How does washing out your clothes at the laundry and Purification tie into yoga practice. Well it’s pretty easy to make this analogy. As we strive to keep our bodily garments free from pollution so must we make effort to keep our minds free from the pollution of unwholesome thoughts and to try and eradicate them when we find them in our consciousness. If we notice dwelling on thoughts of malice or other kinds of thoughts that we know in our hearts are not profitable then we need to divert our attention towards that which is wholesome and beneficial. Easier said than done eh?
Well practice is just like going to the launderette. When we stand on our mat for yoga practice or sit on our cushion for meditation this is going to the mind laundry. By continually associating ourselves with this meditative environment, the mind begins to prefer it’s clarity to the environment of greyness, dullness and over excitement. It’s just a matter of acclimatisation. And it may take some time. But if you can make the resolve to practice your yoga on a daily basis eventually you can tip the scales in your favor and turn your mental state around..
Without this tending towards virtue, there can be no yoga. Remember the phrase INAPPROPRIATE ATTENTION. It’s a very good friend.
The image to the right is of Buddha Vajrasattva, the Buddha of Purification.
And now back to pick up my clean laundry….
Much, much easier said than done, or maybe it is because I have a washing machine at home and I don’t have to sit and watch it work???
Your right there Murielle, but we have to try. And it’s this continual application of our effort that will eventually win us through in the end. Whether our washing machine is in the home or we go out to the launderette, at the end it’s a clean load of washing that we want.
Keep on making the effort and if possible come along to one of my yoga holidays again. It would lovely to see you again and thank you for your thoughtful comment.
Peace and Love,
Granville x