25 Jan Take Time To Be Restored

It is difficult to do all of one’s duties if you are tired or depleted. The other day I taught an Ayurvedic workshop and several questions and observations were, “I get tired in the afternoon,” or, “there are moments or days where I can’t keep my eyes open.” The body wants to be heard, it is the keeper of the soul so if the body is taken care of the soul can be heard, and our deepest wisdom is shown to us. If the body is not taken care of, it will continue to talk louder and louder,  like a screaming child that wants to be picked up. They have their hands up to you, crying and yelling but you go on with your conversation telling them to be quiet. Finally, the screaming gets so loud and unbearable you give in and the screaming stops. This is the true Self-reaching out to be heard, felt and expressed.

Contemplation and meditation is a time to listen. It is different than sitting still and watching TV, reading a book in a quiet room, or being alone in a car. I have been working on my sitting posture and found that my lower back and legs love this resting pose and it sets my mind at ease before sitting.

How to set yourself up:

Get your props. Prop your legs up to the place where the lower back can rest comfortably on the floor. If your thighs are on the tighter side, you may want several blankets on top of the bolsters. Support the necks and head, if needed for the neck and upper shoulders to relax. As you lie on your back, observe the breathing going from the tailbone up the spine to the crown of the head on the inhale and down the spine to the tailbone on the exhale. Let the floor hold you so you can relax the back, the sides and the front of the body.