Every act of prayer contains an element of emptying yourself, a relinquishment of volition, will and ego.
Sansaya (doubt) is one of the 9 obstacles that clouds the mind and thwarts practice. Skepticism, cynicism, jadedness, lack of trust, fear of trust, worry, anxiety, anticipating the worst, finding the worst, all of these are reflective of doubt.
I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to practicing in solitude. I imagine at times this can be hard on my practice partner but she also knows how thankful I am for her and our practice time.
What is the first waking moment you can remember in your life? I remember being 3 years old and locking myself in an unlit closet. I was trapped and crying for help.
One week you are springing out of bed to practice and the next you are dragging yourself to the mat. It is like being in an ocean where the current is deceptive, you think you are in control, in one place, and then in a snap you are downstream!
How do you encourage a student who keeps taking stabs at Marichyasana D and they still can't bind? As a teacher, how do you not get frustrated and go, “what the hell? You've been working on this for 6 years!"
