Yoga… in the opposite direction

Oftentimes we may enter yoga with the hope of gaining something, such as greater range of motion or peace of mind, often with success.  It is a sensible motivation.

On a deeper level, the yoga process reveals a deeper capacity to accept life as it is, independent of our predeterminations–the ability to sit in loss, gain or grief with greater equanimity–and grow wiser from such experiences.

From this perspective, yoga is a reversal. To reverse the instinct to grasp at externals and deliberately focus on shaping/managing/purifying our perception; the actual epicenter of where life experiences occurs.

It’s not so much that we experience the outside world, as we experience our own energy, in reaction to outer sources of stimulation.  Cultivating our inner capacities–a movement from reaction to response–is a great reversal and gesture towards lasting freedom.