the yoga sutras of travel: part 10

abhavea pratyayalambana vrttir nidra

abhava=nothingness, absence, non-existence
pratyaya= cognition, presented idea, the feeling
alambana= support
vrittir= modifications, activities or FLUCTUATIONS  of the mind
nidra= deep sleep

Dreamless sleep is the subtle thought pattern which has as its objective inertia, blankness, or negation of the other thought patterens

or

the mental MODIFICATION SUPPORTED by cognition of nothingness is deep sleep

Last Sunday while at the AcroYoga Jam (Practice/ playtime session in the park) Jay Amua asked everyone what their favorite treat was. It was not surprising how many students said "SLEEP". 

Today was the 1st day of the Auckland Elemental AcroYoga Immersion. It is the first AcroYoga immersion to be hosted in New Zealand! My co-teacher Claudine Lafond flew in from Australia late Thursday eve and after several delays she arrived safely with very little sleep. I too was running a bit on empty as I sat up most of Thursday night with my usual pre-event broken record of planning and preparation playing in my brain. I became ever grateful that I have had the luxury of time to get to NZ early to drop in, get grounded and be rested before a very full week of teaching. I have never met my sweet colleague until today. This is both exciting and a bit nervous to teach with someone you have never met and trust that you will both find space for one another, respect the process and fully support each others skill sets. 

I could not be happier at the moment. Claudine is bright and joyful and our teaching styles and energies mesh well. Our group at the Urban Ashram, run by Nikki Ralston, is filled with 16 super students. We had a 3 hour session of Asana, Thai Massage and Introduction to Flying Basics. It never ceases to amaze me how connected a group can get in such  a short time when we slow down an really take the time to care for one another. There is a raw and open vulnerability her that contains such amazing power and strength.

Sleep, nothingness, slowing down; This is our great natural gift. Here we have the mental reset and space to clear. It is not that we stop thinking, but the rampant dance of the busy mind can take a break from the over stimulation  we subject it to on a daily basis.  

Today (Saturday) we will have a full day of Therapeutics! Flying, Thai and more, oh my! I invite you to get more sleep this week and experiment with how you feel in everything you do. You might be surprised at how much more productive you are; how much more happiness you can experience; and how much more ease you can feel physically and emotionally when you put sleep as a priority. Try it on for size and see for yourself!