“Thinking is suffering…”

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Today, Michael noted how you had to stay present in class, that to stay present meant to listen only to the dialogue, to your breath, to your body, and not let your mind wander, that to stay present meant you kept yourself from thinking, which leads to suffering.

“Thinking is suffering,” he said.  I noticed, in surprise, I was the only one who giggled at the hilarity of this passing comment.

I love little yoga lessons like this.  They’re ridiculously applicable to many elements of my life outside that sweaty studio.  For instance, thinking about my finances and my tight-as-a-corset budget only causes me stress, spikes my blood pressure, and frustrates me.  It is the action, the doing—even if that “doing” is just letting go of the thought and breathing deeper—that frees you from suffering.  It’s simply the cliche–”actions speak louder than words”–couched differently, yoga-style.

I hope to focus on these kinds of yoga-into-life lessons throughout the next 30 days of my challenge.  After all, I know the poses, I know what I need to do to reach their fullest extension, I know what to expect and how each instructor conducts his/her class.  And so what I really want to explore in this “journal” is my emotional and spiritual journey, in and outside of class.  I want to explore how my body and my perspective changes.  I want to see how both my mind and my limbs, my muscles, my joints, handle the daily pull and stretch of a dedicated practice.