True or False: Feet on the Earth, Head in the Sky?

“The aim of Yoga is to discover our immortal self. The practice of Yoga teaches us to live fully physically and spiritually” –BKS Iyengar

The path of Yoga guides you on an investigation of your internal nature. The physical practice of Yoga keeps you in tune with change: as the body evolves so does the practice. As you begin to align the physical body through the practice of asana and pranayama, you find an awareness of your alignment between the universal reality within (soul) and the universal reality everywhere else (nature and the physical body). You change, your viewpoints change, and nature changes. What does not change is your soul.

The term for nature in Sanskrit is Prakriti. You never know where you are with nature because it is not eternal and always evolving.  Purusha is the Sanskrit term for the non-physical reality, or the cosmic/universal soul (an abiding reality).

The joining of nature and soul is the cause of challenges, contradictions, and pleasures, all central parts of human life. This union forces us to look with in and at the vehicle of our soul to find balance, exploring nature from the world of appearances into its more subtle state.

Your soul is already living radiantly within your physical body, which makes the quest to find it a journey inward to the core of your being. On the way to the core of your being, there are layers to be worked through. The qualities of these layers (koshas) are: Stability (physical body), Vitality (energetic body), Clarity (mental body), Wisdom (intellectual body), and Bliss ( Soul). Exploring your inner nature of compassion and truth will start to peel back the layers and bring you to bliss.

Compassion is heart centered, connected to your contentment and relationships. Truth is closer to your morals and values. It’s about how attached you are, concerned with outcomes, and if you are paying attention to what’s in your best interest.

An understanding of impermanence allows for deeper introspection into the permanent.  The terms of your compassion and truth are permanent. The impermanence lies in nature. The union of the two is found at your center. Grounded yet totally free.

“Chit-Akasha”

~changing of ourselves and unveiling of the immeasurable light with in.~