Rock Star Shoes

Rock stars like David Bowie wore these big shoes during the 70s and 80s- I loved that one message was androgyny. Were they male or female, did they like girls or dudes? It was hard to tell. They embraced both polar opposites- masculine and feminine. This week was also the Spring Equinox- a time of balance in the polar opposites of day and night. When we align ourselves too strongly with the world of polar opposites (Prakriti) we suffer because that realm is in constant change. The Yogi and Tantrika seek to find the Drasthuh, the witness, who watches this world of change in order to ultimately find the part of ourselves which is unaffected by change, the Purusha. The more we seek out Purusha, the more suffering is alleviated. How practically do we seek out Purusha, pray tell? By dwelling in present moment awareness as much as possible. Pay attention! (One very efficient way to drop into present moment awareness immediately is to become aware of our breath.)


The world of Prakriti is a world ruled by the pairs of opposites- the Dvandvas. Masculine/Feminine, Day/Night, In Breath/Out Breath, Rt Side/Left Side, Forward Bend/Backbend, Strength/Suppleness, the Impulse to Change/ the Impulse to Accept, Hot/Cold, Heavy/Light, Sadness/Joy, Anger/Compassion, Fear/ Safety- these are all polar opposites. The more we pay attention, the more we broaden our lens of perception and find that we have the ability to hold both polar opposites simultaneously- in fact these experiences always come in pairs- when we experience one- the possibility is there to also experience its opposite.

Last week I lost someone that I loved dearly. I am experiencing sadness in a way that is new for me. Yet, I am also finding great joy with this sadness- I have laughed and I have cried. One of the most important lessons for me from the master Jesus is that only after Jesus experienced great suffering was the glory of resurrection possible. If we pay attention and allow ourselves to sit with pain rather than trying to push it away in the myriad of ways that pushing it away is possible- overdoing, over eating, over drinking, over spending, too much sex and/or the use of prescription or recreational drugs- only then can we find the glory of the experience of the polar opposite- the silver lining. And by holding both mindfully we gain access to that part that watches and remains untouched.

Yogis actually feel more but it begins to bother you less. (This will not make sense until you have some practice time under your belt and it will not happen from a practice of just asana- this pay off requires a regular practice of meditation.) In our shala, we practice 15 minutes of Yogic Sleep Meditation- a reclining psychic sleep- at the end of each class.  Meditation is sitting with discomfort- a regular practice of watching the contents of the mind and the more you watch- the better you feel.