Madhya
I've been teaching in the last few classes, including my restorative yoga class, about madhya. Madhya means: central or middle. It is the gap, the space between the movements of the breaths. It is the still point between movements. It is the pocket of space between a thought. My Sanskrit dictionary describes it madhya also as susumna nadi, or the midline of our bodies. Interestingly enough, according to Jainism it is the earth region.
Please let me quote the incredibly gifted teacher and much beloved by me and many, Sally Kempton on madhya:
"An even deeper contact with Being occurs in the course of practice or contemplation, when we enter the thought-free state that the tantras call the Madhya, or Center-- the 'gap' or space of stillness that exists in between two breaths, two thoughts, two moments in time. That still place is a kind of alchemical crucible, which will inevitably change the substance of our inner world."
Madhya is that spaciousness that not only exists in us, but is us. It is that movement before you respond to someone or do something.
Lately I have been focusing on reminding the students that we are vast spaciousness. That we are not just our emotions or our thoughts or our moods. That there is this grand spaciousness which holds everything. I find that helpful, especially when I feel too caught up in a specific thought or emotion.
There is a great and quick meditative tool where you sit, close your eyes and proceed to repeat silently:
"I am (your name)."
Then you repeat the same phrase, minus your name:
"I am."
Then you repeat just the "I." And then, just silence.
"I am Maria Cristina".
I am.
I.
...
It is a very sweet and effective practice, which suggests that we are not just our name, our age, our profession, our bank account, etc. But that we are also space, silence, stillness...
Theme:
Madhya
Focused on First Principle and Fifth Principle
Highlights:
*Taught a class on spaciousness and focused on bound poses.
It is great fun to continue to find more length inside, even when we are physically bound up.
Today's poses included:
Bound parsvakonasana
Bound reverse parsvakonasana
Mermaid #1
Marichyasana #1
Supine Lotus
*Whenever I teach about spaciousness or mindfulness I as a teacher calm down more and feel more present and available to class.
Something to work on:
I think class went well today. I think today we had a grand time.
We did a brief meditation today, which I like incorporating in class. I did it after savasana and I think it might be more effective if done before savasana, which is when normally I would do my meditations.
But regardless it was good to do anyway.
The class was great Maria Cristina! Just so you know I kinda liked the meditation after savasana. I love reading your writings..
abrazos
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