avidya: blindness about reality. the inability to experience your deep connection to others, to the source of being, and to your true Self
my amazing ass: speaks for itself
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JamD, fully en fuego at 6:55am. Lil Wayne bumpin' through her headphones, waving around her new magic wand tattoo. POW!
I have been having some pretty epic days since I've returned home: amazing people, amazing meals, beautiful weather and relaxing yet fun-filled days. I finally made it into the water the other day down at Waverly in OC. JamD was down from NYC so we threw the boards in the truck, grabbed our 3/2's and with some serious enthusiasm we surfed waist high, windchopped groundswell. This was worse than the worst day in Indonesia -- but I didn't mind, and neither did anyone in the water. With smiles on every face, everyone was stoked to be in the water and they were glad to have me back in the lineup. After our surf we hit up our favorite, 1st Street Cafe ("Who's on 1st?") in Ocean City for a coffee and then headed back to my house for some bronzin' and a nice meal. Later that night I hit up Michelle's yoga class at the Ocean City Community Center. This isn't my favorite PLACE to practice yoga, but Michelle is my favorite teacher on the East Coast - and I was just stoked to be back under her guidance. Practicing under Michelle feels like being under a warm blanket - she makes you feel completely comfortable, and this encourages you to push yourself physically and spiritually. She's a very special human being, and her class is therefore a highlight of my week when I can get there. In class on Wednesday she was talking about STRENGTH. What's your strength? Focus on this, channel this - and no matter where you are mentally and physically - bring your intention back to this and use it to get you through. As always, I practiced in the front of class (yeah yeah, call me a teachers pet...), and that means that I was directly in front of the mirror. Well, I've put a few LB's on...being in love and eating 3 squares a day in Bali, Seattle with my best friends who are foodies, and then home cooked meals now that I'm back in NJ ... all have added to my waistline, and this and that.... At first I was hating on my body as I stared at myself in the mirror, in Warrior 2. But that's the way us women are -- nitpickers, especially when it comes to our own bodies. It reminded me of an article I was reading in this months Yoga Journal "Who Do You Think You Are?". The article is about AVIDYA. VIDYA is a Sanskrit word meaning wisdom or knowledge - the wisdom earned through deep practice and experience. So when you add the prefix "a" it indicates a lack of or an absence. SO, AVIDYA is a "fundamental blindness about reality. It isn't a lack of information, but the inability to experience your deep connection to others, to the source of being, and to your true Self." We identify with every passing mood or thought about ourselves, without recognizing that within ourselves there is something unchanging, joyful and aware. This is what we need to come back to. Like Michelle said, this is the strength you tap into when you are feeling weak or lost. So when I began feeling body conscious, instead I focused on Michelle's lesson on strength (and twisted it a bit). "So this is a bit chub, and this isn't very toned -- but look at that ass!!" "I have an amazing ass!! From now on, whenever I'm feeling a bit body-conscious I'll just ignore my avidya and come back to my rear. My ass is my strength. What is your strength...physically? Mentally? What is your AVIDYA -- about yourself? About your relationships? Emotions? The best way to concur something is to begin by simply acknowledging it's existence. Dig deep - find the positive, and focus on that. Have a beautiful day everyone!
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