Some of the learnings from this week :
1.There are 3 aspects to the life of a practitioner ; Practise, Teaching & Community. Practise is the foundation. We practise because we love the practice. We teach because we want to practise and need to make a living (and I think we teach because we want to share!). When we teach, we cannot teach in isolation, we need support from a community.
In Community, there are rules and structures; something that many of us (especially me!) have difficulties with. Organisation and freedom is however not the opposite of each other. There has to be one, for the other. Process and method is there to support freedom!
As in our practise, freedom and creativity is only possible if there is understanding of process and method. If not, it is just damaging.
Same as in life. In anarchy, there is no freedom, merely chaos and destruction.
2."I can explain, but you may not have the intelligence to understand." from the teachings of Don Juan.
To have intelligence, we need mental powers of perception; to listen, to see, to have a fixed gaze and a mind that does not flicker. In asana practise, we look, listen and feel in complete awareness to train our mental power. A mind that flickers in asana will flicker all the time; in communications, in relationships..... and then we ask ourselves why we are unable to commit!!
3. The inter-connectedness of all asanas. In previous intensives, we went backwards to go forwards, and now we go forwards to return backwards! (ok, maybe this isn't too clear!)
a. We worked in Adho Mukha Vrksasana to understand point of balance and then applied it to Janu Sirsasana. (AMVSIJS). The "point" in JS is in the front of the foot of the bent leg which is pressing into the floor. Keep intention in the "point" and extend the whole spine down without collapsing the structure. And keep the balance, with as much attention as you would in a hand-stand!
b. Understand Dandasana in Janu Sirsasana (DIJS) ~ widen the sitting bones & find the outer legs
c. Understand vrksasana in Tadasana ~ If we do not have 1 leg to stand on in vrksasana, we will have no legs to stand on in Tadasana!
4. Ride the wave of the asana ~ When there is intelligence in the asana, energy will flow like a wave through the body and all we have to do is ride the wave. No need to think and do!
Urdhva Dhanurasana was my homework after the 1st intensive. It is still far from perfect, but as Peter said, it is not perfection we seek, but intelligence in the process..... And, I am happy that I have made some progress! :)
Intensive 1 ~ Mar 2010 / Intensive 3 ~ Jul 2010
Apparently, I still have "heart issues". Instead of just thumping his chest, Peter now calls it The EPS (Elaine Phenomenon Syndrome) ~ "No action in the front of the spine". I wonder which is worse, issues with just the heart or in the whole of the front of the spine! Well, at least I share the problem with someone else now. Both Elaine 1 and I (Elaine 2) have EPS!
