Integration
“And the degree to which we defend our reaction is usually a strong indicator that we are in the vicinity of our personal blind spot.” This spot is where the integration begins. The practice of taking your practice, your intention, off the mat.”
- Donna Farhi
You may have heard me mention this before, but before yoga came into my life I was continuously riding waves of anger, depression and low self worth. My temper was quick, there was no reason to get out of bed in the morning, I partied and posed as way to fit in. My inner voice only spoke critical or cynical. My poor choices and inauthentic behavior created a constant downward spiral. Looking back I can clearly see that I was searching a struggling with the questions “Who am I and What is My Purpose?”
Merriam Webster defines integration as, “to form, coordinate, or blend into a functioning or unified whole.”
While yoga is often translated into meaning “union”, there can be a disconnect for how practitioners take the lessons off the mat. This may be because the majority of yoga practiced is asana and/or the student goes to their mat as an escape from the stresses and problems going on in their life.
You see, the union of yoga is not only formed from connecting movement, breath and focus of the mind for one hour a day, but from the connection of the whole system of yoga. This system includes Yamas (how we interact with the world around us), Niyamas (duties toward ourselves), Asana (with the goal not to stand on our head but to be able to sit comfortable and steady), Pranayama (breathing techniques to control or free the mind), Pratyahara (present in the moment without distraction), Dharna (holding a focused concentration), Dhyana (Meditation), Samadhi (Bliss).
Like a lot of people, I stepped onto a yoga mat for exercise. While I always left feeling better, I didn’t think much about the lovely words the teacher wove into class once I left.
My first big AHA moment came while riding a crowded subway train to work one morning. I was completely surrounded and pushed against by people. Being short I couldn’t even see over anyone’s head. It was suffocating. Combined with the sounds of the muffled conductor, brakes squealing on the tracks, I could feel my heart racing then…. I took a long deep breath. Not only did I take a deep breath, I was aware I took it. Hmmmmm
Years later, like 10 years later, I took a yoga immersion weekend where for the first time was introduced to the system of yoga and all its moving pieces. It started to click. I felt empowered. But, it came with a responsibility. For it to work I had to do the work and not just on my mat. It was up to me to study, be consistent and continue to grow my awareness.
Recently I started reading the book, Bringing Yoga to Life by Donna Farhi. Wow! It takes this complex system and presents it in an amazingly clear way. Every single one of her words is perfectly chosen. I highly recommend it to anyone curious about how to live their yoga in their human form in the human world.
