Yoga Sutra 1.23

Yesterday I attended Stephanie Perry-Bush's Yoga Nidra workshop. She's just lovely and her tone of voice is perfect for yoga nidra. She began with an introduction to what yoga nidra is and a review of the kosha's (all this I missed, sadly, in part to making sure registrations were taken care of)... but I did get to enjoy a lovely practice of yoga nidra (total relaxation) which I had not done since I took Yoga Therapy with Chrys Kub in Atlanta this past October (Ahhhh... so amazing!).

A great resource for Yoga Nidra and setting Sankalpa's is Rod Stryker's website. There are also some you can down load from itunes... just listen to the voices and make sure it's one that you might enjoy listening to for the 10-30 minute duration.

I must have really needed it-- floating in and out of the wake-sleep feeling. Not really awake and yet not asleep. At one point my sinuses were draining so much that I felt as if I would have a coughing fit. Fortunately for us all, I managed to suppress the urge. I suppose the most beautiful part was really taking a moment to focus and repeat a sankalpa (resolution or intention). I blogged about this a short while back-- consistency-- in practice, in live, etc. was what I set for myself for the year. While that is still the case. I revised it a bit.

Isvara prandihandad va

Samadhi is obtained by devotion with total surrender to the divine.

Yoga Sutra 1.23

Or in other words, surrender to God. To surrender. Surrender. Surrendered.

I could go on and on on this one- with my background as a Christian-- but reconciling to the fact that while I still believe in the fundamentals of Christianity, I have been opened to an entirely new world that has broadened my beliefs and yet grounded and solidified me all the more. So without getting entirely too spiritual here-- and certainly not taking myself too seriously... However, isn't surrender what life is about? In a world of give and take, compromise and since we're not all living in an isolated cave somewhere (or modern families maybe we are?!)...

We are more than our body. We are a soul. And that soul has a hole that must be filled. How do you fill that inner longing for something more- something greater than yourself? BUT I also believe that we are already whole and complete just as we are. That I am perfect just as I am. Yes, I do believe that but living like I am "whole" is another matter. And, I think if look deep within ourselves... there is that longing, calling, hole, purpose, duty or Dharma that is undeniably there. Examining that Dharma will reveal what our sankalpa is.

Surrendered,

Melissa