Pura Vida. Pure Living. Bliss. Existing in your perfect consciousness and authentic expression. Yoga. Perfectly connected and balanced mind, body, and spirit.
Our life experience and consciousness is defined by how many things change in our lives, and I'm going to encourage that you embrace a heck of a lot more change and a lot less strict routine to heighten your life experience and be more aware, present, and balanced. Once we get in a rut in our practice, our life, our activities and thoughts we create what we call in yoga samskaras. These are patterns and pathways our energy takes and the more defined and determined the samskara, the more limited our awareness and experience as our brain creates neurological pathways to reinforce behaviors, perspectives, and thought patterns.
To live pure, or free of these binding patterns we must be consciously aware and open to the constant flux the universe exists within. When we open our minds to what more there can be, the brain is happy to create new pathways for the infinite potential of experiences in existence.
For example, in your yoga practice, you may find yourself anticipating the next movement or breath pattern, but frequently the teacher asks you to do something different even though your anticipation had you starting something else, which suggests a lack of true presence and awareness of the moment.
If we live purely and consciously we can stay whole and present in the moment and learn to react to what is and not just what we are expecting. Our reactions then are based off of the current situation and not pre-existing knowledge and patterning giving us the opportunity to move outside of the samskaras and previous neruo-pathways to new pathways and the ability to grow and evolve in each moment.
In doing this, we often are able to free ourselves of pre-conceived ideas that bring stress and suffering to our being and the yamas and niyamas (the first two set of practices in the yoga system) become effortless in the process. By relieving unnecessary stressors from our lives, our physiology begins to shift and our fascia begins to relax. This enables the body to become more open and regenerate at a higher rate, which then leads to less discomfort and a greater range of motion in the physical practice of yoga and a more full experience off the mat in life.
To be present is to be whole. To be whole is to truly be yourself and not what others have tried to make you.
Give it a try and be surprised at what reveals itself to you in your experiences.
