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So many of our teachers and influential people in our lives speak of intention. This one word, one thought, has a variety of outcomes, all based on its own intention.

You have a thought, plant a seed, and given the amount of nourishment you provide, it may have an opportunity to germinate, grow, and blossom. There are even moments where it may wilt. But the important thing to SEE, is the CHANGE that occurs THROUGHOUT its TIME.

SEE CHANGE THROUGHOUT TIME

Intention short lived is merely desire…

Intention long lived is passion…

Intention through a lifetime is purpose…

So how do you relate to your intentions, and what type of focus do you have around your thoughts, actions, and outcomes? The moment you stop to realize what is fleeting versus something you can cultivate, and may take time and lots of energy to fulfill, is the opportunity to pivot and continue down the path of your dharma.

So when I think of “Reflections” I immediately jump to the idea of Mulan – for those of us who grew up with Disney. “Who is that [girl/boy] I see, staring straight back at me?”

This week we’re focusing quite a bit on Manipura, the 3rd Chakra, which focuses on our sense of self. The 7 Chakras of the body tend to be cyclical in nature, and we constantly find ourselves back in reflection, asking, “Who am I?” And I believe this to be a very healthy attitude. Why not reflect on new experiences and life changes to redefine, “Who am I?”

Take time to constantly go through these questions, and you may find that over time, your answers change:

– What are my likes & dislikes?

– Do my desires still serve me and my community?

– Do I practice what I believe?

– How do I feel about these choices?

Use these questions to help guide you through times when you feel lost. Introspection is an important skill that will help you to discover the WHY to your attachments. It may give you opportunities to make the first step to also work towards removing your suffering.

I spent a week in Chicago, admittedly one of the best cities in the US (behind SF of course). What made this trip so great, outside of the decent food, friendly people, and diverse cultures was the introspective opportunity I gained while staying at a historic hotel, The Palmer House, for the whole week.

Arriving on Monday, I was assigned a 17th floor room – yay, nearly to the top! And as old as the hotel was (rebuilt after the Chicago fire of 1871), not a bad elevator ride up.

Rebuilt as a 20 story hotel, it feigns in the height of the skyscrapers like the Trump Tower.

Nearing the middle of the week, the hotel became a lot more busy, and wait times for the elevators proved to be testing my patience. I came up with the “elevated” idea that I would just take the stairs. Here’s a recap:

1st Floor: I’m ready!

5th Floor: Stabilize my knees, pray my joints don’t give out…

10th Floor: Wow! My heart is really beating… Everywhere!

17th Floor: I sit on my bed and my back seizes up. Who would have thought that walking up stairs took core?

So the narrative above doesn’t include the whole story. What I found the entire way (in my head):

3rd Floor: “I’ve got this, I’m a yogi, athlete, and everyone else is easily walking up the stairs.”

7th Floor: “Let’s pick up the pace, I can’t be slower than these people 10+ years my senior.”

15th Floor: “How many more flights? I should be able to do this. Suck it up, Bryant!”

And this is where my attachment to the idea or expectation that I should be able to do something, clouds my thoughts. Instead of being present – instead of mindfully accepting my current situation, I pushed myself harder based off my personal judgement, of myself! Sound familiar?

Practicing non-attachment (vairagya) could have prevented any physical harm that might have come to my body if there had been more floors. Consider, if my body had given out earlier on? Would hurting my ego have been worse than a physical wound that could potentially take a lifetime to heal?

And so we continue on as students, reflecting on these moments that test our ego, mind, and practice. 

Celebrate your independence! When we think about independence, many times we remind ourselves of where we came from and what freedoms were attained. And while we celebrate our state’s independence as a national holiday, remind yourself of the current state that you live in.

What is your state of mind? What freedoms from dependence have you been able to overcome? It is in these moments that you have found release from some attachment, some amount of suffering, and a reliance on an idea that facilitates happiness.

So cherish the moments of change within yourself, but remember to hold compassion for those who haven’t yet found their own independence, in whatever state of mind, state of being, and state of heart we’ve all yet to discover.

Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu ~ BC

Is a perceived void the same thing as emptiness?

Inherently, a “VOID” implies that it is something to fill. Until it is filled with something, it won’t be whole and will not be satiated. We think of VOIDs to be black holes that suck everything in with no idea if it will ever close.

This desire is a misinterpretation, as a VOID is a false perception. A VOID is simply another label applied by your ego to an idea that you are not whole. If you seek the external world to fill yourself, or even practice mindfulness with the intent of bringing more awareness to the internal self – as long as there is a container to fill, you will suffer.

“If I practice yoga, I will be more spiritual, and that spirit will make me more whole than others who don’t.”

“If I make lots of money and have an ascending career, I will be valued more than those with less.”

“If I travel the world, I will have more experiences, and those experiences will make me more whole than others.”

“If I have more friends, my social equity will rise, and I will feel full of love.”

No matter what you are filling that container with, it will not sustain itself, and thus your desires will never dissipate. Until you remove the container – the label – will emptiness truly set in, and your perceptions will find clarity.

AUM Namah Shivaya ~ Bryant