I have had the great fortune of studying with and, in some cases, just been able to listen to, some people that I would consider to be genuine geniuses. My fortune has been so great, that it would not be possible to list everyone here. One of these people is David Harvey, who I met and studied with when I was a student at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York. David Harvey is a critical geographer and anthropologist with significant passion for improving the conditions of life for humans everywhere. Anyone who has studied Anthropology, or perhaps, any social science, knows that, it doesn’t look good for humans. Almost every ethnography documents some kind of suffering—-the kind that we inflict on each other, the kind that we inflict on ourselves and the tragedies inherent with war, famine, natural disaster, racism, disease and the list goes on. After six years of graduate work in Anthropology, I can tell you that the research consistently reveals that we aren’t that nice to one another and we don’t like to share. Therefore, it is of considerable joy to read the hardly lighthearted, yet somewhat hopeful, work of David Harvey. Specifically, I refer to his Spaces of Hope (2000). Basically, the news still isn’t good, but Harvey presents small flickering lights in the tunnel of human doom that provoke the reader to become a part of something bigger than themselves in the name of the greater good. The other risk of reading Harvey is that you have a song in your heart for Balzac, Marx and Benjamin even though you’ve never had the least bit of desire to read their work.
What role does Karl Marx and the body play in all this? Harvey (2000) suggests that Marx, “…from the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts onwards, Marx grounded his ontological and epistemological arguments on real sensual bodily interaction with the world (Harvey 2000: 101).” Here, Harvey quotes Marx (1964 edition, 143):
Sense-perception must be the basis of all science. Only when it proceeds from sense-perception in the two-fold form
of sensuous consciousness and of sensuous need–that is, only when science proceeds from nature–is it true science.
What is not discussed here is how, for many of us, we have lost our sense perception. Many of us dis-abled our tools of sense perception somewhere along the way and now we move in a most un-sensual way through the world separated from our bodies. We do not know hunger or fullness and spend a remarkable amount of time in some variation of the over-pose: over-whelmed, over-ate, hunched over, over it, over you, over and under—-trapped. One of the only sensations we recognize is discomfort. While this can be seen as negative, this discomfort is an invitation to return to a sensual state and to notice how we feel. For many adults, this discomfort encourages a first experience with yoga and many new opportunities for health and wellness.
If all you feel is discomfort, there are two things that you can understand that may be helpful:
1-As you are human, and your discomfort is part of your experience, you can now be open to a deeper sense of compassion for all other humans. I invite you to sit and feel your discomfort and know that you are not alone. We can use our own suffering as a connective link to all living beings.
2-No matter where you are and no matter what your circumstances, if you can feel discomfort, there is still hope! If you have remained sensual enough to feel this pain, then you can use these sense organs to feel non-pain. You can use the skills of yoga and movement to wake up these capabilities that you have for something different. Something better!
Here is a short exercise that you can do for as long as you like or as short as you like and wherever you are right now. This is the exercise of pure sound:
Take a moment to open your hearing senses and listen to sound without judgment. No, it isn’t easy when you’d like to throttle your neighbor for power washing his driveway each time you try to take a nap with your newborn. But, just for the sake of this exercise, hear the power washer minus the judgement. The same goes for hearing something lovely, like the song of the Cardinal outside your morning window. You might hear this lovely bird-song and suddenly wish that it would never end, or think of some other time you heard such a song or you might think that it is time to purchase more bird food. The idea is to just listen—-without the stories, ideas, thoughts and negative or positive judgements. As soon as your mind starts to wander from the pure sound, let go and return to a sensing of sound. Don’t get frustrated if this takes work. It is work. This work helps us understand the quality of our thoughts and how so very much of our experience is determined not by reality, but by what we are doing with it. The mind is constantly moving, but the more we can create some space between experience and thought about the experience, the more rested, relaxed and clear we are. Less angry, less in pain, but more sensual, more open and liberated from the confines of our memories and experiences.
