Make em' sweat!

Sweat we did...although the sun was not shinning, layers were still being removed to feel the refreshing tickle of the sprinkling water of the sky...a rainy day in seattle, specifically a sunday, the recipe book was turned open to "stay inside and veg out" and we even had all of the ingredients to satisfy this! As I frequently do, I improvised. Instead of staying inside, we headed outside, with a very precise plan of course: play basketball. Luckily up the street used to be home to some special kids and teachers alike, still is home to a hoop and court, but misses the playful and oh so necessary kids...why aren't they there anymore? The school was shut down, teachers and children removed: community interrupted. Where are those kids now? and their dedicated teachers?

I think the last time I played basketball, really played like with other people was in middle shcool, I made the first points of the game and then didnt touch the ball much after that. But this day was different, I touched every single spot on that ball and then some, turned it inside out! The ball didn't touch the hoop too many times, but it got passed, caught, drippled, checked, re bounded, thrown, chased- it was in motion, we were in motion, in our bodies, in the game. I felt so free and so powerful, I felt confident even though I made but 5 shots. The confidence came through just being out there and playing, making the choice to go outside and try something different, feeling my heart beat, not because I was forcing it to do so, but because I coudn't stop it from doing so; natural confidence, free from the ego...this freedom enabled me to disconnect from my mind and judgements and just play, the continual breath and movement being the guiding force...power and creativity were channelled through self and friends...community still exists here. I have appreciation for these courts, these stomping grounds and the energy that still remains...

Whats yoga got to do with it?

So much, endless amounts, that's the beauty. Recently a person I am close with, in seek of some spiritual and career guidance, went to an astrologer. In their time there, I dont really believe they discovered anything new about themself (besides witnessing the vasntess of astrology and its interplay with the formation of our constitutional selves), but what was received was permission. Seems simple, maybe even unnecessary, but I think so often we need an outside source to provide us with permission: permission that where we are is ok and that what we are doing is right, who we are is who we should be and possibly predetermined. We want reason for some of the confusion we, as humans, experience. We want an explanation for why we aren't on the same path as our peers, the same peers for whome we are able to provide permission and continual suppport while forgetting to include outselves. Why is it such a struggle to love and recognize the self, perfections and imperfections, as we would a friend or a lover? I think this represents a tramendous disconnect from the depths of the body while grasping to the thoughts and preceptions of the mind. The body too speaks, the body too holds deep wisdom which yoga can help to access.

Some of the advice of this particular astrologer was to take part in activities or processes to aid in connecting to the 'inner child' (a less constructed self) and to certain past experiences and emotions. I thought what better than intentionally practicing yoga? Emotions and experiences don't just disappear, they remain inside of us, in the body! Through yoga and asana we connect to the body with intention and awareness, connecting to the brains beyond the head. When we can begin to form our self perceptions through getting to know our bodies, possibly less judgement would exist, possibly we could find permission from within.