Yoga is Seeing the Divine in All
I've spent much time this last week, contemplating and reflecting upon Professor Bill Mahoney's definitions of yoga, particularly this one: "Yoga is seeing the Divine in all beings." As I mentioned in a recent entry, he also defined yoga as a state of being - and as a technique or practice leading to a state of being.
So, I chose to focus on this idea of yoga as seeing the Divine - or the good in everything - in my classes this week - challenging my students a little more deeply than I have, and a few had breakthroughs and experiences that they had not had before...
Last week, when I studied with John Friend, he reiterated over and over again, that as practitioners and teachers of Anusara Yoga, we must look for the good - and for the highest always. It is one of the distinguishing hallmarks of our system. This is a practice - and a technique that leads us to a state of being and conversely, this state of being enables us to see the Divine in all.
This does not mean that seeing the good and the highest is always the easy thing to do - but it certainly does color our world, and over time, it can lead to profound shifts. I believe that if this attitude is your starting point in life - even if you fail and miss the mark, things will in the long run - work out for the better.
As I look outside of my bedroom window, and I marvel at the beautiful cherry blossoms that are beginning to open - how can I not honor the beauty that is budding out of a very long, cold, dangerous, and historic winter that was also one for the record books?
Even as I contemplate the backlash and the violence resulting from the most sweeping reform of our health care system that was signed into legislation yesterday, I remind myself - that even in those who attack, and those who hurt others verbally or otherwise - there is still a spark of the Divine.
So, look for the good. Be willing to see the Divine in all things and in all beings. I only exhort you to do - what I constantly remind myself to do.
So, I chose to focus on this idea of yoga as seeing the Divine - or the good in everything - in my classes this week - challenging my students a little more deeply than I have, and a few had breakthroughs and experiences that they had not had before...
Last week, when I studied with John Friend, he reiterated over and over again, that as practitioners and teachers of Anusara Yoga, we must look for the good - and for the highest always. It is one of the distinguishing hallmarks of our system. This is a practice - and a technique that leads us to a state of being and conversely, this state of being enables us to see the Divine in all.
This does not mean that seeing the good and the highest is always the easy thing to do - but it certainly does color our world, and over time, it can lead to profound shifts. I believe that if this attitude is your starting point in life - even if you fail and miss the mark, things will in the long run - work out for the better.
As I look outside of my bedroom window, and I marvel at the beautiful cherry blossoms that are beginning to open - how can I not honor the beauty that is budding out of a very long, cold, dangerous, and historic winter that was also one for the record books?
Even as I contemplate the backlash and the violence resulting from the most sweeping reform of our health care system that was signed into legislation yesterday, I remind myself - that even in those who attack, and those who hurt others verbally or otherwise - there is still a spark of the Divine.
So, look for the good. Be willing to see the Divine in all things and in all beings. I only exhort you to do - what I constantly remind myself to do.
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