Posted by Sharon Rudyk, Owner and Director of Yoga Matrika, a community-based yoga studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
http://www.yogamatrika.com/
REFERENCES:
Harvey, David.
Spaces of Hope. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.
Marx, Karl
1964 edition, The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844. New York
In the March 2010 issue of ODE Magazine, there is a thought provoking article, Great Expectations: How hope therapy can help banish mild mood disorders and boost happiness, by Catherine Ryan. Among the many things that I started to think about was the way that yoga promotes hope.
What precisely is hope? Hope is a subtle sensation and state of being, sometimes an emotion, that provides a vague sense that something other than what “is” can be possible. It provides the foundation for every change, every decision and every transition that we find ourselves on the other side of. Without hope, the capacity to love, to move, to grow or to change is stifled and the great shadow of fear and doubt can overwhelm us. Hope is sometimes confused as faith, but although these both require one another, they are quite different. In order to act on hope, one must have faith in the potentially positive outcome of one’s actions. In order to have faith, there must be a song of hope in one’s heart or the faith grows hard like the stone of dogma.
The kind of hope that provides a boost to happiness is based on the idea that change happens. Those of us who practice yoga regularly are able to experience this on our mats in every practice. As we move through asana (poses) or pranayama (breathing), it is impossible not to notice that each breath is different, each moment of holding an asana or transition between the asana creates different sensation. Some of these sensations and changes in the breath are not welcome! But, we become uniquely aware through a practice that nothing is the same. If you have not practiced yoga before, this may sound terrifying. But, if you practice regularly, you are nodding your head and perhaps even smiling as you acknowledge the profound sense of liberation that this type of awareness creates. None of us are stuck. Not only do we have the capacity to change, but change is our natural state of being.
According to the psychologists who provided the data for the ODE article, “Hope, as defined by psychologists, is the belief that you have the skills and energy to make your dreams a reality (Ryan 2010: 53).” They suggest that our current emotional state is often determined by our expectations for the future (Ryan 2010: 53). In general, the idea is that hopeful people are happier (53). If this is the case, then one of the best ways that we can cultivate happiness is to cultivate hope. Research also seems to indicate that building high expectations doesn’t set you up for a harder fall (Ryan 2010:54). In fact, high-hopers seem uniquely prepared to bounce back after a fall due to their ability to quickly evaluate a situation and make changes (54). Yoga can play a role here too. What we learn in our practice on the mat is that when we feel something “not quite right” we take a moment to breathe into it. If things don’t change, then sometimes all we need is a soft blanket under our hip, or a block under our hand and, voila!, it feels just right. What we realize is that it isn’t that we aren’t doing a pose “right” or “wrong,” but rather that a simple modification can create an “ah ha!” moment out of an “uh-oh.”
Yoga also helps us learn how to set specific and achievable goals. Apparently, for adults who do not have high-hopes, one of the first steps of hope therapy is to learn how to set a specific and achievable goal (Ryan 2010: 54). In open level yoga classes, some students can do some amazing things with balance, with their strength, with their energy and some students struggle to just sit on their mat or lie still in savasana—yet they are all doing yoga. When we first start out, we realize immediately that, while yoga shouldn’t be goal oriented, we can determine the types of goals that are and are not achievable. It would not be realistic to think that we could come into an advanced balancing pose if we struggle to maintain balance in Warrior I, but it is not unrealistic to think that we can become more aware of our balance and the position of our feet in relationship to the earth. We also find that great happiness and the complete benefit of the practice is available to us no matter what the poses look like. After class, the person who could do a handstand in the middle of the room—feels great. The person who did child’s pose for most of the class—feels great. A regular yoga practice shows us that there is great benefit in simply being present. If that isn’t hope, then I don’t know what is.
REFERENCES
Ryan, Catherine
Great Expectations: How hope therapy can help banish mild mood disorders and boost happiness. IN Ode Magazine, March 2010, pages 53-54.
