Zen and the Art of Snowmen

(this awesome image is from http://www.imagico.de/)

I had the most amazing practice today! It's been hard to pinpoint exactly what made it so amazing compared to the practices I've had recently, but whatever it was, it just. felt. awesome. I only had 45 minutes, too, so it's pretty cool that I got so many benefits in such a short time.

I wanted to get really warmed-up, so I started with a bunch of Sun Salutations A and B, more than usual, so I was sweating by the last round. Then my standing poses with vinyasas in between, a couple of arm balances and standing balances. Floor work included Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana and Parivrtta Upavistha Konsasana, both of which I only do occasionally, and they felt goooood, really stretching my outer hip and outer low back. Then Headstand, Shoulderstand, Fish in Lotus position, and Savasana. Ended with a nice, but short, meditation in Lotus, working with different mudras. Mudras are my new favorite thing - the different hand positions for meditation, which each bring different benefits. And I felt sooooo good afterwards! Elated, calm, peaceful, gooey, stretchy ~ yoga bliss!

My private lesson this morning was equally joyful. Maybe there's something in the air, or in the stars right now, or maybe I'm just tapping into a new level of yoga that is bringing me more depth and a lot more plain old happiness. I've been reading Ganga White's "Yoga Beyond Belief," and I'm really enjoying it. I started reading the book over the summer, but put it down when I started my teacher training and kind of kept it on the back burner, not really thinking about it. But I had the urge to pick it up the other day, and I'm really happy I did. He has such a nice, modern perspective and and all-inclusive viewpoint. I like how he explains things in a very accessible way.

My Advent calender image today was a snowman. How cute!, I first thought, and then meditated on it for a bit to find a deeper meaning for myself. As a metaphor, he represents those images of ourselves that we create, the outer appearance, the accessories, and the way we build ourselves up ~ only to have that image dissolve in the true light of the sun. We create these "selves" that we believe are real and permanent, but when we are faced with the infinite light, all of that image melts away, leaving us with our eternal essence. The image of a melting snowman sounds kind of sad, but I think this metaphor is a really beautiful way to remember our illusions, and the impermanence of everything in life.