Observe desire and get rich

Last week I spoke with yet another person who is struggling with an overspending habit. She confided that she feels out of control with her spending and hopes that yoga will help. While many people would seek advice from a financial expert, this wise gal has sought help from a wisdom tradition.

 

The word yoga translates into yoke, or union, and in order to attain that union, we must apply self-discipline. Therefore, for money matters and other issues involving the senses, I can think of no better strategy than the practice of yoga. In the western world, we are trained at a very young age to seek pleasure and satisfaction outside of ourselves, through people, food, and of course material possessions. 

 

Lured into the grip of consumerism, we have not only destroyed our bank accounts, but the earth’s balance as well. We are now being forced to reflect on our habits of consumption, and the stakes are high. We now have no alternative but to explore ways of living that go beyond the satisfaction of desires.

 

To understand the nature of desire, we must know that it will always be there. The fundamental part of us that feels inadequate or fearful will always crave security from the material world. The media has brilliantly leveraged this weakness, promising relief with this or that product.

 

Through spiritual practice, we learn to observe these desires that thwart our inner peace and approach our lifestyle choices with radical sensitivity and mindfulness. 

 

It’s not easy observing our incoming desires without acting on them, but by doing so we build our inner resources of strength and fulfillment, as well as our bank accounts.

 

Jenny