Written and posted by Sharon Rudyk, Owner and Director of Yoga Matrika located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
SAFE and EFFECTIVE FINANCIAL DONATIONS to HAITI
My web home page is the New York Times, and I would be lying if I didn’t say that the images of injured children, devastation and large numbers of bodies being scooped and dumped by trucks have not taken their toll on my heart-mind. This is a most challenging time for Haitians all over the world. This is most likely an understatement and one that I may never, and definitely hope to never, understand the true depth of. The New York Times has a list of organizations currently accepting donations and you can access it here: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/haiti-disaster-relief-how-to-contribute/?scp=12&sq=giving%20and%20haiti&st=cse
If you live in Pittsburgh, or even close, Quiet Storm, a local vegetarian and vegan restaurant, is hosting a benefit dinner:
HAITIAN MENU Jan 19
I want to offer Yoga Matrika blog readers some links to organizations that are accepting donations:
UNICEF
http://www.unicefusa.org/?gclid=CLzslMOfp58CFWkN5Qodrxrk1Q
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
http://doctorswithoutborders.org/
PARTNERS in HEALTH
http://www.pih.org/home.html
Obviously, there is GREAT need and money is a type of energy that we can send directly to these organizations who can make sure that care is provided to the almost 3 million survivors of this most terrible earthquake.
What else can be done? We can meditate.
There is a very important kind of Buddhist meditation that can be practiced by anyone, of any religion, any time, any place. Human suffering in Haiti (you can read this Human Rights report to find out more) did not begin with this earthquake and there is suffering all around you—sadness, hunger, violence, inequity, pain. While it is easy to focus on the pain and suffering that is shocking and remarkable, this meditation asks us to to focus on human suffering in general. This meditation gives us power to acknowledge our own suffering, to wish something better for ourselves and to extend this wish to everyone, everywhere who is experiencing suffering.
It can be overwhelming to accept that last week, before this earthquake, in Haiti, there were children being kidnapped (according to the Human Rights Watch report, as many as one kidnapping daily) and food riots as so many people were starving to the point of violence. The United Nations estimated in 2008 that there were 170,000 children employed in domestic labor and only 50% of primary school aged children go to school with only 2% of the population finishing high school. The reality is that there is great need and tremendous suffering in Haiti and around the world. Rather than turn away, we have an opportunity and an obligation to face this pain and draw on the strength of our practice to build compassion and create peace and beautiful wishes for all living beings.
MAKING A WISH: Loving-Kindness Meditation for Haiti and all Living Beings
STEP 1: Sit quietly in a chair or on the floor (if this is comfortable for you)
STEP 2: Notice the quality of your breath and do a scan of your body from your toes through the crown of your head, just noticing how you feel, any sensations in your body and places that feel open or closed.
STEP 3: Make a sincere wish for your own safety, happiness, health and well-being. You can use phrases such as: May I Be Free of Fear and Harm; May I Be Content as I Am; May I Be at Peace with What Comes. Or, you can just make an honest wish for yourself in your own words that is meaningful to you.
STEP 4: Extend this wish gently to all living beings starting with the people that you care about the most, see them all bathed in the light of your sincere wish. Then, extend this wish to all the people that you know, including neighbors, friends, colleagues, the person who serves your coffee in the morning. Then, extend this wish to everyone in your city, state and country. Take your time. Be honest in your wish and sincere in your desire that everyone be granted this wish.
Step 5: Call into your mind’s eye Haiti and the world. See the light and energy of your beautiful wish bathing Haiti and the entire world in a beautiful light. Be sincere in your wish that all living beings in Haiti be granted peace, health and freedom from pain and suffering.
This is different from prayer in that you are sending energy not from a higher being, but from your own heart and mind to everyone who might need it. Although our American culture has made a commitment to certain beliefs about time and space, this meditation teaches us that we are also humans with energy that knows no boundaries and we have power to release energy in ways that defy these artificial boundaries we have created or believe in.
