(More prints, because why not)
Reading Reflection
"These disturbances are disease, idlenesss, doubt, carelessness, sloth, lack of detachment, misapprehension, failure to attain a base for concentration, and instability. They are distractions for the mind."
"Suffering, dejection, trembling, inhalation, and exhalation, accompany the distractions."
The sutras 1:30-39 talk about all the different distractions that you can suffer from. They can end up affecting you emotionally, physically, and mentally. These distractions keep you from focusing, one of the key aspects of yoga.
There are all kinds of ways for you to overcome these kinds of distractions. For problems with focusing, you can try focusing in on a certain object or calm thought. Developing compassion and friendliness towards others can also clear your mind of negativity. It is suggestions like this one that can be applicable to real life mental health, even if you don't believe in the teachings of the sutras. Maintaining a constant negativity towards everyone and everything around you, whether it is out of jealousy, bias, or anything else, isn't going to help you feel like a better person or make you happier in the long run.
Other ways you can practice control over these distractions and maintain a stable mind are through proper breathing, freeing your mind from pain, detaching yourself from unnecessary desires, meditation, and knowledge attained from dreams and sleep. All of these seem like reasonable ways in yoga to practice your control and focus inward. Freeing your mind from pain, particularly emotional pain, can be really hard to do at times. It's hard to fight strong sadness or anger when they coil around you and drag you down, but if you manage to free and soothe your mind from them, you can really feel the emotional and mental benefits and finally begin to be at peace with yourself. Advocation of detachment from desires has been mentioned in the other sutras we've read, so the reason behind it is rather clear by this point. If you're distracted by material and physical desires, it's going to be hard to calm down and focus on anything. Even so, as obvious as it is, practicing detachment is easier said than done, that's for sure.
There are all kinds of ways for you to overcome these kinds of distractions. For problems with focusing, you can try focusing in on a certain object or calm thought. Developing compassion and friendliness towards others can also clear your mind of negativity. It is suggestions like this one that can be applicable to real life mental health, even if you don't believe in the teachings of the sutras. Maintaining a constant negativity towards everyone and everything around you, whether it is out of jealousy, bias, or anything else, isn't going to help you feel like a better person or make you happier in the long run.
Other ways you can practice control over these distractions and maintain a stable mind are through proper breathing, freeing your mind from pain, detaching yourself from unnecessary desires, meditation, and knowledge attained from dreams and sleep. All of these seem like reasonable ways in yoga to practice your control and focus inward. Freeing your mind from pain, particularly emotional pain, can be really hard to do at times. It's hard to fight strong sadness or anger when they coil around you and drag you down, but if you manage to free and soothe your mind from them, you can really feel the emotional and mental benefits and finally begin to be at peace with yourself. Advocation of detachment from desires has been mentioned in the other sutras we've read, so the reason behind it is rather clear by this point. If you're distracted by material and physical desires, it's going to be hard to calm down and focus on anything. Even so, as obvious as it is, practicing detachment is easier said than done, that's for sure.
Class Reflection
Class this week has been pretty fun. The slight pressure and soreness I was feeling at the top of my back is all gone now because of my yoga classes. I think it was just worked out with us trying more and harder poses this week. Even despite working on it a little outside of class, I still have problems with balancing properly. At least I'm able to put my foot higher up on my thigh now. I always love it when I notice little improvements like that, and ones such as being able to do better downward dogs without the blocks and being able to bend down further than before. It makes the fun I'm having with yoga feel even more worth it to see actual results bit by bit.
It really is one of the best things about class for me, listening to everyone else laugh, groan, and make jokes while we do the poses, even if it is distracting us from calming our minds and focusing in on the self. It's just funny hearing some of the others complain without really meaning it since we all seem to be having a good time in the end. Some of them even talk before and after class about continuing yoga after the semester is over or trying to find some of the yoga props online.
It's nice revisiting some of the poses that we explored way at the beginning of the semester, like the poses that stretched our hamstring and the ones that required us to use our arms and wrists. It reminded me that there are some things I still need to work on.
It really is one of the best things about class for me, listening to everyone else laugh, groan, and make jokes while we do the poses, even if it is distracting us from calming our minds and focusing in on the self. It's just funny hearing some of the others complain without really meaning it since we all seem to be having a good time in the end. Some of them even talk before and after class about continuing yoga after the semester is over or trying to find some of the yoga props online.
It's nice revisiting some of the poses that we explored way at the beginning of the semester, like the poses that stretched our hamstring and the ones that required us to use our arms and wrists. It reminded me that there are some things I still need to work on.
Outside of Class
There's nothing too exciting or noteworthy going on outside of class. I practiced some yoga with my roommate again. For the most part, it was accomplished without her dog interfering too much. We mostly just stuck with the simpler poses since she hasn't done yoga in a good while. Of course, just like everyone else, she loved corpse pose the most.
We've started on inversions in my other yoga class now. She showed the class how to do crow pose, shoulder stand, and head stand. Anybody who was willing was able to practice it on their own against the wall and/or with someone to help them. There was one girl near my mat who was scared of being upside down but still wanted to try, so another girl helped her lift her legs. As soon as she was up in the air, she freaked out (I guess a mix of excitement and fear...) and screamed bloody murder before almost falling over sideways. Everyone in the room was startled, and then she just curled up on the floor and fell into a giggling fit when everyone started laughing. It was almost more fun watching other people try it out for the first time than trying it out for myself.
I think I'm starting to feel a bit more energetic as the weather gets cooler, since I love cold and crisp weather, so I get to go outside, walk around, and enjoy and relax more often lately. Also, right now, I'm really looking forward to getting next week's classwork out of the way and enjoying Thanksgiving break.
We've started on inversions in my other yoga class now. She showed the class how to do crow pose, shoulder stand, and head stand. Anybody who was willing was able to practice it on their own against the wall and/or with someone to help them. There was one girl near my mat who was scared of being upside down but still wanted to try, so another girl helped her lift her legs. As soon as she was up in the air, she freaked out (I guess a mix of excitement and fear...) and screamed bloody murder before almost falling over sideways. Everyone in the room was startled, and then she just curled up on the floor and fell into a giggling fit when everyone started laughing. It was almost more fun watching other people try it out for the first time than trying it out for myself.
I think I'm starting to feel a bit more energetic as the weather gets cooler, since I love cold and crisp weather, so I get to go outside, walk around, and enjoy and relax more often lately. Also, right now, I'm really looking forward to getting next week's classwork out of the way and enjoying Thanksgiving break.
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