quality of attention changed? The amazing thing is that with yoga, even indirectly, the practices work on our attentional tone. And that power can be increased by nudging our focus intentionally towards our bodies, sensations, feelings that we can trust to come and go, landing us back in the present moment.
We look forward to a great weekend and week ahead! Islena’s 1-hour Breathwork and Guided Meditation is on Saturday. Next Tuesday is our second Movement, Mantra and Meditation (if you missed last night, here is the recorded class). Next Friday, Nicole brings us Yin Yoga in Your PJs.
With warmth and gratitude,
Karen and Chris
