This month on the AWC Virtual Studio, our theme of all our practices is ALIGNMENT. This buzz word is thrown around a lot, so I wanted to explore it further in the context we will be exploring it.
First of all what is alignment? We talk a lot about alignment in Asana class, for example by bringing our hips into alignment in Warrior 1 etc. This is one way we use this term 'alignment', but this month we are exploring alignment more holistically.
Let's start by exploring what if feels like to be mis-aligned. For me it's a feeling of disconnect- a lack of awareness of my body, mind, emotions, values and desires. It's when the stress response takes over, automatically, and I start moving mechanically rather than intuitively. It's the moment awareness leaves us and our ability to choose is hijacked by reacting to whatever is thrown our way. Mis-alignment is also a gut feeling that I have when I'm directing my energy and effort towards things that really give little or no meaning/purpose or positivity to my life.
To reclaim alignment is to regain awareness. The moment we choose to become aware is when the re-centering process begins. Our Yogic practices always lead us to Re-Alignment. The very process of Yoga is spiritual alignment, steeped in cultivating awareness in everything that we do. What exactly are we aligning? In the simplest terms our selves with our SELF. Our True Self. The very essence of who we are- our Satchitananda (truth, consciousness, bliss), the part of our being that is always at peace, ever wise, always blissful. We know this place to be true because we have had moments of experiencing this, and are constantly longing for this. It's our birthright, and it is in the HERE and NOW. There's no searching for it, because it is YOU.
I envision this like a a river of energy always flowing and ever present. Everyone's river has it's own unique path to take, dams to break, obstacles in the way, but nonetheless always flowing. Sometimes we are caught up with the obstacle, sometimes we are course correcting and sometimes we are so off course we are swimming upstream, drowning and fighting our natural flow. Then, as we tune into the truth of who we are, and drop all the fears, worries and stress, we relax into the flow of our river and the energy moves effortlessly and we just 'know' that we are in alignment. Often in this state things just seem to happen, like the universe is conspiring with us- opening doors, bringing us opportunities and opening us up to the wisdom of any given moment. This is alignment. It's not just dumb luck or only reserved for a few to experience- it's when we open our hearts to give and receive love fully, when we drop the fear, worry, insecurity, need to achieve or be anything that we are not, and instead being in total acceptance of who we are, right here and right now.
A practice to try:
Ram Dass uses the affirmation, "I am loving awareness". I am loving awareness
s, I am loving awareness... say it with me know "I am loving awareness"- keep repeating while noticing your breath and all that expands from within you and around you. Open your heart to receive with loving awareness and release that back to the world around you. Do this throughout your day. Get into your unique 'flow' and let the universe respond to you, as you drop the effort and simple be who you ARE.
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