WHAT IS MY LIFE?   

How do YOU define it?

Is life just the part that we play in this drama that we call “Our Life” where we are born, grow, fulfill our destiny, contribute to society, and then decline and ultimately depart in ‘death’?

For human beings, life implies consciousness, an awareness of ourselves as both an actor who can both act on other beings and forces in this world, and who is acted upon by those very same other beings and forces.  In other words, we are bound in this world to both give our energy and receive energy from beings and forces that are outside of “us”.    I define life as a process in which I am conscious about who I am, have an awareness of what I am doing to myself and am aware of  the consequences of my ‘actions’ . In other words, I am conscious of how I interact with other beings and forces in the environment.  Most importantly, I want to become aware of how my actions affect other beings and forces in the environment.

So life is consciousness.  I am aware of myself – I know that I exist. I know that if I do certain things, it will have an effect on both myself and others.  Part of this awareness is being able to foresee the consequences of our actions, “to predict that if I eat this apple, it will satisfy my desire for sweets.”

What we can be conscious of is every aspect of our being.  We are more than just bones and muscles and tendons and organs and biochemical processes.  We have the ability to think, to reason, to feel, and to instinctively know were we stand on the scale of right and wrong.

So life is a large concept.

I invite you to think about life.  What does your life mean to you?   Have you lived you life in a loving relationship of caring for yourself, and of caring for others?  What actions have you taken and where do they measure on the scale of right and wrong?

In yoga, there is a process called self-study or svadhyaya.

The first aspect of this process of self-study is to become aware of who am I.   How do I feel in the moment (i.e. happy, sad)?  What are my goals?   What are the things in life that bring me joy and happiness?  Do those things that bring me joy and happiness harm others?  What actions do I habitually do that support my goals— or not?  These are the questions about life that matter.

The Simple Practice

So I invite you to find a quiet place, get paper and pen, and ask whomever you pray to for protection and guidance while you do this practice. Dedicate your practice to asking the question of “What is my Life” and allow the answers to come. Promise yourself that you will not filter the answers or pass judgment on them. Just let the answers come to the surface and observe them.  Sometimes the answers do not come right away, but may take hours or days to surface.

Sit up straight in a chair (don’t slouch and don’t cross your legs or feet).  If you prefer, you can also sit comfortably on the floor.  If  you are sitting in a chair and your feet don’t reach the floor, put a cushion or roll up a mat and put them under your feet.  Allow your belly to expand as you ” Inhale” for 5 counts.   Feel your belly contract as you “Exhale” for 5 counts (choose whatever count works for you).  Breathe in and out of the nose if possible. Do at least 5 rounds of simple breathing of Inhale for 5, and Exhale for 5.  Now let your breathing gently slow down until your breathing is light and slow.

Focus your mind on the question of  “what is my life?”  Allow the images to arise in your mind.  If your mind wanders then repeat silently the words breath in and breath out. 

Now release the thoughts and just let your mind relax and sit quietly.  Write down any thoughts that arise.  Remain in silence for another 10 minutes and notice your thoughts.  Continue to write down your thoughts as they come.   

Repeat this exercise as many times as you want to get clarity about the question of “What is My Life?“