Greetings Sadhakas,
This week in class
we are considering Patanjali's Yoga Sutra 1:12.
The restriction of these fluctuations is achieved through
practice and dispassion.
-Yoga Sutra 1:12
One of the most frequently studied principles of yoga’s
sacred texts is the concept of letting go - also called detachment or
surrender.
Why is detachment so difficult to understand? Perhaps the problem lies in confusing being
detached with being uninterested.
Actually, they are opposites. If
you are uninterested, you withdraw, you turn your back on life, which, in a
way, denies the difficulty of life. To
be detached is to stand in the middle of the marketplace, with all its
confusion and noise, and to remain present to yourself and to all that is.
Detachment beckons you to cultivate the willingness to
surrender as you go along, right here and now, but not because you despair or
are uninterested. On the contrary,
detachment requires total engagement.
When you allow yourself to see things as they really are, then - and only then – can you love yourself and
others without hidden expectations.
Detachment is the greatest act of love.
The next time you feel yourself caught in the grip of
attachment, such as wanting something to turn out a certain way, take time out
– right then and there –to notice what is happening in your body. How does your belly feel? Has your breathing changed? Is your jaw tight? Your forehead drawn? Notice your bodily sensations. These are the manifestations of your
attachment.
Practice Suggestions.
If you notice that you have a strong desire to be right, try
not venturing an opinion the next time someone else expresses one.
If you are in a situation in which you notice your
attachment to the outcome of a problem, offer your help and then step back;
this will free others to do the same.
When the occasion arises, go along with what your partner or
friend wants. Let her pick the
restaurant or movie. Or, if you always
rely on her lead, you pick.
Mantras for Daily
Living.
-Detachment is the greatest act of love.
-I am willing to engage life.
-This mom ent is
the perfect mom ent to let go.
Excerpts from “Living
your Yoga, Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life”, by Judith Lasater.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington
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