Burpees

Burpees: 

so the main thrust of my workout lately, for over a year now, has been burpees, two different versions of this exercise that I alternate daily, every day, for high repetitions. For those unfamiliar, the burpee is a complex movement that takes one from the upright position to prone with a pushup thrown in before leaping back to the feet in a smooth but explosive manner. It's a full body expression of grace and power, or at least to the extent that those qualities are present to the day. What I do is generally considered "prison" or "military style" burpees, which generally means extremely high repetitions, staying in relatively the same stance throughout - holding myself accountable to an unbroken chain of motion for the length of time or number of repetitions that I've committed myself to. 

it's a demanding workout, every version, and one I greatly enjoy. 

in many ways it's the opposite of my love affair with yoga, a counter point to the supple stretch and surrender to the flow of poses. But what I find in essence though, more similar than imagined, is that all motion is just a display of energy, everything is yoga, the union of body and mind and how it's a divine and joyful expression of the whole. 

burpees are yoga, 

really, in this commitment, it's little different than the Sufi's whirling, a Dervishes practice of abandoning ourselves to the purity of motion, completely to to the point that unions found. This is meditation, mindfulness of each position, giving no time to distractions that seek to gain our focus, attention turned towards breath, aspects of the movement as it flows in union to the next, and every pause a brief moment to listen to the body's response before another rep begins. 

not every session.

sometimes it's just a workout. 

but there's always that possibility, if I'm able to listen to soul and body, giving myself completely to the movement without worry of time or repetition...

I find myself in a Dervish's whirl of motion.

~

Peace, Eric 

Garudasana

Garudasana:

garudasana, eagle pose, this is the asnana that brings me the most challenge right now, a mixture of balance, strength and flexibility in a single standing posture. This isn't a pose that I commit to in the same way as standing bow, where the fall becomes the edge to my commitment, taking it just to point of tempting gravity with my devotion to its hold. No, garudasana is different all together, it requires a mindfulness of parts before I sense its flow, that right before I reach the seamless expression of its completion - I must first devote myself to every aspect of this post. 

garudasana is a journey.

every time I seek to hold this pose.

physically there is a high demand for strength involved, flexibility through the hips as well as upper body, and balance at every point. To complete the pose with any degree of satisfaction every aspect must be met in order, no part ignored for even a moment, a mindfulness that holds it all together. I love this pose for its demands, how I am asked to commit to each part before I'm able to even imagine its completion, trusting that there is a seamless connection here that exist through every aspect, and my that my faith will result in full expression of the pose. 

it's called eagles pose, translated from Sanskrit, yet in yoga traditions it more related to a mythological creature, king of birds that caries Lord Vishnu through the air without need of ever landing. This bird knows the secret of the winds, carried by currents that require little effort from its powerful wings, having faith in the unseen forces of the air. 

that's what I commit to...

faith, 

that the currents of this pose will flow together, each aspect carrying me towards the full expression of its completion. Sometimes it seems that I miss the entirety of life  through my involvement with each aspect, committed to parts and forgetting the currents of faith that flow beneath me, with reality already being a seamless whole, every point an aspect of its expression. 

garudasana, eagle pose, mythical in flight...

reminds me that I'm whole.

~

Peace, Eric 

Magical Thinking

Magical thinking: 

it's magical thinking too, perhaps more so, that consciousness emerges from specific ingredients of matter that produce a chemical reaction, an energetic activity that is exclusive to the brain, and the cause of our awareness. To believe that consciousness is based upon physical means is as magical as any other theory proposed. I'm not saying that it's wrong, nor am I offering a more panpsychism view, although that is the direction I tend to lean towards in my belief. What I offer here is mystery, alchemy, however consciousness appears is magical...

and no less so that it might be dependent on matter, ingredients created from the Big Bang, elements that must be arranged in such precise manner as to produce the awareness that we're alive, existing within an infinite universe of possibilities and that somehow we defied the odds of being here at all. We're creatures of magic however we appeared. 

magical thinking indeed.

science often overlooks motive, not being really concerned with reasons, nor asking questions beyond how something has occurred. Science doesn't really deal with why things happen as they do. That seems more in the realm of philosophy, theology, or the curiosity of a child. Maybe there's just too much regression in asking why, with every answer being traced back further with another question and we are left once more with mystery. That's actually fine with me, everything left wide open, not knowing, and more so - being left without the need to know an absolute why of our existence. 

anything we say is just a theory after all, not the true Tao as the ancient sages urge us to remember. We should keep asking why for the very sake of this regression, each question a returning point to mystery, and it's here that we ultimately exist. Not knowing. Adrift amidst possibilities. Magical. 

indeed. 

