past the frills

Frills are fun.  Frills are pretty.Frills can be good. Frills can be the things that close the deal for us. For example, sometimes I choose my entree based on the side dishes - polenta or garlic mashed potatoes?   But when all is said and done, they are frills. Without a sense of purpose, of stability, of clarity, frills can distract us from what is really important to us.

In yoga, we can easily get distracted by the frills - where do your arms go? are the fingers closed or open? Am I looking down my nose or into my armpit? these are all subtleties of yoga poses that can become all too important too soon. when learning to play a Bb major scale, you don't need to know the names of the notes, but if you do, it might help you apply and use that scale in more ways. when learning the bones of the scale, the touch of your fingers on the instrument may not be that big of a deal, in fact most people can't even hear the difference in the touch - how a person attacks or caresses the piano or the strings of a guitar. Yet, the more you listen, the more you know, the more you hear. That is the time to start figuring out the frills. At this point they have meaning, because they make a bigger difference. They are no longer frills. they make sense. The become integral to the pose, to the playing.

Yoga is supposed to be a systematic approach to enlightenment. So why are we obsessed with skipping steps? getting there faster? obsessing about the frills before a foundation is laid? Because that's how we are. And it's important to know that about ourselves, because at one point, we will become more interested in the foundation we missed and go back and learn it. That is, if enlightenment is what we are seeking. Otherwise, it doesn't really matter. And remember, who is to say which order is the "right" order? Maybe you like your sides first. Maybe you could care less about the entree. And you can still reach enlightenment, because the Divine part of You, your Big S self, will make sure you get what you need to get there.

So lighten up and quit obsessing about frivolous things. Things that distract you from the joy and experience of living right here right now. Frills, foundation, fun. Rock those. And if not those, find other rocks to roll.