In the tantric philosophy of yoga, yoga means wholeness, to yoke or join together. This is distinct from the classical yoga definition which orients to the goal of kaivalya: to abide in one's soul (and not placing as much value on the more transitory aspects of humanity, such as our bodies, emotions, and thoughts).
Personally, my practice of yoga and meditation is geared toward the tantric aspect of wholeness and integration, bringing our souls / essential selves fully into our bodies, our relationships, and into the world. One of the ways we can practice to embody the tantric philosophy of wholeness and interconnectedness, is to join together the different aspects of ourselves. To be human includes how we:
- Inhabit our human bodies
- Befriend and connect with our emotions
- Discover our needs and values
- Honor our vulnerabilities as well as our strengths and gifts
- Honor the past and how we got here
- Be in touch with love and purpose and light and possibility
- To include the places where we have less development and unconscious patterns, (both personal & collective)
- Open to learning and to witness our impact on others,
- Align our actions with all these aspects of ourselves in a way that serves our connection, sense of belonging, growth, love, and serves the well-being of all of us.
It's not a small goal, this turning toward wholeness! Living our yoga is a process not a destination. Every moment is an invitation to start again. Unity is a process, and the first step is with our most intimate circle of intimacy - our own selves.
Our practice is quite simple really even as practice includes all aspects of ourselves in some way. Breath and movement and stillness, sensing and feeling, refining our perception, discovering, and most of all caring for ourselves compassionately. Each of us is an inseparable part of the whole that is comprised of each of us, all other species and nature itself. We practice to remember, to turn toward the embodiment of this yoga as unity: day by day, moment by moment, breath by breath.
You can find my current classes, and other ways to work with me, here.
