Practice in and of itself is a form of discipline (tapas). It's effort and work. And with anything that takes as much effort as consistent practice, sometimes the discipline can be or feel binding because of deeply ingrained patterns.
When we practice with consistency and devotion, as Patanjali says is a necessity, we’re able to learn how to control what Patanjali calls the “fluctuations” of our minds. In other words, our yoga practice helps us learn about why we are the way we are. Our practice can help free us from many things: our selves, others, the confines of this world.
In our yoga practice, we learn to deal with these habits of grasping and aversion by noticing our immediate reactions, our clinging and our pushing away. We take a step back to just watch, unattached, observant, still and silent, without judgment. Then we let these feelings go.
Lessons in Onion Cutting When I was a kid, I was obsessed with watching my mom work in the kitchen. She made many traditional, Korean dishes from scratch—bulgogi, galbi, kimchi, banchan, etc. She took care in preparing every detail, even down to precisely how the scallions were sliced. For every Korean meal, the scallions have ... Tradition
I want to start this post off with a personal story. I’ve been training with a coach for a few years now. Every week, on the same day, at the same time, I train. The workout over the years has largely been unchanged. There have been minor tweaks, but nothing major. To say it bluntly, ... Consistency
Compassion The definition of compassion is: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. But the essence, or the heart of compassion doesn’t live within that dictionary definition of compassion. Instead, real compassion lives within the heart space and is ... Compassion
Stepping Into Vastness It’s been a long road and not an easy one at times. Coming from being the student in the classroom to the one holding space for the students. Talk about a transitional place of dedication, commitment, and boundaries. The student-teacher relationship is one that is not to be taken for granted. That ... Vastness
Humbling by Nature It has been a continuous journey of curvy streets, hills, flat plains, road blocks, hurricanes, beautiful beaches, landslides, sunrises, construction zones, celebrations, and some detours… but there was just enough light peaking through that I found my way home. With all that said, I hope I haven’t scared you away! Trust me, ... Humility