Day 2

Day 2 has been very good. It did bring more challenge - but that's always the case. Teacher Training is an intense process. The chamber is heated -- more current is moving through the wires - and meltdowns happen. It's good because it's alchemy and transformation. But its not all fun.

The overarching principles for the day were Foundation and Muscular Energy. I spoke a while about a teaching I heard from Robert Svoboda:

"The place where you're going to sit is your asana. …….. the place that you have established that you are going to be sitting on. If you and the earth element have established a good seat for yourself, then you will be firm during the period that you are performing your sadhana, to accumulate the energy that is inherently to be found in the sadhana. If you don't establish a good asana, then there is the possibility as things go on there will be some instability. And that instability will interfere with your achievement of the goal that you are attempting to achieve by establishing the sadhana that you want to perform.

So, establishing a good asana is accomplished by worshiping the earth element. And by something that is definitely not a coincidence; Ganesha sits in the body at the Muladhara chakra, which happens to be the place where the earth element is located. Ganesha also rules the earth element. So, if you make Ganesha happy, then he will go down and he will talk to Mother Earth and instead of you trying to make Mother Earth happy, which could be difficult, especially because humans have performed a lot of very naughty things in the world, if instead of that you bribe Ganesha with a stick of sugar cane and he goes and makes the earth element happy, then that makes things easier for you".

We talked about how, after we have opened to grace, as teachers, it is necessary to to apply discipline – to learn - and keep learning - the skillful craft of teaching. To hone technique, learn to sequence ever more effectively, refine and pare down our language so that it most gracefully and powerfully brings spirit into body, prana into fullness. Etc. All of this we do as an act of devotion - so that what was opened to - Grace - that which has the potential to be the Columbia River – the great Heart of Teaching – has a good channel of word and technique through which to flow. Otherwise it can be easily diverted and diminished by a multitude of rabbit holes and rivulets. We would rather earn to participate with the Columbia as it rolls on in its Great Path of Return.