Resistance is Futile

“Resistance is futile” - Carl Jung


I absolutely love this quote. In my life I have seen so many times and situations where I have chosen to resist. Resist learning the lesson. Resist hearing what I was given to hear. Resist what was right in front of my eyes to see. Lessons upon lessons that my higher power, or the universe was gifting to me. These things were going to be there for me to learn when I was ready. So, over and over, lessons would repeat in my life because they were lessons I needed to learn to move forward . I believe life’s lessons are opportunities in our life to learn in the exact areas where we need growth and change and more importantly, to learn our given purpose.

One of the things that my yoga practice began to work on in my life almost immediately, was my ability to listen. I’m not just referring to the act of listening to someone talking to me, but truly seeking out the deeper meanings in everything that I was coming into contact with in my life.

One of my first yoga teachers and mentors, taught me pranayama. In a Yogic point of view, proper breathing is to bring more oxygen to the blood and to the brain, and to control Prana or the vital life energy. Pranayama Yoga also goes hand in hand with the Asanas. The union of these two Yogic Principles is considered as the highest form of purification and self-discipline, covering both mind and body. I felt immediately that I both wanted and needed self discipline and he worked with me everyday with this practice of pranayama. After about 3 days, I began to see my whole life change. I began to gain new insights into my life every single day. I began to feel that I was more calm. I began to hear what people were saying to me. I came to him one day and told him that I thought I was a telepath because I felt ultra sensitive. I felt I could feel how others felt without them telling me. I started to feel people just by being in their presence. I always knew that this sensitivity existed within me, but I never accessed it like this before. He laughed and said “you are sweeping the mind of clutter and now you have stillness.” I knew that this was my gift. We have to be very present in our lives everyday to receive all the gifts, signs and symbols that are presenting valuable information to us.

The greatest benefit I began to see, hear and learn was that it was my purpose to teach and to teach, I knew that I had to do this work on my self everyday. The mind is very powerful, and the discipline of all the limbs of yoga give us the tools to tame the mind on a daily basis. I have accepted that to gain the benefits of yoga, I must practice everyday. I need to experience stillness and presence of mind everyday. I don’t want to waste time resisting my purpose and what it is I am supposed to be seeing, feeling and learning. Why would I resist such an incredible gift?

What is your purpose? What is your gift? Are you listening or are you resisting? Start on the mat. Just breathe. Just listen to the dialogue that the teacher is giving you and allow all the mind’s chatter to fade to black. You will see as you discipline yourself to this practice, your purpose will appear. Invite it in, welcome it like a long lost friend. It will be your greatest gift and you will have endless gifts to give others for simply seeing it.