I am a Sadhaka
A sadhaka is a person on the spiritual path of awakening. We look through a certain lens. Is this action conducive to spiritual depth? Is my life a reflection of my most important spiritual values and aspirations?
“Interrupting our destructive habits and awakening our heart is the work of a lifetime. Sometimes when things fall apart, that’s the big opportunity to change.” Pema Chodron
We want to wake up and be free, to both enjoy our life and have a meaningful life.
What large decisions and small daily actions will help? What will get in the way? We are working to heal from our past traumatic experiences. In our present life, our nervous systems are bombarded with systemic oppression and threat. Is this really practical? Is it workable?
Like any meaningful inquiry, the answer is complicated! These quotes from Pema Chodron highlight part of what we’re working with. The foundation is knowing and accepting ourselves with love and compassion.
Reverse Inquiries:
I no longer need to run from fear and discomfort
I can stay with the urge to leave instead of distracting myself
I can tolerate not knowing the outcome
I see clearly and I cultivate unconditional love, connection and acceptance of myself
I am on a spiritual path and I know what I value most deeply
I can make decisions in alignment with my deepest knowing
I am strong, resilient and self-regulated
I see clearly and I cultivate unconditional love, connection and acceptance of myself
Ahimsa (non-harming) and satya (truth) are the first two principles of yoga. I always find it helpful to start here. We are often in situations of harm.
One of the ways we reduce harm is to work with healing our own trauma and becoming more emotionally self-regulated. As we do, we are less likely to fly of the handle and lash out at someone else, run away from emotional connection, or disconnect and give up. It is hard and an ongoing balance to both hold ourselves accountable and cultivate kind acceptance of our capacity both in our past, and moment to moment in the present.
When we are more regulated ourselves, we are more able to see and address harmful behavior by others. We no longer take other people’s behavior so personally and set better boundaries for how we are treated.
It is true that we live in a capitalist culture that concentrates wealth at the top and puts the squeeze on everyone else. It is not true that we can have no impact on our personal and collective life. We owe it to ourselves and others to see clearly, not give up, and fight for social justice in the many ways that are available to us.
Shaming ourselves has to go. A mean inner critic cuts us off at the knees. We lose ourselves in mild or severe distraction and addiction. We are so focused on perfection that we are immobilized. We need to see these patterns so we can work with them. The first step in change is awareness.
Sankalpa shakti is our power of will.
It isn’t about gritting our teeth and powering through. It is about clarity and kindness. It is about expecting more of ourselves and cultivating the strength and resilience we need. We set our intention and we nurture the resources we need to live a meaningful life in alignment with our deepest knowing.
Join us any Sunday for our free community class where we do somatic inquiry and connect with each other. Details here.