We inhale oxygen and release carbon dioxide, while trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
We are not in the universe; we are the universe and it is us. Everything this universe is made up of, came from a singular, tiny point. No matter how far it expands, there’s nothing more and nothing less.
Stars come and go, planets die, entire species proliferate and go extinct. We briefly experience a human existence and move on. But no matter what, nothing is added to, nor subtracted from this universe. We are, have always been, and will always be the universe.
As Carl Sagan said, “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in or teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were all made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff.”
But then he says this, “The cosmos is within us. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
In our great intellect, it’s easy to outsmart ourselves and lose the connection of our being. Yoga is a Sanskrit word that means yoke; a connection or to unite. Through practice, we “reconnect” with all that is, including ourselves. At one, we are easier, calmer, and more at peace.
Having said that, yoga is a practice, not a destination, and we are only human. We are complicatedly simple and simply complicated. Getting angry, feeling sad, being happy, worried, fearful, loved, in love, rejected, passionate, apathetic, fulfilled, empty, and … well you get the picture. This is all part of who we are and it’s okay. It’s real.
Acting like a peaceful, enlightened guru is not yoga. It’s just posing. It’s not real. No one is at peace and happy 24/7, nor should we be. It is denying our nature, which further disconnects us. We cannot connect with our true being if we’re not honest with ourselves and authentic.
Painting flames on a car doesn’t make it fast. A lotus flower tattoo is not yoga. Yoga comes as a byproduct of practicing yoga … beyond just the poses and the image we want to project.
It is a way of being. The cosmos is within us. I’ll see you on the mat.
Cheers
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash
I Am No Yogi 