Power Centre

This blog is on the balance of power; inner and outer, worldly and spiritual. Integration of opposites is necessary for a healthy third chakra-solar plexus manipura centre. Gradual learning of new, healthier ways of being is a process of unlearning old behavioural patterns. From there every relationship may evolve from a wrestle for or negating of power i.e. acting under or over powered, to relating to the outside world from a strong inner power centre.

Balance: A Union of All Things

The wisdom of yoga lies in self-knowledge – knowing self of the inner world, and how that self exists, in the world. It’s philosophy and practices are to attain such knowledge, and transform it into a practical wisdom. In theory Self is eternal, and part of Everything That Is, a non-dualistic reality. In ordinary, unconscious reality every aspect of being is a fragmented part (separated by unconsciousness) from the Eternal All, and exists in duality, which leads to all sorts of conflict.

“Union” is an overlapping integration of all aspects of being; body/mind and spirit, earth and sky, inner awareness and the cosmos etc. When Self becomes aware of wholeness, conscious, duality cease to exist. Then “have or have not” polarity, and all cause of suffering is removed.

Expectation, excitement, passion and such are unbalanced states, and can only lead to its its opposite; disappointment etc. The point however is not to aim for “sameness”, but to get to know the non-dual “centre selves” of who we really are, to “un-condition” duality and “be” whole and balanced in the duality of ordinary living. Just like there is constant, effortless flow in the cosmic yin-yang, yoga meditation and pranayama is to ensure we don’t get stuck in the duality. It helps us flow from state to state, aware of the undifferentiated whole:

● Get to know and understand centre self, and how to go there
● Recognise when we are not in the centre and disconnected from Source
● Learn how to return to Source
● Go easy on ourselves and others when we or them are not centred, and live in peace, in touch with Source

Yoga connects us to Source  

Yoga shows us a gentle but firm and focussed practice helps develop an integrated approach to “power” – not the diabolical, superficial, dominant, exclusive, competitive forms of “power over something” of dualistic extremes, but a wholeness that comes from non-dual awareness, or centre self. Our true power centre is within, and is a connection to All That Is. Here “everything just is”, nothing is “good” or “bad’.

This is the “teaching” of yoga as union. When we meditate and do yoga “in this space of union”, so to speak, we learn to integrate ourselves holistically. Such inner healing spills over into our daily lives; as we transform within, we transforms our world. Everything that is not transformed remains in duality.

We have to know that healing or integration is relative; that we are seldom, if ever, in balance. But to know centre self, and its connection to Source, provides awareness to move between states of “dis-repair and repair”. As we master the necessary skills we more easily move from dis-ease to ease.

Mudra, bandha, mantra, and pranyama, expertly applied to asana and meditation (practice link) help develop the necessary ability to “vibrate” physically in higher states of consciousness. And when there is a disconnect (usually due to self will i.e. in the absence of true surrender to Source) in real life challenge situations, the practice  acts as a reminder of how we would like to be, sets the compass for where to go, or return to, and shows the way there.

This is the true meaning of Power Yoga, symbolised and put into action as vinyasa flow hatha yoga  🙂

Go, easy,
yours in Music & Yoga
Johann Kotze
Cape Town
24 July 2017