So tonight I think I'll give a suggested reading for anyone interested in yogic thinking/lifestyle.
I happened upon this book at a store in Florida quite a few years before I began a dedicated yoga practice, and looking back on the events that led me to complete my first yoga teacher training, this book came to mind.
"Conversation with God: an uncommon dialogue (book 1)" by Neale Donald Walsch
This book was the only text to date that really sat well with me in terms of the G word. The book begins with a really coherent way to understand language based communication, how limiting this type of interaction is, and how the book works within this paradigm.
The dialogue itself illuminates a particular modality of thought that I find ubiquitous in an off-the-mat yoga practice. It's this idea that the whole point of the human experience - the reason we are here - is to realize "who we really are." In Bhuddist philosophy, this is talked about in terms of the cycle of samskara and awakening to your life's purpose in terms of a macrocosmic picture of the universe (think: reincarnation, choosing one's parents and partners prior to reentering the human form).
In yogic philosophy, this is discussed in terms of enlightenment, that transcendent state of self-realization and stillness. The 8-limbed path of yoga which leads a practicioner to achieve enlightment has many facets which all help to peel away the layers of illusion, twisted and inaccurate perception and imbalance so that the purest self is realized and (through the practice) becomes pervasive.
"Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue" is a text that revolves around this concept of waking up and realizing who you are, what you want, and why you will have it. It's philosophically challenging and touches on a huge array of everyday issues and stressors. Relationships, money, politics, the perfect job...no subject is left out of this conversation between the author and his channeled God character.
Check it out!
Be well,
Niki
No comments:
Post a Comment