May 2012: Don't Hide Your Light Under a Bushel

May 2012: Don't Hide Your Light Under a Bushel...

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us... There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you..." ~ Marianne Williamson
Enlightenment is about becoming more conscious, about being our unique Selves completely, not about hiding, or conforming, even to a yoga community's standard or expectation. We are alive to be individuals, to lose all the layers of non-self: all of the conditioned-beliefs that we unconsciously absorbed and never questioned, all of the fears and mirages of inadequacy we acquired along the way. As we peel back these layers we find the light of our heart revealed, our individual charm, skills, passions and personality, and as we live fully and vibrantly, we give ourSelves like a gift to this world.


How do we peel back the layers? Mindfulness.. being present. How do we acquire that skill? Practice.. in daily life, especially perhaps, through our yoga and meditation practices.
Reality is laden with oxymorons, and the big one here is that mindfulness develops our objective observation skills.. the more objectively we observe ourselves and our world, the more we know ourSelves subjectively. The more we know ourSelves subjectively, the more we can understand others and universal principles.


I use capitalization carefully... the capital S on Self means our deepest or highest Self.. the Self connected to the whole, the Self without all of the non-self baggage and obstacles attached longer. The self is the whole package before we begin develop mindfulness and along the way, where the ego (non-self) still gets the better of us. But although we are all basically in this boat, as soon as we begin practicing mindfulness, the Self outshines the self increasingly so. We spend more and more time feeling whole and confident as opposed to chaotic and blocked.


You are doing no-one a favor by supressing your creative force and individuality. Just note that this doesn't mean that we should have or do whatever we want at the expense of others.. that means harming animals, the earth or other humans with our choices. However, dressing how we wish, living passionately, following our hopes and dreams, enjoying the company of like-minded people, achieving spiritual and material success through being ourSelves completely may piss off people who are jealous or insecure, but it will not harm them. People will get jealous or feel threatened by your brightness at times, all successful people experience this. But those who may feel that way and are ready to take responsibility for their own happiness will be INSPIRED and live more passionately because you helped them see their own potential.


Happiness is a responsibility! You have to cultivate it! Living your life isn't passive, it is active!! LIVE VIVIDLY! If you die with regrets or only ever having lived halfway you can blame no one but yourself!! You aren't dead until you are dead, so don't sit around feeling sorry for yourself.. embrace your reality fully here and now in each moment and rise to all of the magnificent opportunities you will begin to notice! Namaste!!
<3~ laura