Everyday, we are faced with images of advertisements and social experiments with people laughing, happy, and seemingly in great shape (mentally/physically). And, I would imagine that majority of the human population wants some part of that ideal image. So, I ask, what does that mean for you?
“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” ― Wayne W. Dyer I have recently been wandering around looking at people. Not in a creepy way, but in a way that studies how we move. The bio-mechanics of life. It's always interesting to see our relationship with ourselves. The way we move and restrict movement. The way and in what capacity we breathe. Our familiarity of our body as a whole is lacking. Knowing this now, somethings should be done to shift our awareness. With many fitness programs, our body is broken down into specific parts to work and focus on ourselves as a unit instead of a whole (arms, legs, abs, chest, back, repeat...), however, our body is more magnificent than the pieces we break it into! Our body continuously works as one whole dynamically designed creation performing tasks and recruiting other areas for more help when needed. We work on an all or nothing principle for actions to occur. Our body doesn't half ass it, only our minds. "The outer world is a reflection of the inner world. Other people’s perception of you is a reflection of them; your response to them is an awareness of you.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart So, the interesting part for me lies within our minds. The way we perceive our reality is the way we show up/react. If life is threatening or scary, we posture ourselves and position ourselves accordingly as protection from eminent danger (survival mechanism). When we are filled with laughter and joy, our body drops its defense and frees up space allowing for new and greater amounts of oxygen rich blood and cellular renewal to occur. I started thinking about all of this one day when I was thinking about yoga and practicing in front of a mirror. Initially, I was somewhat against mirrors in a yoga studio. The practice is to create a greater inner awareness of self and detach from outward distractions. With a mirror, we can be tied up in the aesthetics of each pose/posture/asana/position. We begin to study our physical self, our outside perception/stories we've attached to this human embodiment....then, I began teaching. The awareness for the majority is just not there. Having previous injuries, emotional traumas....we disconnect from areas of pain, dis-comfort, dis-ease. That awareness needs to be developed again. In order to enhance and improve anything, you have to first acknowledge and see that it is there. We can't fight what we don't see, we can't heal what we don't allow ourselves to feel, and we can't go within without first taking a good look on the outside first. In practicing yoga, our outer perception will eventually shift. Yoga is dealing with alignment. Aligning your life, your body, your mental, your physical, and your spiritual so you can benefit from the deeper connection we are all seeking. In order to move from one plane to the next with ease, finding, seeing, and transforming the way you see yourself starts from that physical/ego perception of self (on multiple levels). Have you ever been told to hold a plank or perform push ups and then told you were doing it either incorrectly or instructed on how to improve? How about the time when you went into chaturanga and injured yourself...These alignment cues are what will transcend the stuck/limited/survival instincts and replace them with vital (prana) inner-standing. Souls journey works on many levels and each person encounters their own journey on a different level from the next. One thing, however, remains a common connection point for all of us and that is alignment. Once your outer world begins to take shape, you align your inner world for a higher inner-standing. Once your inner alignment increases, your physical alignment shifts and your perception of reality changes shape as well. Use many tools to see, share, and record your progress/self transformation. With love, light, and gratitude. Namaste
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AuthorYoga Certified, C-PT, Holistic Chiropractor providing a path for peaceful healing. Archives
December 2019
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