DAY 13

Day 13 and the numbers are falling off a bit......any comment?  Are you practicing at home on the days you don't make it to the studio and if so, why?  Is it scheduling, work, family?  Did you start the month thinking you would practice all 19 days and something changed?  Did you miss one day and now it makes it easier to miss another?  I have recently been working with a meditation teacher and one of the things that she continually repeats is that with each breath you have the opportunity to let go and start again.  This speaks volumes to me as I tend to favor the "all or nothing" concept but it has been so helpful in allowing me the freedom to start again (and hopefully without judgement).  I would like to revisit the idea of daily practice, day in, day out, over the years.....In the Guruji book, Annie Pace said "Abhyasa is consistent practice over a long period of time with clear intentions.  Whatever our practice, if we are doing it consistently, even if it's a small practice, we benefit a lot.  There comes a point where certain aspects of the practice do become integrated and Guruji told me this point is twelve years.  After twelve years, okay, we start to become established in a practice.  These phases start at 3, 6, 9 months, 1 year, 3 years, 6 years, 12 years and so on- these chunks of time.  When we have been practicing for a long time, we can then actually step away from the practice for our family duties or whatever might be calling us away and step right back into the practice and be right on the boat.  With a short-term practice it's a little harder to get back on the boat.  Whatever practice it is, it becomes established over years, decades, over lifetimes.  The inner quality is a steadiness that comes from that integration."