For the Purpose of Balance

The sanskrit term Purushartha is translated as "for the purpose of the soul". This idea in yogic philosophy gives us four aims to nourish our soul:

1) DHARMA

Your Dharma is your duty or purpose in life. For a lot of people, their Dharma is very clear: parent, doctor, teacher, student, artist, actor, surfer, athlete, etc. By fulfilling our Dharma, we are creating sustainability in life, staying true to your obligations, and being a part of society.

"...I like to think of it this way: Given all the variables, what is it that best serves both you and the greater good? Dharma is ultimately about enhancing life."

 -John Friend

 Not sure what your Dharma is? Here are a few tips to help:

-Evaluate your obligations, which ones feel right? Which ones feel binding and wrong?

-What part of your life makes you feel you are helping society in one or another?

-Is the life path you are on a positive one with room to grow and flourish?

-What is my role in my family/community/world, do my roles support each other? Is there just one role?

2) ARTHA

Artha is translated as "prosperity". It's the material aspects of the world that we need to survive with ease. This includes all aspects of materialism: money, computer, work clothes, the right products for your skin, the computer, books, phone, ipod, car, your home, education, all the things that are necessary for you to live out your dharma.

"Artha sets a basic level of material comfort and resources so that you can 

facilitate all your intentions in life"

-John Friend

One doesn't necessarily need a great deal of wealth to be happy in life. The culture we live in encourages the accumulation of materialism and that bigger is better, society places a lot of pressure and judgement on materialism. The point of Artha is to figure out how to live a successful, worldly, comfortable life. This is where values come into play. We need enough money to eat and take care of our families, but do we really need enough money to buy an over priced couture dress, designer sunglasses, or the newest ipod? These things are nice, but are they necessary to your lifestyle? 

Bring Artha into your life by...

-Deciding what is of value to you and what isn't.

-Do material things make you happy or do they actually cause you stress?

-Does the thought of having more or having less create a sense of fear for you?

-Where else can you find wealth besides in your bank account? 

3) KAMA

Kama means pleasure. Our choices are driven by our desire for pleasure. Pleasure is whatever brings joy into our lives. Some get pleasure from sensuality, food, art, nature, massage, a fun night out with friends, close relationships, compassion, even restriction and sacrifice can be forms of pleasure. It is definitely important to have pleasure in your life- but too much Kama, or overindulgence is unhealthy. It is important to give into the desires that will make our lives better and avoid the desires that will ultimately bring you down. Giving into unhealthy desires on a regular basis can cause problems like addiction, obesity, depression, and confusion. Indulging in healthy desires will help us achieve our dharma and bring more passion and enjoyment into our lives.

Need to figure out what your healthy pleasures are? Ask yourself...

- What makes me happy? What are my passions? Desires?

- Do I enjoy life on a regular basis?

- Is there anything I am addicted to?

- Do my pleasures life me up or bring me down?

4) MOKSHA 

LIBERATION!!! We all just want to be free and happy beings. Freedom from that which binds us and causes us to suffer: freedom from unhealthy attachments, freedom from unhealthy relationships, freedom from unhealthy thought patterns.

Moksha is often viewed as the final end to the cycle of incarnation, samadhi, the ultimate liberation. But before we get there, we must find liberation in our everyday lives as they exist now. You have the freedom and the power to make your dharma what you want it to be. You can enjoy it or you can loath it. You are free to spend your money wisely or foolishly. You are free to indulge in or sacrifice whatever you like or.  As humans and as Americans we are so free that we have the choice to be bound or liberated. It's ultimately your choice what you want to commit yourself to.

How does Moksha fit into your life? Ask yourself...

-Am I doing anything to change what is making me unhappy?

-Do I feel stuck in an endless cycle?

-What am I choosing to stick to? Is it healthy for me?

-Are my emotions guiding my actions?

Now that we understand these goals we can ask our selves: how do they fit into my life? Contemplating how these areas our balanced in our lives will show us what changes need to be made bring more balance or what you need to keep doing to maintain balance. Evaluating our lives based on these four concepts helps us to get our priorities straight.

Balance doesn't happen right away. It takes time and lots of self love and motivation to balance several areas in your life. I suggest starting with one and you'll be surprised how other areas of your life begin to shift. It's also important to remember not to be too hard on yourself. After all, we are only human and nobody is perfect.

There are fake distractions that stimulate passion
They taste cold and delicious,
but they just distract you and prevent you from the search. They say,
"I will relieve you passion. Take me. Take me!"
Run from false remedies that dilute your energy. Keep it rich and musky.
-RUMI