Spring Metta: Renew Your Connection To Self

By Vito Politano from the International Yoga Blog

March 22, 2019

Spring is here and reminds us that we can start anew with less residue in each moment. Life online and off is plagued with distractions and opportunities for us to feel less-than-worthy. Yoga and metta meditation practices are powerful tools that have helped me to develop self-acceptance and resilience in the face of life’s challenges. Louis L’Amour writes eloquently of this possibility in the following quote:

 “Up to a point, man’s life is shaped by environment, heredity, & movements and changes in the world about him; then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be…Everyone has within their power to say, this I am today, that I shall be tomorrow.”

It is easy to get caught in non-useful, limited thinking, which is like placing a fence or ceiling deeply rooted in fear around us for protection.  We all have fences for different things; for new poses we’ll try, difficult conversations we’ll have, the work we’ll do, the chances we’ll take, and the degree to which we follow our hearts calling, to name a few.

I have gotten really good at the fence building.  Whenever I consider taking steps outside of these comfort zones, working on the edges or taking steps outside these walls, my heart races.  Even as I write this my heart beats faster, my stomach tightens and my breath becomes shallower.  The tendency is for the small-mind or negative-mind to kick in like the zap of an electric fence. I have become accustomed to the warnings “YOU can’t do that,” “don’t,” “you’ll look like an idiot,” “you’re not ready yet,” and “you’re not good enough.” 

Working beyond our perceived limitations is scary. I hold back. I see my students holding back. We all know that some of these fears are so minor and that even just working a challenging pose and risking failure can be terrifying.  When these risky moments present themselves, it can be quite the battle to stay present with the breath and not get consumed with fear, overwhelmed with ego and overly self-protective.  Practice gives us the space and opportunity to become more open and accepting of whatever arises, staying open to the possibility of each moment.

Personally, I’ve been using metta meditation to support my getting space from self-perceived limitations and caring about how others perceive me. Practice offers the opportunity to start fresh and find space from habits and the external forces that we often use to base self-worth, value and happiness. And practice helps us to cultivate forgiveness and compassion for ourselves and others.

It is also important to practice gentleness with ourselves. When we catch ourselves distracted, mindlessly breathing, or even when we miss a day of practice, do we get frustrated, put ourselves down or fuel our feelings of incompetence? Instead of being hard on ourselves, can we be kind and loving of ourselves in our response? Can we gently accept where we are on our path and remember that we are never stuck? Can we remain accepting of our capacity for more? Can we practice acceptance and gratitude for the growth and challenges, and continue to forgive and re-commit to ourselves?

Begin this new season with clarity, acceptance and kindness with the help of practice. Being present, mindful and coming back to intention helps us to keep moving forward. The more we practice the more we connect to our deeper truth and goodness despite any shadows of failure, fear, ego, shame, regret and doubt.  As long as we remain persistent in our practice towards right thought, action, etc. we may be less disturbed by setbacks and persevere — primed to make right effort…over and over, again and again.

My personal metta meditation practice (Inspired by Sharon Salzberg):

May I/you/all be filled with peace

May I/you/all be healthy and strong

May I/you/all be safe and protected

May I/you/all always feel loved

May you begin the new season with clarity, acceptance and kindness.

Much peace, love and resilience.

P.S. I am grateful to continue working with International Yoga to offer a great opportunity through which we can re-commit and renew ourselves on a magical journey to Peru this May: Open Your Heart In The Sacred Valley of Peru

If you ever wanted to explore this special part of the world, and immerse yourself in yoga and metta (lovingkindness) meditation, I would love to have you join.  Please message me for details.

Highlights from my Fall 2018 Retreat to the Isle of Crete

In September, I lead my first yoga retreat on the Isle of Crete with International Yoga.  It was an amazing trip with exceptional people and deep practice in a stunningly beautiful setting.  It was also my first time in Greece, and I loved it – the warm hospitality, landscape, and Italian structural influences offered me a sense of home. 

Highlights included:

·        Hiking Kritsa Gorge followed by lunch in a local village taverna

·        The thoughtfully and beautifully designed Daios Cove Resort with amazing views of the blue-green sea

·        The food, despite disappointing tomatoes (…maybe due to exceedingly high expectations)

·        International Yoga’s Greek goddess and guide Anna Zorzou – loved by all, she became great friend and mentor

·        Witnessing personal growth in practice, strength, self-awareness, kindness and compassion

·        A group reading with my teaching assistant and spiritual medium Gurdeep @gurdeepbhogal_yogini_medium 

·        Being in community – especially with such a special group – and opening to another part of the world, the group and ourselves

·        Reinvigorating attendees’ yoga and meditation practices

·        Powerful sharing of Metta meditation practice after every asana session

·        Sunset visit to a cave monastery in the mountains

I loved leading this charge with the abundant help of International Yoga.  The attendees and myself benefited greatly from their experience and attention to detail.  I am grateful to continue working with them; next in Peru and then again in Greece within the next couple of years as well. 

