When I was young, I spent a lot of time dancing; jazz , modern, ballet ... I will go home to practice, improvisation after improvisation. I also spent a lot of time riding horses, and still remember the scene of galloping at high speed in the endless fields. Those moments at that time brought me a feeling of complete freedom. There is no past, no future, only that moment.
The reason I first fell in love with yoga, especially vinyasa, is because it gave me that sense of freedom again. At that time, I was tied to a table in a long-term company job, and I was almost tied with a knot inside.
Even as a long-term yoga practitioner, my practice has moments of inspiration and moments of stagnation. Sometimes, I get stuck or go into autonomous mode. Recently, however, I have been connected to my practice and rediscovering that sense of freedom again. It's a revelation because the feeling is so strong and triggers some thoughts.
Yoga means "binding", we can only find bonding without separation. In traditional texts and binary philosophy, this separation is called duality, the ongoing struggle between the true self and the self. It is impossible to experience freedom in this struggle.
Our daily life focuses on goals, goals and achievements. We bring it to our practice. “I need to determine this posture, I need to do it well.” In the process, we focus on our limitations, focusing on everything that cannot allow us to achieve what we want to achieve, we are split.
Can we sit on the mat and focus on what's there? Can we get into the space we have available and give up on restrictions?
This cannot happen at speed. This is impossible if we focus only on the destination rather than the journey. It only happens when we let everything go; the limitations of goals, postures, techniques, perceptions. In yoga, we use many techniques related to physical, breathing or psychological exercises. These techniques are very useful in guiding us and keeping us on the way forward. But ultimately, we need to be able to let go and find inner freedom.
We need to let go of the obstacles and boundaries we impose on ourselves and focus on the things we are now. We need to give up on the need to “determine that posture” and focus on the journey. This does not mean we give up our wishes, but it does mean we can connect with the moment without being cast in the forward direction.
It's an incredible authorization process because we no longer fight ourselves. We no longer see ourselves as separate and divided, but make ourselves complete. We are born intact, we come to our mats, but we always think we are divided. Regardless of ability or mobility, we can all practice connecting to the present moment. It requires constant practice and the ability to let go and accept.
acceptance is an integral part of this process. Can we accept what we consider limitations or weaknesses and accept them in exactly the same way we accept our strengths and possibilities? Present requires us to sit with the whole, with everything in that moment.
Pantajali emphasizes the importance of "satisfaction" in his yoga sutra. It is one of 5 Niyamas (memorial). What we practice on the mat can always be taken from the mat to our daily lives. So when we find contentment on the mat, whether it’s a graceful position, a piece of pose or just a simple journey, we’re likely to be able to tune into a deeper exploration of the kind of satisfaction we have in our daily activities. We can begin to see that life and ourselves are no longer limited, but full of potential. There is such freedom and liberation here.
