Vast majority of my yoga students discover very quickly that my yoga classes have nothing to do with weight loss or even physical wellness. Yes, physical wellness is there as we move our bodies and breathe intentionally. But our focus is more intensely on observing our inner landscape and being in touch with true selves.
We live in the world where things move quickly and options are endless. Despite the abundant resources everywhere, we are less sure of who we are than any other generations of human species. The idea of not being in touch with who we truly are causes us to feel anxious, depressed and confused, leading to insomnia, infertility, lowered immune system and more.
So if getting in touch with our truest, most natural self is one of the steps we can take to become healthy and happy, why do we have such a problem doing so? Here’s my take on why:
- Notice I said “getting in touch”, not “discover”. You don’t need to discover your true self because it is always there and it is not lost. One of my great teacher used to say “a could does not put out the sun.” Sometimes, reminding yourself of the feeling you get when you are in touch with your true self is enough to give you all the relief, and that leads me to my next point.
- Know your feelings. We only use about 5 words to describe our feelings on a daily basis and they’re not even useful ones. We use “good”, “fine”, “alright”, “ok” and “not too bad”. These words are comparative and vague and don’t really allow us to get in touch with our true feelings. Feelings are primal. Take anger, there are so many differences in the level of subtlety in irritation, anger, or full on rage. Sitting down to know exactly what you’re feeling takes a dedicated time.
- Take a dedicated time to practice getting in touch with yourself. Almost everything we do as adults are un-learning of sorts. When we are little, we delight in small things because we notice the small things. We have the time to notice small things. As we get older, different forms of entertainment arrive in our lives and we lose the time, not the ability, to notice small things.
- Choose the people you hang out with. I always tell my clients to notice how they feel when you meet up with friends or colleagues and notice the feelings when you leave them to go home. The feelings that come afterwards, regardless of topics you may have discussed, should be a clue as to whether they charge your energy or drain your energy. We are energetic beings and we have the right to choose whom we hang out with.
- Lastly, Be the energy charger, not entertainer. Yes, you, too, are affecting people. So just as much as you have the right to choose to be with whomever you choose, you also have the right and privilege to be the energy charger for your friends. But be careful not to be a gossip, enabler, or entertainer for your friends. Become the energy charger for your friends and watch how your energy gets charged in turn.
These are all easier said than done. But small practices every day (just like yoga) can go a long way. And these ideas are all based on the teachings of dharma, which is part of our Yogic Counseling topics. If you’d like to discuss more to understand, my door is always open. You can book an initial assessment to see if it’s the right fit for you before we get started.