First Light in Morning Rain

First light in morning rain: 

and the practice is to capture earliest light, to have it touch my eyes in greeting and begin the circadian rhythm that carries me through the day and even at this point prepares me for sleep and the comforts of night.  This is an important process, assisting the body's hormonal response of producing cortisol in the morning, energizing, a direct source of vitamin D (actually a hormone) and a prompt for this cycle to unwind later in the day and bring me peaceful slumber. Even now, with first light in morning rain, walking, and I am grateful for this practice...

my body aligned to the ways of nature.

earliest light to touch my eyes. 

it's become a practice, a term I like to use as it signifies specific purpose and value, an integral part of my day for health and to address some sleep concerns that have long plagued me. But it's been the beauty of early morning that really calls draws me to its light, a softer hue that grows with intensity though every moment, life awakening to its rays, the world coming more fully alive as the sun gains in presence and dawn subsides. That it's raining doesn't matter, it belongs, a pattern of light reflected through every drop that's falling, and I am awash in soft glow, illuminated, awakened...

simply part of nature.

reborn though first light in morning rain. 

~

Peace, Eric 

Every Inch a Wilderness

Every inch a wilderness: 

at the height of Covid, all but the essentials shutdown, and worried about my father's safety and declining health due to congested heart failure, my walks were confined to my immediate neighborhood. Not long before, training for ultramarathons, I would roam the nearby bike paths for miles and hours, thinking nothing of spending an entire day accumulated distance for my training needs and the pleasure of sharing company with a few good friends. The pandemic and concern for my father changed that quickly and I kept my walks to just a few miles at a time, keeping close to home and phone in hand in case my father needed me. Fortunately I live in a beautiful town, a pond nearby, and miles of bike paths offering an escape without any real distance from my home. What I soon discovered was nearness of nature, that we are in the midst of it even through a suburban landscape, every inch a wilderness of its own. 

even a short walks through my neighborhood holds the promise of countless squirrels, rabbits, deer, and various birds. There will be hawks flying over head or perched ever watchful on a tree limb, a few times there's been an eagle spotted. My small pond, just a little over half-mile around, is home for ducks, geese, an occasional swan and blue heron, and most recently a few green herons have been spotted. Turtles abound and are always a joy to see as they dun themselves on partially submerged branches and flowered island dotting the water's surface. Occasionally a fox appears, shy, making its way though the woods in tentative steps, pausing often to appraise its present situation before disappearing in the brush. There's been rumors of coyotes, leaving hopeful of a future sighting and fearful for the smaller creatures. All of them are my companions, friends, having kept me company though my own fears of the pandemic and what life would hold without my father. 

and of course the various trees, and beautiful flowers, some grown wild while others planted as a pollinator garden. What's so often viewed as a troublesome weed is actually a feast for so many birds and treasured insects, responsible for a diverse and helpful ecosystem that supports the larger infrastructure of the world - literally, with every inch a wilderness it's all a seamless landscape by design. It's all nature, not removed or separated by sidewalk or suburban road, even the busiest city street is an island surrounded by natures presence, and this includes us, that we are belong to the environment as surely as blade of grass that finds its way through concrete, a small crack that offers wilderness a chance to reach towards the sunlight. 

yes, every inch a wilderness of its own, and this is what saved during those pandemic days, eased my worries, returned me to my essential place in nature. Life is ever present, the intimacy of my surroundings, home...

with every inch a wilderness. 

