Second week of the second month. Read the second mindfulness training before each sit. Read exercises five and six - positions of the body and bodily actions to draw awareness to them in sitting and every day lives. Overview of the second four exercises. Still having issues figuring out page numbers for history and overview in my version of Breathe! and Transformation and Healing. Finally learned how to spell "exercise". Wicked.

5h00 pm
Tracy's apartment, on her cushion in her living room.

I'm sitting in a modified hips on heels version today as modified lotus just isn't doing it for me anymore. I always slouch, even if my back is supported, and I'm sick of the curve at the top of my spine growing into more of a hunch back, and sick of my feet falling asleep, and sick of my lower back not feeling nice, and sick of my hip flexors hating me for being frozen for twenty minutes at a time. So, kneeling it is. There's a term for this position, which I have forgotten.

I'm very aware of my new seated posture. My back feels straighter and breath seems to go in and out easier. I sit with a half smile on my lips, as this week I am cultivating feelings of joy and happiness. I am also to notice mental formations and seek to calm them.

Drawing awareness to the belly as I breathe in and out, notice long and short breaths, breathe calm in towards myself, finding joy in this sit. I feel a big of a swelling in my heart and my small smile grows a little bit wider as I become more calm. I tuck my tailbone a little bit so my lower back doesn't have so much pressure on it. Some impatience arises as I check my cell phone for the time, even though I know I remembered to set the timer on it to go off at 20 minutes. The rest of my sit goes smoothly and I feel a happy sensation in my belly and in my heart. I thought that was pretty cool.

I exit my new posture slowly and hold a downward dog for a few minutes while the blood slowly starts to work its way back into my knees, calves, ankles and feet. I feel a lot better in this position than I did when doing a modified half lotus. I think I'll stick with this position for the rest of the week.

During asana today I focused on joy - not hard to do as that is usually the intention I set for my personal practices.