August 2024 Week 2

“Seek the rest your soul needs in deep meditation.” This month (coincidentally or God instance for sure) we are weaving Sutra 1.10 into our studies. I say coincidentally because Sutra 1.10 is the 4th modification of the mind, sleep, specifically sleep is attachment to nothingness and the cleanse next week is covering the sleep pillar of health! In the Secret of the Yoga Sutra it states: “disturbed sleep drains our vitality as much as disturbed thought constructs do when we are awake. The quality of sleep depends on the quality of the sleeping mind. When we sleep with a disturbed mind, we will have disturbed sleep. Upon awakening from disturbed or shallow sleep we find ourselves exhausted, sluggish and drained. This is proof that sleep is a powerful modification of the mind and that we must master our sleep patterns to acquire a clear, tranquil mind. Because we are unaware of what is happening in our inner world while we are asleep, it is imperative that in our waking state we practice techniques for sleeping in a healthy and enlightening manner.” This is where meditation comes in and specifically yoga Nidra which is deep yogic sleep. Makes sense right? Our practices are so very powerful and healing in all areas of our lives.

I love the image of my soul resting in deep meditation and this sutra reinforces the importance of slowing down and turning inward. Our intention, My New Life Starts Now, can only make sense if we are giving ourselves the gift of pausing, introspection and meditation. Do you take this time for yourself? If so, great and if not, please ask yourself why? As you know I have a daily practice and I am now at the point where I struggle to start a day without even just a few minutes of some form of meditation. Having said that, this does not mean I still don’t have disturbed thoughts day and night but I cannot even imagine where my mind and my life would be if I didn’t have a daily commitment to these practices.