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From: Yogani Date: Wed Dec 31, 2003 8:07am
Q: What do I do if my practice is unexpectedly interrupted?
A: If someone yells, “fire!” or your mother-in-law walks in on you, do what must be done.
When you get done with the interruption, then, if possible, go back and pick up where you left off in the session time-wise. Don’t start over. If you are out of time, then just meditate for a few minutes, rest, and go. If you feel irritable due to the disruption, then lie down and rest until you feel smoother. Don’t meditate anymore then. Then go be active, and look forward to your next regular session.
If you can’t go back and finish, then you will have to make the best of it. Know that resting quietly is the best cure for irritability. You can also use the procedure in the meditation lesson called, “Meditation Q&A — Restlessness” for dealing with uncomfortable sensations that may occur in the body. The good news is that, after a long time of practice, the obstructions in the nervous system will become much less and the process will be much smoother all the way around. Then, if you are interrupted, it is not such a big deal. You will be in pure bliss consciousness every minute of every day.
But, even then, we aim for privacy during our regular practice. It is a very important habit to have. Our success in yoga depends on it.