Awareness Of Abundance

“Letting go is not the opposite of receiving, letting go is receiving.
These are not opposites. They only seem opposite to the mind.”
~ Anand Mehrotra

Dearest yogis,

It's an honor to connect with you today; thank you for meeting me here. I am grateful for your time.

I have a  difficult time processing the number of emails I've received since last writing you. Pre-Black Friday, Black Friday, Extended Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday . . . whew! It has been a lot. People clamoring for our attention. Most trying to convince us we "need" whatever it is that's being sold. 

This seemingly endless push to buy more got me thinking about my own relationship to stuff. It was time to take a step back from that next online purchase. I entered internal investigation mode and started checking in. As always when I want to learn about myself, I try and do so without judgment. For me, loads of curiosity works much better! 

My inward gaze brought me into the yogic concept of aparigraha. Aparigraha is the fifth of the five yamas. If this is your initial introduction to the yamas, it's time to get excited! These guides to our community behaviors are both powerful and wonderful. 
Aparigraha is commonly translated as non-attachment and, as always, the English translation from Sanskrit leaves a lot to be unpacked. And, while “non-attachment” may sound daunting, you can also think of aparigraha as freedom -  freedom from greed, possessiveness, or covetousness.

Another translation for aparigraha is generosity or awareness of abundance. Whoa! I love this examination from the other side of the same coin. And, it is said that a deep practice of aparigraha delivers enormous freedom, self-reliance, and contentment in one’s life. 

I like that! Sounds worthwhile. 

The word aparigraha means not taking more than is needed, practicing non-acceptance and non-accumulation.

Hmmmm. If you’re like me, at this point I start thinking about all that I have accumulated, and the attachment I have to my stuff. I start asking myself: “Do I really need that many shawls? But, I like all of my lovely shawls. Am I supposed to give all those up? Am I supposed to deprive myself of the things I love having around me?”
It’s true. This inward gaze can get uncomfortable. And challenging. 
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And that’s okay!  

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