Did you know that your body is not the real you? You are not your body. You are the witnessing consciousness peering out of it. When you hold your finger out and look at it, the one seeing the finger is the real you. Your body is actually the temple that houses the real you.
However, you have been entrusted with the upkeep of this temple. How can you take care of this temple, this sacred vessel? If the temple is broken, you can fix it. If it is too heavy, you can lighten it and lift the burden from your organs and joints. If it has low energy, you can raise it with diet, exercise, and positive thinking. If it is not radiant and beautiful, you can love it, nurture it, adorn it, and accept it. Yoga teaches us to nurture our bodies and minds while at the same time giving up identifications we have such as: I am this body, I am these emotions and thoughts, I am this or that baggage/tendency/issue. Then we can begin to live more freely as our true light-hearted selves.
Many people have a contentious relationship with their bodies. I try to remember a simple equation: discipline in my yoga practices + detachment from the outcome = Contentment. When I do yoga with the focus of forcing my body into a certain shape/size/fitness level, I end up unhappy. And if I am too detached and footloose with my practices and intellectualize "I am not this body, I am the witnessing consciousness, my body doesn't really matter so much," I also end up unhappy because I lose fitness and focus. I practice and teach that THE GOAL is to aim to keep up a high level of yogic discipline. For me, that's ultimately the most effective way to be the caretaker of this temple. Detached discipline also builds self-esteem and self-power.
However, you have been entrusted with the upkeep of this temple. How can you take care of this temple, this sacred vessel? If the temple is broken, you can fix it. If it is too heavy, you can lighten it and lift the burden from your organs and joints. If it has low energy, you can raise it with diet, exercise, and positive thinking. If it is not radiant and beautiful, you can love it, nurture it, adorn it, and accept it. Yoga teaches us to nurture our bodies and minds while at the same time giving up identifications we have such as: I am this body, I am these emotions and thoughts, I am this or that baggage/tendency/issue. Then we can begin to live more freely as our true light-hearted selves.
Many people have a contentious relationship with their bodies. I try to remember a simple equation: discipline in my yoga practices + detachment from the outcome = Contentment. When I do yoga with the focus of forcing my body into a certain shape/size/fitness level, I end up unhappy. And if I am too detached and footloose with my practices and intellectualize "I am not this body, I am the witnessing consciousness, my body doesn't really matter so much," I also end up unhappy because I lose fitness and focus. I practice and teach that THE GOAL is to aim to keep up a high level of yogic discipline. For me, that's ultimately the most effective way to be the caretaker of this temple. Detached discipline also builds self-esteem and self-power.
How can you start taking care of your temple? Start with what you know. Swami Rama said, "You don't need to know a lot of things, but you definitely need to practice what you know." If you've practiced yoga before, you love walking, you know that too many carbs are hard on your system, or you see the connection between your caffeine intake and nervousness, then start a daily practice which incorporates this knowledge. You already know a lot about how to take care of your temple...now it's time to put together a plan of practices. In my Yogic Diet coaching, I help students put together a Bee-ing Attraction Plan(TM) to deepen their focus and practices so that they can find harmony with their bodies and minds and healing for their spirits. Let me know if you're interested in creating a Bee-ing Attraction Plan(TM) of your own!
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