Don't Push the Moment
Aug 31, 2024 7:00 pm
Hi there,
Spirituality is not a competition. Doing exercises better than someone else does not make you more spiritual.
The primary objective of the slow movement-breathing exercise is to bring your awareness to the moment.
The ego, however, has many traps and tricks to pull you away from the moment.
Have you ever stayed with an exercise after it started to hurt, eg: ran out of breath before you reached the inhale, stretched your arms and strained your back in order to touch your toes, or kept drumming long after your hands went numb?
I have done all these things at one time or another. Pushing too much or trying too hard is propelled by the mischievous whisper of the ego:
· Don’t be a wimp, reach!
· Do you see anyone else who has stopped drumming?
· She did 15 pushups, what are you going to do?
I used to think that keeping up and keeping going was part of the spiritual process. I wanted to be the best student ever. I thought it was the path to love and acceptance. Isn’t spiritual work supposed to be difficult?
Spiritual practice does have challenges, but they tend to be more mental than physical.
Adnan used to do some pretty challenging exercises -- like lifting his legs 2 feet off the ground and wiggling his toes or moving his arms back and forth, so slowly you ran out of breath. I believe the real purpose of difficult exercises is to make us aware of our ego - that voice inside our head that both pushes and complains.
Spiritual development does not require pushing and striving. When you follow the teacher’s slow movement, it's okay to do it at your own pace and in a manner that fits your body. It does not need to be a mirror reproduction. The objective is not to do the exercise right, it is to stop the mind and be in the moment. Any movement can do that when done with focus and awareness.
Be curious. Ask yourself:
· How does it feel to lift your arms and press them down?
· Can you feel the air resistance when lifting your hands?
· Can you relax into the movement so that your arms feel weightless?
· Is there a way to do this movement with less effort and more ease?
This is the attitude we want in all the Sufi exercises. Dive into the experience. Feel the sensation of your breath and the stretch into your muscles. Ease in, without force or push. When you go slowly, your muscles have time to relax and let go. It is wonderful to feel your body working with you instead of resisting.
When you are tired, lie down. Let the music envelop you in sound and massage away any tension or tiredness.
If you find yourself looking around the room and seeing what others are doing, notice your thoughts. Do you judge yourself and make choices based on what others are doing? Or are you curious and inspired?
While you do want to find ease in your movement, at the same time, you also want to benefit from the exercise. Sufi slow movement can make you stronger, more flexible, and more resilient if you allow it.
You may find that you can go longer and deeper without pushing or forcing simply by becoming curious.
· How can I do that move with less effort?
· Can I stay sitting up just a little bit longer?
· What if I sit up straight while holding my knees, or sitting on a cushion?
Being curious rather than pushy or competitive will help to restrain the ego.
This summer, for example, I decided to work on my posture. I hate to admit that I have terrible posture, but I see it in every photo. So I bought a back brace last year to see if it would help. The brace reminds me that I am slouching by feeling like it's in the wrong place. It does not hold me up -- which is good because if it did I would become dependent and always need the brace.
I did not have much success using it at home. In fact, I got pretty good at ignoring it or not even wearing it. However, this summer at Sufi camp I decided to see if the brace could support me while chanting. It did! The more upright my posture, the more support it gave. I discovered that my back hurt less when I sat up straight and I could sit longer. Slouching, although seeming more comfortable, actually was hurting my back.
End of Camp Posture
I must have developed some muscle strength over the summer because now when I take walks, I am more aware of my posture and it is easier to drop my shoulder and lift my chest.
When you do a Sufi Class this week, try being easy with your body and see what happens. Allow your body to find its rhythm and capacity. Be curious, attentive, and willing to explore how you might do more using less effort. That is the key to being in the moment.
Come join me for Sufi Zoom this Sunday, September 1, 8:00 am PDT, and Tuesday, September 3rd at 10:30 am PDT.
The Zoom LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88050735178?pwd=zkrVoc4Mtg0pSXtAAWmoCrHWQb2qb1.1
Don’t forget to use the password SUFI all in caps if you are asked for the password.
Be brilliant,
Dr. Michelle
Life Transformation Coach
Empowering Women to Reinvent Their Life After Loss
Secrets of Life and Death
