The Five Not-So-Noble Truths

The Buddha was a teacher…He had lots of stuff to tell his disciples and since there weren’t a lot of ball point pens lying around, he found making lists a great way to get folks to remember his stuff.

The Four Noble Truths underpin much of his teachings. They are often misunderstood to suggest that Buddhism says life is suffering, end of story.

Instead, these teachings say suffering is a natural path of being human because we spend so much time obsessing about the past or worrying about the future. The Buddha saw both of these as totally stress inducing since you can’t relive the past and the future ain’t here yet. He told his students there is a path out of this self inflicted misery. Quite simply paying attention to the present moment…Simple but not easy.

Yoga can be boot camp for learning to pay attention. The asana practice provides a clear and direct way to notice what’s happening…But to do so you first need to slow down, then start paying attention to what’s happening in the body. Your mind will wander so the breath is your path back…when you are aware of your breath, you are present. But strain strain and tension make this impossible, so it is also necessary to relax…And most of all, so this doesn’t become one more “should” in your already overwrought life of expectations)—LIGHTEN UP…and enjoy yourself

Remember, if it were easy, they wouldn’t call it practice!!!!

“This goal oriented ‘we’re going to do it at all costs,’ attitude is the world’s greatest killjoy. There’s no sense of appreciation because we’re so solemn about everything. The best gift you can give yourself is to lighten up and be curious.”
—Pema Chodron