"The day I understood everything, was the day I stopped trying to hold on to anything." - Socrates
Have you ever found yourself struggling with a yoga pose, falling out of it or getting stuck, frustrated as others around you progress with seeming ease? Instead of taking a breath and moving on, you battle with yourself, growing increasingly annoyed. We've all been there.
Experiences like this, on and off the mat, are where the yogic principle of Aparigraha comes in - teaching us the art of letting go. Not giving up or settling, but simply allowing things to be as they are.
Letting Go of Attachments Aparigraha guides us to free ourselves from attachments that don't serve us well. Whether it's:
External circumstances we mistakenly think we can control
Material items we hold onto but don't truly use
Aparigraha invites us to reassess what we are grasping so tightly and whether it truly benefits us.
This principle isn't about deprivation or living off the grid. It's about striking a balance - knowing the difference between what we need and what we simply want from a place of greed or selfishness.
Aparigraha encourages:
Mindfulness about our impact on the planet
Using resources responsibly
Let's take Aparigraha from our yoga mats into the world around us. Like all yogic practices, it's a progressive journey. But every small step leads to profound changes in our lives and practices.