Finally, the Odyssey has started, and I can breathe a sigh of relief and get back to life!   Of course, I’m sending emails every day and keeping it all going, but that’s easier than all the preparations for it!

I thought I’d share our Day 1 email of the Odyssey, because it’s good for everyone to think about.   It’s about staying interested and curious in your practice.   Enjoy!

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To start us off, I want to invite you to get curious about your experience today, and everyday.  Often our tendency is to be judgmental, about our abilities, our commitment level, our space, etc.  Instead, my hope is that each of us can cultivate seeing our practice from a really interested, *curious* place of inquiry.
 
One of my teachers’ favorite things to say in their trainings is, “Isn’t that interesting?”   They say it all the time, with many different inflections.   For example, you might notice your left leg is a lot tighter than your right.   “Isn’t that interesting?”   You might notice that you feel really crabby 3 weeks into the training, when your body is sore and you haven’t seen your friends and family in a long time.   “Isn’t that interesting?”   
 
What they are teaching us is to stay open to receiving information.  When we judge ourselves – “I’m so inflexible”, “That injury will never heal”, “Why am I such a crybaby?” –  we stop the learning and the inquiry.   On the other hand, when we are curious to find out exactly what happens on our mats, a whole new way of learning about ourselves opens up.   We might even learn something about how we act in the world off our mats as well.
 
So, with that in mind, practice today noticing everything and finding it all interesting.  What are your feelings as you approach your practice? What are the actual sensations as you’re in the posture? What is it like to practice with the pictures, or the audio file, or from your own head?   Notice as much as you can, without judgment, and with a genuine curiosity to learn more!
 
Enjoy your practice,

Barrett