A student and his teacher were taking a walk through the forest. Each day they took the same route, discussing anything and everything.
Today’s walk was a bit different. As they passed a stream, a woman called out to them: “Excuse me, can you help me?” As they approached, they saw that she was dressed in beautiful clothing. She wore expensive jewels. Her shoes were made of leather. “I need to get to the other side of the stream, but I do not want to dirty myself. Can you carry me across?”
The teacher, without a moment’s hesitation, left the student’s side, lifted the woman and carried her from one side of the stream to the other. He then returned to his visibly annoyed student, and they continued their walk. The teacher kept talking, sharing, questioning. The student was quiet.
They walked for hours. When they reached the end of the walk and the teacher began to part ways, the student said, “Wait. I’m so angry. I just don’t understand why that didn’t bother you. Why did you do that? Why did you let that woman treat you as if she is better than you?”
The teacher responded, “That happened at the stream. And so, I left it at the stream. I let it go. You did not, and that is why you are still suffering.”
Our feet hit the ground running
Most of us do not have the time, luxury or simplicity of life to take a daily walk with our teachers. The alarm goes off, our feet hit the ground and we take off running. Days often pass without our even realizing what has happened. What did we handle well and put behind us? What is unresolved that we are still carrying?
Asana provides direct access to ourselves. The poses, the physical practice of yoga, let us face the sensations and fluctuations in our bodies that are so often connected to the fluctuations of our minds.
Notice what comes up
Take some time as you come to your mat to pay attention to what comes up. What arises in the physical body is what the mind is already focused on. Are feelings of jealousy, insecurity, anger and rigidity bouncing around with you on your mat? Or is it joy, gratitude, peace and receptivity that visit you there?
The poses can reveal so much if we let them, if, and only if, we pay attention. Will you notice what your physical practice is saying to you? Will you notice what you are holding on to? What is nagging you? What is holding you back? What, perhaps, could you have left at the stream?
When we pay attention between the four corners of the mat, we begin to notice more everywhere else. And then we get to decide: what should we carry with us, and what should we leave behind?
