Isvara Pranidhana

“…the gradual shift within from the external self to the True Self, loosening the hold of my ego and coming to identify with the billion lights within and all around – with what is larger than I… brings me a deep, uncanny relief.”

~ Sue Monk Kidd

I could approach this post the same way I usually do, with full yoga scholar hat on.  If I did that, I would tell you the ways in which the phrase is translated, the take of modern scholars on the meaning in current social contexts, and the way that plays out in our physical and energetic anatomy on the mat.

However, this niyama is personal. It’s as personal as it gets. So personal that it’s universal. When I see the phrase “devotion to the Lord” and consider the diversity of our yoga circles: different religious paths, different spiritual experiences, different lifestyles, etc, etc, my ego worries about pleasing all of those differences with a one-size fits all definition.

Instead, I’m going to go the deeply personal route and describe Isvara Pranidhana from my own experience. I use the yamas and niyamas as an ethical framework for approaching my work in the world (yamas) and my internal work (niyamas). And, even through that good work, my ego perseveres. There is a sense within of trying to control the output following on all this very intentional input. But, in the end, I give it all up. I give it up to my Teacher, to the Earth, to the Universe. I give it up to the All-That-Is which includes me but is certainly not limited to me. And one thing I know is true from years of practicing and teaching yoga, letting go is about the hardest job we can ever do.

So, practice this this month. Let go. Surrender. Trust in Grace. And see if you can glimpse the billion lights within and all around.