Same Blog, Different Day

One of my private clients has encouraged me to write a book. While I've always thought of myself as having some skill with words, what I lack, I think, are the consistency and "stick-to-it-iveness" required to complete a book-length work. So, here I am, showing up to work on the consistency piece, and hopefully over time, I will accumulate enough material that the skeleton of a book takes shape. I am hoping that I can spin my reflections on my own life into something that has relevance for many. And so, with that, I'll commence.

"Get on the mat!"

That's what my private client, Madison (fictional name), said the title of this should be. It certainly has impact, and it exemplifies the "just do it" lines of thought that circulate through my head every day. It also functions as a reminder to stay on the path, to keep looking for wisdom and striving to be skillful. In fact, "get on the mat" is so rich that it bears a little unpacking.

1.) "Get on the mat!" as yogic "Just do it!": You're not going to see the results you want in your life unless you show up for them. You have to practice. "Practice and all is coming," as Sri Pattabhi Jois says. Practice has a number of positive effects. Not only is the strength you gain helpful in its own right, but practice also gives you the insight you will need when your dreams begin to come true. Most of us come to our mats because we want more: more love, more health, more happiness. But many of us don't have the muscles we need to handle all that good stuff when we start practicing. Getting on our mats on a regular basis readies us to receive the blessings that practicing creates in our lives.

2.) The mat as compass: Most of us lead very busy lives. We have jobs, families, friends, homes, and then there is that rubber mat rolled up in the corner of the living room. It beckons us, and what it really is calling us to is reflection and investment in the divine. We make most decisions in a split second. We spend most days reacting and responding over and over because our way of relating to each other doesn't allow us time to reflect and invest. The upshot of that is a lack of skill in most of our dealings with others. Our interactions become less about relationship and more about whatever is roiling around in our own minds. What's the antidote to this situation? The mat.

When we step onto our mats we are called back to ourselves in the most basic sense. We listen to our breath. We touch our physical and mental limits. We practice compassion for ourselves. Most importantly, we rehearse relating skillfully. In each practice, we have the opportunity to contemplate what is highest and most beautiful in our lives, and the time we spend in that contemplation acts like a savings account that we can leverage throughout our day. It gives us a "true North" to which we can orient our actions and our thoughts.

I have more to say about this important sutra of sorts, but it will have to wait. In the meantime, submit yourself to its instructions, and enjoy the benefits!