Many years ago, much further upstream in the river of my life I was guided into the art of river paddling. Manoeuvring a canoe, using angles and momentum, leans and placement of paddle, through the shifting energies of an ever-moving river. At times slow and gentle, other times turbulent and rough. A flow of whites and blues moving around curves, past rocks and outcrops and islands, obstructions/structures of all kinds. Shaped as well by human ob/constructions of weirs and dams, buried under streets, collected and channelled. Providing pathways through the land for many beings…routes of trade to ways to propagate a next generation. Always moving always presenting something new – catalysing a sense of on-going curiosity…what next around the bend? Paddling this flow downstream, or upstream offered a puzzle to be read, and solved…though upturnings and even life’s endings were always possible. Opening one to the knowing of the wider tapestry of our interconnections to the life energy of this planet. Carrying one, eventually, in time to the oceans of our perceptions.
Learning to read and paddle the flow of river required many skills, of which “eddy turning” into and out of an “eddy” was essential to creating balance in the changing flow. Locating and turning into this, oft tiny, bit of slow recirculating flow created by the shape of the land, provided a place of rest and relative gentleness. A place and time to restore oneself, and plan out next movements on the river. Developing skills meant learning to pick out the angle of the eddy line caused by the currents pushing past the outcrop…the subtle line between the main current of the river and recirculating opposite turning flow of the eddy. Allowing me to set up the precise angle, and build the momentum of my boat to strengthen the crossing, knowing how easy it is to miss on one’s timing and bounce off back into the energy of the mainstream flow, or even overturn into the cold water. I further learned how to place my paddle and lean… just so, to bring me smoothly across the line into the altered space of eddy’s softness. Weaving together the subtle shifts within a set of skills…just so. And then, savouring the pause: breathing; and letting go what did not serve, or was useful in the moment. Listen into the river and perhaps, even notice again what paddling, and other adventures have shown me – the richness of interbeing always present in the amazing world in which we live. Then, look to next stroke, angle, speed shaping movement within the flow.
I have transferred my understanding and skills of river play into my life’s daily flow, seeing the energies of eddy in a forest walk, a sit on the beach sit, playing a few chords on my guitar, joining with others in a tai chi class, or coming to my mat at home to practice yoga. Appreciating the power of “eddy” in practicing on my mat be it moving through asana, or simply sitting in meditation! Developing my eddy turning skills through this practice of yoga begun many years ago in India on a circle surrounded by forest, learning breathwork and mantra, philosophy and asana. Deepening those skills as I have continued to flow through my river, ever curious, exploring, many perspectives, many yogas yet finding myself increasingly drawn to the slower and gentle such as “Yin”, and sitting meditation.
“Eddy turned”…I am on my mat shifting focus to my breath. Beginning to listen in to the sensations of my body. Drawing in intention, worded or intuitive feeling. Weaving in kindness for myself in my choosing to open and work the edges…body, heart. Mind. Seeing if I can let go of judgement for a few moments of time. Opening to the universe, the ocean inside. And then, returning to focus again, and again…and again when all I can think of is chocolate cake, or that thing they said that hurt, or that task that needs to be done tomorrow, or that…other variation of distraction created by a wonderfully energetic human mind. I integrate the curiosity that river asked of me, the openness to listen, I tap into flow and craft a balance of acting… yang, and yin, ever at play.
I have come to appreciate as well how challenging it can be to ‘eddy turn’ into the power of my practice on the mat carried along by the mainstream current of busy “doingness” of life. Learned as well how one might use one’s practice not challenging and opening but simply enabling, or reinforcing the patterns of our busy, urgent, unaware, less mindful lives. Yet, having come to know the beauty and possibility of making it to the eddy of my mat, be it with moving with others or into my own solo practice, I try again…find the eddy, angle, lean, place paddle and…I’m in, or on my mat yet again.