There are three words we do not like to say. Some of us don’t even know how to say them. And, these words are not ‘I love you.’
No, these words are much more insidious. These words signify vulnerability and imperfection. What are these words, you might ask…
I Don’t Know
Think about it. When was the last time you said ‘I don’t know’ without shame? When was the last time you celebrated not knowing as an opportunity to learn rather than a character flaw? If it’s been a while, you are not alone!
Because basically, none of us have a clue what we are doing. And, this is not a bad thing! What if we remembered that life is more of an exploration rather than a performance. What if we remembered that we are not meant to be ‘perfect’ and that no one is judging us? Would you play more? Try more handstands?
Yeah. Me too.
Celebrate The Inquiry
One of the fundamental teachings in the tradition of yoga is svadhyaya or self-inquiry. Yoga tells us to hang out with ourselves and ask questions. The practice implies not knowing!
The yogis knew that we were separated from our ultimate truth that and reminded us of the necessity of allowing for inquiry; self-inquiry is an essential teacher that bring us closer to our divinity. The importance of this cannot go unsaid. Knowing yourself means discovering yourself as divine. It means watching the ego, the 'shoulds' and the veil of import and taking them off. Knowing yourself means being friends with uncertainty. It means being. Not knowing. Being.
I was lovely reminded of this by a student of mine. She wrote to me:
Sometimes, I just want to say, "I don't know. Let's figure it out together." I feel like yoga is that place where I can put pride and perfection aside and truly be a student of myself and the practice.
What if we all celebrated being a student of life? My hunch is the answer will be awesome!
