‘Now’ an explanation of Yoga begins.
Now means freedom from the past, freedom
from the known. It implies that we have to unburden ourselves from the past or
our personal history and change our ways. But what will take its place?
Ridding ourselves of past mental
impressions and established behavior patterns suggests living in the here and
now. Yet in practice we habitually cling to the past for support of the present
and future.
This is where illusion begins. Nothing
in the phenomenal world remains the same forever, even our personality changes.
We live in a constant flux of change. When we can accept that our personality represents,
at this moment, the sum total of all our past experiences, we are greatly empowered,
since this affords us the opportunity the make adjustments to our lives and
correct false assumptions.
What is required is for us to take
responsibility for our lives by asking: am I prepared to free myself from my
attachment to the past, am I prepared to think about life in a different new
way?
We all can relate to examples where we
or others look to the past to justify their present situation. Examples are: I
suffer of ‘’’ it runs in the family; I have never been good at this, I am like
my ...we always have done it this way. Whether it is a question of health or
competence, we have that tendency to look at the past to justify the present.
We also make projections into the
future. We wonder what may happen. We compare the known of the past and the
present and link it to the future. But we really don’t know the future, and
this provides anxiety and creates a disturbed mind.
How then is it possible for us to embrace
the unknown, without creating anxiety in the mind? It is by living consciously
in the here and Now, in the present eternal moment, for what we think and do
now, determines to a large degree, individually or collectively, our future. Patanjali
states: ‘Forget about the past, hold on to yoga, samadhi.
Patanjali states
in sutra 2 states:” Yoga-chitta-vṛitti-nirodhaḥ.”
When we are in a state of yoga, all fluctuations (vrittis) which normally occur in the mind (chitta) disappear. Being in yoga means living in freedom, in harmony and peace where consciousness flourishes and harmony nourishes our body, mind and soul.
Present Moment, a Spiritual Perspective.
What a beautiful gift one shares when
living in the present moment. When not thinking of the struggles from the past,
nor thinking with anxiety about the future, but always living in the here and
now.
When we choose to live in the present
moment, we live by the Spirit that is beyond past, future.
It is in Divine moments that we are open
to the inner light of Grace.
Whether we live in regrets of our past
or in fears of the future, nothing prevents us from connecting with the present
moment, where we can let go of past struggles and anxieties.
Let us not look for lasting happiness
outside of ourselves, for we won’t find it there, because it is within us at
all times.
It is the ego that hides our true
nature, which is of joy, pure potentiality and unconditional love.
We need to realize, that Spirit flows
through us only in the present moment, only in the here and now. So let us walk
in Spirit and let it express through us in service and in love.
When we remember our Divine nature, the
“I am”, we realize that living in the present moment opens us to freedom,
harmony and peace.
The present moment connects us with
being, not with doing; it is being that leads to the path of enlightenment and
wisdom.
How glorious it is to know, that within
us resides that which cannot be threatened by any outside influences or
circumstances. That something is our eternal Self.
We will need to trust, when we are
anchored in the Infinite, life will take care of us. All our legitimate needs,
as they arise, will be satisfied, but we must do our part.
With this understanding we will live
every moment of our life as it is meant to be, in inner peace and freedom.
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