Why do we practice
yoga? Hatha is the physical part which improves the strength, balance and flexibility
of the body. The philosophy such as Kriya
yoga (which means balance in all things) is a guide for living a spiritual life.
With both we encounter obstacles. Sometimes the body has been neglected,
injured or is sick and struggles with the poses. With the philosophy we struggle
with the obstacles of life. Without the practice such as that in Kriya we can never overcome these obstacles.
The obstacles
are ignorance, egotism, attachment, hatred and clinging to physical life. The
order of these obstacles is important because from ignorance (unawareness) of
self comes egotism and from egotism we get attached to things for the egos pleasure.
Because the things we get attached to do not come our way or are taken from us
we develop hatred and resentment. And finally because we are attached to things
and afraid of death we cling to life.
We cannot
overcome all of these obstacles in one yoga class or a hundred yoga classes,
but we can begin today to focus on building strength, balance and flexibility. These
are the basic elements for overcoming the obstacles of life.
Let’s get started;
To overcome
the obstacles is to reach a state of complete peace and serenity. We may struggle with ignorance, with the ego,
with attachment, hatred and clinging to life, but if we practice yoga with sincerity
we will eventually be able to bring balance, strength and flexibility to our
lives; body, mind and soul; and the obstacles will subside.
Doctor Lynn
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