What do you want?

What do you want?

Let’s think about desire. Seeing the word desire may conflict with some traditional ideas in yoga and Buddhism, which say that all suffering results from desire. In the long history of philosophy in South Asia, there have been innumerable debates over the question of desire, including the question, Is it possible to have no desire whatsoever? One of the ancient critiques of Buddhism argued that wanting to be enlightened is itself a desire. For the average person living in the world, not having any desire at all could result in never getting out of bed in the morning, or never doing anything at all. Even if it were possible, this “desireless” life is quite impractical for most of us. Without desire, there is no motivation to do anything.

Every day, consciously and unconsciously, we make choices, big and small, about what to wear, what to eat, what to do, etc. Throughout your exploration of the Yoga Sutra and its applications, you’ll have to make some choices, and those choices will likely be influenced by what you want to accomplish, what you desire. In this context, desire is a meaningful and heartfelt aspiration, carrying with it the spark of energy to move you toward what you find meaningful and inspirational. Awakening to the undeniable fact that this moment is your life, that your life does not happen at any other time or place but right here and now can be a powerful reminder that ignites your commitment to show up to your life. Nobody else can do it for you!

Anything you have achieved in your life happened because it was important enough for you to commit your time and energy to accomplishing it. Yoga is a commitment to show up to your life, ready and willing to give it your best try. Can you think of a better way to participate in the source of all creativity, life itself? Besides, being present in your life is both your inalienable right and your inevitable responsibility.

Putting it into practice

If you’d like have pencil and paper available to make notes.

Find a comfortable position, close your eyes. Take a few moments to soften any tension from your eyes, mouth and jaw, neck and throat, shoulders and arms, abdominal and lower back area, and hips and legs. Invite yourself to investigate your desires by asking yourself these questions. Stay with each question and really ponder what is the answer that makes the most sense for you at this time.

What do I want?

What motivates me to get out of bed every morning?

What is meaningful to me?

How am I contributing my uniqueness to the world?

Your answers to these questions may change over time, or you may discover answers which remain constant on your lifelong journey. Take time this week to keep revisiting these questions and notice what answers keep returning to your awareness. Notice if anything you’ve written helps you feel more alive, awake, and energized. Consider choosing those energizing answers to use as affirmations reminding yourself what you care deeply about. These affirmations may be statements like, “I participate fully in my life,” or “I am present and full of compassion,” or “I offer support and inspiration to myself and others,” or “I am contributing to make the world a better place by….” The most powerful affirmations will be ones that are most meaningful to you, because they reflect your personal goals and values. Then, check if repeating your chosen affirmation regularly has any effect on your attitude, perspective, and motivation.

If you prefer, you may listen to the podcast:

This is an excerpt from the book Unravel the thread: Applying the ancient wisdom of yoga to live a happy life

If you find Simple-Yoga.org and Unravel the thread useful, consider supporting my labor with a donation, you may also donate using PayPal or Venmo. Thank you!