Observances

I have been thinking a lot lately. Well, for those of you who know me, you know that my Virgo brain is most often in analytical overdrive.

 

But seriously, lately, I have had cause to really stop and take stock of something, mainly because I have recently begun stepping into some very big projects in a really serious way. The size and scope of these projects are immense and certainly not something that I could do completely by myself.

It would be typical of me to butt with my own hard head and try to do everything all by myself anyway. Or the opposite, which would be to back away from it because I can’t do it completely by myself. I’m not sure why I am this way, other then I have a really good dose of stubbornness, sometimes to a fault.

This time it is different. People are showing up from the far corners of the earth to help me and I am saying yes! It is a truly amazing feeling. The feeling of being supported. The feeling of being loved. The feeling that I am not the only one who believes in my dreams. The feeling of having other people believe in me and my capability.The feeling of community, of a team.

As I sit and reflect on all the people who are showing up right now for me, who want to be a part of my vision, I realize that I am blessed beyond my wildest dreams. I am also reminded of the eight limbs of yoga.

What are the eight limbs of yoga? They are eight observances, or guidelines for life. They have been called restraints, disciplines and moral vows. I suppose they could also be compared to the 10 Commandments found in Christianity.

In my understanding of the eight limbs, however, I do not feel comfortable comparing them with the 10 Commandments. Just the word commandment already sounds too harsh, too disciplinarian for my comfort zone. As I understand the eight limbs they are more like suggestions than rules.

Here are the 8 Limbs:

If we look at the Yamas, there are a few observances that fall under this first limb.

They are:

  In my reflection upon the gifts that are bestowed upon me by so many caring people, I am truly reminded of ahimsa, satya, asteya, and aparigraha.

If I persisted with my stubbornness and my tendency to do things myself, I would be missing so many beautiful lessons learned through the practice of these four Yamas.

Let’s look at ahimsa. The practice of non-violence at first glance seems to be not hitting someone, not physically or verbally harming another Being, being soft and gentle with others. But if we think a bit deeper, how many times in your life have you wanted to give someone a gift or wanted to do something for someone and they rejected it? Most of us have been in this position at some point in our lives. And it hurt didn’t it? So then, we begin to see the violence that can be in the action of not receiving from someone who wishes to give to us.

Now think about satya. Truthfulness. When you have so much to do, and so many things to accomplish that you don’t know how you can possibly have enough energy or enough hours in the day to even begin to complete all of your tasks, if you really get truthful with yourself, somewhere in your heart you probably wished for some help. So, when someone comes and extends their hand to help you and you reject that help, that is not your truth. Because the real truth is, before that hand was extended part of you was wishing for help. Why not live in your real truth and accept the hand that is extended and at the same time practice nonviolence to the person who wishes to help you?

Asteya is another tricky one. We all know that we should not steal. That is in the 10 Commandments as well. We know that we should not take our neighbors’ property, but what if it is deeper than physical items? As I set out on my journey to accomplish my big dreams, all of them are based in giving to others, giving to the planet, helping to create a better world for us all to live in. When I share my ideas with others, many people get very excited at the prospect of what I have in mind. I see it in their faces, I hear it in their voices that they want to be a part of this vision. When they offer to help me do things because they see that I am stretched thin, because they know there are not enough hours in the day for me to do it all, because they know they are more skilled at a certain thing than I am, because they too have now been drawn into my idea and want to help make it happen, a seed has been planted in them too. The drive, the fire to create this thing is now theirs also. I shared my dreams, planted a seed and now someone else wants to make it happen as much as I do. They offer their help, and I reject it. Have I not just stolen from them what I gave them a moment before? Have I not stolen from them the dream that is now also theirs because I shared? Surely, to steal someone’s dream is just as much stealing as it is to steal their wallet.

This brings me to aparigraha, non-possessiveness. In the moment that I share my ideas with someone I am not being possessive of the dream, the idea, the vision. In the moment they offer to help bring it to fruition and I turn down their generosity, I steal the dream that is now theirs and I again become possessive by not allowing them to participate in making it a reality.

All of the wisdom in these Yamas I began studying many years ago, I even taught them to others who came to learn yoga from me. And now, thanks to the beautiful souls and hearts of so many people who want to share my vision, my dreams my ideas, I am learning a much deeper perspective on these lessons.

I see that my ideas, dreams, and visions are not mine. They belong to us all, I am merely the instrument which they choose to come through at this point in time. I am merely the voice that was chosen to express the ideas, dreams, and visions. They are not only mine to create, they belong to all of the people who have come into my life and offered to help. They belong to all of the people in the future who will step up and offer a helping hand.

It is with a very humble and gratitude filled heart that I reflect upon these things. I offer up my deepest, most sincere thanks to all of the Beings, both in the physical and in the non-physical world, who are helping me on this path.

Namaste~