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We become whole by stopping how the mind turns. ~Sutra 1.2
Well that sounds really cool, but how the heck do we do that? My personal interpretation of this sutra is one of changing our perspective. Again, Yoga presents us with an example of something so very simple that we as human beings make complex and difficult.
We make decisions every day; about what to eat or wear, where we work, where we live, what church we go to, where we will send our kids to school and how we will spend our money. So how many of those decisions are conscious ones? How many of those are in alignment with our purpose, passion or drives? How many of those decisions are just thoughtless, automatic repititions that continue to support our stories? You know, those stories about how we have no choice (we HAVE to do it), how we don't have enough (friends, time or money), how people dislike us (with this fabulous attitude they'd be out of their mind not to like us, right?). Is it just a self fulfilling prophecy? And we just continue on the hamster circle wondering why nothing good ever happens to us.
Yoga tells us to choose again, choose again and choose again. I think back to the many times on my mat when I make a choice; a choice to push myself and try going deeper in a pose or the choice that my spine won't bend in that way and Child's pose sounds much better. I never seem to hesitate taking care of myself on my mat. And yes, sometimes I get too caught up in attaining "perfect alignment" in a pose (which we all know is really a myth but don't want to admit). So if I am so concerned with alignment on my mat, why aren't I off my mat?
Going back to choose again, choose again and choose again, I ultimately decided to start taking some of that alignment with me off my mat; starting with changing my perspective on my life. Instead of things happening TO me, I decided that all things happened FOR me; to bring me closer to my passions and purpose. When it seems things were taking me further from them, it actually happened to be beautiful detour with new opportunities I was previously unaware of. So start practicing some yoga off the mat; choose again, choose again and choose again.