~

Peace, Eric 

Natural Yoga

Natural yoga: 

it doesn't have to be anything special, not a spiritual pursuit, nor a means of any sort of achievement - a practice is really just an expression of deep joy and the freedom to be exactly who we are, it's what we're called to do for whatever reasons, a mystery of our passion. The real secret is to truly know this, and the only realization is the surrender of any end results that come to mind, that the joy of all we're doing is enough to be enlightened. We could call this natural yoga, encompassing our every action, cultivating stillness simply for the pleasure of a quiet mind. 

it doesn't have to be a pursuit, nor anything special...

just natural yoga, easily expressed. 

honestly, enlightenment isn't much of an interest, it's not something that I often have in mind. Even decades ago when I began yoga and a meditation practice it wasn't meant to achieve anything other than satisfy my curiosity and enjoyment of this new discovery. My passion hasn't waned over the years at all, and it's a practice now for the benefits derived as well as for sheer joy of simply doing it. I consider running and my love of long distance walking an expression of this same joy, my workouts, fitness and health are natural yoga - and only because they stem from the same source, whatever mystery it is that bends me in this unique direction of being who I am. 

it's called a practice through devotion, 

not because we're seeking anything in return. 

it's for the joy of simply doing. 

and that's our true, and only yoga. 

~

Peace, Eric 

Commitment

Commitment: 

my yoga practice can really be split between the poses that come relatively easily to me and those that present a clear challenge to their performance. There are many asanas, even some that may seem difficult at first glance, that just naturally suit my body and strength and I am able to hold them with a certain strength and balance. Of course there are many more that simply defy my best and every effort and these are the ones that take the most commitment, as well as offering the biggest payoff for my investment. The difficult postures are a great challenge, not only to perform, but to commit to everyday, coming to each practice knowing that there will be moments beyond my present strength,  and perhaps I'll fail to even reach the grace I held yesterday for just the briefest moment. It's not that these asanas are the most advanced ones - it's that they're difficult, for whatever reason, for me to perform. 

these are the ones of my commitment. 

and then there is dandayamana dhanurasana, standing bow pose, a unique combination of my strengths and every weakness, a balancing posture that requires a certain fearlessness in its commitment. I will most definitely fall from its peak position, overextending and reaching just a moment too long, or holding it past the point of my current strength and balance. But not always, this is my favorite pose because of its combination of being difficult for me and at the same time, playing uniquely to my strengths. I am able to give myself fully to this pose, a deep commitment, unafraid of fall or failure. 

standing bow is at once the pose of my strength and greatest challenges.

what I find is that it's right before I fall from this asana that reach a momentary grace, balancing, not an achievement, but a suspension of the gravity of doubt and any previous failure. This just and only this moment of grace strength held however briefly. To commit fully to this pose every risk but be accepted as a clear and ready possibility, and then dismissed to its practice. There's no success here, nothing achieved, it's greater than any sense of value or measure. It's also less. 

nothing really,

it's only a moment, a yoga pose, one, that fully holds my surrender as well as deep commitment. Briefly now,  perhaps for just an instant, there is a sure and certain strength...

and even the proceeding fall belongs in the perfect order of it all. 

grace.

~

Peace, Eric 

Ocean Breath

Ocean breath: 

it's the foundational breath to my practice ujjayi, victorious, the ocean breath, and I use it through my sun salutation flow and other asanas, as well as an underlying breath to certain pranayama techniques where it lends itself to greater calm and focus. This is the sound of the ocean, a slight restriction in the back of the throat though inhale and its release that reminds me of the tide during the quiet of the night, a low hum of waves arriving from their hidden depth and then once more pulled back from shore. 

with this breath...I breath as the ocean. 

this isn't surprising as we are traced back to deep, ancient waters, our first ancestor being a microscopic species known as Saccorhytus, a common origin to many other animals as well, and from this humble start we evolved to more complex forms, eventually wandering far from our original home. Yet the ocean itself remains within us, our blood similar to its makeup, altered now by million of years of surviving on land, but still tidal in its very essence. 

an ocean's breath is our return. 

pranayama is the practice of breathing with intent and reason, cultivating life force for benefit of energy, calm, and clarity. Each technique has a certain value to its measure, a purpose that offers us a means of channeling the subtle force that animates every life form. Breath is life, an easy equation, without doubt, and yet we take this gift for granted, Pranayama calls for us to appreciate what's given, drawing air in grateful fashion and released once more to sky. We are breathing prana, life, constantly, exclusively, a chemical process that sustains us through interaction with plants that thrive on our exhalation, and in return cleanse the air for the breath's return. 

ujjayi reminds us of this connection. 

it's the foundation of my practice. 

breathing...as the ocean.

