It’s that time of the year again! The pre-pre-holidays! Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks a few days. That’s why we’ve got to stop, meditate and listen. Yes, 2010 is rapidly winding down, so in true YogaDork fashion we are launching a challenge!
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take the next 365 hours to focus on the PAUSE: whether it be in the middle of a yoga pose, in the middle of your thought and action, or in the middle of your exhale and inhale, pranayama kombhuka style (just don’t do it in the middle of the street ok?) Do your best to be mindful of that pause, to bring the moment back to consciousness.
Can you do that for every waking hour between now and November 25th? Aw, sure you can. Try it! Yes, that is 365 hours. So by the end of 15.2 days you’ll be all zen and juicy for Thanksgiving game (or feast time) kickoff. International YogaDorks are of course encouraged to play along.
HOW TO ENTER:
Then tell us about it in the comments with a comment, gripe, SOS, or maybe a helpful method you could offer other yogadorks in practice. For instance, maybe you could ask yourself, What Would Guruji Do? We could all use some tips!
WIN:
Oh, yeah…and you could win prizes! Because what’s consciousness and meditation without a reward at the end? Kidding, but it sure doesn’t hurt to know you could win a Manduka MatWare® Mat Sleeve or WWGD tshirt just by being a little more mindful.
STOP, MEDITATE & LISTEN:
- Focus on the PAUSE for the next 365 hours (yes, free pass for the time you’re asleep)
- Over the course of the next 2 weeks, share your experience in a few words, a sonnet, a blog entry, whatever you feel in the comments below. Post every day if you like, but keep it under ONE profile to be fair.
- Read the other comments and find inspiration from the cybersangha.
Two winners will be chosen at random to win 1 of 2 prizes, courtesy of Manduka, and tee from YD, and announced cyber Monday November 29th.
WHY 365? We were inspired by Manduka’s #practice 365 contest – they’re giving away a free year of yoga! Plus other yoga goodies. Enter Now because you only have until Friday 11/12!
UPDATE! WINNERS! Congrats to Rachel as the winner of the Manduka Mat Sleeve and Pam who wins the WWGD tshirt!
Looking up at trees and sky,
Pondering how they’re there and why,
Taking time to look and SEE,
Tuning in to hear what’s “me”,
Reflecting on the pond so vast,
Life, moving so vividly fast.
I walked in the woods this morning. I stopped on the path. Listened. Waited. The dogs didn’t wonder why. They stopped, listened, waited too. They already know how to pause.
Good point about dogs… maybe I’ll follow my dog for an hour this weekend just to see what she does–and learn some good “PAWS” tricks from her! 🙂
I love that you were aware enough to notice that about dogs.. they do know when to pause ~ we could learn so much from our animals
Dogs are my role models. And they do a great adho mukha svanasana. I’ve been pausing since this began and it really makes a difference in the day! Good idea, YD.
Wait, I’m confused. So you want people to meditate quietly for 365 hours straight? Or just let meditation float in and out of their day as often as possible?
hey rachel! sorry for confusion. It’s not 365 hours straight…though that would be fantastic! but taking a pause, trying to bring yourself back to being conscious, maybe even once an hour if it works out for you, for the next 15 days or so.
a challenge in reminding yourself to pause, and the experience of your efforts 🙂
hope that clears it up!
Definitely. 365 hours would be intense. 🙂 But awesome!
I will be pausing 🙂
Very nice post.. Thanks a lot..
When I get to work, and I when I’m leaving work, I sit in my parked car and pause for a few minutes. Whether I aimlessly stare out my window or concentrate on my breathe. It prepares me for a stressful day and helps me to leave my stress at work when 5pm rolls around.
Love it, Jessica! I’ll try that today!
I accidentally ended up with some “in car relaxation” after I ran out of gas yesterday. On the brightside, I’m pretty sure I’m the most cheerful person the AAA/responder has encountered in that kind of situation!
After 6 painful, utterly horizontal weeks prior to spine surgery (cervical fusion) and the long, slow recovery, I have learned how to be ‘lazy.’ This long, uncomfortable pause was one of the best things that ever happened to me … don’t tell my husband, though (full-time childcare duty).
Post-op, normal activity resumed very gradually. A walk around the block was pretty huge. I’d do the dishes, lie down. Fold laundry, lie down. The breaks provided an oddly soothing rhythm to my days that I’m trying not to lose.
I still take those breaks. Now I blow off housework and miss deadlines to tickle my little boy, or stare at trees from the porch, or throw my legs up the wall. (The post-surgery asana practice is a post for another day). Lazy? Crazy? Maybe, but I don’t care.
There is so much beauty. Be still, y’all.
🙂 Indeed – dirty socks will still be around 18 yrs from now. Baby boy who enjoys the tickling will not!
Still pausing … I just started going to a Bhakti yoga group, and now I keep my beads in my bag most times. A great reminder to pause.
This morning, while I was waiting to be let into the studio for an outreach class, I remembered a ‘pause’ technique I often use (inspired by Wisdom of Yoga by Cope). It’s whenever I get frustrated, or some other feeling that I don’t want to have (this also includes being like … “euh” about someone .. judgemental-like) that instead of reacting to that feeling and helping the cycle of aversion-attraction, to stay with the feeling and observe it, to help strengthen the Witness within. I’m pretty sure I was feeling “euh” because I wanted to be let in the studio so I could practice a little before class.
I paused this morning in the sunshine on a park bench at the beach and promptly fell asleep. Woke up when I nearly rolled off the bench. I think I’m going to LOVE this challenge!
UPDATE! WINNERS! Congrats to Rachel as the winner of the Manduka Mat Sleeve and Pam who wins the WWGD tshirt!
Thank you all for participating and taking a pause for peace and sanity 🙂
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, maybe the best ever!
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