I stretch higher and God reaches down to steady me.
It works every time,
and not just in yoga.
Terri Guillemets
Comments
Anonymous said…
I think this quote is brilliant. Its actually quite meaningful, though sounds cryptic when you read for the first time. I am tempted to share what I understood: Here "pose" can mean any "Object Of Desire In Any Form" and once we reach that point, we lose the interest (what is quoted as "Balance" in the statement). And then the monkey mind looks for Greener pastures as in the Chase for desires continues (thats what the statement "I stretch higher and God reaches me down to steady me" is for). And the show goes on. Interestingly Yoga is addressed as a corollary, but I guess that a statement of choice. If Yoga is also seen in the pursuit of desire, it will also oscillate in the same manner.
But maybe this author didnt mean anything I have imagined and was purely speaking from a scientific perspective of Yoga and the process. Anyway, I would like to hear what others feel.
I was moved by these words and have expressed what I felt at the first read.
Was completely surprised to read your interpretation of the statement Sree. Because, it was orthogonal to my thoughts.
Let me first tell you why I quoted this today. There was this thought about Yoga rocking me for some time now.
Having been a Yoga student, I understand the yoga stretches and their benefits. The thought was about doing Yoga after a few years of no practice. The same poses look so difficult and stretching oneself again becomes a pain for the initial few days.
I was planning to restart atleast a few Yoga stretches in the morning.
My mind was pondering the significance of the poses in real life. In Yoga, each pose is done as a stretch. The performer starts by getting set into the pose, then stretches to his limit, stretches a little more and holds there for a few minutes. It is said that by holding to a pose for 3 hours, one becomes a master of that pose. This stretch though touches the person's limit, it has to be done with poise and in a relaxed way with normal breathing, smile on the face etc. So the process of getting into the pose is not important, but sustaining the pose is important.
In life too, we take so many actions and perform so many duties. My way of looking at it is this... The process is 'action' and sustainence is 'inaction'. By performing a series of steps, we reach a particular state in any role we perform (as a dad, as a son, as an employer...). Once we reach our capacity, our limit, Yoga teaches us to do a fraction of a step further than our limit and sustain the stretch. Still being relaxed.
As I was having these thoughts, came across this quote which sounded so true.
Anonymous said…
Good Madhu, thats some interesting note on Yoga. Indeed there's a cultural difference in ability - between reaching a point and sustaining it. Well said.
Its interesting how a quote can me interpreted (or misinterpreted) by different people in different ways. Well, this quote was a bit poetic in nature I would guess.
Comments
But maybe this author didnt mean anything I have imagined and was purely speaking from a scientific perspective of Yoga and the process. Anyway, I would like to hear what others feel.
I was moved by these words and have expressed what I felt at the first read.
Sreesha
Let me first tell you why I quoted this today. There was this thought about Yoga rocking me for some time now.
Having been a Yoga student, I understand the yoga stretches and their benefits. The thought was about doing Yoga after a few years of no practice. The same poses look so difficult and stretching oneself again becomes a pain for the initial few days.
I was planning to restart atleast a few Yoga stretches in the morning.
My mind was pondering the significance of the poses in real life. In Yoga, each pose is done as a stretch. The performer starts by getting set into the pose, then stretches to his limit, stretches a little more and holds there for a few minutes. It is said that by holding to a pose for 3 hours, one becomes a master of that pose. This stretch though touches the person's limit, it has to be done with poise and in a relaxed way with normal breathing, smile on the face etc. So the process of getting into the pose is not important, but sustaining the pose is important.
In life too, we take so many actions and perform so many duties. My way of looking at it is this... The process is 'action' and sustainence is 'inaction'. By performing a series of steps, we reach a particular state in any role we perform (as a dad, as a son, as an employer...). Once we reach our capacity, our limit, Yoga teaches us to do a fraction of a step further than our limit and sustain the stretch. Still being relaxed.
As I was having these thoughts, came across this quote which sounded so true.
Its interesting how a quote can me interpreted (or misinterpreted) by different people in different ways. Well, this quote was a bit poetic in nature I would guess.
Sreesha