do not pass go, do not collect $200

[Guest guest]

Hello,<br>I think the biggest obstacle I

encounter in my practice is the expectation that something

"good" will happen as a result. I had a two year stretch

where I stopped asana practice altogether and lived at

a Zen retreat center. We sat in meditation a lot.

What I discovered is that expectations are deadly. We

were taught to see the practice as "fruitless" so as

to drop expectaions and learn to surrender to the

present, be it "good" or "bad". Ultimately, any spiritual

practice is preparation for death, to hopefully die

without noise or struggle when the time (inevitably)

comes.<br>I think an attitude to cultivate is non-attachement

to the results and just do the practice as often and

honestly as possible. Watch what arises with disinterest.

If I get attached to feeling good I just want more

of that and when things (inevitably) go bad, it

makes me want to escape, rather than surrender to the

present moment.<br>The question I have for ashtanga

practitioners is "What would you do if you found yourself

wheelchair bound?"....could you cope? I ask myself this

question every day so as to try not to get too attached to

"feeling good" (you know that post savasana rush) because

there will be a day when I won't feel good and there

won't be a damn thing I can do about it. This is what I

practice for, to (hopefully) meet that moment with grace

and dignity.<br><br>PM

[Guest guest]

Thank you for you post, Padmanow. I have been

aware lately of expectations I place on my practice and

am working on being in the present and surrendering

while I practice. It is very challenging to let go of

hoping it helps me get slimmer, or quit drinking coffee

or grow spiritually or achieve this or that external

thing in my life. Sometimes after savasana, I feel like

just weeping after the rush. I try not to pay to much

attention to it and get on with whatever I need to do next.

Anyway, thank you for sharing your experience. Namaste',

KJMJ.

[Guest guest]

thanks so much for the incredible response...for the inspirational slap (big

deep breath). yeah.<br><br>thanks again.

[Guest guest]

The question I have for ashtanga practitioners is

"What would you do if you found yourself<br> wheelchair

bound?"....could you cope? <br><br>That's definitely an

interesting question and one I've pondered. I recommend

reading Ram Dass' STILL HERE. He really addresses this

issue in a very profound and moving way. He wrote a

good part of the book after he had a stroke. He says

the stroke was actually a great gift and taught him

once again that we are not this body and we are not

this mind. READ IT!!!