Discernment Through Yoga
How do we cultivate the grounding and steadfastness to handle the rapid changes and pressures of our times? The answer lies in our power of choice and response to what we experience. These choices come from our ability to discern what serves our highest intention, then act upon that. Discernment through yoga means that we are paying attention and owning our ability to direct our life.
In our world of complex relationships, overstimulation and forces that test our ability to stay centered, we need to cultivate yogic skills for wellbeing and inner stability. With so many things that influence our state of being we need to hone the ability to choose what truly works towards shaping our life the way we desire to live. Key to this skill is the ability to step back and observe. What do we feel physically and emotionally? What do we feel in our gut as well as our mind?
Practice makes perfect
Through the practice of asanas (the yoga poses) and meditation we move our attention into the visceral and energetic aspects of body-mind awareness. Recognizing our own mastery over movement and thought creates the awareness that we are always in a state of choice. If your body experiences unpleasant sensations while moving through the poses, make a change. If we feel uncomfortable or pain there is a signal requiring wise response. We are being given the opportunity to become the loving guide to your own experience.
Likewise, if your mind wanders in meditation, change your approach and focus. As my teacher Paul Muller-Ortega would state, “Choose something more charming to focus on.” This changes your mindset from being a follower of impulse, to setting the criteria of how you want to “be in the moment.” It is all too easy to be overwhelmed by life and all the thoughts that rush through our head. Our discernment of what we focus on strengthens our life skills required to be both the witness and active participant in what we are experiencing.
Choice creates empowerment
It is the choice that makes all the difference. It is claiming our power through discerning what we are experiencing verses what we desire to experience. This is the gift of a yoga practice. It makes us aware on multiple levels. Our existence is expanded from simply being at the whims of fate to being the empowered peaceful warrior. Discernment through yoga builds self confidence, independent thought, and inner harmony. When we follow our bliss we recognize that we are free to direct the unfolding of our experience of being spiritual beings having a human experience.
Discernment through yoga
Life can be messy and full of weeds. Claiming our own empowerment through discerning choices helps us be the radiant flower within the patch of weeds.