March 2024 Week 2

“Everywhere I go I bring light with me!!!!” - perfect intention to be writing as I started my day on the beach seeing the sun rise and am looking outside at this beautiful day. Our days are longer, time is moving so quickly which makes it even more important to be diligent in our yoga and meditation practices before being pulled into all of our outward activities.
In addition this month we are moving onto Sutra 1.5 which states: There are five kinds of mental modifications which are either painful or painless. This builds from last month - when we discussed identifying with the mental modifications of the mind if we are not grounded and clear. Satchidananda explains there are 5 kinds of vrittas or mind modifications - one variety brings us pain, the other does not. A better way to categorize these thoughts are: selfish and selfless thoughts. Selfish thoughts ultimately bring us pain. “Forget your selfishness, make others happy, and you will be the happiest person. By seeing others happy, you cannot be unhappy. But by making everybody unhappy, you can never be happy yourself. So, at least for your happiness, bring happiness to others.” Geez, as always these intentions line up perfectly with my life situations. This week I will be showing up first for a tragic loss of a dear friends husband and a sad loss of an extended family member. A day later I will be on to a family celebration of hope and light and recovery, however as is the case in families there will be some members with selfish, negative energy. Our diligent yoga and meditation practice together gives me the ability when I leave my mat to carefully watch my thoughts, pause and then respond as best I can (which is not always selfless but I try!). As Satchidananda says: “we have to watch carefully the moment a thought-form arises in our mind. We become analysts. This itself is Yoga practice - watching our thoughts and analyzing them.” Can this help you today, this week, this month? Can you simply give yourself the gift of pausing and using a little self inquiry before you react or respond in a situation?
“As a friend says: “do you want to be an air freshener or an air polluter?”