A clear mind does exist
Someone recently said to me, "a clear mind doesn't exist." And I looked at them, shocked, and responded, "yes, it does!"
A clear mind cannot be bought. You can't promise to get some one else there for any amount of money.
It's one of those aspects that the yoga industry might ignore or downplay. You'll have to let go of things that are freaking hard to let go of if you want it.
A clear mind exists. Poetry, art, and scripture have been written about it. It's where yoga came from. If you've ever noticed that your thoughts ARE thoughts, you've had a glimpse of it. That noticing, that awareness is it.
The gap. The momentary gap between your thoughts.
That gap can widen.
You cannot purchase a clear mind, though, no matter how many trainings or workshops you attend. Practice can lay the groundwork for it. So in a way all those workshops can help. But even practice won't get you there alone.
Spiritual practice quiets the mind enough so that you can notice the gap. But the thing that makes the gap widen and grow and fill you with insatiable curiosity for more experiences of the gap is curiosity, love, and devotion.
Are you more curious about what that gap might be than you are about what your brain is thinking? Can you devote yourself, at least for periods of time, to exploring the gap? To letting go of the personal self?
Are you willing to invert your attention from the thought to that which is aware of the thought?
It's a little strange and scary. It's also more beauty, more love, more taste and zest for life, and more acceptance of death than you can imagine before experiencing it. Some of us can tell you it exists. And I do believe that there are those who live much of their lives in it. They are strange and wonderful beings.
Yes, yoga and meditation can lower stress, improve health, and help us feel more connected to each other. If that's why you're doing it, that's wonderful. That's a perfect place to be.
And there are outliers and extraordinary practitioners and things you may not understand that are ALSO a part of yoga. It's a big world out there. There's room for all of us.
A clear mind does exist.
Includes live online classes, a library of over 150 recorded classes, and email support for a high quality, regular yoga practice. Topics covered: breath, back, knees, shoulders, neck, pelvic floor, aiding respiratory system recovery, pain, and so much more! Classes include chair options. First month is $1.00 with the code HEART. Cancel anytime.