Day 45 Intention ~ To Lead With a Pure Heart

Day 45 Intention ~ To Lead With A Pure Heart

Happy Valentine's Day! In honor of that, although, it is important to do this everyday, today especially, I am going to lead with a pure heart. 

In the yoga sutras, sutra II:41 reads, 

Sattvasuddhi Saumanasyaikagryen Driyajayatmadarsana Yogyatvani Ca.

This translates to, "Moreover, one gains purity of sattva, cheerfulness of mind, one-pointedness, mastery over the senses, and fitness for Self-realization."

In regards to this sutra, Swami Satchidananda says, "First you understand the body, then the heart is purified as well. When the heart is pure, you are always happy...Just be pure in thought, word, and deed." He says if we practice this purity for even just one day, we will feel the reward and hopefully will be encouraged to practice it again and again. 

So, today, I am going to lead with a pure heart and mind and hope that you will too. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Find the calm in your inner storm

"Do not fear mistakes. There are none." ~Miles Davis

A friend posted this quote on Facebook last week. Words of wisdom from the late great Miles Davis. We've all had those days where nothing seems to go right.

The question is, do you feel a pattern of criticizing yourself when this happens? Or perhaps, you blame others when things aren't perfect on your plane of existence? For a yogi, one of the things we try to achieve/learn/practice is to take whatever situation arises and find a way to be content in that situation no matter what. Your contentedness is at your inner core and what happens around you does not disrupt that core.

Easier said than done...perhaps. Had I seen that quote just a few days earlier when mishaps and imperfections and inconveniences occurred on my plane several days in a row, I would not have believed it. The more I beat myself up about things or got upset with outside forces, the more things went "wrong" or the worse I felt.

I knew that if I was truly practicing being a "good yogi" I would need to find a way to say "swaha" and let it go. That's what I tried to do. Breathing exercises and asana practices helped in the moment, but then I would come back to the issue and become stressed out again. Finally, at some point, I said, "It'll all work out the way it's supposed to work out.", out loud to myself and like magic, my mind settled down, my shoulders lowered away from my ears and it actually did work itself out. We all make mistakes, but that's what makes us all perfectly imperfect.

"Sthira sukham asanam."~Patanjali's Yoga Sutras II.46

The connection to the Earth should be steady and joyful.

Find that calm steadiness inside regardless of whatever the storm around you may be and you will find joy.

Shanti~Marcia