One of the reasons water is the most powerful of all 4 elements and can literally bend or shape rock, is its ability to ceaselessly and continually put pressure on the same place. This is also the force that creates diamonds. In our yoga practice, breathing and noticing our breath is very similar. With perseverance, and trusting in our own ability to slow down and breathe, we ignite our inner Buddha nature.
For some, a certain pose is extremely difficult while for others, a piece of cake! The most important thing is understanding a yoga posture is not right or wrong, but simply a chance to listen to sensation and see if we are accepting the moment with all of its challenges and breathing or choking on the breath and created stress and tension.
I remember when driving away from my accountant’s office last week, the car alarm kicked in because my daughter opened the car from the inside and it was just so loud I could not do anything to turn it off. So like the breath, I just diffused the situation by driving away and laughing at myself, the car and the whole situation. My ego definitely did not like to be seen as the idiot on the road with the car alarm blaring all the way down the road!
Laughing at myself later I realized that I could have ignored the situation all together and gone into the building. Either way, it was an opportunity to not judge myself and to practice my meditation.
When we can push ourselves, and learn to stay with self-acceptance, we give ourselves an opportunity to transform our negativity or stress into happiness and joy.
It’s great to have a good workout and yoga is very physical but the true purpose of yoga is learning to deal with our mind.
Either we are our own worst enemy or our best friend. And it is imperative that we wake up and utilize this moment for our own improvement. When we face challenges, very often we project our fears, insecurities outside.
Yoga is a way of looking on the inside, IN* TO * ME* I* SEE and noticing our fear, hurt, anger and using this weakness to transform the same energy into consciousness, gratitude, joy and appreciation. None of us have life perfectly in our back pocket nor will at any place in time.
Life is difficult; this is the very first and most important teaching of the Buddha. We can approach our challenge and in stepping out of our comfort zone, and staying with our breath, shape that rock of joy
If you listen to how the posture feels and we let go of how we are supposed to look, then we can give ourselves permission to take it easy taking, nice long deep breaths.
The good news is that wisdom comes out of our experience and experience comes from making mistakes. The heart of joy is first understanding that we must own our own fears and do our work to clear them out daily. With judgment, we build resistance, tension and stress, with loving kindness, we become more tolerant and self-accepting. Letting go, we may approach our negativity, not be overcome by it. Just like the quality of water, watching our breath, increases mindfulness, meditation and serve to help us witness, and be happy.
As one famous American yoga teacher used to say, the more you cling, the more you suffer, the more you let go, the more you get happy!
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