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In Classical yoga, the body is seen as inferior to the spirit.  It is something to be subdued through fasting and extreme discipline, something to overcome, something that is a hindrance to enlightenment.

Tantra yoga, a practice in mindfulness, is a different approach, an approach that works for me.  This perspective is that our body is a vehicle through which we can experience the richness of the physical world, and through the physical, the spirit. There is no separation between body and spirit.  It is a philosophy of non-duality.  The body is the home for the spirit, the place where growth occurs.  Through the body, we can learn to live more consciously.  We are spiritual beings having a physical experience.  There is no need to retreat into the woods.  Our lives can be our meditation.  Our yoga practice can lead us to Samadhi, the sense of complete bliss that comes when we are totally absorbed in our creative action and thought.  And we learn to like our bodies in whatever form they happen to be.

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.  — Buddha

Wu wei is the Daoist idea of acting without effort, or being in the zone.  I have always tried hard at things, well—maybe not so much at math, unfortunately for me–but at most things.  Recently, I have been thinking that trying “hard” hasn’t served me well.  Why don’t I try easily?  I don’t mean forgoing all effort of any kind.  Being in the zone, acting through wu wei, results in the state where things are not too easy and not too hard, just absorbing.  I have been taught by our culture that if I struggle and work hard, I can succeed.  But if I can find my own unique abilities and the way I can serve the world with them, I can dance along my path.  Dancing still requires energy, but the dance is its own reward.  And I don’t even have to follow anyone else’s steps!

Yoga is the union of opposites just as the Dao is the union of yin and yang.  To live our best life, we need to find a balance of opposites, of yin and yang: flexibility and strength, space and boundaries, guidance and exploration.  We are all the same, and we are all unique.  What is good for me may be unique to me.  What is good for you may be unique to you.  Let go of what doesn’t work for you–in your yoga practice and beyond.  Try focusing for a time on the background rather than the foreground, the subtle rather than the obvious.  Think about what can be removed to enhance your life rather than what can be added.

Atisha is a Buddhist sage who has written a number of slogans (59) which can be used as guides for growth.  The one I am thinking about today is this: “Don’t try to be the fastest.”  What a foreign idea to our competitive world, but profoundly wise!  What joy does competition bring?  There is always someone better than us and always someone “less better.”  Does beating someone bring happiness?  Think of the word–beating.  This does not mean do not do our best.  But try doing your best without reference to others and see what a different, happier experience this can be.

May you be at peace.

May your heart remain open.

May you awaken to the light of your own true nature.

May you be healed.

May you be a source of healing for all beings.

Consider all aspects of what you normally do as part of your path. Work is a path to practice. Do not dread anything. Sometimes you will find yourself working in an intense environment with a lot of darkness or sadness. It is still possible to express goodness, gentleness, kindness. All of life gives us something to learn if we look at it that way. Enlightenment is just seeing or knowing “what is”, without filtering our experiences through the colors of our moods, wants, or needs. It is simply being here and now, whether at work or off. Time is time and all of it valuable when you see it that way. And none of it can be owned!

I was thinking back to my dissertation today. What a journey of discovery! If I had known in advance where it would have led me, it would have been much quicker to complete and far less stressful. But it would not have been original, exciting, or a discovery. I would not have found out that creativity could be such a powerful force that it could help people overcome both the stigma and the condition of homelessness.

The process of ethnography is slow, because you come to the table with some questions to explore rather than a theory to prove or disprove. You go through layers of observation, discussions, participation in the events and environment of the people you are involved with. I could use the experience of this process as a kind of compass to guide me in my life. I find out so much from being with people. Insight becomes easier, despite my inclination towards a more introverted, introspective life. Message to myself – collaborate!