10.01.18.
Whoever has practiced yoga for some time will be able to tell you about some great effects that regular time on the mat has brought into one's life. And I agree, a regular yoga practice will bring many positive effects, such as physical strength and flexibility, improved stamina and abundance of energy. It will develop our discipline and concentration, and leave us radiating and in inner peace, and will relax and nourish our body and soul.
One often cited quote of Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009), the founder of the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore/India is “Do your practice and ALL is coming!“ Many Yogis know and love that quote. Usually, we just think of exactly all these great things happening to us once we start practising Yoga.
But the quote doesn’t say: „All GOOD is coming“, but “ALL is coming”. Everything we are, everything we carry around inside of us comes out – The good, the bad and the ugly: Our impatience, our goal orientation, our frustration, the judgements we think about ourselves and the world around us, our laziness, the missing trust in our ability to master anything we strive to master, and of course the physical and emotional pains we don’t want to feel.
And that is where the potential for transformation of a Yoga practice lies if you follow the advice of the Yoga sutras and practice with dedication, consistently and for a long period of time. By facing ALL that is coming, we adjust and fine-tune our awareness, we can acknowledge whatever is there, be with it, breathe through it and then let it go – the good AND the bad. Because both are not permanent.
As we do that again and again, we become more and more unattached to the fluctuations of the mind and of life in general, simply resting within ourselves, able to take action and do what needs to be done, but without spilling all that energy for unnecessary fear and judgement.
Have you experienced any of the good, bad and ugly benefits lately? We would love to hear about it!
We at Gaia share our own experience of our own long-term practice, we continue to face whatever is coming up within ourselves. If you ever need to share your experience or have a personal issue, we are here to help.
I wish you a beautiful and insightful practice today and encourage you to welcome all that is coming!
