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Let It Flow

written by Emily Garrettfor Venus Rising Magazine

Scorpio 08 - The Money Issue Issue

Years ago, ruffling through the yoga section at a local bookstore, I picked up a book by Kundalini Yoga teacher Gurmukh. I happened to open to a page where she discussed money. In it she wrote something like "If you are ever worried about money, drink a lot of water. Then you will see how everything flows." How true. At the time, I was working two or three jobs, trying to figure out how to make a living doing what I loved, which was and is teaching yoga. Her comment stuck with me and now I teach yoga full time.

Buddhism teaches us that our cravings for material goods can never be fully satisfied and that our pursuit of wealth as a source of happiness will only bring us suffering. However, it is almost impossible to live in our world without thinking about money. We need it for our most basic needs, like food and shelter. Money also buys fashionable clothes, tools, and education and in this way, provides opportunities. We often feel that if we have enough, we will have sense of security. The recent financial crisis, however, proved that nothing is secure. What comes will eventually go. As a wise teacher once told me, it is times like these that add muscle to our spiritual practice. Living with what you have, and not desiring more, or aparigraha, was delineated by Patanjali 2000 years ago as one of the main ethical practices of yoga. We can work toward this state of mind by noticing how we are right now, including how we relate to money.

Aparigraha or NON-ATTACHMENT

This month, observe your relationship with money. Begin by noticing your physical reactions to money. For example, when you get your credit card bill in the mail does your stomach tighten? Do you hold your breath while you open it? Do you feel elated when you receive money? Do you get angry when things cost more than you think they should? Are you more comfortable spending or saving? Notice how thoughts around money effect you physically and emotionally.

Then notice how much money occupies your thoughts. How much of your day do you spend thinking about money? Do you count dollars throughout the workday? Do you check your stocks religiously? Do you plan ahead and try to determine how much money you will need or don’t have? Once you become more clear about your thought patterns around money you can begin to work in a conscious way. Rather than reacting immediately in a way that creates tension, you can catch the tension as it begins, pause, soften, and then move forward. This will ultimately create more freedom and ease in your life.

Through a little observation, we can lessen our grip on things that we have only minimal control over. You cannot control the economy or the rise and fall of stock values, but you can choose how you will relate to the current situation. You may just begin to realize how much is enough and what you actually need. Hopefully this will make it easier to go with the flow and ride the waves of your material wealth.

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