There is no greater comfort than realizing that the world is exactly the way that you wish it was.
And THAT is what freedom is for.
Though I could leave this blog with just that Twitter-like idea I would like to draw upon this idea that has taken hold of me and see if I can spin a little story that keeps me pointed in the right direction.
If you practice Yoga, or you know someone who practices Yoga, most likely, you are familiar with the idea of attempting to bend your body into all kinds of pretzel like contortions either inside a sweaty hot box of a room that you think you might die in if you don't drink some ice water, or its accompanied by some stinky incense and someone giving the equivalent of a Hail Mary in Hindi...
Not what Yoga is for.
Beyond union as in joining together, Yoga means the union with the Divine self. It starts with the premise that each human being is an emanation of the Divine. Whether you are Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or a flat out Atheist - it is an indication that you are an aspect of a greater potential. So, when practicing Hatha Yoga - I often find myself desiring to make the pose look perfectly - to get my body to respond to what I want it to do, in short to extend my legs and spine in opposing directions while holding my hands in prayer and thinking happy thoughts.
Easier said than done.
But I began to realize that it wasn't about doing the pose perfectly. Its about being in alignment perfectly. But what does that mean? Alignment with what? Alignment with the unrealized potential. Alignment with the Divine inner being. Alignment with God or Christ or the Buddha. Alignment is something intangible - but EVERYONE KNOWS what it is when they feel it... And in a moment, I will give you the experience of alignment so that you can know exactly what it is I am talking about.
So. In Yoga it is my practice deepen each pose in alignment until I find resistance. I do not sacrifice alignment to get my hand out further or my leg up higher or my body in some deeper version of the contortion I am subjecting it to... At least, that is my practice. I often come out of alignment. But when I do, I back off, I relax my effort, I find the place of alignment, and in doing so I embrace the potential being I have yet to become, the Divine emanation from source, the inner Self, whatever you want to call it. So, what happens when I leave the Yoga place?
It is the SAME. That is what Yoga is for.
When you are humming along, your life is going pretty good, and then you get an irritating phone call, your car's check engine light comes on, your boss gives you too much work and an impossible deadline, and it ruins your mood, you are experiencing RESISTANCE - as surely as if you were in Yoga class trying to do the splits! Well, I can't do the splits and I my muscles seem pretty far from being able to do them, BUT doing the splits is not important. Remaining in alignment IS. So when you experience RESISTANCE in the form of a bad mood caused by any various sets of outside factors - it is time to back off, relax, take a breath and reorient yourself to who you want to be, and that is by what you want to FEEL. Do not worry about being asked to do the splits. Simply go until you reach some resistance and then find your alignment again. This will allow you to go a little deeper next time.
So, if you have ever done this before, you too have practiced Yoga. Even if you have never done a Yoga pose, or looked at a single word in sanskrit.
When you are in ALIGNMENT you are experiencing UNION with your DIVINE essence. (substitute any idea of your greater potential that feels most comfortable to you if you don't like DIVINE essence) In fact, if you don't like DIVINE essence, you are probably out of alignment anyway! I'm kind of playing with you a little there. Anyhow.
That is what YOGA is for. ALIGNMENT with your GREATEST POTENTIAL SELF!
So find your edge. Be willing to find a smile, when you are at your edge. And if you can't find the smile at your edge, then back up and go look for it until you find it. When you get it, go back to your edge and have another go. When you can stay at your edge and you do not have to go looking for your smile anymore, than you have come into alignment and your edge has expanded. This is applicable in every aspect of your life, whether it is with money, with love, with friendships, your job, your family, your car... EVERYTHING in your experience is about ALIGNMENT and EXPANSION.
So. I am feeling good right now, because I know that you are about to feel good to. I happen to believe the hippies and their optimism about the idea that everything is LOVE. If you or I, or anybody comes into ALIGNMENT with LOVE than they are in line with EVERYTHING with ALL THAT IS, and in that state of being ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Which is to say, you are totally and completely FREE.
So. Don't you wish that ANYTHING REALLY IS POSSIBLE? Don't you wish that you could live a life that seems beyond your wildest belief of what you think you even deserve? Well both of those thoughts are actually holding resistance to the TRUTH that they uncover. BUT.
I'm going to give you a little dose of FREEDOM. Which is to say, I'm going to give you some LOVE. And I don't mean that I am about to dance around and tell you that you are a beautiful being and that I love everyone and all that syrupy nonsense. I am going to give you the experience of feeling LOVE.
Click on the link, and I guarantee you by the Law of the Universe that you WILL experience FREEDOM, you WILL experience LOVE in just a few short moments. As you watch the video, notice any sensations in your body. Notice any feelings you start to have. Enjoy it. Bask in it. Feel your emotions as they pass into you and KNOW that when you feel this way, you are in absolute ALIGNMENT with the GREATEST POTENTIAL being that you are - and if you would practice your Yoga (meaning when you reach your edge, you find your smile, you find feeling good you seek again to reach alignment) this life would become an ongoing experience of JOY, ECSTASY, LOVE, and FREEDOM and as your limits expand, you will find that standing out on your edge you are filled with the sensation of true FULFILLMENT. And then you will know beyond a doubt that the
World IS exactly what you wish it was. Just like the next five minutes when you click on this link. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSrAJsWvEIc
ABADDHAM!!
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