Over the weekend at yoga teacher training, we talked about keeping our essence while we transform, change and grow.
In order to become successful, we must go with the flow of life, which means constantly changing. Although we may not want to, our life is always giving us lessons, some more difficult to understand than others. Through these changes, we may loose friends, the place we currently live, and our whole idea of how we function in the world. We may loose everything, our wallet, our money. The thing that never is lost is love, because that comes from within us, at our core. When we love with an open heart, love comes back to us in a karmic circle of rebirth and revitilization.
Throughout my yoga practice, I have changed mostly everything about me. I used to be depressed, anxiety-driven, angry — for no reason at all. I would go to school, upset, come home, upset, and obsess over people, things, and a stylistic way of viewing myself. I wasn’t “me” anymore. I was tight jeans and eyeliner. Since practicing yoga, I have come back to my roots. I feel what it feels like to be truly my Self. I relate more now with my seven-year-old self than I do with myself five years ago. When I was seven, I was nice to everybody, a little introverted and shy, and always wanted long hair that swayed in the wind. I would explore and be curious about everything. I’m the same way today. Yoga has taken me out of my depression and out of my ego to relate back to who I really am. My essence has stayed with me and I connect to that today. I am still an introvert, still love people, still curious about the world, and have long red hair, just as I aspired to when I was younger. I am making choices that will shape my life, like choosing to do a yoga teacher training program in the heart of Chicago.
When we were talking of transformation and transcendence, we mostly were talking about spiritual transcendence and personal transformation. These to me are similar. When you accomplish one, the other is sure to follow. Even though our entire lives may change, our relationships only grow stronger and are more sensitive. The people we love are here to support us, and we give them our open love back. While everything in my life may be changing and shifting, although at times I cannot see this for sure, the essence of me will always be there. My habits, my rituals, my unique way of walking, talking, processing information, learning — my spirit itself — stays the same. This is similar to the eye of a hurricane. While everything around the eye is moving, shifting, ever-changing, the center stays calm and at peace. The center, our essence, is what we wish to connect to. Yoga practice (on and off the mat) helps me to do this.
*Namaste*
youngyogachicago 