practice on the path

life as we know it

*Photo above by Preston Schlebusch Photography, wearing Ohm K.

All of us are apprenticed to the same teacher that the religious institutions originally worked with: reality. Reality-insight says… master the twenty-four hours. Do it well, without self-pity… Such a round of chores is not a set of difficulties we hope to escape from so that we may do our “practice” which will put us on a “path” – it is our path.

-Gary Snyder, “The Practice Of The Wild”

The practice is daily. I often step on my mat and think to myself, “Alright brain, tune in, we’re practicing yoga now.” After all, the first Sutra or teaching of yoga is atha yoga anushasanum or “now is the practice of yoga.”

Stepping off the mat or out of the physical asana practice doesn’t mean our minds and bodies are then free to go run a mock like elementary school kids getting let out for recess; it doesn’t mean we’re out of the “practice” of mindfulness. That’s the whole point – to practice on the mat what we can then translate to our life outside of the realm of asana, or whatever it is we do that connects us to ourselves.

Sometimes we may discount simple tasks and chores like washing the dishes or running errands, when really it’s all part of the practice and the path. Just because we’re not meditating or journaling doesn’t mean we’re not exempt from practicing a steady awareness.

The middle portion of the quote above says it straight-up:

It is as hard to get the children herded into the car pool and down the road to the bus as it is to chant sutras in the Buddha-hall on a cold morning. One move is not better than the other, each can be quite boring, and they both have the virtuous quality of repetition. Repetition and ritual and their good results come in many forms. Changing the filter, wiping noses, going to meetings, picking up around the house, washing dishes, checking the dipstick – don’t let yourself think these are distracting you from your more serious pursuits.

We may have lots of distractions tempting us to stray from staying in the moment [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][especially if that moment is undesirable], but we can use techniques like yoga or meditation to remind ourselves to come back to that focused state when we’re running errands, having dinner with a friend, or sweeping the floor.

Now is the practice of yoga, or mindfulness, all the time: reading this, exercising, managing your finances, scrolling through social media. Instead of these being distractions, let’s consider rewiring the brain to approach them as part of our practice and path.

What are your “chores” and how do you make them a more thoughtful activity?

Read the rest of the newsletter for my new favorite spring smoothie recipe, exciting upcoming events, music and more.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]