Wk. 75 COMPACT – Shakti – Cit

Cit Shakti

This might get a bit controversial in some Yoga circles, but I’m going to say it – Stability is more important than flexibility.

We come to understand this statement through our practice and focus on Cit Shakti. Cit Shakti is the Power (or Energy) of Consciousness and to elaborate on my statement, let’s use our Yoga mat as a metaphor for life. If we go through life bending and twisting to all the challenges life throws at us, great. Thats one way of doing it. You will have a long future of bending and twisting and finding ways of avoiding all that comes your way. However, the alternative is to create stability and to approach and be confronted by life’s challenges with an understanding and an awareness that is constant and is anchored in your core, it is who you are. The lens that you observe the obstacle is clear and you are unwavering because you knew that obstacle was coming or you have faced that obstacle before, but more importantly, you understand that obstacle and see it clearly.

Cit Shakti is the Power of Consciousness: to be aware of anything, the light of intelligence, wise wakefulness, light of our loving awareness, the mind that has expanded in the pure clarity of perception.

It is said that Consciousness embodies itself as all things, full of unbroken awareness.
In this practice we will work on stabilisation of the mind through Pranayama (as Asana is for the body) and use a focus technique called Drishti which will be our guide for a concentrated intention. When the fluctuations of the mind are totally (stable) profoundly still, you awaken at one with everything and all that is. This is called Samadhi. This is facing all challenges with a clear lens with intelligence and with light. No dodging, twisting or weaving out of the way, but rather stabilising the mind, cultivating more light to see what needs to be seen, using it as a teacher and reinforcing CIT Shakti where the pair of opposites (the balancing emotions, thoughts, beliefs) cease to exist as they become one within you.

This is a great practice to really focus on what Yoga is fundamentally, as a union. Finding the concentration to recognise the opposing emotion or belief that might be lacking and bringing it into your consciousness to create that balance and stability.