The Subtleties in Silence

I felt so excited when I read about this, for a couple of reasons. I’m very attuned to sound (vibration) and I was imagining the joy of hearing songs from the earth never witnessed before.

I also likened this situation to how yoga works. In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, he explains the meaning of yoga as “Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodhah”, which means “Yoga is stilling the fluctuations of the mind”. And this is important because when we quiet the activity of the mind, we become more aware of the subtle aspects of ourselves.

When, through yoga, I’ve been able to get quiet enough, I‘ve had epiphanies about situations, new creative ideas, solved problems, noticed (and released) emotions I didn’t realize I was carrying around (sometimes for years), experienced deep joy and profound peace… the list goes on.

Sensing the more subtle aspects of the earth, and ourselves, also made me think about the quiet people… the ones who go unnoticed… the ones who get talked over, bumped out of line, bullied into silence by the others’ sheer lack of awareness… the sensitive ones who listen more than they speak, but when allowed the space, emerge with words of wisdom so beautiful that it shocks the talkative ones and renders them to silent awe.

Yoga, for me, is a way to clear the way for my quiet, listening, wise self to emerge. To guide me. To comfort me. To show me what matters most.

Yoga is so much more than breathing your body into different shapes. It’s a vast science of the mind, heart, and soul that is as meaningful today as it was thousands of years ago when it began.