My brother, Gregg, and I have been having a lot of meaningful conversations around death since my dad’s passing. The other day he brought up the Buddhist concept of non-attachment. We both agreed it was easy to not have attachment to things, but attachment to people was a whole other thing that was hard to comprehend.
He felt like if he detached from the people he loved then he would miss out on all the special moments with them. He wouldn’t be as connected and have the same incredible bond that he has built with his family and friends.
Practicing Buddhist principles for the past 15 years, I wanted to bring some clarity to this confusing concept. It is not the bond with loved ones that Buddhists are referring to when speaking of attachment. It is the attachment to our misunderstood concept of permanence that is the meaning behind this belief.
Our mind’s have been tricked by an engrained misnomer that people and things will be around forever. But, in reality, our very existence is in a state of constant change.
Every second that we are alive we are changing. We are not the same person we were even a moment ago. Everything resides in a continuous flow of fluctuating energy. And this energy is constantly transforming.
We know in our heart of hearts that we will all pass one day. But, we live like our loved ones will be around forever; that they are a permanent fixture in our lives.
We bypass the opportunity to tell someone we love them because we assume we will see them tomorrow. We put off plans to spend quality time with friends and family because there is always next year.
What would our life be like if we lived it as if everything was temporary? Would we make each moment meaningful when connecting with loved ones? Would we make the effort on a daily basis to let someone know how much they are loved?
The bottom line is everything IS temporary. So how are YOU going to live your life???
Please join me for this week’s yoga class to assist in releasing attachment.
This week’s 25-minute Hatha Flow Yoga Class, Yoga for Releasing Attachment, is all about letting go of expectations and outcomes in your yoga practice, so you can enjoy the present moment. Through a flow sequence, we will move freely to experience the liberty that comes with no judgement. Yoga with Meditation Mutha is for everyBODY. Please join me in this opportunity to reside in a state of freedom. Enjoy!
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