The Ego and Selfless Service
I struggled long and hard with my Ego when I heard that grandma was very sick. I had my mind set on a 5-day kundalini yoga&art training which was set to start tomorrow (Saturday August 10). Its now the summer of 2013, two years following the death of my mother.
I had my flight booked, training registered and paid for and we had just finished out 4- week or 100 hour yoga teachers training. I felt I needed a getaway. And what better way to celebrate then to combine yoga and art and share the lessons with our yalla yoga community.
But during meditation I stopped dead in my tracks and heard the voice of the ego vs. the soul. I heard the voice of patanjali who reminded us never to get attached to objects of the mind which in this case manifested itself in an enriching art and yoga training: an opportunity to acquire new skills.
I also heard him remind us to cultivate compassion towards misery and contentment (santosha) in each and every moment.
But how does one silence the ego and trust the soul when it seeks to serve without any reward?
One trick in overcoming such distraction is to ponder on the opposite of each improper thought which disturbs the placitude of the mind.
Thanks to meditation and patanjali I reversed my perception of the present moment and decided to stay home to support my family as my grandmother's days feel longer- like one long day of a repetitive sequence of activities that is paving way for the big finale.
Read more here about patanjali's yoga sutras (http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/yogasutr.htm) and meditate on the sound of the soul.
