An invitation to unite in practice chanting the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
Join the Practice - Change the World
There is no time like now to begin or to deepen your meditation practice. We have both time and motivation. If you could also use some additional support (I do!) you can still sign up to participate in the Himalayan Institute Year Long Meditation. The goal is to get people all around the world meditating for a collective total of 1,000,008 hours. Surely that will do some good! At this point Covid-19 is in 150+ countries, and we have registered meditaters in 130+ countries.
The Himalayan Institute and Yoga International are regularly posting guided practices, livestream talks, and archival resources to provide on-going inspiration and support for practice.
It’s a great comfort to know that whenever you close your eyes and turn your attention inward, someone else around the world is doing it too. All practice begins with personal experience, and then like a spiral the effects radiate out into the world. One of my favourite British Object Relations psychoanalysts, Donald Winnicott, says true intimacy is the ability to be alone in the presence of another. I can’t think of a better description of group meditation practice.
Maintaining Connection During Times of Physical Separation
Blessings and challenges often come together, and the current Covid-19 health crisis is no exception. During this time when we are asked to keep physically separated in order to slow the spread of the virus, we have the opportunity to come together in ways that people who have lived through previous pandemics did not have available. The ability to be connected via social media means physical distancing does not need to include social distancing. We can stay in touch, be of support, and nurture each other from the safety of our homes.
I readily confess that prior to this enforced separation I resisted moving more of my work life online. I value in-person interaction and did not want to increase my screen time. But in the last few weeks I have been convinced of the positive value of being able to be together without the need for travel. People have been able to join together for classes who would normally not have that opportunity, and my one-to-one interactions feel just as “real” as being together in the same room.
I still have a lot to learn about the technology of group classes but that is also a blessing. Something grows within us when we overcome a resistance and develop greater competency in an area formerly viewed as formidable. I will readily admit my vulnerability in learning a new way of sharing, and express my growing openness to figuring this out. It’s another opportunity for me to move beyond my self-imposed limits. I know I am in good company doing this, so I join in the compassionate encouragement we can offer to each other.
My first small step in the direction of maintaining - and extending - group yoga class connection is to offer my usual Friday morning yoga class on Zoom. The time has slightly shifted to 10:00 - 11:15 but the intention remains the same. Let’s gather together for an integrated yoga class that includes breath centered asana, pranayama, relaxation, and meditation. As usual in my classes, the peak pose for which I aim to prepare us is meditation - the capacity to be more steady and at ease in our own body-minds. No matter what changes in the external world, we need the ability to live with our self.
Information comes from hearing and seeing, and knowledge comes from direct experience. Deep wisdom comes from inner listening and acting from the heart-mind connection that informs our own true voice within. We successively care for and move between the various aspects of the self to reach this inner sanctuary of the Self to realize anew our connection to all. We’ll collectively create the conditions to move in the direction of experiencing nurturing connection even in these times of physical separation.
