January 24: On the Board at Good Life Yoga
Iccha Shakti– Divine Will
Why do some people thrive on the underbelly of life, imbibing in their complaints and suffering while others choose to see the set of circumstances inhabiting their life at the moment as an opportunity to celebrate diversity, growth, expansion and indeed joy?
Attitude. It’s a bugger, but you have the choice in each and every moment to select your own platform of experience. Funny thing happens when you choose to see life as an unfolding of experiences designed to create growth, expansion and joy. You cultivate happiness. You open the door to understanding. You elevate the moment into the big scheme of things and see patterns. You reawaken to the greatness of your life.
In Anusara yoga, Attitude relates to the first Universal Principle of Alignment; Open to Grace. It is the power of this intention, that we call Iccha Shakti, or Divine Will. Our willingness to open to our Divine nature sets the attitude from which we choose to see our life. The quality of heart we engender in any pose is a direct reflection of our Diving Will. Iccha – think ‘itch’ is our desire to over and over again go back to the center of ourselves and discover that it is indeed all good. We choose to reflect this will, this attitude in everything off the mat as well. Life is not a problem to be solved; it is recognizing that every moment you live is given to you out of the deepest love known. It is an offering of joy, expansion and growth. See it from this vantage point and transform your world. Listen and acknowledge the Iccha Shakti within you and reawaken an attitude of greatness.
At Good Life Yoga this week we contemplate Attitude and the power we have to establish our own paradigm for happiness. We will still struggle with poses and be challenged by our continuous yet sometimes helpful mind – but we will do so with aplomb. We will open our hearts to Grace and allow Iccha Shakti to reawaken our passion for living as if every breath mattered and every moment were a shining gift of her presence. All this and some deep forward folds and twists – ah, it’s good to be You.