Explorer Yogi

photo credit: Joshua Earle via Unsplash

Settling in to Your Practice

In yoga there is an opportunity to discover something new about yourself every time you practice. Simply asking “What is this moment for me?” at the start of a practice opens the door to observation of your whole being. The “self” and its intimate geography of the physical body, breathing pattern, and current thoughts are major “landmarks” to observe. You can spend some few to many minutes observing effects of gravity on your limbs, the rate and depth of your breathing, or your mental chatter in addition to noticing air temperature on your skin or sounds drifting into your practice environment from beyond. Indeed, there are many ways to begin practice, to move (or not move) during practice, and to close a practice.

A Practice of Self-Inquiry

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” This provides useful context for the theme of exploring in yoga. Every day IS different. It may not feel that way or be on a monumental scale, but subtle changes are happening all the time, not to mention all the workings happening beneath your awareness.

Sustaining Your Practice

This summer astronaut and oceanographer, Kathryn Sullivan, made history by being the first woman to reach Challenger Deep, the deepest known place in the ocean at seven miles below surface[1]. This journey comes thirty-six years after she became the first American woman to walk in space. These two experiences, while decades apart reveal a passion and dedication to exploring, as well as a willingness to work through potential obstacles.

When asked about her motivation to explore both space and sea during a radio interview, Sullivan stated:

                “…the driving force in my career all the way through has been a really intense curiosity about Earth, our planet, its geography, its geology, its everything. How does it work? How well do we understand it? And how well can we bring that knowledge and understanding into our own daily life to make wise decisions, better decisions about how we live on this planet? I'm an explorer. I want the data. I want the knowledge. I want the understanding. So, you know, too curious for my own good, I guess you'd say, is the bottom line. But it's worked out real well.”[2]

Ms. Sullivan is speaking about her science career here, but there are gems of yogic inspiration to be found in her response. The questions she has posed in her research career are useful questions for a yoga practice as well.

Yoga Practice Questions

How does my body “work”? How well do I understand my body? How do I currently move? What are my habits? How do I want to move?  How do I currently think? What are my thinking habits? How do I want to think? What can I learn about myself and apply to daily life? There are numerous “explorer-like” questions to ask.

Applying compassionate curiosity towards the self is a way of exploring yoga practice. Planting this seed within yoga practice has the possibility to grow into understanding and knowledge. Just go for it. Take your time. Enjoy exploring your practice.

-Namaste-

References:

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/08/science/challenger-deep-kathy-sullivan-astronaut.html

[2] https://www.npr.org/2020/06/14/876714218/kathy-sullivan-on-reaching-challenger-deep-making-history-again