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I've had a steadily growing pile of my favorite yoga and inspirational books next to my desk this past month (and I continue to glean from them for each week's e-newsletter). For better or for worse, when things "out there" get a little hectic and stressful, my modus operandi is to retreat inward.
I've been drawn this week to, and have been teaching from, the concept of Svadhaya - Self Study. Svadhaya is the 4th of the 5 Niyamas - Observances which are the 2nd limb in the 8 limb path of Yoga. Feeling a bit lost and overwhelmed, I continue to look to my yoga practice and its teachings for guidance. The following is from Rolf Gates' book,
Meditations from the Mat, which I often turn to for inspiration...
"When we do feel lost or uncertain, drifting away from our practice, blocked from our own truth, it helps to remember that darkness and confusion, too, are part of the path. The hero's journey is a journey inward. Yoga is not a workout, it is a work IN..... this is the point of spiritual practice: to make us teachable, to open our hearts and focus our awareness so that we can know what we already know, and be who we already are."
In these darkest days, as we approach the Solstice and the New Year, please be reminded of the journey and seek out your own truths, however elusive they may feel at the moment.
Namaste,
Kristi
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