Sutra 1.14 from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras:
First, you have to practice for a long period of time; second, your practice must not be interrupted—you must do it regularly; and third, you must do your practice with love and respect.
The annual 30 days of Practice at Hemma begins on Friday, March 1st. The timing is perfect, as spring is starting to arrive and the winter begins to fade away. During the different seasons, we naturally respond to the rhythms of nature. In the winter we turn inwards, slow down and are more introspective. When the snow starts to melt and the cold begins to fade, we start to come outside and look around. We begin to notice the new growth and life around us and feel how it affects us.
No matter what your practice is, it is always a practice. Meaning that it requires the actual “doing” of it, in order to see and experience the results or gain information from it. As we begin to emerge from our hibernation, it is natural to revisit this practice of yoga in our lives. Why do I practice? Am I growing and learning within the practice? Does it challenge me on different levels, or has it become rote and boring? Do I just check out during practice and wait for it to be over, or am I actually present? Is my yoga practice just one more thing I have to do, to check off my list or feel guilty about not doing? (As if we don’t have enough of those things in our lives!)
This is the perfect time to start exploring these questions and challenging our patterns. If I always take a more vigorous class, what is my experience of a more restorative class? Are there teachers or practices that I am unfamiliar with, so I stay away, preferring to stick with what I know? Why do we mediate anyways, and how do I do it? When I practice at home, do I only do the poses I like and avoid those that I don’t like? What about the deeper parts the practice, the philosophy? How do I practice these?
This is the month to see what a steady, consistent practice can bring to your life, as described by this translation from Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute.
We look forward to hearing your intentions as well as helping you in any way we can for this month of practice. We will come together for the opening ceremony and set our intention, as well as meet our community for the 30 day practice. There will be resources at the studio to help guide you and all of our wonderful teachers have years of practice and knowledge behind them and are happy to help where they can. The month will finish up with a gathering to bring the event to a close, where we can share our struggles and insights along the path, as well as celebrate the effort it took to get to the end.
Warmly,
Jonni-Lyn
Yoga Manager