Trusting in My Yoga

Trusting in my yoga:

so for the longest time the most difficult yoga posture for me was halasana, plough pose, an asana that requires the yogi to gently bring their legs behind head, feet touching floor, while lying on their backs. It's not a complicated posture, a few nuances to master, but fairly straight forward in it's practice. And yet for me it was difficult, my feet simply could not find the floor no matter the effort I put forth. This wasn't due to lack of flexibility, nor any muscle imbalance. I've practiced yoga for decades, all through my life really, and although I'm not a master of advanced postures, I do have a steady, daily practice that has served me quite well. 

the problem, as I discovered, 

was trust. 

my faith was completely in the gravity of the moment, even moving quite slowly I was subconsciously afraid that the weight of my legs would continue in their momentum and carry me all the way backwards, placing undue pressure on my neck. And in fact, on more than one occasion, this actually occurred, only furthering my fear. So I would find myself a few precious inches away from completely finishing the pose, even with firm guidance from better yogi's than myself I was unable to close that gap. 

fear, of course, is a powerful thing.

and it keeps us from trusting in the grace found every moment. 

one day, and not so long ago, my feet still a few precious inches above the floor, a customary position for my halfhearted effort - my feet touched the floor. Just like that. Simple. There was no rush of joy, no elation, or even satisfaction. It felt normal, natural, as if fear just didn't belong there any longer. Here's the thing though, early morning practice, hours away from sunrise and my house is still, quite, my feet hovering above the floor - and a soft whisper arrived urging me to trust. I knew the floor was there readying to greet me, not a shred of doubt present. 

I knew I was supported.

and I was.

this is an easy asana for me now, a continuation from shoulder stand to plough in a complete and lovely display of trust, and grace.. There is no fear. The floor is always present and willing to meet me in the trust of my surrender. I just wasn't ready to let go. Until I was. And now my practice is completely different, a beautiful flow of faith and ease. 

it's early morning now, hours away from sunrise, my house very still, quiet...

a soft whisper arriving, 

trust.

and I find myself smiling, ready for the day. 

all of life is yoga.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from headless Now, please visit: By Grace We Live

Also, please visit to buy: Autobiography of a Yogi

Thank you. 

By Grace We Live

By grace we live: 

by grace we live, that we're already and always expressed as an idea within the mind of God. There is nothing to be achieved here, no effort has to be made for this to be so - it's inherent as the very fabric of our existence. Living this grace is the acceptance of the reality of love even as we dream an often fearful world. It's through this acceptance that we gain release from the pervasive fear produced by dreaming such crazy ideas as being alone, insignificant, and separated from God. Grace is expressed though our practice of forgiveness - simply seeing each other as we truly are. 

and so it's by grace we live, and by this same grace...

the entire world released.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Persistent

Also, please visit to buy: Accepting

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Persistent

Persistent: 

the prayers that appeal most to me are the ones in which I'm asked to trust and surrender. I think it's because I've pushed my own agenda for so long, stubbornly clinging to what's never really worked, yet being terrified to let go. What I love is the sense of comfort that Jesus brings to these prayers in A Course in Miracles. They're like a gentle whisper from a dearest friend, persistent in their soft urge to trust the love that's being offered. My thoughts go to the hardest stone that eventually surrenders to the carving force of the persistency of water, a design takes place, the depth of a canyon forms - and so it is right now that I feel my own soul emerging from a block of stone. I've longed been encased in fear and never truly understood that this was so, it felt too real, solid, and doubts to the validity of it's presence were always quickly pushed away. Yet those gentle whispers of love continued, each important prayer has found me in most my vulnerable moments and eased their way through that stone of fear. 

Jesus has been persistent.

the stone is cracked.

irrevocable.

and a light is now being revealed from within.

I trust it will continue.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Trust

also, please visit to buy: Love Has Forgotten No One

Thank you. 

Trust

Trust: 

and the problem is that I've already developed a great deal of trust, almost limitless it seems, all of it misplaced within the confines of a world created by the ego. For so long, a lifetime really, my trust has been earned by struggle and a great deal of effort for so little gained. It was largely an unexamined life even though I placed an emphasis on meditation and spiritual pursuits. My trust in the world was so complete that it never occurred to me that it could be wrong in it's assumptions. So really, this is just the redevelopment of trust, it's simply fixing a misdirection - shifting from faith in the false and temporary things of the ego to remembering the all encompassing love the Holy Spirit offers. It's waking from a dream of darkness to the reality of light. So this might seem to take some effort, and maybe there's fear involved in these early stages of letting go of all the ego holds dear. Yet.effort and fear are really just part of the dream as well. Waking up is as simple as opening our eyes -

and seeing the presence of dawn beautifully unfolding.

no effort at all required.

trust...

and it is so.

`

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: It Is Not So

Also, please visit to buy: The Disappearance of the Universe

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It Is Not So

It is not so:

and with this, with just four words and the image given of a gentlest companion, my every fear is eased - "it is no so." I'm always amazed at the impact that a few familiar words can have on me in my early morning reading of A Course in Miracles. Even with decades of study I am still often left in a profound silence after encountering such words, as if a sacred mantra whispered in initiation. What makes this particular phrase so powerful is the manner in which they're delivered, straight from the lips of Jesus and given to address any fear that I might encounter through the day.

"it is not so..."

and with these words...I find the peace of God. 

~

I love you, Eric

To read ore from Headless Now, please visit: One Headline at a Time

Also, please visit to buy: A Vast Illusion

Thank you.

One Headline at a Time

One headline at a time: 

it seems I'm relearning how to navigate the world. Morning headlines still call to me, there's concern for new wars declared and those that continue, and my heart breaks for all who suffer from lack and proper care in a world so full of resources. Yet I'm not pulled into the seriousness of events in quite the same way as years before. There seems to be a great relief that the solution is present here within me, not by denying the world of its appearance, but through participating with full awareness that what's occurring right now is indeed a very bad dream that calls for my awakening. 

so for me, this means forgiveness. 

no matter what occurs my heart will not sway from love.

only God is real.

and so I forgive the illusion of this unloving world,

just one headline at a time.

until we all awaken. 

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Eternity

Also, please visit to buy: A Vast Illusion

Thank you.

Eternity

Eternity: 

this moment, I forgive...and then eternity follows. And that's it really, the entirety of my practice in a single line. From sitting on the meditation cushion, gently returning my mind back to my mantra, each morning asana released from the expectations based upon previous session, and then my day follows from there in easier embrace of every moment. All I'm doing is forgiving the past, a vast illusion as A Course in Miracles calls it, and this sets me free to meet in a holy instant. Even when I forget, as I so often still do, forgiveness brings me right back to where everything begins anew - 

eternity.

and nothing really needs to be forgiven.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Empathy

Also, please visit to buy: A Course in Miracles - A Direct Path

Thank you.