Dear friends,
It is good that “yoga” is now an incredibly common word in the West. But “yoga” is often used to refer to exclusively to yoga postures. In fact, postures are just a very small part of Raja Yoga, which is the complete path to merging with Spirit. After all, the word “yoga” is merely the sanskrit word for “union.”
What is it that leaves us feeling disconnected and a bit alienated from the world and from others? Simply put, it is our likes and dislikes; our preferences and avoidances. We are convinced that our deepest happiness comes from having everything be “just right.” And the fantasy continues. We believe that somehow if miraculously one day winds up with those external conditions all just perfect, we will then be able to freeze them that way. But somehow that also does not work (imagine that!). Even when things are going well, we are plagued with the thought, “Too good to last!”
The culprit is our desires. “I need this; I want that; I am afraid of this third thing.” Once we are anchored deeply within, the world seems neither seductive nor repulsive. This actually opens the heart and does not at all leave us wooden or unfeeling. It is the source of deep joy and contentment. Delight in whatever comes our way as an offering from Spirit to entertain or educate us.
Patanjali was the first great ancient sage to expound clearly the principles of yoga. He defined yoga as Yogas chitta vritti nirodha. For those of you who are not fluent in Sanskrit, that means, “Yoga is the neutralization of the vortices of energy in the spine.” This refers to quieting the energy in the chakras which are stirred up by our emotional reactions to things. The quieting of the agitation in the chakras allows energy to move up the spine and unite with Spirit: That union is true Yoga.
The details of the above explanation, while hopefully interesting, are not important in and of themselves. What is important is to understand that we are whole within, and striving for wholeness by arranging and tinkering with our outer circumstances will never help us become who we truly want to be. It takes time, commitment, and energy, but this is true of virtually anything that is worth doing. Too, the real goal is directional improvement, and not attainment of some state that feels distant from where we are right now. If we are making progress that’s of course a wonderful thing. One step after another, and never giving up, is what eventually makes a saint.
Blessings,
David G., manager
for the Gang at East West
P.S. As you may know we have discontinued our CD section. We are selling brand new shrink-wrapped CDs for $1! Come in and browse through. They are next to our used book section.