Freedom is the Path
Moksha, translated as ‘freedom’ in yogic teachings, is often described as the “goal of yoga”. In my observation, setting this as a goal to achieve is the quickest way to feel enslaved by this spiritual path. I’ve observed that often what guides a person to explore yoga is the desire to find freedom from suffering. Time and time again, I’ve watched people start a yoga practice until they feel “ok enough” and then they stop practicing. When life gets hard, they find their way back to yoga until they have some relief and, once again, they stop practicing. If we're lucky, one day we’ll notice that these practices don’t just make our suffering symptoms go away, but more importantly, they support our capacity to accept life as it is. This is the threshold to living a life of presence and discovering the magic of this ancient path of yoga: When we realize that these teachings give us the strength to heal our past and release our fears or anxiety about the future – so we can be fully present to what is unfolding right now.
After thousands of years as an oral tradition, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras put these teachings in writing. Though for years I thought it was a simple introduction that I overlooked, the first yoga sutra says it all: the study of yoga begins now. The essence of these teachings is presence and our relationship with now!
Raja or Ashtanga Yoga offers an eightfold path as a systematic approach to discover the peace and freedom of living a life that is fully present in our mind, body and spirit. The first two limbs of this eightfold path are the Yamas and Niyamas and they provide a guide to a way of living that helps us understand our suffering so we can set ourselves free. The Yamas, which translate as restraints, include Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (nonstealing), Brahmacharya (nonexcess) and Aparigraha (nonpossessiveness). These teachings support peace and ease in our relationship to ourselves, others and our world. The Niyamas, or observances, include Saucha (purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (self-discipline), Svadhyaya (self-study) and Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender). These offer guidance and inspiration to cultivate an inner sense of freedom.
This month we’ll be exploring the Niyamas, and I invite you to lean into the paradoxes they illuminate so we can get out of our boxes and step into greater freedom. Here are a few inspirations to ponder to loosen the reins of dualistic perception and the concept that we need to change ourselves to be free.
Saucha: Purity
Not only does this teaching ask us to become aware of what we are feeding our bodies and our minds, but what are we holding onto that is creating suffering? Saucha asks us to become aware of our relationship to each moment, to know the difference between being pure with something and trying to make something pure. This approach to purity invites us to release our ideals and expectations and even drop our image of purity to experience this gem. As we lighten our load, we experience a spaciousness that invites the possibility of presence.
Santosha: Contentment
The paradox of Santosha is the more we seek it, the more it will elude us. It teaches us to not only accept what is in the moment but to welcome it, no matter what is being delivered. Can we even become content with our discontentment? Santosha fosters a contentment that helps us fall in love with life, no matter what is arising.
Tapas: Self-Discipline
Tapas literally means heat and can be translated as catharsis, tolerance and transformation. It refers to the practices that transform our lives while creating the resilience to stay in the unknown and the pain of suffering. Tapas cultivates our willingness to be both burned and blessed by the challenges that life offers.
Svadhyaya: Self-Study
This teaching builds bridges between our true essence, which is love, and all the layers of separation formed by our life experience, ancestry and culture. It asks us to be willing to look within when we feel disharmony rather than blame an outside source for our patterns of suffering. To do this, we must cultivate our capacity to witness. Through this process of witnessing, we begin to know ourselves as more than our beliefs and we pave the way for profound healing.
Ishvara Pranidhana: Surrender
The invitation for this teaching is to accept that there is a divine force at work in our lives that cares deeply about us. Surrender can sound passive but instead we are invited to listen deeply to our calling and actively devote our lives to our higher purpose, then taste the freedom and joy that will unfold.
Much love and gratitude,
Sue