Purpose not Happiness, A Yoga Theme

Your Why:       Why do you teach yoga? I teach to help everyone discover their purpose in life.

Theme:            Live a life of purpose.

HOVs:              Purpose, Usefulness, Clarity, Awakening and Attention

Anecdote:

In the movie, “The Biggest Little Farm,” the owner wonders if the animals are happy. Then he realizes, happiness isn’t a major concern of the animals. Purpose is. If the pig had her babies to nurse and nurture, she was happy. If the ducks could eat the snails, they were content. The dogs guarded the sheep. Absolutely everyone and everything had a purpose, and that brought contentment – Santosha.

Contemplations:

Happiness is such a first world problem. Who has that much time on their hands? What can be our job in our practice? To make sure we have good alignment, and therefore will feel better in our bodies so our spirit can be free. Lazy feet. Outer hips. Armpit chest. Leading to backbends and open hearts.

Golden Nuggets:

·      What’s happening under the surface?

·      Find your purpose by being present.

·      Where can we serve?

·      How can we help?

·      Build a pose, one realization at a time.

·      Waking up is hard to do.

·      It takes grit to keep after it.

·      Shine a light.

·      Pay attention.

·      We want a practice that is woke too.

·      Be all in this thing.

·      Choose what you can.

·      Pay attention to intention.

·      Make up your mind.

·      Problems happen when you don’t have a purpose.

VP: We discover our purpose by being present to our practice.

Quotes:

·      “Too many of us confuse happiness with a moment of pleasure. Happiness has nothing to do with pleasure. It has to do with taking pleasure in being present in the moment.” – Michelle Marchildon

·      “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

·      “Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it” ― Buddha

·      “I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure.” – John D. Rockefeller