"Practice and all is coming" - Shri K. Pattabhi Jois

Last week there was one thing after another and I didn't fit in as much asana (physical practice/yoga postures) in as I would have liked. Fortunately, I was able to squeeze in a minimal amount of meditation and pranayama (breath control). But still, this week as I started to do my full practice (and at least complete my full "minimum" series), I could see why persistence is simply the biggest factor in all kinds of success.

We all know the story of the tortoise and the hare, but it can be so easy at times to think that just because this time all is going great it will always be that way going forward. I believe that with age we begin to realize that this type of thinking - the notion that we can "skip steps" - will lead to a bigger fall or setback quite soon. And this is why I believe the yogis also greatly emphasize "non-attachment" or in the words of Dharma Mittra, "Renounce the fruit of your actions." This way we can simply offer whatever happens up to a higher power, and we won't feel affected by the rise and fall of life as it takes place around us.

back to the main stream

All of last week I was blissfully situated in the woods. I was completely cut off from modern everyday life - no cell phone, hot shower, or flushing toilet. I wasn't just camping or hiking, but I found myself at Tom Brown's Tracker School, located in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. There, I was surprised to find that a) the Pine Barrens are anything but barren and b) the roads and woods reminded me closely of Martha's Vineyard - sandy drives, medium height bushes, and a mix of youngish trees that were filled with more wildlife that one could imagine.

As I slowly readjust to the metropolitan world, I am praying that the essence of the experience will remain with me: the indescribable feeling of being completely immersed in nature, with no walls or barriers between me and the soft earth, the stroking breeze, and the chime of numerous birds from the leafy green latticework above.

The course was practical but also spiritual. During the week-long stay, our group of 62 "standard class" students were taught subjects concerning survival, tracking, and awareness. The school's philosophy (which I found both intriguing and comforting) views the teachings not as a man vs. nature battle, but as ancient skills which, through practice, slowly meld your way of living into one in harmony with the pristine perfection of the natural world.

While so much can be said for the intensity and depth of the course, I will consider it a success if just one reader takes a moment to: stop and smell the roses or flowers (literally), enjoys the time spent outside just a little more, or looks with appreciation and gratitude at the food on their plate that was so graciously given by none other than Mother Nature herself.