February 9, 2020

This week in class I asked my students to think about who they are.

Most of us define ourselves by what we do or who we are in relation to others. e.g. I’m a yogi, a daughter, a writer, or a friend. It’s beautiful to derive joy from our relationships with loved ones and through wonderful acts of service, but things change and people change and our relationships with people grow and change over time. Who exactly are we when we take those titles away? I believe our true selves lie beyond all framework and categories.

In a world made smaller and more intimate by social media, how telling is it that so many of us are feeling more disconnected from the persona we present to the world and the greatness we so often aspire to? We create these labels (or reinforce the ones bestowed upon us) to foster a sense of connection and end up clinging to their familiarity to engender a sense of belonging in the monotony of everyday life.

Who are you when you’re not working? When you’re not creating? When you’re not pretty or perfect or pretending? How does your sense of self translate into the other aspects of your life? How does it affect the way you interact with others? The way you carry yourself in the world? The ways in which you practice yoga on the mat, and the ways you apply those greater lessons off the mat and into “real life”?

What if who you are is the person you meet when life stops happening around you? During those stolen moments of quiet self reflection where you can let go of expectations and everything weighing you down and merely exist? What if who you are is the being you encounter at the corner or your physical and spiritual self? The place where ocean meets sand. The place where mountain roots to the earth.

You are the entirety of the universe in human form. You are the culmination of thousands of years of ancestral science, prayers, and manifestation. I invite you to take space away from who you think you should be and do exactly that. Be.

The next time you step on your mat, just dive straight into it. Strip away all inhibitions of what you think yoga should look like and just move. Move the way you want to move. Move the way you want to be seen in the world. Move the way you want to love. Move the way you want to be loved. Don’t be afraid to become aware of the sensations at the depths of your soul. Dive straight in and ride it out. The wave will carry you if you trust the water.

I’m sure you’ll be surprised by what you find there.