“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it.”
― Buddha
Weekly Focus: Dharma (right action; duty)
Dharma is to find your purpose — to practice right action or duty that is in line with your purpose in the world. Also translated as “that which holds me together,” we practice yoga to seek out our dharma. Our purpose, our place, may or may not be related to the work we do in every day life. So how can we seek to to apply this action into the everyday. We do our best to follow the path to and of the Self, but only we can be the judges of our effort here. The way ahead is not always clear, but can we do our best to find the right road? What do you feel most called to in life?
Align/Flow: Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
Standing with the feet wife and the chest broad, in Triangle Pose we take — up — space. Step the feet about 3-4 feet apart, your front toes point to the top of your mat, your back toes to the long edge of your mat. Bring your arms out to a “T” and look to the front of your mat. Llaterally bend or side stretch towards the front leg, stretching both arms away from each other. Consider your feet pressing down firmly into the mat, a basis of support so that you can extend your torso sideways — expanding and stretching your capabilities. It does not matter if our hand touches the ground here or not, you can press the hand to a block, your shin, wherever works for you. Use your lower hand to give leverage to the chest, turning your heart skyward to look beyond.
Stretch/Restore: Matsyendrasana Pose (Lord of the Fishes)
Sitting on your seat with legs extended, bend one leg, stepping the foot over the straight leg. Stay here, or bend the knee of your extended leg, so that the heel of the foot comes near the opposite hip. Rotate our chest towards the lifted knee, hugging with the opposite arm. Feel both sits bones press down equally as you lift out of your spine, perhaps even turning your gaze over the back shoulder. What can you see behind you, what can you see in front of you? Look around and consider, where are you headed in life?