ego

We have come to understand that yoga is present in every living, breathing moment. It is a body of knowledge, a practice and a way of life. It dwells in many aspects of our daily existence: how we see the world, the words we use, the ways we relate, the choices we make, and ultimately how we move and act to shape our experience. Its presence is subtle and permeating. As we begin to understand the greater framework of yoga, we can look to the Yamas and Niyamas.

Satya is the second Yama or moral constraint of Patanjali’s Eight Limbed Path of Yoga. In its essence, Satya is our inner truth compass. The Sanskrit derivative “sat” translates to “true nature.” It is the principle that holds a mirror to one’s face and asks for a raw and honest look at one’s thoughts, words, and actions. Satya asks the question, “Are you living in alignment with your truth?”

Hinduism: a religion so old, that most modern-day Hindus themselves find it to be mysterious and enervating to study. It boasts of sciences as advanced as the chanting of the Aum or Om said to kill microbes, and yet it’s reduced to a mere symbolism of temples sometimes. Its holy books have long been lost and reduced to folklore and mythology. And one such book is the Ramayana.

Okay—so I recently started doing jujitsu, and regardless of the challenges I’ve faced—I’m hooked! But why? Jujitsu, also sometimes known as “the gentle art,” is more than just an ancient Japanese grappling style -- it is a life-altering practice that can truly heighten a person physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. Read on to find out more about the martial art of Jujitsu, and its benefits for the mind, body, soul and spirit.

A couple of years ago, I got this text from my sister: “Yoga question: In the book I’m reading, part of what they do is drink their pee. Have you heard of that?”

I had, in fact, heard of “urine therapy” in books on yoga, but it certainly wasn’t a topic covered in my yoga teacher training, and I thought it was a long-dormant practice. Call me odd, but I was intrigued. I asked her what she was reading.

The essence of the human enterprise is encapsulated in the pursuit of meaning.

We must live with a sense of meaning, otherwise our lives become greatly chaotic. There must be a deep and abiding sense of purpose in our lives, for without which we slip into trends of banality, triviality, and perhaps even crookedness.

When meaning is lost, we can grow dark. We might capitulate to our more deviant and destructive tendencies. We may give way to warfare and strife. We might even generate sorrow – both within and without.

The meeting of human potential is crucial to the survival and proliferation of our species, and we partake in this movement through optimizing our state of perception as individuals.

The manner in which we rightly impact society directly correlates to the extent to which we move towards the fulfilling of our own potential. In other words, to elicit our “best selves” is to make the world a better place.

How might we accomplish this? How might we step into the realm of our own potentiality?

Change, even when improvement, can be scary.  Humans thrive in love. It is the lack thereof that stimulates the motivation for behaviors that seem not in alignment with such grace. The most effective and graceful way to foster change in yourself and in others is to hold space for that person (yourself or a loved one). Holding space means providing a “shelter” to explore the changes, rather than forcing the person to change. 

On a daily basis I see the invisible power of relationship. I love being in relationship, it is the juice of the human experience. Our discovery and willingness to be in connection is a flicker of magic in the mundane of life. Intimacy makes me feel alive, and requires my utmost attention and presence. I can be intimate with nature, food, water, my ukulele, my lover, my body and breath. Recently my greatest teachings come from being Intimate with others. (*Note I do not mean Intimate solely as a sexual or sensual exploration).

We are ever so often our own worst enemies. It is in the very nature of human beings to contradict ourselves. We get in the way of that which we most deeply desire, and for this reason we live in a state of conflict. We are all a walking paradox in our own right. Perhaps in bringing light to this issue we can move beyond it, and in that come to actualize ourselves as one unified force of consciousness.

Why do we get in our own way?