My EGO in Yoga

Inspiration: To continue to be aware of when my ego is taking over the experience.

Yoga, yoga, yoga and more yoga. The choices, classes and teachers are endless. The best way to decide is to feel what is right for you in the moment. This past weekend, I felt a yin for devotion. So I sought out a new teacher who I never practiced with before.

So at 3pm on Sunday, I find myself at Jivamukti yoga. A place I have practiced at on and off for years, depending on what I needed.  Class usually begins with chanting and devotion. But on this day we started with some puttering in downdog and chaturanga. Then began the devotional piece. What I was hoping for was something uplifting, transformative that invoked a specific god or goddess. Instead what we received was " Lokah  Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu"...translation:

May all beings everywhere be happy and free and may the thoughts words and actions of my own life in some way contribute to that happiness and freedom for all...Beautiful, right?

Not for me. Not at that moment. My EGO wanted something more, greater.  I was annoyed, especially since we chanted this endlessly ( at least it felt that way). But after the teacher began to explain devotion more eloquently, I slowly began to dissolve my judgments and allow surrender in. When the first tune began to play, I loved it! It uplifted me... Needless to say, after listening more closely, the chant was Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu.

Class was beautiful, ecstatic and flowing. Tamir Samir is a lovely teacher. Another example of me softening my ego in yoga ."You can't always get what you want, you get what you need"...RStones
 Have a very "peaceful" day.

With Love, Denise