The Intangible Makes It Useful
By Jonathan Wood, 200-RYT
The practice of yoga teaches us many things, on and off the mat. Honoring this is, for many of us, what keeps us coming back again and again.
When I find new depth in my practice it's exciting. Often it's a calm, subtle awakening in my body and/or mind--and yet when it happens the experience can be so powerful I almost don't know what to do. And so I just keep breathing.
Maybe you get excited, too, about discoveries in your practice. Are you like me and wonder how to honor these new understandings? Do I start a spreadsheet and track each one, cataloguing it doesn't get lost in the race that is our 21st century life? Should I journal about how it made me feel, physically and emotionally? Do I make a confession over coffee with my bestie after class, speaking in hushed tones to simultaneously honor the transcendent experience I've had...while ensuring eavesdroppers don't think I'm a goofball?
Each of these options is perfectly reasonable. And here's another option from the Tao Teh Ching by Lao Tzu. This is the John C. H. Wu translation.
Thirty spokes converge upon a single hub;
It is on the whole in the center that the use of the cart
hinges.
We make a vessel from a lump of clay;
It is the empty space within the vessel that makes it
useful.
We make doors and windows for a room;
But it is these empty spaces that make the room
livable.
Thus, while the tangible has advantages,
It is the intangible that makes it useful.
The take away for me is to ride the wave of the experience. Let it flow. Let it wash over me like the rolling surf when I'm in the ocean. Just by being with the intangibility of the experience it will become internalized...on and off the mat.
Jonathan Wood, 200-RYT, is a passionate Marylander who loves to be outdoors with his bare feet touching the earth. He's manages the Yoga Heights blog and online yoga video program. Jonathan found his way into yoga and mindfulness during a spiritual exploration of the intersection of Buddhist and Jewish traditions. He teaches corporate, pubic, and private yoga classes in the DC-area. Before becoming a yoga teacher and painting instructor, Jonathan enjoyed a successful 15-year career as a fundraiser for Harvard, Johns Hopkins. About teaching he says, “On and off the mat, I believe I have a responsibility to nurture the creative process in myself and others…to enrich the heart, expand the mind, and use creative expression to help make our world a better place.” Jonathan grew up on Cape Cod and will find any excuse to jump in the ocean. He lives in Takoma Park with his dog, Tucker.
Get to know Jonathan @yogajonny.