Having found a new love- the invigorating, uplifting, heart opening asana of back bends, it was a challenge to balance my ego’s desire for freedom with the need to maintain integrity. I can be one who is rather self-indulgent in the pursuit of sensations.
Ustrasana, camel pose, creates a strong demand, physically and emotionally. To back bend may appear to be effortless by those with great flexibility, but in truth it requires a substantial amount of strength and skillful action.
So, too, do we find ourselves in the practice of life and relationships, where our egos and hearts are both fiery and invigorating. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.15 recommends “Ceasing from self-indulgence is conscious subduing of the thirst for sensuous pleasure.” Instead of a quest for stimulus and excitation, I could settle in stillness of
my soul and know I am alive.
