The Yoga philosophy emphasises the importance of the idea of breaking out of "Vassana" or tendencies. We all have certain characteristics that somewhat make us stand out. Those characteristics are often driven by both our desires and fear. Whilst our desires and fears are not always visible to those around us, we ourselves are very aware of what matters to us the most, or what we have an addiction towards.
Some of us believe that our happiness comes from health, wealth, family, friends, romantic love, career, fame, spiritual awakening, power or some other concept. And whilst having goals provides us focus and purpose, it is important that our goals are not dominated by one aspect of our lives only. When our perception of where happiness or even pleasure comes from is spread across various facets of our lives, we are more likely to feel happy. When our happiness is not dependant on one area of our lives then we go about life with ease and can find joy in many places. A way in which to find multiple sources of pleasure comes from two different approaches: the first is to understand what we believe our desires (or absence of the thing we are fearful towards) will provide. For example: if we think a successful career will give us status or power, then we can think of other ways to feel powerful. A strong body or the ability to help those in need can make us feel powerful too. Being honest and authentic can give us the feeling of status. The second is to accept the many ways in which what we desire can be provided. For example: if a successful romantic relationship is our idea of intimacy, safety or even excitement then those qualities can also be satisfied elsewhere. Intimacy can be shared through spiritual connections, safety can be felt within a strong support system and excitement can be achieved through travel. A balanced life is one that does not crumble when one aspect of it falls short. Balance comes from being open to receive what we are given in each moment as life unfolds.
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AuthorWeam is the founder of Namaste. She had started a very deep and intense spiritual journey at a young age having refused to continue to suffer with the common challenges of her generation: depression, anxiety and being lost. She insisted that there must be more to life than the constant rat race she was in Archives
January 2020
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