When transgressions hinder, the weight of the imagination should be thrown on the other side.—Yoga Sutras
In today’s entry, Gates writes: “Reflecting the pragmatism at the core of all yoga teachings, Patanjali pauses before outlining the necessary restraints of yoga to address what to do if we get into trouble along the way. If we find ourselves caught in negative behavior, he suggests increasing the time, thought, and energy we direct toward positive behavior."
This is a timely reminder, especially when starting something new—whether it’s a job, a journey, a habit, or a project. Personally, as I’ve shared before, I always start with the best intentions. Being a true Gemini, I see everything as a GREAT IDEA… for about five minutes. I know this about myself—I tend to get sidetracked, constantly jumping from one thing to another. But as the passage advises, and after years of practicing yoga, I’ve learned to be kinder to myself when I get off track or when something I thought I wanted doesn’t hold my attention. I’ve learned to offer myself grace, to give myself permission to change my mind, even if some people might label that "flighty" or "indecisive." Over time, I’ve come to recognize and release the limiting beliefs I had about my ability to make decisions and stay consistent. What I genuinely care about, I follow through on—if it’s important, intriguing, and worth my energy. The rest naturally falls away. I’ve come to see that letting go as a gift: what’s meant for me stays. What captures my attention, stays. Where I’m meant to invest my time and energy, I do.
I’ve embraced and even celebrated how astrologers describe the Gemini mind as a superpower: we’re able to juggle multiple things—multiple truths, ideas, and projects—working on them from different angles. Geminis are like detectives, solving puzzles quickly and creatively in ways others might not even consider—or even deem necessary! No one asks me to approach problems with a buffet of solutions, but I do. Need something explained from several different perspectives, and fast? Ask a Gemini!
Today’s passage also reminds me of how we react when faced with challenges. In yoga, we often step onto the mat with certain expectations. We might expect our bodies, which were once athletic, to perform the way they did years ago. And we get frustrated when they don’t. But yoga teaches us that it’s a practice—and that starting something new is just that: new. Granting ourselves the space to be imperfect, to make mistakes, is essential. It’s unrealistic to expect instant success, but I often fall into that trap. I assume that because I’ve done something before, I should immediately know how to do everything now. Of course, this stems from the messages I internalized growing up—where intelligence, capability, and success were highly prized. If we weren’t successful, we were failures. Worse, we tended to look outside ourselves for reasons to explain why we failed. Blame became our strategy for overcoming personal shortcomings. A tough realization, isn’t it? In my upbringing, intelligence was prioritized, while ignorance was seen as a weakness that others could exploit. Winning was the goal.
But we all carry limiting beliefs, whether we’re conscious of them or not. Yoga helps to reveal what needs to be seen—and healed. I often tell my students that the mat is the ultimate space for self-exploration. It shows us what’s growing within us, and even mold has its place. Without mold, there would be no penicillin. Without mud, there’d be no lotus. So, whether things work or don’t work, on or off the mat, how we treat ourselves during those moments is often the real challenge.
Gates references Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love: "If you want to end darkness, you can’t beat it with a baseball bat; you have to turn on a light." So many entries in Meditations remind us to find that light, to switch it on, to illuminate our darkness with our own inner light. I’d add that when we’re in a dark place, we can also invite the light of others in to remind us of our own brilliance. We simply need to recognize our challenges and honor them as lessons. From there, we have the power to transform them into something positive. It’s our choice—and we’re allowed to make it!
One final thought from Day 5’s entry: Gates highlights Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, that allowed Gates to admit to his own “What’s in it for me?” mindset. What I love about this admission is that he doesn’t shy away from it. Instead, he reframes it, asking instead, “How can I be helpful?” This shift in perspective resonates deeply. When we catch ourselves in internal battles—whether those are limiting beliefs embedded long ago or new obstacles we’ve constructed ourselves—we have the chance to shine a light on how we hold ourselves back. We direct that light inward first and foremost. We step onto the mat as whole humans, capable and incapable, smart and ignorant, brave and insecure. We allow all parts of ourselves to exist, and then we decide which ones to leave behind and which to carry forward—choosing the ones that serve rather than hinder us.
When we release the notion of yoga (or life) as a pursuit of perfection, or as a constant game of comparison, we open ourselves up to a world of limitless possibilities. When we allow ourselves to be open and coachable, the journey becomes an entirely different game—one to be enjoyed as eager players, no matter the outcome. My hope is that we approach both our mats and our lives with the innocence and openness of a newborn—free from preconceived ideas, receptive to the wisdom of the Sutras that guide us to “deliberately turn away from the choice for death and embrace the choice for life.” Life isn’t something to conquer; it’s something to enjoy.
Namaste and thank you for reading!
Lauri
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