Arunji, says in his book, that twists take us out of the past and the future and into the present moment. This was definitely an "Aha-moment" for me! Whenever we are feeling depressed, anxious, worried or disappointed it is because we are either mulling over something in the past (that we can't do anything about now) or worrying about some event that has not even happened yet. When you lay it out that clearly, you have to wonder why we would willingly put ourselves into that state of suffering? The answer is simply but not easy: bring yourself back to the present state of now. This is a nice segway into the meaning of the mystical and sometimes overused Sanskrit word: K a r m a... |
“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”
― Patañjali
So often as we act in life, we are afraid of making decisions, because we know it has implications on future behaviors of others towards us, or are afraid of voicing our opinion since we don't think it's valuable, or think people will despise us, think poorly of us. While every action has a reaction or consequence, think about reaffirming within yourself, that the action you are taking is your deliberate choice and have faith that it serves you. Then again we make mistakes sometimes and fail, and that is just alright. We were born to be real, not perfect. You will never know if you never try, right? If you fail, try again and have confidence in yourself.
Progress can only come from action, so make it a habit to think and feel (other forms of action) as thought your actions will benefit you and others.
Yoga helps finding the balance within the body and mind, by creating space, "resetting your focus" and preparing you for what is about to happen in your life.
"There are three forms of karma: sanchita, agami, and prarabdha. Sanchita karma is the vast store of accumulated actions done in the past, the fruits of which have not yet been reaped. Agami karma is the action that will be done by the individual in the future. Prarabdha karma is the action that has begun to fructify, the fruit of which is being reaped in this life."
Source: http://www.ocoy.org/dharma-for-christians/a-brief-sanskrit-glossary/