Chapter 13

Love is the antidote to fear. If you can face your fears with love they will melt away in the presence of your true self. Only love is real anyway. Fear is just an illusion of the false self, the material world. It is the ego's deceptive way of making you believe that you are smaller than you are, that you are defined by what you have. Love is limitless and love is who you are. Ask yourself what your biggest fear is today. You might be afraid of sharing yourself fully for fear of rejection. You might be engaging in controlling or manipulative behaviors out of fear of losing something valuable. Or you might be blocking your success or your next step out of fear. Don't wage a war against fear. Just love so fiercely, so completely, so purely that your inner light radiates outward and dissolves the chains of fear. Don't wait until you feel confident, let love rule now, get the courage somewhere along the way.

All obstacles are chains from the past. Called the antarayas in Sanskrit, the nine clearly stated obstacles along the spiritual path are sickness, stuckness, doubt, apathy, indecision, laziness, addiction to sensory pleasure, recidivism and instability. Meeting one of these obstacles along the inner road isn't a sign you're going in the wrong direction. Instead, it's a sign you are moving directly along the inner path.  The antarayas cannot be overcome with force and struggle. The more you fight them the worse they get. Find yourself complaining? You're probably feeding the obstacles. Think you're free? They come at you like an undertow and drag you down. So what can you do as a yogi to overcome the instances? It is only through the fire of purification and devotional practice that you find freedom. What obstacles are you working to overcome right now? What is your biggest impediment to sincere practice? Instead of beating yourself up about it, recognize that meeting one of these obstacles is confirmation of your spiritual journey. When you meet the obstacle don't try to fight it dead on. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Tune in to the inner body. Kneel down at the innermost temple of the self and ask for the chains of the obstacles to be broken. Hear the quiet voice of wisdom that speaks to you from your heart center. Your true self is not defined by anything in this world. See yourself through eyes of spirit and be free. 

Sorrow. Inconsolable sadness. The overwhelming heartache of losing a loved one. There is not one amongst us who has not felt it in one form or another. Out of the deepest sorrow we yearn most poignantly for peace. From the depths of loss we find the strength to rise up in power. Called Karuna in Sanskrit, as yogis we offer compassion to those who are suffering. Let us join together in our hearts and minds, bow our heads down and place our hands in prayer for ten deep breaths. In silence let us pray for peace amidst the sorrow, not only for ourselves, but for the families in Oregon who have lost their children. Let our hearts be moved with empathy, care and kindness. Let our resolve be steadied to make the changes in our personal lives and in our world to do what must be done to make our world a more peaceful place. Open your eyes, your hearts and your minds. Take no moment for granted. Tell the people in your life today that you love them. With grace and faith all healing in ourselves and in our world is possible. 

Yoga is a solitary journey. It is an inner path that must be walked slowly and steadily with your own effort. No one can do it for you and you can't cheat or cut any corners or make any bargains along the spiritual path. You need the support of friends and community, but you must make a personal commitment to the yoga life every single day. To be a yogi is choose strength over weakness, love over fear, humility over entitlement, peace over aggression, faith over doubt, surrender over force. 

Only by taking time each day to quiet the mind and listen deeply will you truly learn to hear the quiet voice of wisdom that speaks to you from your heart. Only by knowing yourself will you be able to know your world. In silence and solitude it is just you and the spirit within in deep communion. Quiet the mind. Withdraw the senses from the external world. Discover the inner body. Drop down to the deepest self within. Take five to ten minutes of solitude, away from your phone, computer or any other stimulation. Close your eyes, turn the mind's attention to the spirit within. Feel the breath of life enter you, like a warm white light that washes over you, cleansing and nourishing your soul. Let it fill you up from the inside until you overflow. Recharge, rest, restore. 

One kind word can change a person's day. One harsh word can break a person's heart. Think about how many casual words are dropped in your average exchange. What was the intention behind those words? Do you speak positivity or negativity? Do you seek to encourage the growth, happiness and love in your life? Speech is such an important part of relationship and communication. Take a decision to speak only words of life to yourself and others. If you offer negative feedback let it come from a place of love and positive encouragement. 

 Tell the people in your life that you think they are awesome, that you believe in them, that you're in their corner. You can't say it enough. Knowing that your friends and family have your back is sometimes all the encouragement you need to take a bold step forward into living the life you dream of. My parents encouraged me to go to India after I was practicing Ashtanga Yoga for only a few months. Although thy hated the idea of their only child skipping out on a summer internship to travel across the world, they saw the positive change yoga brought to my life and wanted only to encourage that.  Speak words of life and that one word may change someone's life. Because you believe in someone maybe they will believe in themselves. Tag someone who needs to hear that you believe in them today. 

I hate conflict. I want everything to be good. I believe there is a peaceful solution to every problem. But sometimes you've got to stand up for yourself and what you're worth. Don't back down and don't let people push you around. Don't settle for something that is less than you're worth. Stand up for yourself and hold people accountable for their actions and their promises.

Respond to any difficulty with this holy trinity and you will always find your way. If you're missing one you will almost always find yourself off course. If you have love and wisdom but no power then you'll end up selling yourself short. If you have power and wisdom but no love you'll ending up creating more hurt and damaging yourself and others. If you have love and power but no wisdom you might end up making a bigger mess than when you started. Wait for all three to be present and only then take action. Don't rush. Don't force. Sit tight. Keep the faith. The next step forward will be revealed when the time is right for you to take it. And maybe not a moment before. Be strong.