One of the greatest gifts I've received from yoga is the practice of holding contradicting thoughts and emotions--even truths--within myself without strife.
It's one of the skills I wish I could impart to the whole world right now. We have come to live in this black and white place of "what's true" and "death to those that don't agree with us!". And how's that working for us? Yikes!
But I want to back up a moment and focus on paradox as it relates to self-understanding. Ultimately the macrocosm of our world is reflective of the microcosm of ourselves. So that's where we must start.
There are several ways to interpret what paradox means. This musing (which I always appreciate your indulging me by reading!!!) is about the meaning of paradox as it relates to deeper seemingly contradictory truths--that, when accepted, lead to healing and growth and dare I say it, joy! I'm always in favor of championing more JOY!
We have several idioms in our cultural lexicon that reflect this particular idea of paradox:
"The only constant in life is change."
"Less is more."
"This is the beginning of the end."
The philosophy of yoga embraces the truth within of all of the above idioms and posits some specifics of its own:
You are whole and perfect, and, you are ignorant and suffering due to your conditioning.
You suffer more when you avoid rather than face and accept what you believe causes you suffering.
Cultivating deep compassion and care for self is the best way to be able to help others.
You are a unique individual, and, we are all are an embodied expression of the same pure boundless consciousness.
At first, these kinds of seemingly contradictory truths can feel like mental indigestion rather than anything helpful. There may be a sense of discomfort and even feeling less safe if you can't put your stake in the ground and know what you understand is unassailably true.
Life is not static and neither are we. We have an opportunity to stretch and grow mentally and emotionally throughout our whole lives. When we embrace paradox, we can experience the fullness of life with more ease and contentment. We stay curious and compassionate and become less reactionary.
At some point, with intention and practice, we can recognize an inner trust that softens us to the ever changing flow of life and how we understand it. We can hold the paradoxes of life with grace. We can change and flex and stand firm and resist all at the same time.
That inner trust is a reflection of our highest self. When we can live and interact from the source of our highest self then we can say in one sentence, "Yes, there are many who are suffering and much in the world to be concerned about and Yes, I am joyful and grateful for this beautiful life:" We can say, "Yes, you are human like me and I respect you and want to hear your ideas but I might not agree and won't tolerate disrespect towards me, other beings, or even the earth." All at the same time.
Here's a cool example of a paradox related to higher self that I've been thinking about lately: Think of a time when you had an Aha! moment. Remember a time during a process of self-reflection and learning when you heard or read something or a new insight came to you in contemplation where you thought "Oh! I never realized that before but it's so true! I understand better now!" Remember how that realization felt? We often describe it with light bulbs going on over our heads. It feels like new understanding that made a lot of sense...because it resonated with you in a deep familiar way. When it happens to me, it feels like something struck a chord deep within me and the vibration is so familiar like it was already there but long forgotten. A new idea that you recognize.
I have some new opportunities for Aha! moments that I want to offer you as we slowly unfurl towards spring! See my events page for more details!
