What Are You Clinging To?

Written by: Erin Doty

Yoga unfolds and purifies what is no longer needed.  It reveals what we cling to, starting with the breath.  A held breath stifles energy flow, much like holding onto beliefs, expectations, and judgments that can lend to toxicity. 

The ancient practice of yoga has eight limbs, and aparigraha is the sixth limb of yoga. 

Aparigraha explores nonattachment, nongreed, noncoveting, and nongrasping. Letting go offers full presence within the moment.  Aparigraha is full receptivity and willingness to receive and let go all in one breath. 

From things to thoughts, what we possess possesses us.  Attachments to an identity, possessions, and ideas hold us in bondage from learning, growing, and expanding. 

Nature in autumn expresses so beautifully the effortlessness of letting go.  Embrace nature’s release and part with anything that hinders you from even greater expansion. 

What tasks, plans, and resentments are you clinging to now? 

What can you relinquish to become freer and fully immersed in the moment with yourself and others? 

Notice your breath and allow your inhales and exhales to fluidly receive breathing into life’s gifts and wonder.  Notice when your breath catches, freezes and the thoughts, experiences that are present in that moment.  Pause and notice the breath here now. 

With a steady yoga practice, unifying physically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually transforms us with the willingness to accept and let go all in one breath. Aparigraha is the art of loving life so deeply you can let go of it all and trust that your heart is fed so purely in the moment and everlasting.