Self - Alignment, the Zen Moment

Bonsai Moon kindly provided by h.koppdelaney under Creative Commons

It seems we are always playing an internal game of tug of war.  The senses of the Body are pulling in one direction, the Ego the other.  All these are pulling against higher facilities of the Mind, of Reason and Discrimination  and the intelligence of the Spirit.

Take for example, when I was in the Gym the other day, I looked around, and on the exercise machines around me, one person was reading a newspaper, the other person was bopping to music, the other person watching television, all of this happening while they are exercising on the machines.  Its like the mind is always somewhere else and the body is somewhere else.

Imagine four wheels of a car, each wheel representing the following Personal Dimension (Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, Physical), each on turning to a different direction, moving at a different speed, the car is not going to get very far.  The Spritual wheel always has its own direction and speed (Love, Compassion, Integrity), its a question whether the others are going to line up with this.

The internal tug of war is real, being pulled in all direction leaves you in a conflicted, confused and a stressful state (consciously or unconsciously) , a less than an optimal way of living.  Imagine the opposite, doing everything in line with your deepest values, being present in the current situation, with Mind (including Emotions), Body and Spirit all engaged, imagine how much more satisfying it is to be in that state, how much more effective that state is....

What we are talking about is the alignment of Mind, Body and Spirit, that alignment is a "Zen" moment, a Yogic moment, expansion of ourselves from the confines of our limited sense of  self and Ego.  This alignment when expressed is beautiful to watch, we are all in search of it, we want it, but we don't know its what we are looking for, we know its beautiful when we see it, we see it in personal triumphs of epic proportions, in music, art, poetry that seem to touch our very soul.

Only a person who has fully aligned herself can bring this out due to her own self mastery and seek to express it, so others can seek comfort in it "like shade under the tree under a hot summers day", and to inspire others to do so themselves in their own unique way.

What we have is a de-fragmented sense of Self, where the Mind is always somewhere, the Body is somewhere else, and the poor Spirit does not even seem to exist.  Yet it is the Spirit that gives us life, that powers our Mind.  Further more add narcotics, alcohol, drugs and a mindless diet, and no spiritual mentors, what do you get? An ordinary awareness the size of an apple...

We are but slaves, for the Mind is a slave to the Senses and the Ego and holds the Spirit a prisoner, we don't have any idea of freedom.  True freedom lies in being free from the whims and attachments of the Mind, Ego and Senses, it lies in the full expression of the Spirit within us, letting it go to actualize the inherit goodness, compassion and wisdom in all of us.  It lies within yourself like a diamond waiting to be discovered, we have to peel layer upon layer of our existence to discover it.

The Eightfold Path of Yoga (totally universal, not specific to any religion) is the key I believe.  I will attempt to explain it in a few lines:

Eliminate unwanted stress by doing the right thing (yama & niyama) , through your postures (asanas) enable yourself to withstand all sort of physical, emotional and mental stress, through the practice of mindful breathing (pranayama), gather the energy to manage your emotions and achieve clear thinking, next exercise control over your senses and actions with self moderation  (pratyahara).  Once you have this you are in a position to sit for meditation effectively, achieve concentration (dhyana), and reach beyond your mind to your Spirit (Samadhi)

Wishing you the mindfulness to align all your Mental, Physical and Spritual resources to get the most out of your life. 

Kirpal