Benevolence in Yoga
The theme of my yoga instruction for
the past one month was, “yoga to cultivate benevolence”. Last week, I wound up
one of my classes in Savasana with a note: yoga is a quest to purify the body,
mind and spirit; and an invitation to join the original intended design of our
self. “How do we know we are in the right path”, asked Kevin when he got up
after the Savasana. I knew Kevin and knew what he meant. Being a practicing
yogi, Kevin did not seek an answer on how to measure the circumference of his
biceps or how his balance in tree pose increased with time. His query was
deeper- how does one know if are facing our “home” and we are in the right
direction. We may be farther (like the prodigal son), but does our practice
invoke that nostalgia? Have we accepted that invitation to clean the mind, body
and spirit; and its unity: divinity!
What is the most important attribute of divinity? Benevolence,
period. It is the altruism in love; unbridled compassion; and untrimmed
service. If you see changes in your life (not getting upset when somebody,
irrelevantly, honk you; or when you are able to think in their shoes; or when
you are able to help somebody even without being asked (as St. Nicholas did),
you may be in the right path. I could see many frowning faces, “why do we need
yoga to do all these?” Fair enough. If you are able to do this, you’re already
a yogi!
The theme is more relevant in this season of the year- a
time to contemplate and evaluate. I happened to hear a good homily last week
(very rare these days). The woman spoke about how we prepare ourselves to receive
the abundant blessings. “Let it go”, she said. It may be a hug, a smile, a small
talk, or an unsolicited service. Let’s do that without hesitation. The birth of
Jesus heralds a new beginning: a life of love, compassion, service, peace, joy
and hope; and a commitment to mend, guide, lead, protect and connect us with
the divine. The goal of yoga is that union with the divine through practices in
our life. One of the greatest yogis I have seen is Jesus; He is the
personification of karma, jnana, bhakthi and Raja yoga. The warriors in your practice
represent the grace you seek, the balance we cultivate, the resilience we
foster, the humility we nurture and the accomplishment at the end. The manger,
the shepherds and cattle are the heights of the humility endured by that great
king.
I will continue love, compassion, service, peace and joy as
the themes of my classes in coming days. We will focus on heart chakra and the
heart “openers” I will bring several essential oils, including myrrh, to the
class. These oils have the attributes of spiritual fulfillment and transcendence.
Hope you may be able to join.
Peace, Love and Joy
to you and your family when you celebrate Christmas; May God Bless you all abundantly
in 2018 and years ahead.
Jay
