Friday Book Report: The Yamas and Niyamas

Two of the eight limbs of yoga are the yamas and niyamas, practices for how we treat others and ourselves.  Deborah Adele’s book, The Yamas and Niyamas:  Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice, introduces and explains the ideas and provides lots of room for reflection.  It is a short book, pleasant to read, and definitely thought-provoking.  We can all use a little more nonviolence and truthfulness, for example, in our lives.

Anybody want to get together and do a journaling group around it?

Even More Balanced...

Yesterday I wrote about balance in a mostly metaphorical sense.  Today, I feel more literal.  Balance is an often-neglected part of our workouts, which is bad since it is so crucial to our long-term health.  The statistics about what happens to older people after falling and breaking a hip are not encouraging, for example.  I don’t think I know anyone who is truly looking forward to having to live out the end of days in a nursing home because it is unsafe to go to the bathroom alone.

Many of the things we can do to improve our balance don’t even have to happen during workouts.  Like everything else, practice is the key.  So brush your teeth on tippy-toe.  Wash the dishes on one leg.  Play tightrope on the sidewalk while the dog is investigating that fascinating smell in the bushes.

And, yes, we can work on it in workouts, too.  That means core.  And possibly work with the Bosu or a wobble board or a turntable.  One-legged catch is also a good way to put balance in a workout without creating a huge muscle burden.

As for balancing the mind, well, that’s beyond the scope of my practice.  You’re on your own there.

On balance...

For a long time, I was obsessed with the idea of balance.  I was sure there was some magic point at which everything in my life would be perfectly poised and harmonious.  I am funny sometimes.

I also didn’t know much about the process of balancing, physically.  Physical balance is not a static thing, but rather a constant adjustment.  It comes from a strong core and a deep understanding of where center is.  We can only balance by putting our center of gravity over the balance point.  Then we use our muscles to make the many little changes to keep that balance in a shifting world.

Perhaps I am still obsessed with balance.  Maybe I’ve just learned a bit more about what it takes, physically and mentally and spiritually.  Let’s find our strong cores and our center and take it from there.