Warrior

The common person perceives every situation as a blessing or a curse;
blessing leading to attachment, curse leading to aversion.

The spiritual warrior perceives every situation as a challenge-
a challenge to be present and to open the heart.

Metta Wishes

May you relax into a loving presence.

Free from fear and worry, may you be peaceful.

May you be happy.

:)

On the Edge - Climbing in the Alpilles

Allez Daniel ! Encore deux dégaines et t'y es !

The sun is scorching, the limestone scalding the fingertips. The mind is struggling not to overheat and the legs are riddled with prickling scratches, the shoulders frying.

The index and middle fingers are bleeding. Who knew a single phalanx structure could develop so much strength through training? Countless times locking in chalked tiny holds, these worn precious tools had to compensate too often for weaknesses in the rest of the body - for the not always calibrated sense of unwavering balance yoga should bring. The time is now. The body is what it is, the mind is itself - a monkey mind. In the present there is little choice, the veteran phalanges and the powerful arms go back to work.

Five meters above the last quickdraw, there is no room for hesitation. A single mistake and the fall will only be stopped by the ground 10 meters below. Dammit! I thought safety was always complete on a climbing route. What an idiot. Past a certain level threshold it is assumed that you are either an agile daredevil or very experienced.

Too much training indoors and none on cliffs leads to this kind of frightening realization. The physical capacity to comfortably complete 5.11 routes should mean a near-zero risk of falling on easier sections. Because of this, bolts can be spaced up to six or seven meters apart during simpler parts of the route. If you fall while trying to pass the rope through the quickdraw seven meters above the last bolt, you will descend at least 14 meters in full inertia. Unfortunately, you may not be more than 14 meters above the ground when you fail to pass the rope.

Once the third bolt is passed, you are generally "safe". This is when performance peaks. A fall could mean rope burns, cuts, contusions, or worse, a fracture - maybe even traumatic brain injury, but very rarely irreversible damage. Enough fear to remain 100% alert, enough security to express yourself on the rock. What a rush!

The sling is attached to the anchor. Looking down 35 meters, elation and pride are savored. A village in the distance, olive groves, voices from below, fellow climbers like ants climbing on other routes. Time to let go and enjoy a long descent.

Buoyancy

The tide's steady ebb and flow - the echo of the undertow.
The water with patient potency claims more.
Takes in then lets go.
-Substance

Inhalation and exhalation.

You are inflating a balloon with the rhythm of a powerful breath. If you do not pinch, some air will be returned from the balloon after the exhale. By not pinching, yet breathing repetitively, the balloon will get fuller with air at each exhale and deflate a little bit at each nose inhale until it is acceptably inflated.

Two steps forward, one step back, just like the waves on the beach front.

Moving forward by oscillation. The mechanism forces you to lose a little bit to gain more.

Can you see this clearly?

This is how I would define equanimity. Evenness of mind is the capacity to have the intuition that the impulse to react quickly - from tension - does not result in sound decisions. Equanimity is slowing down to synchronization with the beat given by the drummer we can call Nature.

Our taste buds may have evolved to love sweet and salty tastes, but greedily giving into the impulse is not a good long-term strategy.

If you stop eating before feeling full, you will have more energy.

Bodybuilders have much to gain by alternating between workout sessions and rest. Bodies need sleep to become stronger, to learn, to memorize, to repair, to digest. All the things we wish we could be doing awake and with our conscious minds operating.

To keep pace with the drummer we must first learn to listen. Mindfulness.

Nature's tool: surrender and gentleness.

Surrender your conscious mind "into the arms of Morpheus"or meditation and feel refreshed. The farmer must learn to work with the seasons, he cannot step outside the drummer's pace.

To achieve harmony with ourselves, others and the world, we must listen and adjust our pace to the music of nature.

Karen

Karen is hunched over; she is always hunched over. Innocence and initiative are gone. Rolling the neck backwards and letting the eyes absorb the sky - the inspiration, wonder, humility and hope she would get from stargazing with her grandfather on warm summer nights - this was in a different life.

When water flows to the majestic river, it has reached its full maturity. The rushing stream, the rapids and waterfalls have been left behind. Turbulence, roaring, clashing with rocks, mad swirling eddies should never replace acquired tranquility.

Oh what a relief! The shopping cart gently moves on forward bearing her weight. Forgotten aches go unnoticed. Regular resigned huffs. Karen is tired.

-Substance