The inner light of yoga
is like a scared fire. It is the true heart and spirit of the practice.
While potent and powerful, the magic of the practice is also vulnerable
and tenuous. The sacredness of the practice can die so easily if we do
not tend to it every day. Amidst the cynic's voice and the inevitable
burn-out that comes with steady devotion the true yoga practitioner must
find the courage to re-kindle the spiritual fire every day.
The sacred fire that
illuminates the path of yoga is the fire of purification, the karmic
fire and spiritual bliss. In essence the light that shines forth from
the practice is nothing less than the revelation of soul. Yoga assumes
that there is divinity in each and every sentient being and it's
sometimes lonely practices aim to to give you a pathway to taste the
nectar of that divinity within.
In some ways belief comes
from an innocent place within where we are willing to suspend the
solidity of doubt and take a chance on the unknown. The innocence of
belief is what inspires many yoga practitioners to accept, however,
begrudgingly, the many stories of miraculous healing within the yoga
community. True teachers understand that belief is a gift that leads to
unwavering faith when cared for over time. It is crucial to the survival
of yoga as a spiritual practice that we understand just how valuable
the gift we receive really is. Without the careful cultivation of
spiritual practice through years of faithful service there is no
foundation to share yoga from. Each time you practice you open your
heart to receive the gift of yoga's sacred inner fire. What you do with
it after you feel the flame ignite within your heart is your choice. It
is up to each yoga practitioner today to determine whether the magical
heart of the practice will survive to reach future generations.
Yoga is more than an
exercise to help alleviate lower back pain. It is a comprehensive tool
for spiritual evolution that seeks to give every practitioner a direct
experience of the divinity within themselves.
Faith in a greater
spiritual force is a necessary component along the spiritual path. There
is a magical essence to the practice that defies the bounds of logical
thought. Yoga sometimes demands that you doubt reason and side with
intuition. The power and presence of a master teacher, or perhaps even a
Guru, sometimes instills the kind of non-logical experience that can
shift whole paradigms.
Rather than naiveté or
blind adoration, the heart opening experience that breaks through the
boundaries of logical thought is a door that leads to the experience of
your own true self. The magical journey through hidden doorways within
your own body lead you to a inner realm. An open mind, a courageous
heart and a healed body are all steps along the path of self-discovery.
Without these tools the movements of physical yoga practice loose their
sacred fire. With these tools the movements of physical yoga burn
through negative behavioral patterns, release hidden pathways of energy
and illuminate the lives of everyone around you.
Have faith, do yoga, ignite yourself, and ignite others!
Namaste
Trish
