In spite of one thing, another occurs. Although there are times we'd like to turn off the alarm and sleep in, nevertheless, we rise and shine. Occasionally we're not in the mood to practice yoga or our musical instrument, or work in the garden, or drive on the freeway or cook dinner; nevertheless, we muster the energy and the will to accomplish these things. If we choose not to do a thing, we must then face the consequences of not doing that thing.
When our Lord was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He had the choice that would change all of our lives. Both of Christ's disciples, Matthew and Mark, record that now-famous prayer to His Father (that is to Himself): "Abba. Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt." (Mark 14:36, KJV) Christ had the power---after all, He was God in the flesh---to escape from the Roman authorities, but He chose to take our punishment for sin in order to save us and to open our path to eternity. Jesus Christ altered the history of mankind by rewarding us with eternal life.
We have the power to alter our own personal history. When we don't exercise our will to "do the right thing" in order to accomplish our goals, we change our destiny. If Jesus had not been obedient to The Plan, we would all be doomed for eternity. If the 2012 Summer Olympic medal winners had not put in thousands of hours of preparation and practice, they would not have reaped the rewards. If I don't alter my diet by lowering my sugar intake, and then accept chemotherapy treatments to kill off any possible remaining cancer cells, I will lose the battle. Although my desire is to experience neither of these unpleasantries; nevertheless, I choose to win back my life! Since there are goals yet to be accomplished, I choose to be strong with God's help and "do the right thing," in spite of the temporary sacrifices of hair, appetite, energy and only God knows what else will be temporarily gone.
Most importantly, I choose to praise my Creator throughout these sacrifices because I know that they are small by comparison. Every morning I will awaken with this gentle, breath-synchronized (vinyasa) flow that acknowledges the "nevertheless" that was done for me almost two thousand years ago. Try awakening your body, mind and spirit every morning with this gentle "Praise Vinyasa Flow" (and it's safe for prenatal students!)
- Physically---As your feet touch the floor, position your body alongside of the bed with both feet firmly grounded and aligned parallel to the bed with the inner ankles, knees and thighs pressing together, and arms resting at the sides. Begin by taking a deep and full breath of energy (called prana) through the nose only, allowing the chest to expand three-dimensionally as the arms sweep out to the sides and then join above the head in prayer position (called anjali mudra). Look up to acknowledge the gift of life that comes with each breath. Then, during a long and thorough exhalation, lower both hands to rest at the heart center as the chin lowers to the lifted chest in humble acceptance of God's gifts and challenges. On the second inhalation, begin the gentle "Praise Vinyasa Flow" by inhaling both hands straight up above the head as the gaze follows (urdhava drishti). Pause briefly in "Upward Salute" (Urdhva Hastasana) before exhaling the arms down and out to the sides in a swan-dive Forward Fold (Uttanasana) with a chest expansion by bringing both arms behind the back and interlacing the fingers with the heels of the hands firmly touching. Here the gaze shifts to the navel or nabi chakra as the knuckles pull gently up and over the back of the body. With straight arms and the fingers firmly interlaced, begin the third inhalation by drawing the knuckles and the gaze upward, along with the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles (called bandhas) as the torso and the gaze roll upward. The final exhalation begins with an upward gaze as the knuckles now gently pull down toward the back of the thighs, drawing the shoulders down and away from the ears into a gently backbend with the tail bone pressing down and forward and the front of the hip bones lifting in a posterior tilt of the pelvic basin.
- Then the "Praise Vinyasa Flow" begins all over again as the arms sweep out to the sides and up into the second "Upward Salute" (Urdhva Hastasana) with an upward gaze (urdhva drishti). Repeat the swan-dive Forward Fold (Uttanasana) with a chest expansion, then inhaling the knuckles upward and down the back into a gentle backbend. Repeat this breath-synchronized flow for 3-5 repetitions before continuing into a full "Salutation to the Son" (Surya Namaskara A) as described in the three blogs beginning on April 27, 2009. Finish your praise time in the restorative "Corpse Pose" (Savasana)for a minimum of five minutes.
- Mentally---Throughout this "Praise Vinyasa Flow" focus the attention on rhythmic, deep and smooth "chest breathing" as the chest opens three-dimensionally to accept the gift of life and energy from above.
- Spiritually---Since this is called a "Praise Flow" it's vital that the heart and mind be in praise mode. To accomplish this, it will help to prepare your heart and mind by reading any of the Psalms, especially the very short but succinct Psalm 150 that closes with: "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord." (Psalm 150: 6, KJV)
Nevertheless, I will praise my God throughout the six hours a day of "chemo cocktails...."
Namaste, plf
