Beware the path of the Yogi

Beware, my friends who are choosing to embark on a conscious and more-aware-than-before life, because this sh*t is not easy sometimes. Keyword here is 'sometimes'. I feel like if you are listening, I am preaching to the choir. If you are at all interested in my words, I feel like you are already on the path of the yogi-- even if you don't go to 'yoga class' with the rest of your block.

Yoga is not the practice of only asana (poses). It is so much more than that and there are so many different ways to practice. The Sanskrit term 'yoga' means 'union' or 'to yoke' which means to join together or integrate. A yoke in English terms can be like the wooden yoke that is dressed upon the oxen and joins those muscle-y mammals with the wagon. (Google it if you dont know what I mean). It integrates the oxen and their people and luggage together so they can travel strongly down their trail. Like the yoke, the practice of yoga can help to join us to something waaaay stronger than our little bodies to help with the travels along our path. Whatever that is that you hang on to for dear life and is your strength and safety net when you are weak is your yoga practice. (And no, the bottle or the pipe cannot be your yoga practice. Trust me on this one!)

Deep breath.

It's finally getting to the point where I am actually feeling the changes happening. Even though my mind knows they are going to happen, my emotions have not quite caught up yet... Until today. I have less than two weeks left in Sacramento before the island adventure begins. That means less than two more weeks of my coffee shops, my family, my friends that live right down the street, my car, my Bo Jangles, my own bed, my yoga kula, my EVERYTHING! Magpie and their amazing lunches and cookies. 58 Degrees and their half glasses of wine and smiling staff. Tapas and their late night snacks. All the things I am familiar with will soon be out of tangible reach, unless I hop over the Pacific.

MY things are no longer going to be MY things. This brings me to my point for the evening. NOTHING I THINK IS MINE IS MINE!! And since nothing is mine, nothing is yours. Or his. Or hers. Or theirs. Even when you have babies, they are not yours. When you own a business, it is not yours. They are a separate entity that stands alone, along side you and everyone else. It's all impermanent. It all could be gone in a matter of moments. If you have ever moved or lost something that seemed to be yours, again, I am preaching to the choir. It is however, a really really scary feeling to come to that realization. But, once we get past the initial shock of the truth of the matter, its quite relieving. Peace can start to set in. Worry starts to fall off of the shoulders. We soften. The journey continues....

Like I said in the beginning, this sh*t is not easy. We can run around all day long and say these things that sound new-age-y and heavenly, but what are they without practice? This is the yoga. This is where we join our words with our actions. Where we trust, soften and breathe. In my case, this is where I let go and let the wave take me to whatever beach I am supposed to land on. I let go of Old Soul decaf soy cappuccinos with the perfect foam on top. I let go of Patrick coming over to walk Bo in the mornings. I let go of the 15 minute drive to the parent's house. I let go of my regular yoga classes that I teach and take with the faces I love so much.

It's all not mine. If it was, it would be coming with me, but it's not. To think that it's mine is an illusion of the mind. If we are to be honest with ourselves on this path (satya=truthfulness and it is included in the path), we must come to this realization. People, places, things. Not ours. They are their own. In one sense, the egoic sense, it's kinda disappointing especially if you have put so much love and energy into these things. To loosen the grip is not easy. To realize their independence is tough. It's sooooooo common for us to think and act this way. If you feel this way about anything, you are not alone. There is good news though. Keep reading....

Realizing things are not yours can be empowering. How would you feel if your love and energy for 'your' things made them stronger and happier? If your intention is to give rather than get? Does that feel better or worse? You decide. Is it easy to remove the ego far enough to see it that way? Of course not. Did I say it would be easy? Hell no I did not. Does that mean we don't get to share this life with anything or anyone else? No way. But when we share from a distance, it's more loving. When we give solely to improve the things around us, we don't expect anything back. Therefore, we don't get disappointed. We are empowered. We feel good about ourselves knowing we are coming from a good place. And really, we are the only ones that can make ourselves feel that way. Friends and lovers help point it out, but we must know for ourselves first and foremost. If we don't know it yet, I suggest practicing now. Not sure how to practice? Stop for a moment, be silent, soften your body and your mind, and wait until you hear even a whisper of the truth within you. It's the one thing that is yours. Seek it. Find it. It will bring you more peace and happiness. I've tasted it. I've sat down to dinner with that peace. Did it get up and leave? Yes, sir it did. But did it, and will it visit again? Yes. Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.