YOGA - WEST OF THE NARROWS

In the momentous occasion that occurred this month in viewing the eclipse, I had a thought; It is funny how things that are there, causing effect (aka the New Moon), don't always appear to be until the conditions become just right. It got me thinking about some of the things we hide, disguise, or simply don't acknowledge that are always there and actively important, but not evident to the naked eye.

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"CONSCIOUS INTENTION COLORS AND MOVES EVERYTHING." - MASTER HSING YUN

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Whether good or bad, intention makes the world go 'round. It would be ideal if all intentions were good, but let's face it - we're human. We fall prey to our own conditioning and fears, causing us to occasionally do things with less than par intention, usually cleverly utilizing the veil that hides our selfish motivations.

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But what if we all had eclipse-viewing glasses? What if everyone's intentions were on display, uncovered in their raw form? Surely, we would first seek to explain our shortcomings and why we are the way we are, in hopes of alleviating the guilt and displacing blame. But all of that is not what matters. The intention carries a tell-all. It reveals your hopes, fears, joys and dislikes. It speaks to the stories that molded you and experiences that were etched into your memory.

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The topic of intention leads me to ponder the 1st & 2nd Yama in the 8 Limbs of Yoga, as well as the 4th Niyama.

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In the Yamas, we discover the observance of non-violence (Ahimsa) and truth (Satya). We should aim to visit and our intentions and make sure they are not causing harm. In addition, we should be monitoring how accurately we are revealing our intentions. Do you place on a proud poker face while holding a deck of low cards?

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The 4th Niyama of self-study (Svadhyaya) we are encouraged to explore this with each action. What are your intentions? Is what you are saying and doing in line with this? By doing so, we have a chance to catch ourselves before letting an ill-intentioned action (possibly gossiping about a friend) slip out in to the world causing harm and avoid the untruthfulness of the excuse of why you feel it's permissible (pretending sharing the news of a friend is out of concern when really maybe you are tickled by their affairs and enjoy the high of sharing).

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I like the earlier quote because, although we often blame other things for our actions (The Devil made me do it!), we should acknowledge our conscious motivation that lies behind the scenes.....not necessarily subconscious. Let's not create a scapegoat out of our subconscious, but rather be humble enough to look at our actions and determine what our intention was, and more importantly - why. Exploring the root of intentions, whether positive or not, is a bona fide way to study and understand yourself better.

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"THE AUTHENTIC SELF IS THE SOUL MADE VISIBLE." - SARAH BAN BREATHNACH

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When mind/thought, words and actions align - truth is manifested, intention is revealed and authenticity shines bright. May the path towards pure and ethical intention be a way to reveal our authentic selves to others, as well as ourselves, in order to understand what makes us tick, how we tock, and how a light and some glasses could be useful to unveil the truth of both.

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Namaste, Yogis!