If you've ever signed off with the romantic expression, "Forever Yours," you've lied, unintentionally of course! The delusion lies in the "forever" part and the "yours" part. Nothing is forever, nor can anyone or anything be "yours" forever. I remember being completely dumb-struck the first time that I realized that everything I thought was "mine" was only temporarily in my possession. A Christian pastor once explained that we've never seen a moving van following a hearse because we enter naked into this world and leave with no-thing. Even ancient Egyptian mummies who were buried with their treasures have finally surrendered them to the future generations who exhumed their sarcophagus lying deep within a protective mausoleum.
Our emphasis this week as we yoke with God will be to focus on the first and last of His Ten Commandments. We can physically demonstrate our devotion to the one and only Living God with our body in a moving meditation as we relinquish all desires to possess anyone or anything. This represents an attempt to obey at least two of the ten Laws that were given to Moses on tablets of stone (God was very serious about obedience to His Laws!) The Ten Commandments were recorded in The Old Testament Book of Exodus, Chapter 20: 1-17 from The Holy Bible. The Tenth Commandment just happens to coincide with an earlier yama (ethical discipline) called asteya in the ancient Sanskrit language, which translates as non-stealing. God knew that our fallen nature would lead us to desire to possess more than we really need. The Lord God put it this way when He gave that last commandment to Moses: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's."
If you've ever watched the "Lie to Me" series on television you've learned that our movements and our gestures have very clear meanings, and with almost scientific accuracy they tend to communicate the truth of our innermost attitudes. So this week let's practice an attitude of worship and our intention to release during several rounds of these gentle standing backbends in a breath-synchronized vinyasa flow that begins in the standing posture called Samasthiti or "Standing Prayer Pose." Let's bring our bodies and our attitudes into sync with our Lord.
- Physically---Since this breath-synchronized flow functions as a method of slowly awakening the body, mind and spirit, there is no need to precede this practice with other positions (asanas.) Simply begin by standing tall with the palms of the hands pressed lightly together at the heart center in a prayer gesture or position called anjali mudra. Exhale with a long and slow sighing sound as your head tips slightly forward so that the chin lowers toward the lifted chest, but the crown of the head remains aligned directly over the spine and the arches of the feet. During the next deep inhalation the heels and balls of both feet remain hip-width apart and pressing down into the earth as the arms begin to rise and extend straight up overhead with the palms still joined as the gaze (drishti) follows the hands by moving heavenward (The "Upward Salute" or Urdvha Hastasana is described in more detail in the April 13, 2009 blog.) . At the top of the breath the fingers are reaching higher and stretching actively apart. Then during the exhalation the arms and hands slowly sweep out to the sides, palms up, and lower to shoulder height before rejoining back over the heart in anjali mudra. During the next full cycle of breath (deep inhalation and long, slow exhalation) allow the gaze to follow the hands as they rise upward and then draw up the pelvic floor muscles and the abdominals for spinal support at the top of the inhalation. As you exhale slowly the head then tips backward as the chest opens three-dimensionally into a gentle back bend with the tail bone scooping down and forward in a reverse (posterior) tilt of the pelvic basin. The gaze remains upward and the hands rest lightly at the center of the chest with the elbows and shoulders releasing softly down and away from the ears. Each subsequent inhalation can be used to deepen the back bend as the entire front body opens. Or you may choose to sweep the arms back out to the sides and then up as you return the head and hands back to center directly over the spine.
- In the Ashtanga yoga tradition the energy rises upward while the body weight shifts up to balance on the balls of both feet as the breath enters and the arms raise straight upward.
- Mentally---With each deep breath into the lungs the mind is focusing with gratitude on the upward flow of energy and its divine source. As we're exhaling we then consciously release all toxic desire to possess or hold onto things to let go of the carbon dioxide and other toxins. The longer exhalation can symbolize a greater letting go.
- Spiritually---This gentle flow can be performed mindfully as a "meditation in motion" to worship the One and Only God of the Universe in all three of His forms---God the Father and Creator of the Universe; Jesus, our Savior; and the Holy Spirit within us. As the arms and eyes move upward to acknowledge the Creator of the Universe, we can commit to have no other gods before us (the First Commandment.) As the arms lower to shoulder level we are reminded of our loving God, who came to earth in human form as Jesus, our Redeemer, then suffered on a cross and died for us. Here we could also commit not to take the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, in vain (the Third Commandment.) Bringing the hands back into prayer position over the heart as we're bending backward can represent our openness to listen to the Holy Spirit that resides within us. We can ask God's Spirit within to remind us that nothing on earth is ours forever so that we covet no-thing (the Tenth Commandment.)
My prayer is that all readers will experience a genuine attitude of worship as they practice this "Meditation in Motion" which begins in Samasthiti and closes in tranquility with the release of all desire and craving. May it be so. Amen and namaste. plf
