Dear Yogis,
A lot of what our yoga practice asks of us is to turn our understanding, perception and experience of the world inward.
Often, we experience the world through an external lens. One that has been programmed by the society, the media, the upbringing and the external pressures of what we think we are supposed to be.
We enter into roles where every decision we make, every choice we garner for ourselves often is led by “what is someone in this role supposed to do?”, and sometimes that choice that we make, that’s in line with the role and everything that comes with it, does not align with the all encompassing thing that we truly are. Which is our inner consciousness (atman).
Inner consciousness is not driven by external expectations.
This inner self is driven by a wisdom and knowledge of its own purpose and of what’s to come. So often we find when people enter into a yoga experience (Yoga doesn’t mean touching your toes and doing a pose. Yoga means reconnecting to that inner self.) that one may find the pressure of those external roles dissolving as we lose interest in only identifying with a role. (What the yogis call a false identity.)
Your role may look like what you should be at your job. Or should be being a mother, a father, a child, a spouse or being a Citizen of your country.
All the things required of those roles may not align with what your inner intuition is speaking for your higher purpose. So we come to the mat every day because it gives us the space to practice turning our guidance system from the outside to the inside.
The outside guidance system may be leading us astray but the inside guidance system is made from love, peace and bliss.
It’s guiding you where you are supposed to go. Towards what is meant for you.
I bring this up for February as the focus of classes are often around love, and what yoga teaches is that love is what you already are. Our work is to stop looking outside of ourselves for the reasons or the excuses that we shouldn’t embody and maintain a state of love all the time.
Maintaining a state of Love is not contingent upon finding the right person, being some thing or having some thing. Embodying love isn’t just for people who are in love with the perfect partner, who have never been heartbroken or who have all their ducks in a row.
An experience of love happens when we dismantle the external influences that have convinced us that we are not worthy of love or that love is too hard or that love is just for others. This thinking is a trap because you are love already.
You are worthy already with nothing additional. You simply have to reach inside yourself, find the present moment and become what you already are.
Surrender to you.
There’s a portion of the Bible that I often hear read at weddings. They say to insert the name of your loved one in place of the word love to keep it a really healthy relationship. I want you to think about this in reference to yourself. If you were to put your own name in place of love in the following passage, would it fit the way you’ve been treating yourself recently? These are behaviors that can help to maintain a state of love.
1 Corinthians 13
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others,
it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
and always perseveres.
Love never fails.
This is a map to bring you closer to what it feels like to be embodied as the true inner consciousness, as true sustainable love that bubbles up from within and can never be altered by the external.
Wishing you all a very happy Valentine’s Day with your loved ones and encouraging you to also create a loving relationship with yourself. All will benefit by that.
Peace and Love,
Amanda and the good folks at Revolution Yoga
Originally shared in our February 2024 newsletter.