Yoga:  Path of Perfection

Gurudev says, “Let go of the need to be perfect.”  He also says, “The path toward lasting happiness in life doesn't involve accomplishing many things, accumulating more money, gaining more recognition, acquiring more power and feeling more security.  It involves accepting yourself as you are.  Self-acceptance is the foundation of all achievements.  Having many accomplishments and achievements without developing self-acceptance is like erecting a building without a foundation.”  Why then would I contradict my guru and say that Yoga is the Path of Perfection?  Isn't striving for perfection the absolute opposite of self-acceptance?

Most frequently, perfection is viewed as a goal to reach, a destination.  That is a flawed view of perfection.  If perfection means that there is nothing more to learn, nothing more to improve, then I would prefer to have none of it as that is boredom and tedium.  Think about the sky for a moment.  Is it ever not the sky?  Of course it is never not the sky; the sky is unchanging, it is always the sky.  Is the sky perfect?  Have you ever seen an imperfect sky?  Can you even conceive of an imperfect sky?  The sky is unchanging and the sky is perfect; yet, the sky is constantly changing.  One moment it is clear, the next a bird flies by, the next a cloud appears, the next it is night and full of stars, the next it is day and full of clouds, the next it is sunset and purple, the next it is dawn and golden.  The sky is always the sky, always perfect and always changing.  Put another way, the sky is always the very best sky it can be under the given circumstances.  This is perfection:  Being the very best one can be under the given circumstances.

Being perfect, being the best one can be under the given circumstances, actually requires self-acceptance.  I have to accept that as I topple in vrksasana it is exactly as it should be, perfect and wonderful.  Why?  How?  Simply because everything I have ever done in life has prepared me to do that posture exactly the way I did it.  Trees do not stand still, unmovable.  Trees sway when the wind blows and, eventually, all trees fall to the ground.  How then is my swaying, falling tree pose any different from a majestic oak?  The next time I am in vrksasana, I will build upon this experience and the pose will change and yet, it will still be exactly as it should be, perfect and wonderful.

Perfection is not a destination to reach but a path to be traveled.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Me, You and the Guru

I have been asked on a number of occasions if I am a Yogi or a Guru.  In the past I have vehemently put down such notions.  Looking back, I see that was a bit harsh of me.  Here's the crux of the matter:  Those who practice Yoga are yogis—yogin, male or yogini, female—but I would never name myself a Yogi.^*  Guru means one who leads another from darkness to light, a teacher.  There are those who name themselves as Guru but a true Guru is so named by others.

Having said that, am I a Yogi or a Guru?  If you say so but if you say so, then it is your problem and not mine.

Jai Bhagwan!

^*When I actually had this conversation a couple of days ago, I realized that I had named myself a Yogi to a degree by using yogi@yogaatom.net.  That address now forwards to tyran@yogaatom.net, please update your address books if you have me listed.

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Blissfully Addicted

Yoga provides a wealth of incredible experiences:  Toned muscles and improved health, deep calm and peace, peering into the vastness within oneself, coming out of a pose and feeling waves of euphoria and the list could grow ever longer.  Many of these experiences are usually described with one word:  Bliss and rightly so; whether it is feeling the ripple of long, lean muscles or the all encompassing awareness of meditation or the intimate connection of all things in samadhi; bliss describes them all very well.  Bliss, however, can prove to be a danger.  It is easy to start focusing on creating the next nirvana moment when bliss, in whatever form, takes over and the mind steps out.  Such a focus will soon turn into an attachment, a craving for such experiences and it is then that you no longer have bliss but that bliss has you.

How to avoid becoming a bliss addict?  Let yourself go, completely, while you are in the moment and then let the moment go, completely, when you are out of the moment.  This is true of any thing.  When you eat a strawberry, delight in every taste but once you finish it, don't start wishing that everything you eat were a strawberry.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.

Sadhana

This morning as I arose to my morning sadhana, I did something I have not done for a long time:  I put on gym clothes, lycra and cotton mix shorts and shirt.  What did I find?  I found great difficulty in having this be sadhana rather than workout.  What is the difference?  Sadhana appears to be formed as a compound word made of sat meaning good, right or true and dhana meaning donation, gift, wealth and is often translated as diligent practice or spiritual practice.  If, and that is a big if, I understand the origin of the word, I find it interesting that this diligent, spiritual practice can also be seen as a true gift or as true wealth.

A workout is just that, working the body for a desired outcome.  While that desired outcome could be the same as what one might consider sadhana, the tendency is definitely skewed toward a more healthy body.

You can find more about my experience this morning over at my sadhana blog on Everyday Yoga which is also linked at the bottom of every post.

Jai Bhagwan!

This blog/journal contains my thoughts and views on Yoga both on and off the mat.  My daily sadhana journal is located at Everyday Yoga.