~

Peace, Eric  

Everything Belongs

Everything belongs: 

that everything belongs, and all without exceptions - of course the mind immediately rebels at this suggestion, as surely such atrocious acts as murder and warfare, mistreatment of others, along with a host of serious concerns that plague our world, surely they don't belong here? Yet they do, sadly so in my opinion, and I have a deep desire to see these conditions change. That I care belongs as well, compassion is part of this, empathy, and every action that I take to alleviate the pain of others, everything belongs, at least for the moment of its appearance. 

this is hard to accept at first hearing, or even for a longer time after, as there is a wish for exceptions, a denial that what a moment holds could possibly be so painful, or filled by such misery or sorrow. There's  a refusal to believe this and we often look away or pretend that life is blissful at its very essence. But the truth is that life contains every possibility, suffering is included with the bliss, and we are blessed with awareness of this, an innate ability to hold our suffering in the same hands that we extend to others for their aid and comfort. Through this awareness, all things come to be accepted as they are right now, even our wish for things to change, even our denial...

everything belongs.

without exception.

and this is by virtue of appearance, it's that simple, what appears is reality, and this includes our deeply held illusions, the ghost of memories, and most fragile of beliefs. It's reality until we're able to see with clarity that life is motion, ever changing, and that what appears now is not ultimately how things will always be. Everything belongs because life is always changing, presently in motion, and every possibility at once in play. With this insight we gift the world with action, spontaneous, without choice, but simply the path our heart has taken. 

compassion, care. 

reality. 

everything belongs/ 

~

Peace, Eric 

An Entirely Selfish Act

An entirely selfish act: 

often, I'll write about my purpose here, this blog, and in particular any piece of work I happen to be writing - and my assurance is that there is no point aside from the actual writing, that I'm not offering anything of great importance nor insights that are greater than your own. Really, an insight just provides a theme to write of, giving me an idea to carry forward with words that only have meaning in the moment of my writing. This is all for me, an entirely selfish act of my commitment. 

I write for sake of inspiration, for the hope that a string of words might appear and lend themselves to beauty. An insight is just a starting point, nothing more, and certainly not offered as a teaching. The truth is that everything I write is fabricated, pure imagination, fiction. What seems like such a meaningful idea in the moment of its arrival has already vanished in importance by the time my fingers reach the keyboards. The idea is gone, inspirational already taken another turn, and I am typing something completely different, contradicting whatever thought I held before. 

for me, writing is an entirely selfish act.

my commitment is in the faith that somewhere on a page...a few words might bring a sense of beauty, a lyrical rhythm when read aloud. I've been asked before about sharing, if this is an entirely selfish act than why do I share my words? As if I have to provide an answer, or justify reasons that art is ever shared. It just is, it doesn't feel complete until the words are given away, put forth for someone to see even with a brief glance, and that my commitment is complete only when it's shared. 

that's the best I have for an explanation. 

and it's not really true, partially so, mostly, I have no idea why any of this happens, writing or why it's shared after. It's mystery, all of it, from first point of inspiration to the rush of words that follow, and any reason that they're shared - none of this can be explained, it's not meant to be, it's an entirely selfish act that brings me utter joy. 

the explanation is always just the writing. 

and it's for myself alone.

~

Peace, Eric 

Absence of A Forgiver

Absence of a forgiver: 

it's through the absence of a forgiver that the grace of forgiveness actually happens, there is no one able to cause this action, and it's not an act that we bestow upon another. The truth is that forgiveness is instantaneous, life already in the motion of being healed, and only the mind hangs on for words to be spoken and rituals performed. We lag behind this action, believing ourselves capable of holding back the course of time - yet forgiveness itself has happened. 

life instantly being healed...

motion. 

and no rituals performed. 

all in the absence of an actual forgiver. 

of course we might need those rituals, or for words to be spoken to confirm our being healed. At least we might believe that's so - and with this we come to see ourselves as the one who offers forgiveness, taking on the all important role of bringing grace to a wounded situation. We see ourselves as a forgiver, a larger role of being the one to move past hurtful conditions and offering this grace to others. But again, the reality is that it's over, only our thoughts continue to be wounded, and there are no words that need to be spoken. Grace happens on its own. Forgiveness too. Our only role is to come to terms with motion, to remember that life is the healing factor here, always, and doesn't need our confirmation. 

life heals itself.

always. 

and all through the absence of a forgiver.

~

Peace, Eric 

From Quiet Depths

From quiet depths: 

it's the morning itself that inspires, hours before sunrise, a deep is hush present, holy, and any sound that seeps through has a seamless feel to it - as if brought forth from quiet depths and offered as a single note within an infinite song. I am called to listen, waking early for just this purpose, simply to sit within these quiet depths and hear my own inspired song of mantra, breath and heartbeat. 

this too has a seamless feel.

I am often asked what meditation offers, to list the benefits and answer if it's worth the effort. Many friends will tell me that they've tried and failed with their own practice, distracted by their thoughts or inability to focus. There are a few awakening friends who urge me to surrender my practice and just allow my own conscious expression to emerge. But here's the thing - it takes no effort to sit in silence, my focus is free of concern, unhindered by any idea or object. I have no interest in being enlightened, or awakening to anything outside this single point of inspiration. 

listening, from quiet depths...

and the entire world is heard. 

what more could my morning offer? 

so it's enough for me, sitting, listening, not interrupting the softness of these early hours with any demands or expectations. I am not a seeker through effort nor by practice, from quiet depths I've found what's ever present, inescapable, intimate to the very moment of my listening.  

I hear my own awakening...

playing as a present song. 

~

Peace, Eric