sajagatā, wakeful attentiveness

During the introduction of a yoga class I was taking, the teacher said the yoga practice was a way to get to know oneself and discover what makes one tick. I discovered later on that even though this is true, it is not a given. We have to establish this quality of attention as we practice yoga. Sajagatā is wakeful attentiveness, the quality of being genuinely present enough to notice what is occurring during practice, rather than functioning mechanically.

Wakeful attentiveness is foundational because without noticing what we're actually doing, experience cannot teach us very much. This quality has helped me to recognize how I practice yoga, how the things I do affect the practice, and how I can respond more intelligently to what I notice.

I remember when I first started practicing handstands. I felt overwhelmed. For one, I was so focused on the final shape of the pose that I completely disregarded what I was doing to get there. Observing how I did this pose more closely helped me to understand how I had been responding to stress and challenge in other areas in my life. Once I recognized this while practicing, I was able to choose a more beneficial course of action.

I hope you can join me this week in class so we can all practice this wakeful attentiveness. 

Breathe easy

Blessings

Jorge Nihāl