vicāraśīlatā, thoughtfulness

vicāraśīlatā
Thoughtfulness

A couple of years ago I decided to limit drastically the time I spend on social media. There is a constant flux of information there that it is easy to have  knee-jerk reactions on a regular basis. I have felt more grounded ever since.

Even though the Sanskrit word, vicāraśīlatā, is translated as thoughtfulness in English, its meaning is richer. This word describes the quality of being habitually disposed toward careful examination and reflection.

This quality helps us to cultivate a disposition to examine an experience carefully before forming conclusions or responding. For instance, when we practice Downward-Facing Dog and find it difficult, instead of jumping to the conclusion that we cannot do it or that there's something wrong with us, we can observe what is actually happening as we do the pose. Are my arms and legs strong? Am I actively pressing my hands and my feet down on the floor? If the stretch in the legs feels very intense, can I give myself the space to bend the legs? If I don't want to do this, why is that? 

In this way, our practice becomes a laboratory to understand why we do things and whether we may do them differently.

I invite you to practice this kind of thoughtfulness in class this week.

Breathe easy,

Blessings

Jorge Nihāl