The real aim of any yoga practice is to be yourself, just as you are. It is ironic that we have to “practice” being who we are. Because the rest of society is hell-bent on making “progress”, we default to thinking that on the path we have to make ourselves better, more aligned or more enlightened. Dissatisfied with who we are, the whole practice can become a project in self-improvement. Now, while it’s valuable to hone your skills—mastering your backhand in tennis, memorizing a poem, becoming faster at Wordle—what people need most is to give themselves permission to just be. The path of practice is not about making progress. We only need to shed the shoulds that confine us, so that our spirit can roam freely through the world.
We are each born with an indwelling awareness, the precious Buddha nature. You are not here to improve on creation. You need not prove your significance or get better. In truth, when people strive to improve themselves they end up suffering and the whole practice becomes a game of cat and mouse. Rather, utilize your practice to realize the gift you’ve been given. As Thomas Meton once said, “We have what we seek, it is there all the time, and if we take time it will make itself known to us”. So take an hour each day to sit in the open wonder of awareness. Exhaust your word and empty your thoughts. Open all the windows and doors to the temple of your self, and rest in the beauty of just being. Relax any impulse to become better. Accept into your heart all that arises and rest in the sublime feeling of being just as you are.
Photo: Vadim Sadovski/ Unsplash
