 |
| Go ahead; get upside down this week. (image source) |
The autumnal equinox is on the 23rd, and Peace Day is on the 21st, so this week is all about peace and change. These links are to prepare you not only for peace and change, but also the historical Papal visit that starts on 9/22.
Peace One Day: Jeremy Gilley started this push for an international day of peace back in 1999. he made a documentary called Peace One Day, pushing for all of those at war - nations, tribes, and citizens - to put down their arms for just 24 hours. Needless to say, he was unsuccessful, but in 2001 the United Nations declared September 21st and International Day of Peace. People all around the globe celebrate by attending concerts and volunteering. Oh, and also shooting each other and persecuting the innocent. But Rome was not built in a day. Maybe remember Sutra 1.33 today, and let that be your activity:
"By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard for the wicked, the [mind] retains its undisturbed calmness." (click to tweet!)
The Autumnal Equinox: It's important to know what these things are. It's also important because we all want to balance a raw egg on its end.
Because Yoga Balances Strength And Ease: Along those same lines, you should practice handstand on the autumnal equinox. Maybe it only works if you are shaped like a raw egg, but it couldn't hurt to try. Handstand is about strength, but it's also about alignment and bone stacking. Never say never.
The Pope's Visit: I am not normally a big fan of Catholicism (my fault! my fault! my fault!), but I am a fan of this Pope. He has brought compassion back to the Catholic Church, along with a little bit of common sense. This scares me for him, as many devout Catholics are fans of neither, and Pope Francis likes to mingle among the people. That his visit coincides with both the week of Peace Day and the change of seasons seems like no coincidence.
Now you're all set to handstand while being peaceful and celebrating the Pope's visit. What other wonderful things are on tap for your week ahead?
Love this. Such fertile food for thought. I promise to re-introduce myself to handstand. I was able to do it but now I am afraid. Will work on it.
ReplyDeleteI just also found a great video from Katherine Budig. Incremental moves towards handstand. I love the way she explains things here. https://www.facebook.com/yogajournal/videos/10153000287380946/
ReplyDeleteI was able to do it in Marietta and have lost it. I am building strength, but really, it's all about just doing it and being okay with whatever happens. One of my fellow teacher-students does a really cool inversion where he stacks three blocks for each shoulder against the wall and then places his shoulders on the blocks for a very supported headstand. There is no weight on your neck at all, but you get all of the benefits of being upside down in that way.