Ever feel the resistance to want to practice yoga today? Does it feels like there are even more distractions and excuses to getting on the mat or finding time to go inwards and focus on the breath? If it's not a virus, social unrest , it s the pull of family or job commitments.
These challenges press every button and trigger every negative reaction, but they exist in our lives to help us to become ever more conscious and aware of the games the mind plays. Our bodies are layers upon layers of conscious and unconscious patterns. As long as there are unconscious patterns (avidya) there will be shadows, those compulsive patterns of the ego, suppress deny and control, keeping us in a never ending loop of suffering. The first step, of course is becoming aware of these patterns, which requires a degree of honesty (satya) bringing them to the surface to shine some well needed light. Being able to bring them into conscious control is the way to self mastery. When we are aware of a habit or pattern it is no longer a habit but merely a choice of either leaning into the pattern or withdrawing from the projections and deciding to dance to a different tune. Sometimes playing some inspiring and uplifting music and dancing can be a good method of shaking up the mood and our energy.
So we practice ( abyasa) to remove the dust from the ego, so we are not enslaved to negative emotions such as hatred , envy or jealousy etc. We remove this dust so the light can shine through, from here we can chose to replace those negative thoughts with more positive ones. Just by being more conscious of what we say out loud and creating new thought patterns, we can create new neural patterns in the brain. We can then move back into our centre, back into alignment. So even the most negative of experiences can help us to transform, in fact they give us an opportunity to evolve.
In Asana, if we can imagine roots extending deep down into the ground, it can help us to not to get swayed, left or right and move us deep down into our centre. If we eat well, exercise and breathe fresh air, taking good care of this vehicle that carries the wellspring to consciousness, it can help us to step back into our power. Withdrawing from those projections of any unhealthy habits and decide we are the centre from which radiates harmony, peace. We just need to love ourselves back to wholeness.
