Day 2: Pennsylvania, Ohio and into Michigan
The Second Limb- Niyama
Together Yama and Niyama guide us towards a life path of purity and grace.
Niyama are individual disciplines,
‘Practice with a searching mind is meant to purify the body and the mind, bringing satisfaction and contentment. After acquiring purity, one must proceed towards dedicated and devoted practice and study (tapas and svādhyāya). This guides practitioners to the higher and nobler aspects of life…’
BKS Iyengar, Core of the Yoga Sutras
Five Niyamas
Sauca – cleanliness in one’s body and mind. By sauca, a wandering mind can be transformed.
Santosha – practice of contentment. Santosha and Satya practiced together are a powerful combination.
Tapas – heat, energy of self-tranformation to purify body, mind, and spirit.
Svadhyaya – study of texts and self study
Isvarapranidhana – letting go of ego, surrendering to the whole of the Universe.
Tapas is one of my guiding principle.
We drove a lot yesterday. It was an long day. We saw a lot of soybeans and corn growing. We saw some beautiful farm landscape and some not so appealing towns with a lot of empty store fronts.
I’m keeping my eye on nature, the trees and the birds. Out of my element of a physical daily life, I’m practicing a lot seated meditation, moments of silence and profound presence.
We are listening to a children’s podcast Story Pirates and it’s been imaginative, and Eli is really enjoying it. At some point on the other side of Chicago we plan on starting Little House on the Prairie.
We are heading for our third day to Dearborn, Michigan to the Ford Factory and on to Chicago to visit friends and family.
Sorry about any typos. Writing on the road…
Namaste. I bow to you,
Lori
Beautiful clip of the tree