The internet blows my mind. It truly does. It opens up new worlds, connects people, spawns new subcultures and provides expansion in unprecedented ways.
The internet has transformed my health, providing me with daily yoga sessions and cutting edge nutritional research and trends. But it also breeds extreme, and standards of behaviour that are not, despite what they blazon, healthy.
And so, with great strength, we have to seek a gentler balance from within ourselves. We have to centre. We need this, our souls need this.
"You don't have a soul,
You are a soul,
You are a soul,
That has a body".
I've definitely been feeling imbalanced lately, but am slowly drawing myself back to a strong centre. There are some days at work, though, fighting against the grain of small town minds, when my yogic outlook is less accepting of others and more:
But despite those days, I know that they are impermanent, and the choice to be mindful remains. As Patanjali, the ancient father of yoga said: developing inner happiness is a long term process, that needs persistence; with yoga and meditation (and, I hasten to say, in this day and age, choosing the media you surround yourself with wisely) you can create an inner peace that crashes through the chaos of the outside world. (Yes PLEASE!)
Yeah. It's takes practice. It takes work. And I love that, the focus that draws me in, seeking meaning in life through being. This is life. We can shift our perspective, rather than get washed away with the waves life sends our way. You can't be on a 'high' all the time, but can cultivate behaviours that promote inner bliss; a calm, strong, positive outlook can be your default.
Having recently discovered Ali Kamenova's wealth of free online power yoga practices, I've got something new to focus on, and a new motivation to work at inner and outer strength and balance (I find the two complement each other beautifully).
(Try these if you want yoga that's STRONG... )
It's all about balance.. when you fall out of Warrior III, what do you do? Do you give up? Or get back into balance? If you sway uncertainly in Dancer, do you try to compensate in the other direction, stabilising your core further to draw yourself back and 'dance' on your foot with the movement of your body? Or just let yourself fall?
When you get knocked off course, seek those influences that realign and inspire your inner calm and strength. They are the core foundations for balancing of your mind.
The internet can give you crazy, but it can also give you zen like you never knew possible. Browse wisely, think critically.
Namaste.
(Just namaste.)
