Here’s a thought I’d like to share…
“Yoga (and spiritual practices of all kinds) is a practice of “allowing” rather than “achieving. Achieving implies getting somewhere. Allowing implies being somewhere.” ~Augusta Kantra
We live in a competitive culture that tends to see things through the lens of “If you win, I lose.” And, what naturally stems from that kind of thinking is, “I must do whatever it takes to win!” We compete against others and we compete against ourselves. Needless to say, if there is a winner, there will also be a loser. And in any winner/loser situation, bitter or bruised feelings are usually the result. So, ultimately… we all lose.
If, instead of competing against, we work “with” others, “with” our bodies, and “with” our limits – we are better able to make wise choices that allow us to stay in integrity while continuing to grow and learn. Allowing means having boundaries. Achieving means our boundaries are set by some outcome rather than by what’s right for us at our core. Allowing means we are deeply inwardly listening so that we can go as far as we skillfully can without flinging ourselves over the proverbial edge.
The word “yoga” means union – the union of mind, body, and spirit. Allowing fosters that union by increasing our trust in ourselves, in our wisdom, and in our bodies. And when we trust ourselves, we have less need to attempt to control others. When we truly allow, rather than strive to achieve, we can move more deeply into our lives and more deeply into our poses.
Wishing you lots of “allow”ance,
Namasté
Augusta
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