Watching the Watcher

Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,

This week in class we are considering the topic “Watching the Watcher.”

Although we cannot really stop the presence of I-making, we can disengage a certain part of ourselves from it and observe it. And when we observe our thought patterns, we find that the conscious mind begins to change. A different sense of ahamkara comes into being - a different sense of "I" is watching, witnessing, dispassionately observing. Just as there are various levels of consciousness, so there are different varieties of I-ness, and now we realize that in addition to the "I" who is being the typical me, there is another "I" who is watching it all.

- Rudolph M. Ballentine

The homework is to pay close attention to all of your "I" oriented patterns of thought. Observe this I-making process so you can disengage yourself from it. Do not try to stop it, because who would be stopping it? The more we try to control "I" making, the more we reinforce the sense of "I" and the more we lock ourselves into the very process we are trying to disengage ourselves from. Disengaging can be part of the process of observing it. Then ask yourself who is watching the watcher.

Blessings,

paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
The BKS Iyengar Yoga School of Southwest Washington
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994

www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003