yoga of the soul
WHO AM I?
Yoga means "union", but with what are we uniting? Developing an awareness that we are ONE with the universe, on a journey of remembering and embodying our divine soul nature - we are divine universal consciousness. We remember who we are as the Divine manifest in human form. Re-establishing our connection with infinite consciousness (Shiva) and eternal creation (Shakti), realigning with Source so that we may come to embody our highest Self / Soul.
Patanjali’s yoga sutras opens with “yoga citta vritti nirodha,” meaning, “unified consciousness comes with cessation of thoughts.” Yoga and meditation are inextricably linked for while the yoga prepares the body to sit in stillness, it is only through stilling the mind that the depth of Spirit may enter and manifest in this divine, personal temple. The mind can connect you with soul or it can keep you deeply attached to ego, to personality and who you “think” you are ~ the choice belongs to each of us.
Fundamental, Esoteric and ancient Spiritual teachings express the Divine knowledge that the Soul's journey here is to be in the world but not of the world... in other words, this world is not who we are, but where we are and the really big question for everyone is why?
Why am I here? Why was I born? What is my soul purpose? These timeless and common questions among humans seem to be getting louder for everyone. Who am I? has and always will be the most important question we can ask ourselves. Self-inquiry is at the heart of yoga and takes the form of everything from sacred pilgrimages to ancient holy sites, years of self-isolation in a cave or ten minutes of daily meditation before starting your day. Self-inquiry is so powerful that all forms are valid and transformative.
The Yoga Sutras consistently reiterate that speed is not of importance; after all, we are in truth eternal and bound to an infinite and endless spiral of evolution that cannot be tied to one lifetime. Therefore, consistency and devotion to true self are the way to realizing the true Divine within. However, while the science is true and the art is a practise that is available to everyone, anywhere, anytime, it is this discipline of consistency that seems to challenge most humans, myself most certainly included, the most.
PEELING THE ONION
Yoga is peeling the onion… So much of what we believe to be true about ourselves are "adopted beliefs" about who and what we are and we blindly believe them to be true. Blind because we are born into certain vibrational accord with the collective consciousness on the planet - a persistently projected limited version of reality with which we are conditioned to align and accept despite the cognitive dissonance it creates; however, the scope of these beliefs about who we are as a humanity and what our purpose here on Earth is, are very narrow and limiting. Blind as well because these adopted belief systems of what reality is become part of our unconscious and without the dedicated work of peeling the onion, continuously run in the background, dictating behaviours without our conscious consent or awareness.
These unconscious patternings are why meditation is key to connecting with Source and Soul purpose. The mind is like a wild horse that runs untamed through a landscape of thoughts and ideas which we have picked up along the way. If we do not take the time to observe our thoughts, we will remain subject to them. We meditate so that we may become aware of thoughts and learn to observe rather than just “think them”. As we do this, we start to become enlightened to our own thought processes that are governing our lives and behaviours - this self-awareness is what ultimately gives us the power to choose our thoughts and effect positive change in our lives. This self-awareness is what expands our consciousness and eventually creates space in our minds for Source to reconnect and often, messages and insights are received in this space.
Yoga realigns us with the Laws of the Universe. The esoteric teachings of "all time" have sought to awaken human consciousness: As above, So below is one of many fundamental teachings. As within, So without is more literal than we may at first perceive. Therefore, yoga seeks forever to set our consciousness free from the self-imposed prisons of 3d illusory reality. The third dimension may be very real in that it exists, but it is not the only reality we may experience as multi-dimensional beings. The opportunity to experience much more than most assume is possible is available to us all. After all…another way of looking at magic is that it is simply something science and the logical mind do not understand yet, but that does not make it any less real.
When we apply the sacred teachings and Universal Laws in our everyday lives, the more we come to align with our highest Truth and consciously embody our souls. We may then enter the realm of infinite divine knowing within - you will know how to speak, how to talk, how to act at all times from a place of love in "self-realized" unity with the Divine.
To "realize" simply means to "know" and therefore the ultimate goal of yoga is "simply" to know who you are. Knowing is different than “thinking” as the majority of thoughts are programs, but knowing comes from within like a “well-spring” of knowledge - it comes from Soul, and ultimately from Source. When we know something, there is no doubt, no question in our minds. Knowing creates a very different sensation in the body, which may be tuned into at the subtler layers and is experienced by everyone even if they do not realize it yet. True knowing is not about convincing anyone of anything, or about being “right” - it is experiential and self-affirming. When we “think” something, the sensations in the body are completely different and questions abound surrounding the thought, which is why we often think ourselves in circles, whereas when we know, we are clear, there is a clair-cognizance and a sense of connection. Many cannot comprehend this until it is experienced with self-awareness, and perhaps that is why so few commonly discuss it, but there are many paths that lead us within, of which yoga is one of the most ancient.
