Yogi, Know Thyself: Teshuva & Transformation
by Zack Lodmer of Om Shalom Yoga in Los Angeles.
Been spending a lot of time with this guy these days. The 18-year-old me.
And the 20-year-old me. And the 30-year-old-me. And the 8-year old me. And last week’s me.
Not in the sense that I’m wading around in the shallow end of my own nostalgia. Not in the sense that I’m fixating on my many missteps. And not in the sense that I have regrets.
Here I am. I am here. Me. Today. Now.
But despite the trillions of blessings around me every day, it’s hard being me. With the complexity of this thing called being alive, sometimes it’s hard to process everything. Sometimes I feel stuck.
Those of us open to the message hear it often: “Be Present”. “Live in the Moment.” “Don’t worry about the past.” “Tomorrow is a mystery.” Yes….but……. Sometimes the best way of being “present” is taking a short stroll down memory lane. Not to fantasize about past experiences, but rather engaging in self-study so that we can better understand our current situation and acknowledge what part we have played in getting there. In yoga, we call it “Svadhyaya”. I know I can best understand my current situation for all that it is, without projection, without judgment, and without attachment, by understanding my development, my unconscious patterns. “Who” you are is a complex tapestry of “why” you came to be, “how” you were raised, “what” lights the fire inside your heart, and “when / where” this all took place. “Who” you are continues to unfold and take form in real time. On the daily.
In Judaism, the process of repentance–atoning to others when we hurt them–is called “Teshuva”. But the literal translation of the word means “Return.” What a concept! If I want to heal others, I must first return and heal myself. If I want to really love another, for exactly who that person is, I must return and first love myself.
Self-study is a natural way of returning to your true nature, which is Love. Self-study is the gateway drug to joyfulness.
Understand who you’ve been to understand who you are. Then just be you. You’re perfect. Here I am. I am here. Me. Today. Now.
#SelfStudy #IamHere #Me #Today #Now #Svadhyaya #Teshuva
==>Zack Lodmer regularly runs Om Shalom Yoga events in the Los Angeles region.