~

Peace, Eric 

Rituals

Rituals: 

my day belongs to rituals, mindful actions that support my overall well-being and sense of creativity, with one simply flowing to the next through the course of an entire day. None of these activities takes much time in their performance, most are beneficial in some way, and all of them are joyful, requiring nothing other than my commitment. Granted that I am now self-employed and have more time to give these rituals, yet there are many that I've performed for decades, through full time jobs and care-giving for both my aging parents without a single day missed. These are the acts that lend themselves to a meaningful day, they actually help provide a greater sense of freedom within their given restraints, erasing boundaries between inspiration and the life I wish to live. 

each mindful act is a devotion of its own. 

strung throughout my day. 

again, this is for my overall well-being, and I find joy in the effort that some require. Early morning yoga, just before the hint of sun, and I move my body through salutations to its rise. This often takes a round or more before muscles loosen and I achieve a flow of easy movement and gentle stretching, especially so on cold winter mornings. But yoga is a ritual that returns its favor though greater ease of motion through the day, I am better for my commitment, sitting longer in meditation, and with comfort at my desk for the writing time that follows. 

one ritual always flows directly to the next. 

what makes these rituals is really just a mindful notice, I give them my attention, a nod of appreciation for their enrichment of my life. That's really the only difference between performing a daily habit and having a ritual by design. My dental care is an example, that it's now a practice of its own, bringing a mindfulness to its details, adding things that might provide protection such as oil pulling and tongue scraping, both ancient Ayurvedic methods of caring for the teeth, gums, and overall health. Even preparing for sleep is a practice that begins the moment I arise each moment, cultivating acts that will aid me in the ending of the day. Getting outside with first light, walking and being embraced by nature, regardless of weather or more so, joyful through whatever the new day offers - this is preparation for hours later, a hormonal response now that carries an important action for the night. 

each ritual in relation to another. 

once more, this is all joyful, none of this a chore, and I experiment and explore the impact of everyone of them, changing, adding others, or dismissing some that no longer seem to serve. Everything works in benefit of the other and throughout their performance my life flows in curiosity and wonder. All of this serves me in some way, even if just a momentary joy, they each fulfill my day, offering me the means of a creative and truly happy lifestyle. 

my days belongs to rituals, small devotions...

and so my life unfolds. 

~

Peace, Eric 

An Edge

An Edge: 

at the edge of deep woods, a river bank, or ocean's shore, it's these areas of between that I am drawn to, holding my interest with their ability to belong as a unique ecosystem of their own, gaining a position that's been carved into the landscape by their support of something other than themselves. An edge exists only for the sake of a seamless connection. 

no other reason.

and yet...

an edge lends itself in definition for something particular, a forest becomes itself from the clearing just before its spread of trees, a river is carved into the earth through the course of water's motion and retains a singular identity by the landscape of its hold, and the ocean too is devoted to the shores of its existence. There's an edge to everything, but it's not a cause of separation, and really it's an illusion of between, a piece of earth that has no inherent reality of its own other than its complete willingness to belong as an aspect of the whole. 

in this sense we're all an edge to some great wilderness, existing as a thin line of believing ourselves a separate body and mind carved through mystery, our identity dependent upon the shores of an ever larger reality. We're at the edge of some deep woods here, more truly, we're the wilderness itself, the ocean, existing within made up lines for the sake of definition. This is our ecosystem, acting as an edge to mystery, a defining line of clarity, and the truth of our reality is love, endlessly lending itself to our story of existence, ceaseless, seamless....

only appearing, briefly as an edge. 

~

Peace, Eric