UNLEARNING
The nature of yoga’s medicine is comprehensive and begins to shift and awaken one's consciousness from first contact...many lifetimes ago. It is the seed planted deep within the heart of everyone's soul that is only waiting for the right conditions to make its way up through the dark and sprout. However, as the journey of every seed begins "in the dark", it requires more of an unveiling than a “taking in” of more information in order to grow. In other words, the journey reveals more "unlearning" of who we are or thought we were, than it does "learning" about who we are, because of course, deep within, we already know. The peeling of the onion is the process of unlearning that allows the truth and knowing from within us to come out into the world.
If you look at the root of the word “educate” it is derived from the Latin, “educaro”, which means to bring what is inside out. Our ideas of what it means to be educated have become confused over time for while it is one thing to learn a skill, the deep wisdom we human souls seek throughout our incarnations is already within. As we become willing to open our minds once again to see beyond what we have been taught to believe, we may take this journey within ~ it is the most sacred of pilgrimages, to the holiest of temples located deep within the human heart and soul.
The truth is that human beings are already superpowered, but we are misguided in how to access and use these powers for true power is not about dominating any other. True power is something that can never be taken from you - not even in death, which is why true power is knowing who and what you are.
UNITY
Unity already exists - if unity did not already exist for humans, in body, mind and soul, then it would be impossible for us to contemplate and reflect upon ourselves as whole. We may feel separated from our true selves and knowing, but this feeling of separation would not exists if deep within our being we did not remember a unity, a oneness, a wholeness. But the truth is we do remember… each and every one of us, if we allow ourselves to quiet the mind and stop the distractions for even a brief few moments, we can remember, down to the cellular level, what it feels like to be connected with Source.
We need only find time to focus on our breath to connect with our Soul. After all, the true meaning of the word “spiritual” means to breathe; therefore, to breathe with awareness is to connect to Spirit and we can, each and every one of us, prove this to ourselves with simple practice. Simply choose to observe. Anytime we get stressed, our breath will increase and speed up. If we go for a massage, our breath will slow, deepen and relax. If we take several deep breaths, our body will begin to relax and the mind will slow down. The mind-body-spirit connection is clear.
However, in today’s modern world the spirit-mind-body connection is not so clear. Society has been systematically disconnected from Spirit, from Soul and Nature and, as a result ,we have forgotten how directly connected we truly are… we have forgotten that we are ONE because we have forgotten who we are and this is the direct result of disconnecting from Source. This why we have yoga ~ the art and science of reunifying our consciousness and that does not mean you have to necessarily twist yourself into a pretzel. Yoga is union with Source, union with the scared temple that sits within your heart and there are many paths, ways, rituals and practices for the journey within.
Yoga is our relationship with the ALL that is - from the Self to the Soul to the Divine and everything in between - family and friends, creatures, plants, minerals, the five elements and multidimensional Nature of the universe, multiverse - yoga is our relationship with the cosmos. Like all relationships, two way communication is required.
In yoga practice we strip away the illusory world of Maya, release our identification with ego, or small self, and aim to re-unite with our true Nature. As we cultivate our relationship with the Divine, the Source, our Spirit and Soul, we seek unite - "to yoke" our individual consciousness with cosmic consciousness so that we may once again clearly communicate with all the subtle, inter-dimensional layers of consciousness, creation and Creator. And we do. Many see this as some kind of yogic superpower, but human beings are by divine design natural creators and master manifestors of our reality. Unfortunately most of us are creating unconsciously, on a subconscious, programmed level of consciousness that perpetuates the same limited 3dimensional scope of reality that does not and cannot tell the whole story of humanity. Nevertheless, no matter how we create, whether consciously or unconsciously, we are always creating our reality.
Yoga, the art of self-inquiry and sacred esoteric teachings opens our consciousness back up to the greater possibilities that exist; it connects us with our divine knowing of who we are in truth and supports us in this journey.
Everything is ultimately yoga - on and off the mat. We evolve and remember how to live holistic lives, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The practice on our mat reflects how we show up in our daily lives off the mat.
All yogic teachings are ultimately channeled. When we go into the meditative state, we learn that we can do the same. All the teachings are downloaded from, if you will, the Great Cosmic Womb. Yoga is inspired action-in-spirit.
EXOTERIC YOGA
The exoteric side of yoga is the external side of yoga. The exoteric are the general beliefs, world views, postures, breathing techniques and physical focus. Most individuals begin here and learn to go within as the physical practise creates the space in body and mind for the evolution of this journey. These practises make us more aware of our emotional bodies and mental patterns.
ESOTERIC YOGA
Eventually the student / teacher learns to practise their consciousness as well as their bodies. We learn to spend quality time with ourselves, and develop our Soul. The esoteric side of yoga is the internal side of yoga. Going within and remembering / channeling the hidden secrets of Yoga.
Yoga is a timeless question which has guided millions of practitioners for thousands of years which seeks to answer itself anew through each and every student, practitioner, teacher and expression of nature itself… who am I? why am I here? What is my purpose? How may I serve? May it guide you on this very important journey to your sacred temple within.
namasté