How Yoga Heals

Article Excerpt: Healing begins with awareness. Awareness is cultivated in a Yoga practice, where you can sense the nature of your True Self as separate from the problems and illness that you may have and from this separation comes the ability to let go of suffering and find the healing peace inside that is your true nature.

In the "self help" world, there is much talk about the value and truth in "wholeness" versus the supposed inaccuracy of the notion of "separation." However, healing starts with awareness, and awareness is found in the blessing of "separation." Clasp your hands together. Look at them. They represent "I am an alcoholic," or "I am depressed," or "I am fat." Now, move your hands apart, and see this reality. I am a person who has a problem with alcohol, or a problem with depression, anxiety, food, or unhealthy relationships. There is a huge empowering difference in these two viewpoints. The difference between being one with your disease versus separating your True Self from the disease is the beginning of the process of letting the disease go. Even if the disease persists in your body, you will disassociate yourself from it thus allowing for a more positive and realistic outlook to take root. The process of healing, the process of fundamental change in general, begins with awareness. Yoga is a practice of heightened awareness. Heightened to the point that you transcend what is seemingly obvious but in actuality colored by your learned perceptions. In Yoga you can learn to "rise above" your conditioning shedding the layers of your personal history and clearly see what is true and perpetual. An understanding of the connection between all things is felt. You begin to appreciate the reality of your True Self and the world, interconnected, whole, beautiful, and perfect. This is what your practice uncovers. When you are one with your disease, you are not connecting to the world, because you are not your true self there is only isolation, despair, and separation from the whole of humanity in this place. There is no real compassion for self or others, and there is only regret and shame and self loathing. There is much "avidya", "false understanding and misperception." This is not your truth. Your truth is love and peace and beauty. Your truth is in wholeness and connection, but you find this wholeness through separating yourself from thoughts and behaviors which are causing harm to your True Self. This is the irony in healing and in fundamental change. You must first separate yourself from your disease in your mind, then in your actions, and then you can shake those things off, let them go, and become free to be who you really are. If you are ready for a fundamental change in your life, if you are ready to uncover the beauty and truth of your True Self, begin to integrate the simple five minute techniques of Quick Fix Yoga into your daily life. No matter how busy you are, make time for these. They can help you to forge the necessary healing separation between who you are and what it is that you now choose to let go of. They can help you uncover your True Self.

By Jodi Ananda Tata