Yoga Mat Musings And 10 days of silence.
Yoga instructors often say that how you react on your mat, is how you react in real life. I often get insights and realisations while flowing on my mat, but often, I’m also observing the movement and reactions of my fellow yogi’s as we twist and turn our bodies into various shapes. Each of our limbs slightly differently abled and beautiful in their own right. It’s in these poses that we see our approach to challenges - our minds natural tendencies. Do we dive in, even if the movements are difficult, confronting and challenging, or do we give in and slump into a heap on the mat. Perhaps we laugh at ourselves and practice not taking ourselves too seriously. Maybe we feel the blood rush to our heads, feeling the burning eyes from those around us. Perhaps we try again, or run away.
Humans are a dichotomy. We all want to do what everyone else is doing, we don’t want to miss out. The FOMO is real. We may not want to do that additional chataranga (yoga push up), yet we don’t want to miss out on the extra movement, resulting in sloppy and unmindful jerks of classmates up and down.
Yet, when no-one is looking, we are the laziest creatures on the earth - if there is an easy way to do something we would do it. We all like the path of least resistance - unless we have a purpose. The power of purpose.
It is all too easy to “keep up with the Kardashians Jones’“, and keep doing things to stay relevant and show face. We don’t want to regret our choices. This huge sea of WHAT IF makes it harder to check in with our own truth and our gut feelings. We drown in the currents and forces that this mental creates. When we allow external things to dictate how we feel and behave, we give our power away.
While I reflect on these things I’m the first to admit I’m constantly working to listen to my intuition and gut instincts. How do I want to show up as a partner, friend, daughter, human… I encourage you to also sit in your own truth. Is that thing, really something you want to do? Or are you wanting to do it because everyone else is doing it?
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I firmly believe everyone has their own unique truth, and purpose. Everyone is doing their best with what they have and the cards they’ve been dealt. We allow ourselves to be consumed by needs, wants and desires and are made to believe our choices and what we do are independent of those around us, when I’m actuality we have the power to impact so much in our vicinity. Chasing things makes us selfish and self-centred. I’m privileged with many blessings including a solid education, career opportunities and I live in a country of opportunities - but I’m not naive enough to ignore that there are many who have paved the way for me to achieve things and have a chance to work on my passions. At a time when asian cultures, racial biases and the progression from multicultural ideas to racial education is progressing the fastest it ever has in history, I find so many people simply unaware of the things that they could do to lift others up - not realising many people have done the same for them.
At what point is it no longer enough to ‘live your best life‘, but live a better one that sees us all more similar than different, more connected than separated. When do we feel the desire to improve the world for other vulnerable people who can’t advocate for themselves? I don’t even mean activism or politically (but of course by all means that is the path for some) but simply being curious and open to differences in people and cultures. Or is the draw of comfort from capitalism a bigger pull… Perhaps when there is no purpose.
A poster that some of you may have come across, captures it so well (paraphrased).
If we do not actively and proactively include, we unintentionally exclude - and perpetuate disparity.
Kindness should really be a currency.
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Anyway, my intention was to write a short post (ha!) as I prepare to be off the radar for the next 10 days. Where am I going? I’ll be practicing a silent meditation with no access to technology or any external distractions... Just me and my good, old thoughts to sift through (oh yay…). Wish me luck! I hope to post regularly on the other side.
Wishing you all well for now.
