From the book - Zen in the Art of Archery

Master: The right art is purposeless, aimless! The more obstinately you try to learn how to shoot the arrow for the sake of hitting the goal, the less you will succeed in the one and the further the other will recede. What stands in your way is that you have a much too willful will. You think that what you do not do yourself does not happen.

We masters say: one shot - one life! What this means, your cannot understand … if the shot is loosed with a jerk there is a danger of the thread snapping. For purposeful and violent peole the rift becomes final, and they are left in the awful centre between heaven and earth.

Student: What must I do then?

Master: You must learn to wait properly.

Student: And how does one learn that?

Master: By letting go of yourself, leaving yourself and everything yours behind you so decisively that nothing more is left of you but purposeless tension.

autobiography - Eugen Herrigel

Love is ever present...

Love never changes. You do. You change with each passing day. Fickle because of who you want to be, who you want to know, what you think. You change according to your needs, your wants, your desires. Love that is projected, narcissistic love, love that is conditional is not real love... 

That’s ok. We all do it. 

Big Love never changes. It is ever present and constant. When you stop, in the stillness of present centeredness; in the silence of equanimity; in the warm embrace of Divine Love, Love will be there. Ever present and available to you with each moment. 

Peace and Love friends!

Freshly blended citrus juice for the morning...

Refreshing and energizing! YUM!

Don't look toward the goal...

Constant practice alone is the secret of success.

Quote from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Everyday practice...

Laghu Vajrasana - Deep back bends have always alluded my body.

Before I even get here, I open my back by laying on a block at the highest height and slowly open my upper back. (I will do a short video to show you what I do soon).

Slowly as I work, I will work out the tight quad muscles and upper back. I will eventually get my hands on my knees and my head closer to my feet.

All in good time…Right now I just breathe! :-)

Strive to be Authentic . . . not Perfect!

I'm not perfect in my practice of yoga . . .

A lot of people applaud perfection - or what looks like it. It's easy to look at a person doing a perfect looking posture and admire the person and their ability thinking that's where the Divine lies. I'm sure this comes from thinking that we need to be perfect (at least look like it) in order to know the Divine; to be able to touch enlightenment or god. In this perfect posture then maybe the person's perfect and they must be closer to god then any of us imperfect beings?
But this isn't so. The more work there is, the more unraveling we do. As Suzuki Roshi said, "Everyone wants to be the best horse, but it's better to be the worst horse than the best horse." The work is essential, and it's good to work with sincerity. First for some of us the work is physical, that's why we do yoga. Together with the work on the mind, psyche, and the emotions, we'll be finally deep in the heart. Open and honest! In the moment . . . There we will find god!

If you want to ask a question...please feel free to email me...

. . . shamabhakti@gmail.com . . . If it's a good question I will want to share it on my Blog. :-) But if you need the privacy, please feel free!