Column of Ma Prem Sitara, Ayurveda therapist & Osho Meditation facilitator
Oneself
The first guide on the path of Ayurveda is inevitably the body. Learn to be in touch with your body, first of all physically. And in an authentic, pure, simple, loving way. For how many of us is this so difficult ? How conditioned is this physical body too ? Our societies lead us to move away from our natural perception of bodies – our own and that of our fellow human beings : advertisements showing bodies that must be like this or that, clothing fashion that supports these ideal and illusory images, the cult of eternal youth, extreme sport to join a certain stereotype of strength, all this is false and offers a serious challenge to Nature, thus putting the human being in struggle against itself. How, why and for how long can we get caught up in the game and follow this movement in one way or another ? The body is a gift and a technology far beyond what the entire human mind can ever invent. It is not there to fight but to guide us, to serve as a support in this life to… live! The journey is made thanks to it, to respect it, to accept it as it is and as it evolves, is the first tool in our hands to know where to go for our greatest good and with ease. Being in contact with this body also energetically, for example by asking the question every day : “how is my body at this moment, what is it asking me, what is it willing to do, not to do or to receive?” By remaining calm for a moment to observe, to welcome, the answer is not long in coming and it is within everyone’s reach. Physical practice can only be adapted if we follow the common sense of Ayurveda, which never understands it as a challenge, surpassing oneself or competition – it is a way to create space to get in touch with the body, to listen to it. This is the object of the millennial Yoga, traditionally Hatha in Ayurveda, which is a therapeutic tool, an art of the here and now with what is, in and through the body, starting from the body, I learn to accept what is and to move in the world from it – not the other way around. “Yoga” means “union” : of oneself with the moment, in the moment, because the moment contains the Whole. So let’s leave aside all the rituals, stones, necklaces, bracelets, fumes, leggings… distractions and attachments for the Ego. To make space is not to change decoration, it is to learn to leave empty so that everything that is can emerge. Already, yourself. Again yourself. Always yourself. Yoga, to unite with oneself, through the body.
The second guide is emotions. Make them a space for expression, let them be as they are without repressing them for example by asking the question : “how do I feel at this moment? “ and similarly, to remain calm for a moment to observe, to welcome what is coming. This is a small challenge because taking on yourself, holding back, not showing are part of the rules of our society : if you cry in the street, worry arises and people will come to reassure you, tell you to stop crying, to dry your tears ; if you laugh in the middle of the crowd, we will tell you to calm down or that you are a child, that everyone is watching you. Often showing one’s emotions is a sign of weakness, vulnerability, exclusion. Collective and individual belief is woven, strong, around repression. While everyone feels the same emotions, it’s simply absurd! Human beings are endowed with a sensitivity that is precisely their immense value.
Meditation is the central tool to explore our ability to welcome situations that generate emotions, anxiety, stress, concern and approach them with more perspective and serenity. We will quickly realize, in most cases, that the repressions, the unspoken, the fact of having forced even unconsciously, could generate patterns in oneself that discarding oneself to find oneself requires an effort… of observation and disidentification. This is what I call “uncovering”: undoing patterns, removing the layers of dust covering the mirror that prevent us from seeing our authentic face. Observation is this simple tool, available to everyone, precise and valuable, which allows us to know how our unique “machinery” of the body-mind, which has its own subtle language, works. Before being a healing medicine, Ayurveda is a repeated practice of daily attentions, which can and must vary because everything is in motion in us and around us. The art of observation, therefore, becomes the art of the self, of knowing how to take care of, prevent, adjust the imbalances that may present themselves in the movements of life.
Modern man seems to have lost this essential link, driven by unbridled rhythms and entertainment taking them out of themselves to such an extent that the simplicity offered by Ayurveda becomes a challenge that can discourage them from embarking on it. It is true that when we lose our keys, confusion sets in, the house is no longer accessible so directly ; Ayurveda can make us an unflattering mirror of a loss of basic common sense that manifests itself to our disadvantage. What if we humbly agreed to look at it to open ourselves up to a real transformation?
Everyone can only do it by themselves and for themselves because we are already Life… and all that remains only to Know it – this is the meaning of the term “Ayurveda” in Sanskrit. Ayurveda is not a world. Ayurveda is the World. With us, human Beings, inside, in our unique place, to live fully.
Ma Prem Sitara
