I really really wanted to write about Bachelor Pad today. But seriously, it was so gawd-awful, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I mean awful. I don’t know that I can watch the rest of the season anymore it’s so bad.
I wanted to salvage something from it… anything… as, believe it or not, the majority of the hits on this site (from all over the world, I might add) are key words from this horrific show. I took a bit of stretch last week in calling my post Bachelor Padangustasana – well this week is another one where I am going to weave the magic of yoga with the magic of the Bachelor Pad.
The theme of The Bachelor Pad may as well have been non-attachment. The guys are manipulating relationships all the while staying unattached, and the girls are globbing on, per usual, to the guys. Sadly, I find that many times I too am attached to something or someone like these reality TV girls… when really, my main love- yoga- teaches us to do the opposite.
If you ever get a little down time, pick up a book called The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – the version translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda.
It’s like the holy book of yoga. The blurb says, “The Yoga Sutras are a complete manual for the study and practice of yoga. This particular translation provides advice on mastering the mind and achieving physical, mental and emotional harmony in life through applying the ancient yet timeless techniques of Raja Yoga (the mental science).”
I’m focusing on non-attachment specifically because I have recently found myself attached to earthly things and beings, that really, I need to feel non-attachment toward.
I had to clean out my garage the other day because I am starting a project (I will be announcing this soon), and needed my workspace back. I had been stockpiling donations in there to Goodwill, and finally loaded up the ol Prius and gave everything away. But there were some things I wanted to keep. I suppose for sentimental reasons… but really, what good does it do to stay attached? I have a great memory of those items, so why do I need to hang onto them?
“The consciousness of self-mastery in one who is free from craving objects seen or heard is about non-attachment.” -Book 1 (Portion on Contemplation), Section 15
“Before the mind is attracted to something it sees or hears, you should have discrimination to see whether that object is good for you or not. When you want to do something constantly, your mind should not be distracted by other desires. That’s why this non-attachment goes with the yoga practice. Meditation is only possible when the mind is free from attachment. So when our mind is free from personal interest, we do our work well and feel joyful.” – Sri Swami Satchindananda
I write about this because some of my attachments affect my day-to-day behavior, job, my sleep at night, or even completing the task of cleaning out my garage. By recognizing what I am holding onto and just letting it go… I am discovering non-attachment, allowing my head to be clearer and more focused with what is here and now.
“We attach ourselves to pleasure because we expect happiness from it, forgetting that happiness is always in us as the true Self. When we expect joy from outside things, we become attached to those things.” – Sri Swami Satchindananda on Book 2, Section 8.
Ultimately, there is no need for attachment because ultimate happiness comes from within. We can let go of those things outside of us, and just allow them to happen. We don’t need to tie our emotional well-being to others and things around us. All we need to do is look inside.
Alright, alright. 7 Jeans from 2003, I’ll let you go. You were good to me, we had some great memories, but now I can’t fit into you. 🙂
Life, Love and Yoga 