When was the first time a yoga practice really shifted you? Can you remember back to that fateful day when you fell in love and you began to believe in the power of Shakti (energy of life) pulsing in you and as everything?
Yoga has different views; different philosophies that inform the wide range of styles and practices in this modern day. Do you know what system you are viewing your practice through? Classical? Advaita Vedanta? Tantra? Knowing this answer is what begins to shape an informed and savvy yogi that is interested in taking yoga beyond the physical and into a deeply integrated and informative lifestyle.
Why are you doing your practice? How are you bringing the ancient teachings into the relevancy of your modern life? The answers to these questions are why I teach and practice Tantra as the view that shapes my yoga.
Tantra leads from the heart and invokes falling in love with the radiant splendor of being YOU over and over again. Tantra teaches that there is nothing you need to fix, you are already whole and pulsing with the goodness you seek.
The radiance of life (Shakti) leads the way and there is a deep order to life, the body, and the mind. By opening to the embodiment of Shakti within you and all around you, the heart becomes the tour guide and you remember the truth of who you are!
The Tantric philosophy that underlies the practice of yoga that I teach is true to my heart because it guides the student into an awareness that Consciousness (chit) is expressing itself in many waves and yet we are of one ocean. When we align with this, we come to view the world from a place of empowerment and dare to offer our unique wave to the ocean of Grace.
A hatha yoga practice that embraces the Tantric path teaches that life is about creating an awareness in how to live your life from the fulness of all that you a part of. From here, life will continue to expand with each moment and then you can skillfully choose to step into the current in such a way that has the capacity to trigger the love of life that dwells within you more and more often.
Ananda (bliss) is what arises from being okay with what is happening in the moment. It isn't always joyful or delightful, but from the Tantric view, it is real and therefore to be embraced. This view of bliss is what makes the practice so enticing; we get to come up against the highs and lows of life with an even-minded view and embrace the truth of who we are. Include all of life's offerings in your view and you will have a method of yoga that is totally relevant to enhancing the quality of your life on and off your mat.
So the next time you OM on your mat, open to knowing that you are the gift the Universe has given itself! Embrace your view and open to the love that dwells within all of us. You are the reflection of all that is and...
You are beautiful.