I have learned through yogic practice that I create my reality from the inside out. Or as James Allen writes, "The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs."
This means our FROM is as important as our TO; where our thoughts initiated our current state of being gives us insight into habits, creativity, awareness and intentions. It all began way before we are living it now.
Your Intention Reflects In How You Practice
I come to the mat to purposefully create the conditions that I want to experience in my outer life. For instance, if I want more ease then I practice the poses in an easeful way. If I want more enthusiasm then I perform the asanas joyfully!
If I need more courage then I face my fears of going upside down and stoke my courage. Whatever I want my world to be more of, I practice thusly on the mat so it reflects back to me when I leave the studio.
I have learned that the conditions I create in the workshop of my mind relate not only to the next moment, but sequentially to life’s moments that follow. The Buddha must have realized this long ago when he wrote, “All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.”
Where You’ve Been Will Guide Where You’re Going
We should live purposely from where we are now with focused intention on where we are going. If we don’t pay attention to our FROM, it is easy to become distracted and feel lost. Using yoga and meditation to help concentrate allows us to organize our drive, and turn it into undistracted energy. This, in turn, is quite powerful as a force forward. It is this laser-like focus to accomplish our intentions.
On the mat, the thoughtful teacher takes one part, one stage (krama) at a time to help achieve amazing class experiences. We place our hands, lay our foundation in a Downward Dog, direct our energy from the focal point of our hearts to our legs and arms, feet and hands.
Each movement leads logically to the next. If you pay attention, you may notice that the micro of your full detailed attention brings the macro of our life into clearer view.
Designing where we see the next stage of our life comes from knowing where we are now. The knowledge of our from keeps us in tune to what we are moving towards. Love yourself, love your day, love your life!
