One Thousand Days of Namaste

Have you ever had so many ideas swirling around in your head that it seems virtually impossible to choose one, so you end up doing nothing? That’s where I am right now. I’m excited by the thoughts of new projects and new possibilities. I’m also frustrated because I’m experiencing a complete lack of focus.

When I completed the first three years of Daoist seminary, my assignment for the following three years was to incorporate one thousand days of structured practice. The type and form of the practice was left up to me, and the only rule was I had to do the practice every day. If I missed one day, I was required to begin again. By this measure, it’s entirely possible to never complete the second three-year segment of my training. This is one of the ways my Shifu separated the serious students from the indolent ones. Historically, when left to my own devices, I’ve always leaned into my apathy, so this delay comes as no real surprise.

I never even thought about starting a structured practice, of any sort. In my defense, I was also wrapping up my career and transitioning into whatever this retirement life is, but in no way did it resemble anything as disciplined as the task I was given upon my ordination. While my classmates implemented daily scripture readings, rituals, practices of a physical nature, or artistic expression, and thrived as a result, I merely dabbled.

And my procrastination shows. The only thing I’ve created in the almost 800 days that have passed since my ordination is a collection of ideas, lists and notes documenting the things I want to do, but no real accomplishments. I’ve implemented a few of them, like this column, with fuzzy objectives and undefined goals. And that’s okay. It hasn’t been the right time for me to commit to one thousand days of something when I had no idea what that something might be. I have a strong suspicion this is now affecting my ability to focus.

I’ve connected the dots. This past Sunday, several of my fellow Daoist classmates gathered virtually to remember our beloved Abbott on the first anniversary of his transition back to the Dao. A year marks one rotation of the earth around the sun, so it feels like a ‘real’ time marker for me. I don’t know exactly how this affected my mindset, I learned long ago not to question these things, but Sunday morning something clicked. The time is now.

I’ve decided that I will practice yoga for one thousand consecutive days. Yoga looks a lot different for me at this point in my life than it did a few years ago. Namely, it requires a chair and modified poses because of the arthritis in my hips. No chaturangas or arm-balance poses for me (not that there ever was although I did fly my crow for one glorious moment years ago), but I am more than capable of practicing the prana and inner stillness that result from the asanas that are accessible to me. My physical limitations do not affect my ability to experience the mindfulness and gratitude that comes from practicing yoga every day.

The Universe always knows and as an added incentive, Kim Krans (of The Wild Unknown) is hosting one of her magnificent Yoga Nidra practices this coming new moon. My Shifu passed on the new moon of the Mid-Autumn festival. One year later, at the same point in the year just before the Autumnal Equinox, which is significant in my Celtic ancestral beliefs, I’ll begin the final task he left me to complete.

Yoga isn’t on any of the lists I’ve made, other than as a side note that I should be doing more of it. I somehow think that’s the point. All the other ideas are still in various degrees of their formative stages and best in free flow right now (that’s where the lists come in, so I don’t lose them). The ones that take root will become evident along the way. Yoga is non-negotiable.

The purpose of one thousand days of internal cultivation is to develop discipline and commitment. Both the experience and the results are equally important in this phase of my spiritual journey. My first three years as a novice were guided directly by my teacher. The second three years are guided by the teacher who resides within me.

I took a gap year. Okay, I took two. And a bit. I’m now ready to begin again. I’d say ‘finish what I started’ but there is no beginning and no end. It’s a circle.

Please read this NPR article about the proper meaning and use of the word 'namaste'. https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/01/17/406246770/how-namaste-flew-away-from-us#:~:text=So all together%2C namaste literally,simple greeting to say hello.

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