For more pictures: @vito_politano

Teacher Spotlight from The Yoga Loft of Marblehead

What was your first yoga experience?

After completing physical therapy for a neck strain, the physical therapist recommended yoga or Pilates to continue supporting my healing.  After researching and visiting some yoga studios, I took a beginners class at Baptiste in Cambridge. I felt like a foreigner navigating a new climate, language and culture.  I was overwhelmed, but something felt right about it…and it turned out to be the first steps in a long journey of developing a sense of ease in myself.

What made you become a yoga teacher?

An opportunity to teach came up when a good friend and yoga teacher strongly encouraged me to take over her classes.  Initially, I declined as I was overwhelmed by a debilitating fear of public speaking, shame and sense of unworthiness.  However, a desire to share the benefits of practice that I had experienced myself led me to do it.

What is your favorite pose and why?

I have more than one favorite asana. I love Ardha Chandrasana for the opportunity it provides to develop strength, stability and opening.  Two other favorites include Shalabasana for the postural and back body strengthening it allows; and Goddess pose for its graceful grounding.

Where do you draw inspiration from for your classes?

Currently, the opportunity to help people develop functional strength, stability and flexibility, and get out of pain are my core inspirations.  I aim to help people become more self-aware and connected to themselves and others.  Ultimately, supporting them to develop more compassion, lovingkindness and joy.

What is something you enjoy doing outside of yoga?

I love food and travel.   Having grown up with parents from southern Italy, food is an important point of connection for me with family and friends.  I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to travel more by leading retreats abroad and connecting with new cultures.  In fall 2018 I led a retreat to Crete with an amazing group of yogis and am very excited to be offering another retreat to Machu Picchu, Peru in May.

Practice with Vito

Vito teaches Vinyasa on Mondays at 8:15am and 9:30am.

https://www.theyogaloftmarblehead.com/teacher-spotlight-vito

Reading: Towards Full Acceptance of Self

“‘Normality,’ says Howe, ‘is the paradise of escapologists, for it is a fixation concept, pure and simple.’ ‘It is better, if we can,’ he asserts, ‘to stand alone and to feel quite normal about our abnormality, doing nothing whatever about it, except what needs to be done in order to be oneself.’ –Henry Miller

From Henry Miller’s The Wisdom of the Heart as profiled in Brain Pickings.

Reading: Do your work

“…the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their
disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of
winter and summer seasons.  They arise from sense perception,…and one must
learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” — The Bhagavad Gita 2.14

 

 

Reading: Towards Full Acceptance

“The art of living is based on rhythm — on give and take, ebb and flow, light and dark, life and death. By acceptance of all aspects of life, good and bad, right and wrong, yours and mine, the static, defensive life, which is what most people are cursed with, is converted into a dance, ‘the dance of life,’ metamorphosis.

One can dance to sorrow or to joy; one can even dance abstractly. … But the point is that, by the mere act of dancing, the elements which compose it are transformed; the dance is an end in itself, just like life. The acceptance of the situation, any situation, brings about a flow, a rhythmic impulse towards self-expression.

[…]

Life, as we all know, is conflict, and man, being part of life, is himself an expression of conflict. If he recognizes the fact and accepts it, he is apt, despite the conflict, to know peace and to enjoy it. But to arrive at this end, which is only a beginning (for we haven’t begun to live yet!), a man has got to learn the doctrine of acceptance, that is, of unconditional surrender, which is love.”  — Henry Miller

From Henry Miller’s The Wisdom of the Heart as profiled in Brain Pickings.

Spring Renewal – All Possibilities

“It’s never too late to completely change your entire life. To become a better person. To become an asset to this world. To be of service to humanity. To transcend your Earthly predicament with love, compassion and humility. Never believe it is too late to rise to a higher vision. Each day is a fresh, beautiful opportunity to attain a pure heart. Correct your actions. Become a living embodiment of the Supreme; full of wisdom and loving kindness. All that is of Good will lift you up into Ultimate Reality when you emanate Goodness. The Illumined Ones will assist you. You are not alone. You will attract that which you are in your heart.”  ~ Sri Robert Adams

Events: Upcoming Workshops @ On The Mat

Very excited to be back at On the Mat Yoga Studio in Concord for two upcoming workshops.

I’ll be returning for my 4th Deep Stretch Workshop there on Saturday March 25th, and teaching a Strength and Structure workshop on Saturday April 8th, both 2-4p.

Click for details and registration