Relaxing into the truth…
One of the main goals of the yoga tradition is to draw the practitioner out of illusion and into the raw truth of reality. In Sanskrit, Avidya is the term for ignorance, which is the predominant cause of all our suffering. Through the process of discerning the real from the unreal, we may have epic moments of awakening. I recently had one of those moments.
Last week I realized that I’ve spent the better part of my life wanting, hoping and striving for a rich relationship with a family member who doesn’t share the same desire. Up until now, I had been living out the fantasy of what our relationship could be, or should be, or might be, and I invested time and energy into fulfilling this fantasy.
Finally, after 20+ years of spiritual practice and self-examination, my pattern of not knowing turned to knowing and my whole reality shifted. By accepting the truth of the situation, I was able to drop my expectations that only created feelings of dissatisfaction and contempt. This new awareness has enabled me to truly be with what is.
So much of our lives are lived in the fantasy of what life might be like, if only we had…if only we were…if only he/she was…The yogic process requires us to get real by standing face to face with reality and all it’s imperfections and live according to what is true.
Facing the truth is tough work, which is why we strengthen our body/mind construct through asana. Releasing illusion and fantasy involves a letting go, and for me, a grieving process of letting the ‘what if’s’ die. But the freedom that accompanies the truth has affected every facet of my life; my energy, my other relationships, my joy barometer and my practice. When we disentangle ourselves from illusion and step into the truth of reality, there is a sense of relief and a deep, deep relaxation that fills the whole body.
Krishnamurti once said, “Only when you experience a deep inner relaxation, can the practice of yoga truly begin.”
And so our journey begins…with the truth.
Love
Jenny