He asked me how many times a week do I practice yoga and I gave him the polished short answer
6x/week (no Saturdays), and also no full or new moon.
As soon as I said that I wondered what effect would those words have on someone hearing them for the first time, especially the "moon-day" part...
My short explanation is that the full moon is like the end of an inhale when we are full, at the maximun of our intake possibilities (and why we might usually fill more rounded or "fat"). Then "prana" (life sustaining force) is at its peak. Then we take a rest.
The new moon is like the end of an exhale, where we rest... empty, with nothing within us, the quality of "apana"(elimination) rulling.
This is what Tim Miller has to say about it, it is interesting how he links it to the fact that we are 70% water, and just like any other body of water (oceans), we are affected by the position of both sun and moon.
But what I am really impressed about, with this "moon" business, is the linking to pranayama, the relation to a "breathing cycle". It seems to me that the rest is like a retention, and in pranayama, it is in the retention that the illumination happens.
Music is made in the silences between the notes. Quiet moments, are an integral part of any creation.
I happen to look forward to the moon days, I enjoy the rest and always welcome it, but I know that many people do not.
Sometimes I wonder why is it that so many practitioners want to push through and not rest, I wonder if it has to do with their motivations, or if skipping practice is just not an option for their well being.
I respect them, as I understand that everyone is different, but as per me, I like the silence.
Sometimes I wonder why is it that so many practitioners want to push through and not rest, I wonder if it has to do with their motivations, or if skipping practice is just not an option for their well being.
I respect them, as I understand that everyone is different, but as per me, I like the silence.
Do you practice on moon days?
Grimmly published one of Ramaswami's newsletters where Eddie Stern explains what Guruji told him about the resting days, you can read more here.
Grimmly published one of Ramaswami's newsletters where Eddie Stern explains what Guruji told him about the resting days, you can read more here.
Photo credit from here
"Music is made in the silences between the notes. Quiet moments, are an integral part of any creation."
ReplyDeleteIt's soooooooo beautifully expressed and you are so cute, too. ;-)
I respect also moon days. It's not an option. I feel that it's really the silence between the notes without which the music could not exist.
With metta.
No surprise with me, but Moon Schmoon!
ReplyDelete"Sometimes I wonder why is it that so many practitioners want to push through and not rest, I wonder if it has to do with their motivations, or if skipping practice is just not an option for their well being."
ReplyDeletei believe this has to do with attachment to the practice.
practice non-attachment.
and metta.
my teacher has taken her students to the bush (in oz) to plant trees on moon day. how perfect is that?
I take rest when I feel really tired, but I find practice to be REALLY enjoyable on full moons... New moons not so much.
ReplyDeleteI dunno. It makes me uncomfortable when people try to rationalize or justify stuff that's just tradition. It's kind of like saying we celebrate the birth of Christ on Dec 25 because some dude was literally born on that exact day.
ReplyDeleteThe power of this stuff is in practice. In the rhythms it creates and the rituals we make around it. Not some rightness or rationality.
No need to look down on those who don't find as much meaning in those rituals... it's like frowning on people who don't have much feeling for Christmas.
Nataraja, wonder what you mean by metta, it is a new term for me, I googled it, but still not sure
ReplyDeleteBindy, I had not thought of it in the context of "non attachment", that is a good one, will ponder on it, and just as in Nataraja, I wonder what you mean by metta.
Boodiba, I kind of figured yes, I like your "sch" prefixes, they are freeing...
OvO, I agree with you, no need to look down on anyone really, have to admit you got me on the Xmas thing, I'm a bit of a grinch myself.
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ReplyDeleteClaudia, here I quote for the meaning of metta :
ReplyDelete"The Pali word metta is a multi-significant term meaning loving-kindness, friendliness, goodwill, benevolence, fellowship, amity, concord, inoffensiveness and non-violence. The Pali commentators define metta as the strong wish for the welfare and happiness of others (parahita-parasukha-kamana). Essentially metta is an altruistic attitude of love and friendliness as distinguished from mere amiability based on self-interest. Through metta one refuses to be offensive and renounces bitterness, resentment and animosity of every kind, developing instead a mind of friendliness, accommodativeness and benevolence which seeks the well-being and happiness of others. True metta is devoid of self-interest. It evokes within a warm-hearted feeling of fellowship, sympathy and love, which grows boundless with practice and overcomes all social, religious, racial, political and economic barriers. Metta is indeed a universal, unselfish and all-embracing love."
When I say : "May all beings be happy." This is one kind of practice of metta, for exemple.
:-)
ReplyDeleteI used to hate Christmas too...
P.S. Claudia, holy schmoly!
ReplyDeleteI just looked at your bloglist on the side bar. First, right on, lady... you have gathered a lot and read a lot! Second... OMG I can't believe there are so many yoga blogs now.
It's nice. Things have changed a lot in recent years, I guess. I've been sad about the decline of the EZ Board and Ashtangi.net, but I see that new bloggers are creating a whole new level of interactivity.
Never really bothered with moon days, find it hard enough taking a day off as it is, let alone an extra one. There were a couple of times though that I was feeliing rough and then noticed it was a moon day and took the day off practice, made a good excuse. I don't think it's attatchment on my part, need some kind of loosening up to start my day and after a few Sury's I just feel like doing the whole thing. All changed now, Sunday is my rest-less day and I'll try to stick to it, don't think I'll be keeping up with the moon though.
ReplyDeleteHmmm just noticed I claimed it wasn't attatchment and then a few lines later pointed out I get restless when I don't practice. Maybe I should take moon days off as an excercise in nonattatchment after all
I tend to try to ignore Christmas as much as possible, bah humbug.
Thank you Nataraja, just learned something new today :)
ReplyDeleteOvO, isn't it great the amount of people talking about yoga out there? I also miss the board... but I have to admit I felt a little intimidated sometimes when posting there... and ashtangi.net, I have not visited them in forever, maybe it is time. Hope you are enjoying your Mysore time, I am quite happy to be reminded that there is xmas for like 10 months... you will have to teach me what turned you back into liking it :)
Grimmly, you crack me up, I like how you write just the way your thoughts are flowing, and that you catch yourself (from previous paragraphs), I identify with that...
How I learned to stop worrying and love Christmas...
ReplyDeleteIt seems like it started when I learned to get energy and meaning from the rhythms and crazy metaphors in the rituals from outside my home tradition of Christianity.
Then engaging the western culture rituals I used to see as evil, shallow and profane -- Christmas, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving -- with the same kind of low expectation and high openness. Being ok with the way that western culture is pretty deep in my subconscious, instead of putting a lot of kill-joy energy in to fighting it (which I did vigorously for years... like, maybe 5 years ago I tried to go a whole "X-mas" season with my Christian family WITHOUT looking at, talking about, singing about or otherwise being aware of Jesus.)
I dunno. Maybe I've just gotten so ritualistic that any old holiday will suit me. ;-)
Low expectation and high openness. I like that, will remember it for next xmas, thank you
ReplyDelete