Samskara
/On the 3rd Day of Christmas, I screamed at my brother.
Have you noticed that when you visit your family you revert back to the behaviors and habits of your 16-year-old self?
Have you noticed how quickly you can be triggered when your brother or parent says something just the way they said it when you were a child?
Now 20, 30, 40 years later you are still reacting in the same way.
“a sufficient number of irritable reactions will create, imperceptibly, not in one time only, a little mound of irritability at the bottom of the lake of consciousness”
BKS Iyengar, pg 132 Light On Life.
It does not feel good when we behave this way, does it?
And fortunately or unfortunately we forget about the bottom or our lake as we’re only reminded of it once or twice a year when we spend time with family, then we very conveniently forget about it.
Let’s not sink it to the bottom one more time.
Today’s practice is in SAMSKARA - Freeing Yourself From Habit
“If you don’t …………………… for one day, you actually take away from the ……………………… sandbank at the bottom of the lake so the sandbank is fractionally smaller.”
BKS Iyengar, pg 134 Light On Life.
Are you ready to start shovelling this sandbank?
Remember these things build up over time and can only be removed over time. We’ve got to start somewhere and NOW is the best time to start.
OBSERVATION
Notice when you are triggered by family members’ comments. Notice the reactive and inappropriate reactions you have. Notice how these are reactions conditioned from your past.
PRACTICE
You can’t control what others say but you can control your response. Respond from the present moment, not the memory, or sandbank that piled up from years ago.
Change your tone of voice. Choose different words. Or perhaps the practice for you is not to say anything at all.:)
“The point we are seeking to reach is where we can act directly in the present”
BKS Iyengar, pg 137 Light On Life.
Begin the process of building good samskara. Your different response will be felt by all and mostly by you as it ripples deep to your core and washes away a layer of the sand pile.
“Yoga never forgets that the end purpose is not just to remove bad samskara. We also have to cultivate good deeds to build up good samskara.”
BKS Iyengar, pg 134 Light On Life.
If you are inspired by today’s practice and want to learn more you can read the following.
Page 131. ‘Samskara’. Light on Life by BKS Iyengar.
If you want to get on the mat with me and practice, I’m offering a 30 Day Trial of my Home Yoga Practice Membership for $1. Sign up now! This offer is only available for the 12 Days of Christmas.