SKILL INTO ACTION
โ๐๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ช๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ช๐ ๐ง๐ฉ๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ง๐ฉ๐ |
๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ข๐๐๐ฎ๐ค๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ช๐๐ฎ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐จ๐ช ๐ ๐๐ช๐จ๐๐ก๐๐ข || (2.50)โ
โ๐ข๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ, ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ, ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ต ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐; ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ, ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐๐ผ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ด๐ฎ! ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.โ
The above passage is one of my favourite verses from the Bhagavad Gita. When this piece of wisdom arrived, it struck me like thunder. At this time, I was unenthusiastically attending a Yoga philosophy class in a period of my Yoga path characterised by the soreness of too much heartbreak. My spiritual naรฏvetรฉ had been tarnished by a number of deceptions prevalent in the Yoga world - cult-like behaviours, hierarchical structures, denial served with emotional and spiritual bypassing, lack of congruence between the business models in the Yoga industry and the values professed, patriarchy. In addition, fall-outs with close collaborators with the bitter flavour of the absence of tools in common to deal with conflicts.
And then, I read this verse.
Like a drop of water for a thirsty soul, it reframed my concept of Yoga and its meaning. My existential Yoga crisis began to transform. I could envision an all-encompassing Yoga, take the skills I was developing within the practice of asana and breathโembodiment, dedication, awareness, attention, patience, rhythm, temperance, resilience, depth of perspective, loving kindnessโand their effect on my neurobiology and my interior world, to later extend my practice off the mat as these skills were reflected in my day-to-day actions, my choices, my relationships, my workspace, and in the way I participate in creating the world I inhabit. Without expecting reality around me to immediately change, praise my actions, or give me โinstant karmaโ. Instead, trusting that every moment in life has the potential of transforming into profound experiences of growth.
The Bhagavad Gita instructs us to act. To act skilfully, and leave the results to a greater intelligence beyond ours.
This is the Yoga practice I wish to share. Not a whitewashed, self-serving Yoga stripped of its philosophical relevance, focused only on performative asanas or ego. Rather, Yoga that invites the body, the mind and the Spirit to the practice. A practice that restores the pleasure of life in our bodies, supports our neurochemistry, gives space for self-reflection, stimulates neuroplasticity, visits a deeper sense of Self, grows emotional intelligence, refines our actions, connects with the Whole, and expands our human experience for us and all our relationships.
I invite all these inseparable parts of you to come to Yoga.
By Daniela Fuentes