PranaBeing blog: Now

The ancient Vedic texts containing the oldest sources of knowledge from India—and some of the oldest in human history—were preserved for thousands of years by chanting and memorization until they were finally written down.

Vedic texts are composed of rhythmic verses (in Sanskrit, shlokas), or sutras. Sutra means “thread.” Just as we can take hold of a thread and pull, each sutra acts as a handle for an entire line of thought, access into a rich tapestry of understanding. The potency of these teachings acts like a sort of compressed file; multiple dimensions of meaning can be unpacked from a single terse verse, a single word…even a single syllable.

In keeping with the holographic and fractal nature of the universe, the first verse of a text is considered to be an encapsulation of its entire teaching. Likewise, the first word of the first verse is deliberately chosen and revelatory. It offers a hint as to the entire teaching of that text.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is one of the main references I’ve learned to consult in regard to the practice of Yoga. The first word of the first sutra is atha: now.

Atha yoganusasanam - Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras 1:1

The entire teaching, and the entire practice of Yoga, unfolds from this moment’s experience. Now.

Now begins the discipline of Yoga. Now the practice of yoga begins. Yoga happens now.

All that has happened up to this point has led us to here and now. Now is the only place we can practice. Now is where we live and breathe. Reality is accessible only now.

When I realize I’ve gotten distracted or confused, whenever I’ve lost my way, this single word can bring me back, like a beacon signaling me where to focus.

Now is eternal, omnipresent.

When we bring attention into the present, suffering dissolves and resolves. Judgment transforms into appreciation. Anxiety shifts to awe. The mind quiets and the heart opens.

Whenever we find ourselves out of sorts even slightly, we can be sure that our attention is engaged more with thoughts of past or future, or with thoughts about what is happening, rather than being directly engaged with what is happening as it is, now.

Come back to now. And watch your world blossom.

PranaBeing blog: Two Things to Trust

Life can be a dizzying affair. Sometimes I have to really boil things down for myself.

There are two things I can always trust:

1. This moment is exactly the way it is, right now.

2. This moment is bound to change.

When I get disoriented, I can bring my mind back to these points. The first point is a way of getting my bearings: “Here I am. Ah, yes. Everything is exactly as it is. How could it be any other way?”

This is relieving and calming. Even if the moment is showing up in a way I don’t like (or if I’m showing up in the moment in a way I don’t like), I can still completely rely on the fact that everything is as it is. And, it will change. If I focus for even a few moments, I can observe and experience that change for myself.

The second point is a way of tempering my mind. Knowing that “this too shall pass” helps me stabilize the mental pendulum. There’s no point in freaking out too badly, because if I don’t want what is happening now, it will soon change. If I really like what’s happening now and I’m afraid of the change, I can remind myself to chill out by enjoying this moment fully and surrendering to the knowledge that it’s all going to keep changing. This helps me relax back into the flow of life.

If I’m resisting change, I can focus on what’s here, now. And if I’m resisting what’s here now, I can focus on change. Sweet, right?

Yes, there’s a lot going on. And, life is also simple.

It is as it is.

It is changing.

I highly recommend regular practice of observing these two truths. It’s a way that I engage with life to reduce struggle and inhabit presence. It has guided me through the most difficult and uncomfortable moments of my life, and opens my heart to appreciate the beauty of this passing moment.

What is something that you can absolutely, always trust?