The Seat of Compassion The word asana literally means seat.
Your seat is what connects your physical body to the earth.
The practice of various postures or seats in yoga asana are opportunities to re-establish your connection to the earth.
While asana is often described as a physical practice,
Which it is,
It is also a deeply spiritual practice and impacts your mental,
Emotional,
And energetic body just as much as your physical body.
The practice of asana has many benefits including expanding your ability to empathize and show compassion.
I think of the different seats or poses as a practice of putting yourself in someone else's shoes to more deeply connect,
Understand,
Empathize,
And ultimately act with compassion.
These seats are an exploration of various aspects of nature.
As you turn your body into the form of a cat,
A cow,
A tree,
Or a child,
You have the potential to relate to these aspects of nature and fellow beings in a different way and perhaps gain a deeper understanding of these forms.
Through this relatability and understanding,
Your experience of love increases.
The practice of these seats or forms assists you in remembering your interconnectedness with all of life and reconnects you to your authentic self.
When you become the seat of a dog,
A mountain,
A cobra,
And other aspects of creation,
You make a connection with all forms.
You are putting yourself in someone else's shoes,
Skin,
Claws,
Hooves,
Wings,
Paws,
And fins.
You do this to empathize with and understand your interconnectedness or sameness with others.
The seat of compassion is seeing the sameness in all,
Simultaneously within the differences.
Recognize how you are connected to fellow humans,
The earth,
All beings,
And beyond.
When you see your similarities with a cow,
A tree,
Or a body of water,
You are less likely to cause harm to animals and the environment.
Take a moment to find a steady and comfortable seat.
Feel the parts of your body touching the earth.
Feel the support of the earth below you.
Feel your connection to the earth.
Pause and simply breathe.
Whether you are sitting upright,
Lying down,
Or standing tall like a mountain,
Imagine your body establishing a strong connection to the earth.
You may visualize yourself as a mountain,
A tree,
Or a body of water.
Feel your connection to nature.
You may visualize yourself as a horse,
Cat,
Or cow.
Feel your connection to fellow animals.
See yourself in nature.
See that you are connected to nature.
You are not separate from nature.
You are nature.
You are an animal.
You are sacred.
All life is sacred.
When your body is calm,
Relaxed,
And peaceful,
You experience a steady and joyful seat or connection to the earth.
Consider ways you may connect with the seat of compassion in your daily life,
Both on and off your mat.
You may experiment with a variety of postures on your mat,
Or you may choose a single posture and practice feeling the steadiness and sameness of all forms within one.
You may consider your conversations with others,
Offering a listening ear and allowing for deeper understanding.
You may consider the food you eat and consuming in a way that does not harm fellow animals or the earth.
You may consider walking over driving.
You may consider giving over taking.
You may consider loving over judging.
Waking up to your interconnectedness through asana is profound.
When this awakening occurs,
You consider Mother Earth and her creatures with every action.
You may do this in ways that seem simple and fundamental,
Such as purchasing organic fruits and vegetables,
Composting kitchen scraps,
Or gardening to grow your own food.
You may wear secondhand clothes and make more eco-friendly choices that allow you for reusing or repurposing materials.
Asana is a practice that assists with creating greater sustainability,
Peace,
And harmony.
With each moment and each breath,
You may practice the seat of compassion.
When you see clearly that we all share a connection that is inseparable,
You realize that harming another is harming yourself,
And as a result,
You choose compassion and love both for yourself and for your environment.
You are widening your circles of compassion.
We are in this together.
Yoga is union.
Each moment,
You have the possibility to live in a unified way and make choices that lead toward connection,
Compassion,
And peace.
Choose the seat of compassion.
Thank you for widening your circles of compassion with me.
This is Anna Ferguson of World Peace Yoga,
Yoga for People Who Breathe.
Have a beautiful day.
