on the mat
Lately in my classes I’ve been going on a bit about stillness. It’s not something I practice nearly as often as I should (it’s all my Ayur Vedic constitution’s fault, I swear: Vata-Pittas are always vibrating). But lately, at the end of our flow, right before savasana, I’m asking everyone to please get all their fidgeting out of the way, so they can practice complete stillness in corpse pose. It’s not because it’s part of playing dead.

It’s because I find, when I practice total stillness, whether in meditation or savasana, or simply on the bus, I get heaps of benefits:
1. I feel itchiness. I do nothing.
2. I feel discomfort. I do nothing.
3. I see my mind struggle to incite action. I do nothing.

And I realize I don’t have to do anything. I don’t even need to acknowledge these things. The discomfort, the irritation, the pain, it all passes. I can just be. At peace.

off the mat
Here’s my favourite part: When those major, itchy irritations come up off the mat, in my life, I can (sometimes) not even acknowledge them. I can just be. At peace.

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take-away tip: itchy and scratchy

July 14, 2009