Classic Hatha (hata) Yoga is an amazing union of many aspects and during our philosophy section today (I LOVE philosophy) we talked about ignorance and having a closed mind. Among so many other aspects, this one had the class listening intently to what Shakti had to say about this topic. The most profound moment came in the comment of how “99% of suffering comes from not seeing the potential possibilities that come with every day life.”
For instance, when we buy a car, we think we are buying the warranty, the new materials, the most up-to-date technology, the fastest, the best-est and the most treasured method of freedom that any physical object can provide. But do we realize that through our purchase plan we don’t recognize the small print that the Universe puts onto the contract as well: “The potential of possibilities that this object could be stolen, damaged, crashed, dirtied.” No... we only see what we want to see, or what the EGO wants us to see. So that when something happens to the car, we are tortured and in such awe of this disaster that has befallen us, we sink into victim mode. But on the spiritual path (a path that I chose to take a few years ago when I began to meditate more regularly) ANYTHING is possible and when we detach from something... there is more than just the perceived “good” that comes from it there is an over-all acceptance... and therefore less stress, that this amazing machine can be here now, but possibly not the next day.
The BIGGEST surprise of the day came in the question: “What is the cause of death?” Everything from cancer to old age to car accident to drug overdose was given up as a possible answer. But the absolute answer is “birth”. If we were never born, we would never die, therefore because we were born we will inevitably die... or at some point leave the physical body. This is not to say that the spirit dies or does not die, but in the relevance of our physicality... we will eventually cease to exist in this human form. And we spend millions of dollars to try and sustain life...even after the life has left the body by putting on make-up and dressing up... to lie in a box that goes into the ground.
We are constantly surprised when people die. “Oh my god, he was 98 years old and suddenly died of a heart attack.” To “He was so young, only 14 years old when the car hit him.” We can NEVER say when we will die, only that it will happen at some point... and what have we done with the life that we have before that point!?!
Hence the spiritual practice through yoga brings about a new awareness, a balancing of the physical with the mental and the emotional and the spiritual. Breaking down the barriers between openness and ignorance and allowing people to see past the illusion, past the Maya (the veil of illusion that separates us from true enlightenment). Yoga can be practiced to stretch the body and mind, but when it is used from a spiritual practice... it sets ego aside, and guides us into a blissful state of realization that we ARE more than the sum of our parts, lives, friends, family, job, gadgets, medical issues, drama, and “stretching our inner eardrum up to the ceiling”. Something Shakti quietly refers to that some yoga practices extend too far in their physical modalities rather than allowing to “just let be” and move into existence for what is.
...keep your eardrum where it’s at and enjoy the flowers.
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