"Distraction Precedes Discontent"
The other day I was thinking about a few quotes i had written down on my whiteboard a few months ago. One, below this post, was from the head coach of the Boston Celtics; another was a mantra Haruki Murakami used in his autobiography about his life in marathon running, "Pain is inevitable; Suffering is optional." As a yoga student, i began to think about how they applied to a vinyasa practice:
"That which angers you, controls you" is a succinct way of saying how your state of mind in any given situation will then determine your emotions, and anger is such a focused emotion that it often takes control of your entire presence. To move beyond anger means to have a clear head, understanding exactly what you are dealing with and being able to manage your discomforts;
"Pain is inevitable; Suffering is optional" works as a wonderful mantra for a yoga workout because it lets you reaffirm that decision with yourself at every repetition.
I came up with "Distraction precedes discontent" in the middle of a podcast class while thinking about those quotes, and thought that the initial distraction from a pose in a yoga class is the key part of you inner monologue you need to learn to recognize, and then immediately squash. Once that voice gets going he is impossible to shut up, and all the sudden he is controlling your breathing, complaining about how sore your legs are from yesterdays class, and that you should do a quick childs pose and drink some water. Your legs can handle a deeper extension in Dancer, but the second that voice goes "ow" and you say "i know, right?" back at him, the party is over.
-namaste
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