Happy Holidays – Please Come In Without Your Ego
Here come the holidays! Gatherings of friends and family are supposed to be happy and joy filled, but often they aren’t. What’s the problem? One word: ego.
What is ego? Very briefly, because I will expand on this topic more extensively in later writings, the ego tells us – through thought – that we are separate from everything else. That is why I call myself “me” and that is what gives “me” my personal identity.
Of course, we all need an ego – I couldn’t write this blog without an ego. But do we always need it? When is an ego a hindrance?
Well, ego tells us that we are separate, right? Separateness constitutes division, and right now, our country is, as you know, divided. We want to come together for holiday gatherings, but how is that going to work in this state of divisiveness? Someone’s a vaxxer and someone isn’t. When I have an opinion that is different from yours, that difference confirms that I am “me” and not “you”. Where this distinction comes from, of course, is our ego – our ego that comes from our thoughts that expand into separateness and division.
Do we really need our ego at gatherings? I say no.
I have stated we start my yoga classes with stillness and silence so we can become fully present in the moment – that is, “mindfulness”. We shift away from thought to awareness – awareness of how we feel in the poses. No thoughts, no judgments. But something else happens before that. When my students come into my house through the front door, they take off their shoes – their “ego shoes”. We are practicing being “egoless” because our egos would just get in the way of our mindfulness.
When the students leave, they put back on their “ego shoes”. We need our ego to go out into the world and do what we need to do. But we don’t need an ego to do yoga poses.
Going through your ego all the time distorts your true perception of reality in the moment. When you are attached to your ego in the company of others, judgments and self-centered thinking often dominate the conversation. When you don’t need your ego, dump it.
At gatherings, we could focus on the sights, sounds, and smells of the season. There is so much visual and sensory stimulation. Notice the smiles on the faces of the people around you. Join in with everyone’s happy spirit. Be in the moment, accept what is, and don’t think.
So, at your next gathering this holiday season, try going egoless and instead come from your “Heart Center”. You will experience clarity, spiritual connection, and peacefulness you can’t find anywhere else.
For more information, contact:
Maryann Parker
4517 Moorland Avenue
Edina, MN 55424
952-927-9380
parkeryoga@yahoo.com
