Before beginning with today's reading, please read about Haṭha Yoga here.
As we've discussed, there are a few fundamental principles that all modern teachings are based off of. There is quite the variety of different systems of yoga on the market today, and if anyone has taken more than a few classes, then they would be observing what the free market has done for this ancient practice. It is really quite wonderful - all the different styles and teachers. We are not here to dispute the validity or efficacy of any of the different ways that one can practice yoga, we are only here to state some simple truths. All practitioners can benefit from these by bringing them into their own practice, and applying them in their own way.
In this topic, we will not be discussing what to practice. There are many number of books and YouTube videos on this subject. For the sake of simplification, we will assume that we are clarifying the discussion around how to practice.
One of the Core Teachings at BTGY is this:
It is not what we practice that matters; it is how we practice that matters.
This may be obvious to some, however it must be stated. The simple truth here is that Hatha Yoga is about connecting the mind and the body. The reason it works so well, is because it bridges the gap between these two. When we are not focusing on the task at hand, no amount of repetition will improve performance. Practicing yoga is a process through which we train our brain and nervous system to be attentive to the actual experience we are having in the body. In doing so, we can discover parts of the body which have turned themselves offline over the years due to trauma, misuse, or abuse. We are on a mission to awaken and enliven the entire physical vessel, to turn on every possible circuit in this beautiful piece of technology called the human body. If this principle is understood, thoroughly understood, and applied in an integrated manner, then this just might be the primary piece of the puzzle needed for one's journey towards liberation. It's not what we practice, it's how.
Consider one's own spiritual path for a moment. Where have we experienced the deepest and most significant transformation in our lives? Remember the times when life has catalyzed great changes. What is similar about these moments? We were paying attention. Sometimes it is through a traumatic event that we are forced into an awakening. The awakening just represents an experience where we are no longer trapped inside the illusion of our mind's story about reality, and can now see life from a different, perhaps higher, way. In other instances, an awakening might have been provoked from major shifts in our environment, such as through travel, or lifestyle changes. In all cases, something changed on the outside and it caused us to change on the inside. We realized that if we are to proceed in life with some degree of peace, we had to shift our perspective about reality.
This is the spiritual path in a nutshell, and oftentimes it is hard work. We are constantly facing our own inner demons, desperate things clawing from within us to prevent our attainment of whatever goals we set for ourselves. We might have simple goals to be peaceful and happy through the day, and when we get done with our morning routine we are beaming. We are ready to take on the world. Suddenly, something happens and it robs us of our peace. We are then caught in a reactionary mode, acting out a script that we ourselves are very familiar with. We may end up getting tired of allowing circumstances and events to dictate our emotional state and our feelings about ourselves. As the pressure in us builds, something moves us to seek. Whether we know it or not, we begin to look for ways in which we can transform our lives. We understand that there "must be more to life than this!" - an evolutionary impulse within each biological system. To go beyond our limitations.
To understand the reason for searching may be part of the path for some. For others, not so much. Either way, we all face the same obstacles that arise from one place - the mind. Yet the mind is housed in the body, and if these two things are not cooperating or even communicating effectively, then we will be stuck in our loops. The science of yoga is such that we can go in an perform the inner engineering necessary to uninstall the old programs from our software systems of the mind, and then upgrade our technology to produce far-lasting results and will effect every area of our life.
It is not what we practice - it is how. It is very important that we abide by this principle in our work together, and we apply it to our own daily lives. To awaken ourselves to our higher potential, we must go within ourselves and examine, with brutal self-honesty, what sort of work we are performing
"Is the work I am currently doing bringing me closer and closer to that which I seek? If I modify how I am performing this very same work, will it, in some way, improve my results? And if I fail to do this, what are my consequences? Am I okay with that?"
There true guru is the being that resides within each of us; that same One that we consult when we ask the above questions. Just spell it out. G-U-R-U.
May all earnest seekers awaken to this Truth. OM.
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