To Haiti and to everyone in the world who is in pain, suffering, sad, lonely, thirsty, hungry or in need. Please know that there is a little woman and a strong community of yogis here in Pittsburgh who sit in the quiet power of our minds and send you light, love and happiness. May you receive our solemn wish for relief and may it give you comfort and strength as you move forward into life.
Written & Posted by Sharon Rudyk
Owner and Director of Yoga Matrika and Prenatal Yoga Pittsburgh
http://www.yogamatrika.com/
http://www.prenatalyogapittsburgh.com
http://www.sharonrudykyoga.info
Last week, the focus for Mindful Yoga was “the organs.” We learned to support asana using the internal structures of the body and acknowledge our organs for all that they do.
This week, our focus is the sacral center (2nd Chakra). I always pick a focus based on what I am working on in my personal practice and recently, for the first time in years, I managed to aggravate my sciatic nerve. It’s hard to say how I did it—-Demonstrating a reverse triangle when I wasn’t warmed up? Carrying a heavy messenger bag on one shoulder? Sitting with my legs crossed for too long? Good news is that it doesn’t matter how it happened, only that it’s over now and the experience provided inspiration to give some juicy love to the sacrum this week.
The sacral area is associated with creativity and when we create and acknowledge sensation here we are filled with optimism, passion and direction. Life is vibrant!
If you can’t make it to Mindful Flow on Tuesday night at Yoga Matrika in Pittsburgh, then here is a little exercise that will take less than 10-minutes that you can do anywhwere to change your energy and open up to a little creative juice:
SIT
On the floor with your legs crossed OR on the edge of a chair.
BREATHE
Take at least 10 deep breaths so that the in-breath takes a minimum of 4-counts and the out-breath is released to an equal count. It may take a few minutes to slow the breath down and open to this depth. Take as much time as you need.
MOVE
For one minute, start to take your upper body in circles over your hips. Keep circling in the same direction for the entire minute, inhaling as you circle forward and exhaling as you circle back. The breath should be relaxed and the movement should be at a speed that allows you to take full deep breaths.
After a minute, change directions and take your upper body in circles over your hips in the opposite direction. Breathing in as you circle forward and exhaling as you round back.
LIE DOWN
For five minutes, lie down on the floor with your hips propped up on a folded blanket or pillow. If this causes any pain in your lower back, then bend through your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Breathing in, feel your belly rise towards the ceiling. Exhaling, feel your belly release towards your spine.
Slowly sit up and move on to the next wonderful thing with a little more spring in your step, oxygen in your blood and a juiced up pelvis—-Vroom! Vroom!
Posted by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk
Owner and Director of Yoga Matrika
http://www.yogamatrika.com/
This great idea is inspired by Gurmukh’s wonderful book, “The Eight Human Talents” published in 2000 by Harper Collins. Highly recommended!
In Leboyer’s classic book of yoga for pregnant women, Inner Beauty, Inner Light, he includes an interesting analysis of how pain during practice should be treated. Pregnant or not, this analysis applies to all yoga practitioners and provides a way of thinking about pain that is respectful and safe.
“Pain is nothing but a message, an alarm bell. What will you do when the alarm bell starts ringing? Will you sit there? Will you say: ‘This bell is terrible. But one has to be courageous, to endure.’ Will you not rather go and see why it is ringing?” (page 49)
Yoga practice is a process of never ending discovery. Each time that we move our bodies into an asana, it will feel different, look different and act different. It is this mindful practice on our mat that provides us with a map for understanding our reactions, thoughts and way of moving through the world off the mat.
Yoga practice should not be painful or cause injury. Our practice should provide us with experiences that inform us about what we do all the time, but perhaps have never invested the attention to discover these truths. This way, we start to notice small things about our experience—-Is our breath more shallow when our boss is in the room? What does our energy feel like after a milkshake? What does our morning coffee taste like? Perhaps we notice a rise of energy when we are angry or a softening of the hips and thighs when we talk to our child? Maybe the opposite. There is no wrong or right. We just notice.
Enjoy your practice. Be safe and feel good. Really GOOD.
