Avidya - Good. Hard. Fun.
Last month we looked at kriya yoga, the yoga of action (if you missed it you can find it here Serena's Blog - Kriya Yoga). Since each and every one of our actions make up the puzzle pieces that is our life, each action has a big impact. Our actions. The way we sit, the way we brush our hair, the way we eat. How we do these simple things matter!
So this month we will turn our attention to what gets in the way of us taking good, or helpful actions. Why are we often getting into difficulties in life?
In particular we will explore in class the theme that comes from a saying my yoga teacher used to joyfully throw out to us as our legs were trembling in some warrior sequence she cooked up. Good Hard Fun.
So, why are we getting into difficulties? Why do we say we will take rest when we need it, but instead eat a whole chocolate bar and forge forcefully ahead, only to crash? Against our better judgment, why do we eat the whole cake? I’m exaggerating, maybe. We know, or we have some idea of what would be helpful. What gets in our way?
Yoga gives us this idea of avidya. Avidya is what prevents us from recognizing things as they actually are. Commonly translated as ignorance, avidya is the first of the five kleshas, or hindrances.
Yoga wants us to look at HOW we are perceiving a certain situation. If we are depending on our usual, habitual, unquestioned, thoughts we may be in ignorance of what is true at this moment. What are our thoughts, and what are the actions that result from those thoughts. What’s the resonance of those thoughts? Are those thoughts challenged? Do you ask yourself if you actually believe these thoughts anymore?
Now, asking these questions, we are being attentive. We are looking in more detail. We are no longer acting habitually, carrying forward mechanically the actions of yesterday.
Avidya is a film that obscures our recognition that we actually can act fresh in this moment. The world is open. There are numerous options on how to act in each moment. We get to choose. This is freedom.
But…
It takes work.
Hence, Good Hard Fun. Let’s take a look.
We can see that freedom in our choices informed from ground zero inside (our heart) is a good option for a way to act. Acting from the core of our being, our decisions coming from our center, agile enough to move in any direction at any moment are good things.
But let’s not get stuck in the idea of “being good”. Ram Das shares some good perspectives of how “being good” is a trap. We can form many negotiations with ourselves that distract us from the real intent. The real intent is to find harmony inside. We can run ourselves in circles about whether we want to be good, what good is, etc. But once we find harmony, we realize that actions we take can disrupt the harmony. We do it for the harmony.
Hard. No one wants hard. But, oh yes we do. One way of defining yoga is to attain what was previously unattainable. To clear the obscuring habits that mechanically drive our day so we can act fresh, from the wisdom of our hearts! It’s about the means by which we can make the changes we desire in our lives. That’s hard. Because when we are no longer acting from habit, we are face to face with the unknown. Yoga teaches stira suka. Steadiness and ease. Stay with it. Kind and firm. Hard does not equal forcefulness. Hard means maintaining the belief that you can face whatever shows up at your gate.
Fun. Well, this is subjective. However, I would argue that when we are able to stay in the work, in the action, in the attentiveness, and not revert back to habit, we feel glimpses of liberation. That is exhilarating. All in this simple little ol, put your feet here and your hands there and twist like this… and then… and then! We gain tiny little glimpses of something, some truth, some connection, some learning and it is new. And then we see, this moment is new, and this one, and this one. I’ve never seen this moment before. How fun! Far out!
All postural problems are a movement away from center, away from our true self. We can see this musculoskeletally, but we can also see this with how our intentions are connected to our hearts desires. We have to maintain the connection between our intent, and our heart. Our heart being the truth teller, the liaison for what's deep inside that wants to come to the surface in this lifetime.
We have to be attentive to how we move away from center, and mindfully, joyfully, peacefully come back. As avidya clears by way of our direct perception of this, here, now, we start to see who we really are. Boundaries get blurred. We are part of a great, big whole. All with good hard fun!
To get nerdy with me, I would recommend:
Reading
Yoga Sutra of Patanjali 2.3, 2.4, 2.5
The Nature of Avidya - Swami Krishnananda
Viewing
