my structure and course is solid

Sutra 3.25 (3.24 Iyengars counting) “Samyama on the physical strength of an elephant can give one the strength of an elephant.” Desikarchar translation, he writes it up like an example of the previous sutra; that in our yoga practice we can cultivate different qualities of the mind and the body.

My first thought was: “Yes – it’s like that stone in the middle of the hill that you don’t want to hit, skiing. But the more you think about the stone, the more your skis somehow go there, and yes…
Samyama means integration, so I guess it’s natural we partly become what we integrate with.

This sutra also reminds me of earlier sutras, that talks about choosing our focusing point and/or our teacher as an important decision. I get this. What I focus on rubs of on me. After my first teacher training I used many of the same sentences and movements as my master, partly because I was new and didn’t have my own expression yet, but also because in the intense process of teaching/learning there is most certainly an element of samyama especially the integrative part.

But I will focus on strength this week. Asanas that give and require strength. But also being strong as shown in choosing reality, staying within personal limitations and being strong as daring to look and admit weakness. My meditation has been on “faith, love and worship” being the tissue of my life, the qualities that set my structure and my course. This relates into strength as well, and point of focus. If I worship … a man, or money or being right, the structure I build will have a base in human/material limitations, it will be weak. If I worship my gift of having this experience of being alive, having sensations or worship my solution – my structure and course is solid.
Love
Jenni