July 2022 week 2

In Deborah Adele’s book on the Yama’s she mentions Krishna Das in her writing on this final Yama, Aparigraha. Krisna Das makes the observation that in our country we have a muscle in the mind that we forget is there. He calls it the letting go muscle. Krishna Das says we have developed a strong “holding on” muscle in the mind, but the letting go muscle is undeveloped. He suggests we get our mind in shape by using this muscle more often.
I love the thought of letting go being a muscle. If we run, go to the gym or do yoga regularly we are working our physical muscles and they will get stronger. Can this be the same for letting go? Definitely!!!! If we get into the habit or the pattern of holding on, that behavior will get stronger and stronger and it will be our reflexive response to life. However, if we start to work our “letting go” muscle we can start to build reference for that! This week let’s start with the small things, and release our grip on the small details of life to build some reference and then we can work our way up to confront our own personal “achilles heal” of holding on. Our intention this week - “Happiness is a choice I make” - will be waiting for us on the other side of letting go!!!!! When we get stuck in the holding on we are blocking ourselves from a bigger unfolding that is there for us if we can choose to let go and find the happiness and the peace in our lives.