The power of Self-Knowledge
Yoga is more than exercise that lead to a healthy body. When practiced in its fullest form, it is a path towards the remembrance of our union with God (the Divine, Universal Consciousness, etc. what you call it is irrelevant to me). I believe that there is no place God is not and from my experience, God is in me and in you, she/he is the essence in the seed that becomes an oak tree and the knowledge in a caterpillar’s cells that makes it become a butterfly and take the same migratory path as her ancestors. It is the energy or prana that creates and sustains life. I can feel it best when I stand by the ocean, look at the stars, feel love, or gaze into someone’s eyes at their soul. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjalia, an ancient yogic text that lays out the steps towards this union states in sutra 1.16 that “when an individual has achieved complete understanding of his true self, he will no longer be disturbed by the distracting influences within and around him.”
On my own path of yoga, self-study, and quiet contemplating I continue to learn more about who I actually am. I am not this body, my education, my titles, my old patterns, or even who I think I am.
At the most microscopic level, I am energy.
I am nature.
I am a piece of the divine, universal consciousness.
I am a spiritual being, having a human experience.
By facing and embracing the darkest parts of myself and understanding that with all my flaws, I am still a piece of God, I have started to develop compassion towards myself that has begun to radiate out to others. Without realizing it, I used to project the unhealed parts of myself onto those around me. This looked like me judging others and blaming people and circumstances for my problems, which saved me from taking responsibility for my own destiny. But as I summoned up the courage to face and later befriend those dark corners of my psyche, I was able to stop creating my own suffering and start taking responsibility for my own happiness. Through self-study, I have come to know and accept myself and grow by first becoming conscious of and then breaking free of my old patterns. This of course is still a work in progress, but it continues to become easier. Another benefit of getting to know myself better is that my understanding of others has also shifted. It is now much easier to see that everyone is on their own unique journey and that they may not even be aware of how they are trying to project the unconscious parts of themselves onto me. When this happens I can now meet them with awareness and compassion, seeing them as divine beings and in doing so, I can hold space for their pain, instead of making their behavior about me; which creates less suffering for them and for me. This journey back home to myself has been a long one but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Last week, I heard Julie Piatt, an author and yoga teacher state “There is nothing more powerful than a being that knows itself.” I couldn’t agree more!
If you are ready to start your journey toward knowing yourself, I would love to assist you on your journey. Email me at seethebeautywithjulie@gmail.com to schedule a coaching session with me.
