Sukha...sweet space. Literally, "su" means good and "kha" means space. In the Yoga Sutras (2.5-2.8) it is in contrast to dukha. "du" means bad, so sukha is happiness and dukha is pain.
And space is receptiveness. A thing must be empty in order to receive. If you try to put more milk in a full glass, you just make a mess...spilled milk.
We must empty out in order to receive the gifts of practice and of life.
So we come to our mats empty...physically, mentally and emotionally.
Physically: we practice early in the morning, before we have eaten, before our bodies have taken on the burden of the day.
Mentally: no thoughts or expectations have been formed yet.
Emotionally: sleep has washed away the struggles of yesterday, and today hasn't even begun.
We are neutral...colorless...empty...ready to receive:
knowledge, messages, gifts, breakfast :-)
But just in case, it can also work the other way. Our practice can be a way of emptying out...processing, digesting, burning off our emotions, our dinner from last night, our thoughts and expectations: RECEPTIVITY TRAINING
I watched a documentary last night about minimalism. People telling stories about cleaning out their closets and healing themselves, overcoming depression, anxiety, even MS. Sounds kind of woowoo, but who knows? Maybe there is something to it. Who am I to judge? My closets are FULL! My life is FULL! And I am grateful for that. But there are gifts that I am ready to receive, if only I had SPACE!
Maybe I should clean out my closets...OR...
Keep coming back to my mat to breathe out...breathe in...empty out...
RECEIVE