With the growing daylight, you probably feel ready to expand your horizons. Yet the increasing heat may put a little damper on your explorations. Still, there’s no reason why you can’t open, expand, and play while cooling off from summer’s heat and intensity – and you don’t even need to hop into a pool!
When we get caught up in the belief that we can become perfect – and the distress that causes – we can remember these two principles from yoga philosophy, let go, and relax a bit.Everyone makes mistakes. We all know this, but perfectionism, righteousness, and expectations often cloud our memory. We tend to come down hard on ourselves (or others) for the things we say, do, or think. Our previous ideals of who we are run smack into the wall of realization that we’ve blown it.
This post is the second of a 9-part series on the obstacles to spiritual practice, from verse 1:30 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras:
vyādhistyānasanśaya pramādālasyāvirati bhrāntidarśanālabdha bhūmikatvānavasthitatvāni cittavikṣēpāstē̕ntarāyāḥ |
Disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, worldliness, delusion, non-achievement of a yogic state, and instability are the distractions of the mind, and they are obstacles [in yoga].
We’ve all encountered obstacles in the path of spiritual growth – the sage Patanjali names 9 of them in the Yoga Sutras. Styana is the second, and this one may be the biggest challenge during our time in history.
Relief! Ever have that feeling after a big project or deadline is done? Yes, I had that last night, after my daughter’s birthday party was over.
BUT…I also noticed that the feeling of “relief” is very short lived. There is always something else ahead, another project, deadline, thing I “have to” do. And the cycle continues… stress before, relief after.
It is possible to step out of that cycle. One way to do it is from yoga philosophy – the two foundational principles of yoga, Abhyasa and Vairagya
As the days grow colder and shorter – and the holiday season approaches – I am always drawn to candles. Candlelight is soothing, warming, and inspiring. My daughter and I love to light them all around the house and especially at the dinner table. We also relish time to create home-made, rolled beeswax candles.
Lighting candles is also a wonderful way to celebrate the first day of winter – the Solstice. As the hours of sunlight begin to increase from this point forward until summertime, igniting a candle (or several) honors and symbolizes this growing solar light, as well as our Divine Light within.
The ancient yogis knew the power of candlelight, and incorporated it into a practice called Trataka.
It’s spring, and I’ve returned to my practice of sitting outside upon rising. Most mornings, just as the sun peeks over the trees behind my neighbor’s house across the street, I go outdoors and sit for a few minutes. My hot tea in hand warms me as I sip, holding both hands around the mug. I feel the firm earth beneath me, supporting me on my journey through the day. It is a time that I attempt to quiet my mind and listen to Spirit speak to me through nature.
Some days, the juncos are busy scavenging for seeds; others I just hear the hidden birdsong of others breeds hidden in the oaks trees and pine needles above. Often, a black squirrel will scuttle along the top of the fence, his super-highway to the yard nextdoor. This is my favorite time of the year to be doing this practice, as I can see the changes that spring brings almost from day to day. I watch our California poppies change from just 3 blossoms to 8 in 24 hours.
I ask for a message, some guidance, from the Divine, and then wait. It’s not that I expect something magical and stupendous to occur. It’s more that I wait for my perception to be guided to what I need to see in order to receive my message.
