What does forgiveness and compassion look like? In the yoga community, we all talk a good game. But having compassion sometimes means caring about and looking out for the unlovable, the mean types of people who are selfish and cruel. It can test even the most seasoned yogi. We begin to question why we should waste our cosmic goodwill and karmic brownie points on someone who beats us up emotionally. It's easier to care about those who are grateful and kind. It feels far better for our ego.
So why? It's a slippery slope of not caring and shutting down our hearts. It only take a few times of turning our backs for that heart chakra to begin to close and harden. We tell ourselves it's about protection, about not giving energy and love where it's not deserved. I have heard the term 'stealing energy' a lot lately. It seems to be the latest and greatest catch phrase, and it seems to be an excuse to shut down emotionally. It's become a spiritual catchphrase to justify turning away from what is right. And what is right? Love. Friendship. Healing. Protection.
No one steals my energy. I give it freely. And sometimes, I get hurt. Sometimes I do what is right and good, knowing full well that it will hurt. But a hurt heart is better that a cold, hard, closed off one. We take a lot of hits in life, and so our armor goes up. Max Strom says yoga is the process of taking our armor off - and so we do, and asana at a time, a breath at a time. But our yogic life is not limited to asana. It's hard to walk the walk, when sometimes it's so much easier to do our daily practice and have that be the beginning and ending of our yoga.
I strive for more. I want more out of my spiritual life, because I know, at the end of the day, helping is always going to feel better than hurting, and turning my wide open heart towards love and forgiveness will heal my own hurt. Sometimes you have to be your own candle in the darkness.
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