RETREAT NOTES

PATH OF KNOWLEDGE ~ LIFE AS PATH

We find ourselves on this path whenever we experience anything that triggers a curiosity around the nature of our perceptions and beliefs. Although it can be brought about by positive experiences and moments of inspiration, it is most often precipitated by an experience of suffering anything ranging from a mild discomfort, to a devastating loss, and all the varied types of crises in between. Things can suddenly spark the desire for a deeper understanding of life which, when pursued with skill and commitment, can lead us into a rewarding process that cultivates clear-seeing, insight, and wisdom. As for the questions around our perceptions and beliefs, they could sound like any of the following: How accurate are they? Are they truly my own? Or is my life run by a default program and conditioning that Ive never taken the time to investigate? How do I begin to investigate? Do I actually have what it takes to see myself objectively? How much of my freedom do I actually use? How much of my energy is spent unconsciously avoiding situations that trigger my fears and insecurities? How much of my energy is invested in avoiding what is uncomfortable even if it means our true gifts remain unused?

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LIVING YOGA

Some examples of where we might explore our perceptions and beliefs:

Work Time Purpose Health Fitness Body Energy Resource Relationships Family Abundance Integrity Security World Environment Community Creativity

Helpful feedback around this subject is often provided by:

Where we get stuck Recurring challenges and conflicts Personality types that rub us the wrong way Relationship challenges especially in the nuclear family What we avoid Our fears, desires

Finally, it is helpful to realize that the investigation or inquiry cannot really happen without a container. Without a stable structure for it, theres no way we can really have an objective look at our selves. This is where the art of cultivating our attention as a starting point comes up, and meditation is a practice that directly addresses that need.

PATH OF THE BODY ~ LIFE AS PATH

(or the integration of Sun and Moon / Yin and Yang energies)

This path evokes the oneness of body and mind (or, of spirit and matter), and a key concept in this path is INTEGRATION. One application of this has to do with the understanding that deepens as we begin to wake up and see clearly: the insights, to be fully integrated, have to be embodied. For the purpose of our discussion here, lets refer to this as the top-down approach.

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On the other hand, a rather radical notion (radical given the conventions of our culture) now being acknowledged and explored by a growing number of practitioners is that of mining the body for wisdom, or freeing and opening up the body so that its natural intelligence can start to guide us. Lets call this the bottom-up approach. We need both. And whats really useful is to be aware of it in our practice so that we may consciously use it to promote integration and transformation. For example: Top - Dow n: ASANA/PRANAYAM/MANTRA/MUDRA can be used to evoke (and balance) states and qualities, and energetic patterns. Bottom - up: when ASANA and MEDITATION are practiced with somatic awareness (feeling and experiencing our body from the inside), we awaken the bodys intelligence and remember what it means to be guided by it. When were unaware of this, miss the opportunity to work with deliberateness, intention and precision, which benefit even a purely devotional practice. Some things we explored during the retreat: The states and qualities evoked by certain postures and movement The intelligence that lies at the core of our body. Exploring our plumb line and our midline (Day 3 Supine, hands on elbows, rocking side to side; seated, hands on one knee, moving the torso up and down as hands press on knee) How certain practices more actively call up the natural intelligence of the body. How alignment can be experienced/organized from the inside out, by tapping into natural movement patterns of the body. We find the proper placement for the neck, for example, in down dog, triangle, etc. How releasing tension in the pelvic floor changes the energetic quality of a pose. Exploring the embodiment of length, width, depth/breadth. Note: Remember how we explored these in the context of an inquiry to give you an idea of the relationship of insight and embodiment to our every day life.

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LIVING YOGA