LIVING YOUR YOGA

Living your yoga assignments are given out in Aparna's classes each week.If you missed one you can also find them here.

NOVEMBER  2018

Week I -  This week live authentically.

Week II - This week remember that everything you really need to know is in your heart.

Week III - This week pay attention. Do one thing at a time.

Week IV - This week give the world the gift of a relaxed, loving and present person - YOU.

Dearest yogi & yogini,

 
“The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself.”
  - Plato

In a village far away,the villagers are being harassed by monkeys. They decide to make a monkey trap by spreading tar on the ground. A monkey then comes along and steps in the sticky tar. First, one little monkey foot gets stuck. In trying to free itself, the monkey puts another foot down.Then it puts down one hand, then the other hand. Finally in a desperate attempt to gain some leverage and free itself , the monkey puts down its head. Now, that is a very stuck monkey!

Most of us go about our lives stuck in the same way, to patterns of  - anger, jealousy, envy, hate, sadness, pain, fear, guilt, blame, loneliness, isolation, lack, anxiety, despair, & depression.

We know that we are miserable, but we don’t know what we are dong wrong, and in our attempts to rescue ourselves we keep using the same methods that created our agony and hurt, finding ourselves even more stuck than before.

Since life is and has always been this wonderful opportunity for self-exploration and self-transformation, it is inevitable that some day we find ourself at a cross- road. And here at this junction between the past and the future, we  find we have 2 choices - either a radical recognition of the need for drastic change combined with the self effort to implement this change or to continue down the road of self-destruction .

To create a radical change, change your emotional response to life and its situations :

When facing anger; practice compassion, patience and self-confidence 


Facing attachment: look at the disadvantages and temporariness of things


Facing uncertainty: forgive yourself for being human 
Facing fear; practice relaxation and mentally give away whatever you feel is being threatened and will be  taken away from you


Facing greed; practice gratitude for what you have


Facing jealousy; practice rejoicing in others fortune 


Facing pride; practice humility, equanimity and true self-confidence 


Facing guilt: express regret and make amends


Facing other's pain: gather some courage and allow it to tear your heart open! Have compassion for their suffering and frustrations. Also hold compassion for your own helplessness and frustrations. 


Facing others' cruelty or rudeness: remember they can only act that way because they suffer themselves.


Facing any negative emotion towards yourself or others: realize that the quicker you can recognize your own negative emotional patterns, the better you will be able to avoid any negative harmful actions towards yourself or others.