Awaken:
What I invite in my Sadhana and in students that come see me is to tune into each moment as a moment to appreciate, be with what is, expand and grow. Not in an achieving kind of mentality, but more in a deep listening, loving, honest, clarity of discernment kind of way, in which each moment is infused with our fullest of consciousness.
It’s common for the spiritual seeker to get attached to their highs, attached to the mystical experience and attached to bliss and oneness, and then when one bumps up against the frictions of certain relationships they freak, crave and run looking for the high again. Right there, in that heat of being freaked is the moment to wake up. Right there, right here is where you do your inner work to “Awaken, Unify and Embody”, rather than just waiting until your next practice to get the release or the insight. Sure, often one might need to step out of the hot zone and retreat to the yoga mat etc, but what I’m inviting is for us to enter our labs of consciousness when we’re on the mat, on the cushion, in the tepee or in the kirtan or satsang, to refine our intelligence and open our hearts, to be able to wake up through those charged moments of separateness and illusion into a deeper love awareness. Awaken…
Unify:
Through consistency in focusing the mind, a sense of humour and discipline one can keep getting quieter and more expanded in one’s awareness, allowing for the heart to stay radiantly open. Through the quietening and expanding, one can start to unify, smoothing out the polarities of duality, allowing for the tranquillity and wisdom from within to shine forth.
Here’s an example of a typical mundane life moment that can be made into a unified and sacred moment; there’s a particular person that really triggers me. Now, sometimes when they’re doing their thing that triggers me I’ll be really centred and all their stuff is just passing through me and I don’t get tight or reactive at all. But sometimes they get me, and I get tight, defensive or unconsciously reactive. Now, it’s my yoga practice to observe my reactivity, appreciate what is, and by giving space to the thoughts, the emotions etc, at the same time allowing and looking for the silent intelligence within to rise (the silent gap in between each thought. The gap at the top and bottom of the breath etc) it opens up a space of peace and resilience. Usually when this inner alchemy takes place and I get really quiet and peaceful, the trigger dissipates and the other person all of a sudden stops being so annoying. As one keeps practicing this depth of quietening it can take one from individual differences and separateness, into a deeper soul connection, into total connectivity… total oneness. To unify, is to bring these seemingly different dimensions into the One Whole, not just in the easy moments but also the challenging moments. It’s often said that the yoga of relationship is the most advance yoga. Where can you bring a bit more yoga? Unify…
Embody:
A common approach to the paths of awakening is that for one to truly be free they need to renounce everything. This is understandable too, as yes, money can be very distracting and stressful, relationships can be challenging, worldly responsibilities can knock us from our centre, and we all know how easy it is to get unhealthily attached to stuff. It’s definitely easier to get really quiet and peaceful when we kind of escape life.
We’re in these interesting times where people are waking up to spirit in all kinds of life circumstances. Many people are having these massive awakenings into a unified awareness, but they don’t have the opportunity to go on in depth spiritual pilgrimages, long retreats and courses. They’re being forced to bring these awakenings into fully embodied, relational awareness. To be eternal spirit at the same time as a grounded, balanced
human being. Embody…
Awaken – Unify – Embody is about diving deep into the Heart of our true nature, being that spirit of Truth, at the same time embodying that expansiveness into any and all the aspects of our life.
As we all know, this path can get challenging, so through these retreats, courses, classes and the online community a support system is growing, helping everyone go deeper into shedding any old stories, fears and doubts, therefore merging deeper into this exquisite balance we
call Yoga.
Peace and Blessings,
Stuart