Change
/On the 9th Day of Christmas, I was innovative and made a change.
Guruji writes about the subtle difference between innovation and inventing because they are often mixed up but there is an important difference.
The difference is between doing something new or doing something different.
When we do things new, we create change and this is what we are seeking as yoga practitioners.
“Yoga tries to help us to truly innovate, to develop the intelligence that allows us to create a new relationship to our ego and our world”
BKS Iyengar pg 123 Light On Life.
We are all guilty of repeatedly responding to an unfavourable situation with the same response but just in a different way, each time hoping to change the situation.
But until we respond to the situation in a NEW way we will find ourselves in the same predicament time and time again.
Let me give you an example I am sure you can relate to.
Today’s practice is in CHANGE - through innovation
I will summarise Guruji’s example to help differentiate for you the difference between innovation and invention and real change.
If someone repeatedly makes you angry, you keep responding to them with anger. The angry response may be different each time, you might use different words and actions but the response is the same, it is anger.
The day you chose not to respond with anger something new has happened and there is potential for change.
Are you with me?
OBSERVATION
Recall a recurring situation in your life that has the same undesirable outcome.
For example, your child continues to leave their shoes on the couch and you repeatedly nag them to move them.
Choose a situation that reoccurs often so you are given many chances to practice this exercise.
It won’t necessarily be easy to change how you respond to that situation, especially if it has been recurring for some time and you are in the habit of responding in a certain way.
PRACTICE
When the situation arises that you have identified in the previous step remember you have a choice. The choice to behave in a different way or a new innovative way and see change.
“That is the role of intelligence: to stop, to discern, to discriminate, to intervene.”
BKS Iyengar pg 126 Light on Life.
The practice is to write a list of 5 NEW ways you could respond to the situation you want to change.
STOP - so that you do not respond in the same habitual way. Catch yourself.
DISCERN - you have a choice. You are now at the fork in the road. The choice might be hard but it is simple.
DISCRIMINATE - The faculty of discrimination will aid you to choose a new path, not an easy path.
INTERVENE - You are now taking part in something NEW so as to prevent or alter a result or course of events.
If you would like to read further on this see pg 126 onwards in Light on Life.
If your repeating problem is ‘should I practice or what should I practice?’, I have an excellent strategy for something NEW.
There are just a few more days to take up my offer for a 30 Day Trial of my Home Yoga Practice Membership for $1. Which will give you so much choice for NEW ways to practice.