She asked, “How much does it cost? $20?” – after I explained that I teach the ‘other’ type of yoga: how our minds work. I didn’t answer.
I used to tell my teacher that yoga lessons should be free, like going to church or school. Yes, we all have bills to pay, but as my QiGong teacher reminded me yesterday, sometimes our purpose and the way we provide for ourselves are different.
One evening in the Fall of 2015, my life changed. I was blessed with insights into Patanjali’s science of human nature, relieving suffering, and finding faith that I remain convinced were not meant for me alone, yet teaching or sharing it is not a viable way to make a living – at least it hasn’t been for me.
So I write these posts and maintain a blog to share versions of the realization I was blessed with in hopes it may help someone else suffering from the degree of mental anguish I lived with for 58 years. Unfortunately, it’s only in the throes of despair that we are open to faith: absolute trust in something that science can’t explain.
There’s literally nothing in this world or the next that I’d rather do than share Patanjali’s paradigm with you – in hopes of relieving yours or someone else’s suffering – unfortunately, we each have to put in the effort to get there, to see life for what it is. All I can do is offer guidance.
Read these posts but more importantly, practice between your own ears discerning between your functioning mind (evidenced by your thoughts) and your unalterable consciousness (evidenced by the awareness OF your thoughts).
As I shared with someone yesterday, worry and anxiety (desires and fears) are very much part of our human condition.
I’ve suffered from both my entire life – and still do though to a much lesser extent.
What helped me tremendously was finally realizing something Patanjali said. It’s so simple yet profoundly impactful; it’s the science behind mind control or meditation: that there’s literally a world of difference between our thoughts, and our awareness OF them.
Our consciousness, the awareness OF our thoughts, is immutable. While our thoughts change constantly, our awareness of them never does; nothing affects it. It’s the only thing we can readily verify the existence of (without awareness we wouldn’t even realize we’re alive!) but which science can’t explain.
When it ‘clicks’ that the most miraculous aspect of yourself is eternal – that it isn’t born and doesn’t age, function or die in a tangible sense the way your body/mind does – it will change your perspective of life completely. You’ll see life from the inside out – upside down. The worldly things that might have otherwise consumed you (e.g., everything: money, health, relationships, desires and fears) – your energetic attachment to them will begin to fade away and all of life will become more precious.
My advice: contemplate, concentrate and meditate on the distinction between your thoughts and your awareness of them until the distinction ‘clicks’.
Once it does, forever afterwards you’ll feel freer and lighter. I wish this for everyone.
God bless, Skip 🙏❤️🕉
