My dear Yogis and Yoginis,

I was contemplating on my walk today about how much we as humans want and like to control everything and everyone incl. ourselves.
As long we are under control it feels empowering and everything seems okay. But then there is the fear of loosing control or the
frustration of not getting it under control.
We set ourselves up for self made suffering and struggle that brings a high level of stress with it. Control gives a great sense of power and loosing it an equally strong emotion.

Isn’t it an illusion in first place to have things under control?
And isn’t the need of control a lack of trust?

What if we would shift more often our urge to control to observing ourselves and finding awareness that we begin to trust the flow of life.
We might gain more insight, reduce a whole lot of stress and feel more in flow with what life has to offer. Shifting from the duality of the brain that tends to bring the suffering to the all embracing heart.

I would like to share with you what Krishnamurti has to say from the yoga point of view.
“Yoga does not mean merely keeping your body healthy, normal, active and intelligent. The word in Sanskrit means ‘join together’ – joining the higher and the lower – which is the tradition.
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There are various forms of yoga, of which the highest form is called Raja Yoga, the king of yogas. That way of living was concerned with physical wellbeing and, much more, with the psyche. There was no discipline, no system, nothing to be repeated day after day.
It was to have a brain that was in order, that was all the time active but not active in chattering. It was to have a very deeply ordered moral, ethical and disciplined life, not based on taking various vows.

That was the real meaning of the highest form of yoga. Although the body was kept healthy, it was not of primary importance.
What was of primary importance was to have a brain, a mind, a state of wellbeing that was clear and active. Not active in the sense of
physical movement, but a brain in itself active, alive, full of vitality.
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The highest yoga is not to be taught to the casual; it is something that you do, perhaps every day, to have perfect awareness of your body.
You watch your body so that it does not make any movement or
gesture that is not observed. There is no unnecessary movement of the body, but it is not controlled. That is where the difference is. 
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Perhaps you consider yoga something to be practised day after day to have a muscular body. It is not that at all. It is something you live all day long, watchfully observing, being clear about. “

~ Krishnamurti (from the book Meeting Life)

Monday 18.07.
Spine Awareness
Flow

Wednesday 20.07.
Thought Awareness
Flow

Thursday 21.07.
Open Theme
Yogis Choice

Friday 22.07.
Body-Breath Observation
Slow Flow

Give your body/mind the attention it deserves!

Love,

Nicole