Yoga sutras of travel part 5

Vrttayah pancatayyah klista aklista

Vrittayah= modifications of the mind stuff, Fluctuations of the mental modifications

Pancatayyah= five kinds

kilshta= Painful, not useful, negative, vice, resulting in bondgae, moving away from enligtenment

aklishta Painless, useful, positive, Virtue, resulting in freedom, moving towards enlightenment

There are 5 kinds of mental modifications which are either painful or painless

or

There are 5 kinds of fluctuations of the mind that result in bondage or move towards freedom

According to Patanjali there are 5 kinds of fluctuations in the mind divided into 2 categories, One type brings pain, suffering and moves us away from enlightenment and the other type is painless, avoids suffering and moves us toward enlightenment. 

How will my thoughts be colored at any point during this trip. How can I use the tools of my yoga practice to avoid suffering. I find it interesting that the terms klishta and aklishta refer to pain or painless, suffering or non-suffering, but it is not pleasure versus pain, simply the absence of suffering that we are looking at. Perhaps this is the first real glimpse into contentment. 

More questions surface for me on this matter. How can I step off the extremes in the hamster wheel of happy/sad, ease-ful/mad. I have certainly been able to bear witness to the extremes during the preparation for and moments during the trip. Happy moments than crash and burn when something begins to feel stressed; Worry about what I need to do to get to where I need to be; Feeling the unbridled ride of joyful waves of anticipation followed by riptides of anxiety as I stammer through new locations noticing how far I am away form home. How do I balance the contrast of my joy with my hesitations. 

This day was one of meeting more people and getting the opportunity to play at an Acroyoga jam in Western Park in the Ponsonby area of Auckaland. It was such a treat to receive such a warm welcome from strangers and to all be playing together like enthusiastic little children in such a short time. There were many new students who were here on holiday and a few AcroYoga Montreal teachers from Vancouver. It was great to practice together and share our skills with one another. 

Brian must have flow everyone in the park and was working his Jambassador skills to woo perspective students into the practice. I took great pleasure in watching how students gravitated to his easy and confident demeanor. Many of the students were brand new and there might not be anything better than watching the intensity of joy bubble out of people the first time they experience a flight. 

We enjoyed yet another cup of coffee even more amazing than the last, on our ride back to Devenport on the ferry. I am enjoying the peaceful rides home each evening where I can sit and watch the water as I reflect upon the day. 

The evening activities including Brian and I making dinner for his family. The market here is filled with fresh herbs and vegetables so I decided on a homemade Pesto (heavy on the garlic) with asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and chicken. Brian made a baby kale salad. We topped it of with wine and some good bread. 

Food is one of my great pleasures in life. Cooking itself I find to be very grounding for me. I also love to cook for others and nurture them with food. I may get his trait from my Great grandmother Rose, who showed every ounce of love she had for you with her efforts in the kitchen. Simon, Claire, Brian and I talked and laughed for most of the evening. Simon had pulled out a little book he made about his travels to the US from Great Britain when he was 9 years old. His little tale chronicled his adventures with Brian on this visit  almost 30 years ago. We felt our bellies juggle with the roar of uncontrolled giggles when Simon's 9yr old mind took us through the adventures of the most amazing Chucky Cheese and the sadness and boredom of having to wait for Brian to go to church on Sundays. Klishta / aklishta

Swami Satchidananda reflects on this sutra as thoughts that are either selfish or unselfish. Selfish thoughts bring us pain and attachment where as pure and unselfish thoughts bring us freedom from suffering. This translation feels closer to my heart. In essence I often feel discomfort when I am not "getting my way". I muse over my moments of crankiness at the bus stop feeling uncomfortable because the bus isn't there yet. We have all been in these impatient moments (I know you have too). It is funny to look at it from the outside. I think about my inner child just all twisted up because I am not getting what I want right now. Where is that stupid bus. I chuckle and have a great laugh with myself. I think the more I begin to recognize the spoiled little child of my inner mind the better I can remove myself from my own silliness. For now I have a feeling I am going to amuse myself for quite sometime until I can get a better handle on it.  

Next stop: The town of Coromandel

 

Wetern Park AcroYoga JAM