“Please don’t get caught up on what or how someone who is ‘spiritual’ is supposed to look or move in the world”. – Unknown

As I move through my own journey as a yogi, both teacher, and student, I find myself becoming slightly allergic to the alluring ‘fairy-sparkle-dust’ surface and facade which almost seems like a stigma of the modern yogic lifestyle. Getting caught up and lost in all the teachings, ideas and information appears inevitable. While the very western, modern and conditioned mind, follows every tool and jots down every tip wanting to ‘get it all right’.

Each piece of knowledge and each method undoubtedly holds a value and truth of their own, but I start to wonder, by getting caught up in that shiny sparkly facade, staying stuck on the surface, following every guideline, are we not missing the core truth of it all? Finding our own?

As I move through my own practice, I start to feel the confirmation of that which I already knew. The value of these ‘outer’ tools and ideas mean very little if we allow ourselves to get caught up on the surface, and not take the great opportunity given to us to further delve down into our own depths, and explore our own truth within the practice.

My truth shows me more and more that it comes down to getting to that nitty-gritty sometimes unpleasant discovery of self beyond anything conceivable by our ego.  It’s applying our own raw core to the knowledge and experiences shared with us, letting go of all assumptions and expectations, and getting down and dirty within our own layers.

Of course, there are questions, of course, there are doubts, preconceived notions, endless ‘what ifs’ and countless ‘tips, tools & ideas’. But isn’t that the beauty of it? Isn’t that what makes it a ‘journey’, ‘discovery’ and ‘practice’? If it would really be all about that ‘fairy-sparkle-dust’ we see on ‘happy’ yoga magazines, how mundane would that be?!

“I learned that I could be both wild and holy”. – Ana Forrest

Finding my own truth within my practice continues to teach me to look within instead of holding on to what’s outside, that’s not to say I do not draw lessons and value from the teachings and methods of those before me, but simply knowing and not truly feeling all this knowledge seems highly counterintuitive.

Keeping it ‘real’ whatever that means for each of us, has become invaluable. Where I find my truth, might not be where another finds theirs, and that is absolutely okay, I mean, isn’t that exactly what makes our journey truly ‘ours’?

Love & Light,