Brad, Shugyo, Yoga and Movement

First off, can I say that the LA Green Festival was the best event (conference-style-event) that I've ever been to.

A few weeks ago, I was at the LA Home Show for work. Empty.

Yesterday, the LA Green Show. Packed. Poppin'. Brilliant. Tons of eco-preneurs, loving and local companies, sustainable projects, all kinds of really smart people showcasing their solutions to our mess.

Creative Chakra Spa, the studio that I teach at, sponsored the Yoga and Movement pavilion upstairs. So I knew the whole event was going to be spectacular from the get-go.

At 3:30 on Saturday, I took a miniature class with Brad Keimach on Happiness.

I believe we did a total of three poses, five including tadasana and savasanah. Brad spoke about the power of focus, the true inspiration of meditation. This, as I understand it, is one of the most classic and basic ways to meditate. Focus on one point, and attend to the breath. When your mind drifts off, bring it back. When it drifts off again, bring it back. And it will keep doing that, he says. The most important part is not to get frustrated. If at the end, you were able to bring yourself back to center for half a moment, that is a victory.

This is a basic philosophy of co-existence, externally and internally. How to live with yourself, just focus on center, and you will be happy. And this is so difficult for me. I want to purge all that I do not like, I want to be rid of it. I think I can elucidate it through understanding, catharsis or writing. But what hatha teaches me, over and over, is instead of waging an internal war, come to center. This is a major precursor to the absence of external war, this I understand.

And it is so difficult.
It is so difficult.
I call it bootcamp for the mind. Brad was a bit shocked when I mentioned that word, and I admit it's not the best one. I went on an online quest to discover alternatives, and the fruit of this journey is the Japanese word "shugyo", in Japanese. It means ascetic discipline.

The truth being, is that it works. After a period of time, the mind trains itself to be stable. And the experience is intense. I wonder, if, as an after-effect, I have an increased awareness of how busy my mind is all the time. This has happened multiple times through hatha practice for me. As if, with tastes of silence, I begin to notice the background noise. I'll have to ask Brad about this.