Charity

Charity begins at home, but should not end there. - Thomas Fuller

The practice of yoga is about working on yourself to bring about awareness and improvement.  It is the study of the body-mind and how to apply yoga principles such as balance, flexibility, quietude, and strength in a way that brings a total integration of body, mind, and spirit.  Yoga is not so much about giving as it is about receiving.  However, to receive and then to not give back misses the entire point of growth, awareness, and ultimately the attainment of wisdom.

The practice of yoga usually involves study. We seek a teacher who can help us along the path of awareness.  Taking a yoga class gives us the opportunity to experience something more than a simple pose. It is up to us to discover and learn. For example, when asked to go into a pose we use the breath to still the body and focus the mind. At the moment the breath and the pose come together we experience a moment of present awareness.  The body becomes still and the mind quiets and we are encapsulated in the present moment.  We have discovered the secret to finding peace and tranquility within a chaotic and frantic world. But this can slip past us so easily if we struggle against the pose and against ourselves.

The circle completes itself when we are able to take what we have learned, apply it to our lives, and to share it with others.  And you don't need to teach yoga to others to complete your circle.  There are many ways to give from the heart what you have discovered through your own self awareness.  However we must first become aware of ourselves before we can share this knowledge with others.  How can you teach balance if you can not find balance with your own body-mind?

One of the most important parts of any yoga practice is observation without judgment and non-competition.  I have met many people who get so caught up in judging and comparing themselves to the teacher or other students that they lose the ability to focus and be charitable with their selves.  In yoga this is what it means to let charity begin at home. We must be kind and compassionate with ourselves first and then we can extend that energy out to others.

Charity begins with a connecting to your innermost being.  It is allowing you to find calmness, peace, and serenity.  Giving yourself an hour or so of yoga practice daily brings health to the body and the mind.  It means finding compassion and love for you first.   When you learn to love your self you see the beauty of your world, appreciate the movement of your body, and embrace the happiness of simply being.  Charity according to Webster's dictionary means, benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity.  The love of humanity begins with love and respect for self but should not end there.

Doctor Lynn
www.doctorlynn.com