Stewardship

​There is more wisdom in your body than your deepest philosophy – F. Nietzsche

 

​The origin of the word stewardship is from Old English, stig or hall and weard, keeper, over time this word  progressing into ste ward or steward.  Conventionally used to mean someone who manages another's  property or affairs, an attendant on a  ship or airplane, shop steward, the word steward  has been used in our day to define a broad scope of keeper, as in becoming a steward of the Earth.  

​It follows then,  that if we are planning to take care of the environment around us in a steward like  fashion, our inner ecology should follow as well.  Because of the environmental movement that we can say, for the sake of argument was birthed from the loins of Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, we now recognize that to take care of the Earth, is to take care of ourselves.  Our body's health and vitality  depend upon fresh water, clean air and sunlight, as well as nutritive food.  Taking care of our body, much like a steward takes care of the land, is the natural order of things.  Indigenous societies know this. We, in the 21st Century, living in what is referred to as modern society need to re-learn this.  

When we practice forms of stewardship towards ourselves it naturally follows that we want to extend this practice towards others, be they of the animal, plant or mineral family.  Why?  

​We are permeable beings, capable of evolving.   I experienced this, quite unexpectedly one day,  when.  I was returning from attending a week long training in Aurvedic Bodywork at Kripalu's Center for Yoga and Health.  I had experienced the great, good fortune staying at the center where there was wonderful natural food, prepared for each meal; morning and evening yoga and meditation;  plus because this was a hands-on training, I  received some traditional Aurvedic bodywork treatments. I felt that I had been a good steward of my body, time well spent at Kripalu.  When I left, I was very clear in my thought processes and my vitality, or in Ayurveda Ojas, was at an all time high.  Driving back home I choose the leisurely Route 2, that I have always been fond of, partly because it parallels the Wild River, a beautiful spot.  Meandering through small New England towns, I felt at one with the earth and the river, when, WHAM, the sound of several motorcycles,  tore past at breakneck speed.  Normally this sort of thing would have produced a mild annoyance in my mind, or even fright, but on that sunny day, in that particular slice of space and time, as  the Harleys  drove past, the vibration moved through me as if I were permeable not flesh and bones, leaving me quite undisturbed.   I felt permeable but not perturbed by their loud  passing and  my equilibrium was not disturbed, not one iota.  The only other time I experienced this sort of extended aura effect was leaving Gillette Stadium after attending a dharma talk delivered by  HH  The Daili Lama.   For miles and miles after we left the stadium we could feel the extended aura of  peace and love from a thousand Tibetans and their beloved teacher.  

Why practice yoga?

In the 1920’s the first wave of yogic teachings to arrive on our shores was in the form of Paramhansa Yogananda, whose mission in life was to live and teach yoga in the West. His teachings are captured in the classic; Autobiography of a Yogi that gifted the West with profound lessons of Love, Discipline and Faith in things unseen. 

            Fast forward to the 21^st Century; yoga has exploded onto the scene in a myriad of shapes, forms and colours. The influence of yoga in my life began at an early age.  As a teenager, I would go through different yoga asanas (postures) in my room, pondering what it would be like to explore the roots of yoga by going back to where it all came from; the Motherland.   It was not until several years later, 1997, and for similar reasons that I found myself on a Lufthansa Flight to New Deli.    A little older and wiser, these thoughts were swirling around in my head; “What can one very old culture that was colonized by the British tell me, a middle age Westerner? “, I mused,   “Guru?”  “No Thanks!  After all wasn’t our country founded upon values of strong individualism as echoed in the Declaration of Independence?”  “But, no Man (or Woman) is an island,’  so somehow we must be inextricably connected,” What I discovered during my travels in   India moved me forward, in my thinking, to embrace a belief that everything is virtually all connected through the conduit of Divine Love.  Too many incidences that could only have been view as “coincidences” kept happening to me, so much so that my travel companion and I used to joke about it.  When we stepped out of our apartment everyday, we would exclaim, “you never know what’s going to happen today”, referring to the serendipity of events that surprised and delighted us. 

            Looking back over the 40 plus year relationship I have had with yoga, I could ask myself “why would the practice matter?  What has yoga brought to me?  My experience of the regular, sustained practice of yoga is that it’s an inside job, that’s reflected outside of you! So it is a great Discipline that has sustained my physically with these benefits:  increased flexibility and strength, probably a stronger immune system too!

 

            However, lately it’s the Faith that I am achieving calmness and equanimity of my mind that grabs my attention.    This trinity, Love, Discipline and Faith are my guiding light that reinforces me to keep getting back onto the mat.  My yoga practice reflects back to me the meaning of yoga; Union.

            Yoga means to Yoke or Union, so no matter what yoga you wish to try or may already be practicing, you know you have hit pay dirt if you feel that union going on while you are on and off your mat. 

Flying Lessons

I just attended  a Feldenkrais class at The Maine Yoga Center.  The awareness of freedom in my shoulders  is medicine for me. If you have shoulder or neck pain this may be your medicine too.