Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Day Four: Presence



The Life of a Yogi


          Today I feel like I found my groove again. I almost wish today could be the first day all over again! I felt like I finally became truly receptive again, and I learned more than I would ever expect to learn in just one day.
          We started the day with pranayama and dhyana with Adam. I always look forward to sessions with Adam because I know we’ll start with really awesome chanting… And I was not disappointed this morning; we did a chant that I have only heard once or twice before, and then it was stuck in my head all day long. The second session was a review of some of the required reading from between the modules – the Gheranda Samhita mainly, but Adam also read from a book by Swami Sivananda, which was great; it really inspired me for the day.
          We then had our second small group teaching session, which was quite lovely, although I had expected it to be somewhat grueling (first practice of the day, the thought of noon class looming over us, etc.). I’m starting to feel like Dharma III will be an accessible practice for me to do every day after this module, whereas a few days ago I was pretty overwhelmed by that idea. The practice was beautiful; the trainee from our group that taught really set up a safe, sattvic environment, and by the end of the practice I was so calm.
          I was pretty ready, physically and mentally, for Master Sadhana, but then about ten minutes into the asanas, my arms were basically ready to collapse beneath me. I got a second wind and felt excellent by the end of the class, for which I was grateful, but I still felt like it was the hardest Master Sadhana of the training thus far. Lunch came and went quickly; I ventured outside to search for some pineapple (to get rid of some of the inflammation in my body), and it was snowing!
          By the time the first afternoon session began, it was snowing sideways… The wind must have been crazy! You sort of lose track with what’s going on outside, though, during these intensives. It’s impossible to remain concerned with things other than the action you are engaged in – it’s just too much for the brain and the body to cope with if you’re existing someplace else simultaneously. In my experience, anyway.
          After lunch we had a session on assisting and adjusting for Dharma III, and then another small group teaching session, which was equally lovely as the morning – except that we were all so much more exhausted and starting to lose steam… But that was in no way related to the teacher, more the general feeling of the room – by the third asana practice of the day, things get a little hard, ya know?
          To finish the day we had Maha Shakti and Psychic Development with Sri Dharma, which I felt like I just floated through – I didn’t even think very much about it (a pretty amazing thing, for me), but I just found myself totally present in my body and in the room… Surrendered to the task at hand. During savasana I stayed completely alert the entire time, and I started to feel some energy opening up in different areas along my spine – it was pretty cool to experience.
          Four days done… Now it’s come to the point where I don’t want it to end.

~Danielle

Sri Dharma plays with Baxter (Swami Dogananda)

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