“Tis curious that we only believe as deep as we live. —Emerson, “Beauty”
“By turning our minds inward (which automatically happens) in asana and pranayama and teaching us the art of constructive action in the present moment, Yoga leads consciousness away from desires and toward the inner, undisturbable core. Here, it creates a new avenue by which reflexively to perceive, observe, and recognize the heart. In this way, the meditative mind created by Yoga is a powerful therapeutic tool for removing human ills.” Yogācārya B. K. S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga, 2005, p. 143.
Iyengar Yoga practice is working inward with awareness to explore what we are doing, how we are doing it, why and what happens as a result of what we are doing, on deep levels. This daily endeavor cultivates understanding of the depths of our interconnected nature, transforms one’s outlook, interests, values—working outward to align one’s actions to live out a deeper purpose. Thus involution leads to evolution.
“To know the spirit of a place is to realize that you are part of a part and the whole is made of parts, each of which is whole. You start with the part you are whole in.” Gary Snyder, “The Place, the Regions, and the Commons”