Finding your truth in your yoga

Image of Hanuman, the Monkey God, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
My life or yours? In our Western society, and increasingly in Eastern and traditional societies, we are encouraged to think of our own needs and interests. Sometimes we are even encouraged or tempted to step on other people's opportunities, dignity or identities as a way to 'get ahead'. Selfishness is sometimes held up as a value, as something legitimate that gets results.

The yogic way teaches us that such an approach is filled with illusion and eventually leads to great suffering and a sense of anxiety, disconnection and stress. The yogic way is to move to silence, to study the breath, the body, the mind, one's intuition, the flow of time and to recognise that liberation comes not from isolating ourselves but by finding ourselves in the inter-connectedness of the world.

It is by opening our heart, feeling our own painful experiences, having compassion for the pain of others, that we discover fundamental truths about life, and discover the real meaning of life. Money, possessions, power all provide some temporary thrill, but they will also wilt on the vine and leave us feeling empty and confused. Empowering ourselves by the long journey of self-knowledge, generosity, compassion and inter-connectedness, what venerable Thich Nhat Hanh calls 'interbeing' is the path to a life filled with happiness and satisfaction.

Not sure? Give it a try. See which path brings peace.

Namaskara....

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