I have a tiny dog that is getting up there in age. He's been exhibiting some peculiar behavior as of late. This evening is a prime example. He took a drink of water and then went to rub his face on the carpet (an icky habit, but he is a dog, after all). He was busy rubbing his face when he completely surprised me by rolling onto the top of his head and doing a forward flip. Unbelievable! Then he walked around in a couple of circles, began to rub his face on the carpet again...and then another forward flip! After which he walked away as if this was the most normal thing that had ever occurred. I stood there perplexed. Never have I ever seen this behavior in another animal. What could it mean? I reasoned that due to his advancing years not only is he losing control of his body, but he is also becoming confused. And then it hit me. I had made a big mistake earlier this evening because I had become confused about the time. My little dog's unusual display, and the practice of observing objects in the environment as symbols, served to "jostle" my awareness.
Everyday we are surrounded by symbols. We can "see" absolutely nothing in our own environment that we are not relative to. When you have an observation or judgement about another person, place or thing, ask yourself, "How does that apply to me?" I can guarantee you that it does.
Symbol awareness is part of the practice of yoga. That's because yogic techniques are largely psychological in nature. It's about understanding and retraining the mind. In addition to becoming aware of our projections concerning others, it is a helpful practice to consciously add symbols to the environment that serve as positive reminders for the subconscious mind. For example, if you want to have more joy, create a joyful environment. Which form of the divine do you attune to? If you are a Buddhist, you may want to hang a painting of the Buddha in a location where you will be reminded of your practice. If you attune to nature, perhaps a bonsai tree where you will be sure to see it. If you want to be more loving, select objects that symbolize love for your consciousness.
A powerful symbol for many yogis is Lord Shiva. I found an interesting webpage that goes into great detail about what this symbol represents. I thought this might be a good example to illustrate symbols. At the very bottom of the page is a video about Samadhi, the 8th limb of yoga.
http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/shiva.htm#.Vbbg-0XfiVq
I hope you enjoy reading about Shiva and will consider taking the time to learn more about the symbols all around us.
Namaste,
S.
Everyday we are surrounded by symbols. We can "see" absolutely nothing in our own environment that we are not relative to. When you have an observation or judgement about another person, place or thing, ask yourself, "How does that apply to me?" I can guarantee you that it does.
Symbol awareness is part of the practice of yoga. That's because yogic techniques are largely psychological in nature. It's about understanding and retraining the mind. In addition to becoming aware of our projections concerning others, it is a helpful practice to consciously add symbols to the environment that serve as positive reminders for the subconscious mind. For example, if you want to have more joy, create a joyful environment. Which form of the divine do you attune to? If you are a Buddhist, you may want to hang a painting of the Buddha in a location where you will be reminded of your practice. If you attune to nature, perhaps a bonsai tree where you will be sure to see it. If you want to be more loving, select objects that symbolize love for your consciousness.
A powerful symbol for many yogis is Lord Shiva. I found an interesting webpage that goes into great detail about what this symbol represents. I thought this might be a good example to illustrate symbols. At the very bottom of the page is a video about Samadhi, the 8th limb of yoga.
http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/shiva.htm#.Vbbg-0XfiVq
I hope you enjoy reading about Shiva and will consider taking the time to learn more about the symbols all around us.
Namaste,
S.
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