Asmita

Asmita – Ego

Following October’s inward journey of Drishti, we shift into a practice of being aware of Asmita, or ego this month.  Have you ever noticed what is driving you in your practice? Do you pay more attention to how you look, then how much comfort you have in the poses?  Does your inner conversation tend to be judgmental or critical?  Maybe this month’s practice will help you retreat from a practice driven by Asmita and take you to the practice of an ego-free space.

Asmita refers to one of the kleshas, the veils that distort our awareness often causing us suffering.  It is our attachment to ego that creates the false belief that our experience of the self in the moment is who we are rather than our true self.  We then begin to believe (or continue to) create this false identity where our self-image becomes defined by our roles, positions, and possessions.  Rooted in the sense of Asmita is a need for approval.

Yoga gives us the opportunity to go on an inner journey of our self to lift the veils that distort the true self and reclaim our true self.  For each of us this journey is as unique as the life we have already led.  We come to the awareness of how we may be attached to our roles in life be it mother/father, spouse, career, caretaker, victim, etc.  Our attachment to our positions (status in the hierarchy) and possessions (all that we believe we own) inflates that sense of false self that we will do some crazy things to hold onto.

This month as you practice gently, begin to notice how Asmita shows itself in the practice.  Do you want to know “if you are doing it right” based on mental thought of “is this right” is rooted in a need for approval. Ding, ding, ding, be aware and take a moment to see how it feels in the physical sense of comfort or discomfort.  Are you striving for perfection that will feed the ego of position (“I am better because…”)?  Ding, ding, ding, back away and take a breath and begin to soften a bit in a moment of self-compassion, then soften the pose physically.  Does it matter to you what you are wearing, what props you use (or don’t use), or how you look?  Ding, ding, ding, breathe into releasing those attachments and reset.

It is so very important with working with Asmita to do so gently, as the ego can have teeth!  It will want to hold on tight to your images of false self and fight for its privilege to exist.  With kindness and compassion turned inward you can shift it to uncovering the divine sense of true self.  And here we go!