Real Freedom
Namaste,
Summertime conversations center on vacations. Families come together, school is out, work gives back some of the time that we’ve put in, and even nature cooperates offering the best weather and longer days. We have earned some freedom, and are encouraged to use it. We even have a holiday that reminds us of our freedom, Independence Day. We have support for our leisure, but do we really let ourselves be a bit freer? Earl Nightingale stated in his inspiring lecture, “The Strangest Secret,” that the opposite of courage is not cowardice, but conformity, that man is held back by his own ignorance in recognizing that his freedom is expressed by every choice he makes. At a very young age, we begin to lose a beautiful and innocent part of ourselves as we become overly serious, competitive. We focus on obeying, agreeing and being accepted. We are praised for fitting in. Our value goes up the harder we work and the more we live up to others’ expectations. The trade-off is that we run the risk of never living our own life.
Going on vacation can physically help us “get away from it all” but if we are not careful, these instinctual methods of conforming behavior can rob us of the peace that we are seeking. Real freedom comes from becoming aware of and then breaking patterns that have confined our growth and that stop us from being who we are.
It is customary in any yoga class to instill a method of meditation, giving attention to a single point of focus as this helps to strengthen concentration. I often ask in my yoga class that students not only acquire a focus but to become aware of simple acts, such as grabbing for the water or wiping off the sweat. It is not so much what we do, but why we do what we do. With compassionate interest and a non-judgmental attitude, we can lovingly inquire about unconscious tendencies. Is there fear, anxiety of some kind that we are running away from? Is grabbing water not a response to thirst, but rather a defense mechanism to protect us from something we are feeling uncomfortable about? Do we drink because others do it too? Only you know the answer and with it you can decide right there to break those chains that bind you. The yoga room is a laboratory in which we can engage in some honest investigation.
The Bikram yoga practice is perfectly situated and packaged up nicely in 90 minutes for us to freely explore our attitudes and behaviors with an open mind and an open heart. And, the same can be said for this time of year. It is all perfectly packaged intentionally set up for us to be less functional in our usual roles, with the chance to find new ways to realize and express our inner freedom. This summer be open, spontaneous, playful, still and with higher awareness take delight in your world as if you were experiencing it for the first time.
Michele
“The real interest of democracy is to exalt, emancipate, and recognize the divinity of the human spirit. To recognize that all power is from within”. – Charles Haanel, Master Key System
