What we think of as our SELF is usually an emotion, thought, or sensation that we temporarily identify with and which is constantly changing. When we start to ask “Who really am I?”, and strip away the titles, the emotions, and the ego - we are often left baffled or unsure.
Many people discover yoga through the physical asana and, as they practice more and start to tune in with their body, their breath, and the stillness that comes with meditation and mantra, they begin to reach deeper layers of themselves, and are curious to discover who we really are. This part of the journey is so powerful as it starts to shift our way of thinking, being, and doing and gets beyond the ego. It helps to bring us home to our truth, our authenticity, our sacred self, and it moves us along a path of transformation, and how to really discover what our dharma is.
The primary quest of a yogi is to discover, follow and live your dharma; your soul’s purpose; and to share your gifts with the planet. The “right thing” is dependent on your personal obligations, purpose in life, talents, privileges, and societal duties. Practicing dharma is constantly striving to align your work, social life, diet, values, and other choices to support a path of right livelihood.
“Your dharma is your big why, the reason you’re here with all these thoughts, needs, and desires. We were each born with a unique purpose and this human experience is about remembering ours.”
- Sahara Rose.
This in itself would require stripping away the ego and connecting deep within your sacred self and your purpose or dharma. In the yoga world, ego (ahamkara) is defined as the individual’s sense of who they are - their thoughts, desires, and personality, as shaped by the mind. It is often referred to as the ‘False self, conceit, a sense of self-importance or self-esteem' because it is one’s image of oneself based on one’s own perception. That’s not to say the ego is all bad. We need our ego, it provides another layer for curiosity and growth.
The ego is often viewed and referenced in a negative light and many spiritual leaders, teachers, and yogis work hard to strip away the ego in their life so they are living more authentic and with a deeper sense of compassion outside of themselves.
But another way of viewing the ‘ego’ could be to consider it unhealthy or healthy.
The ego can act as a guiding light and be a reminder of where we can improve, where we can show more compassion, where we can reconnect with our Sacred Self and our dharma.
An unhealthy ego is indeed what we would usually think of. It depends upon status, gratification, feelings of lack, and self-worth, which can show up as a strong lack of compassion for others as you are the priority, controlled by desires, and a seek or need to be filled by others.
A healthy ego is when people have a sense of their own inner self, independent of the conditions and circumstances of their life. They are adaptable to change and can use the ego as a tool for when they may be deviating from their intuition, their dharma, and their path.
Internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development, Dr. Wayne Dyer wrote the book “Your sacred self”. In this, he writes about how our ‘sacred’ or spiritual selves, represent our true natures, and we often lose touch with the sacred self through the interference of ego, which in turn produces anxieties and leads us to feel frustration, strife, and pain. We then tend to inflict these on others. In this book, he also offers strategies to free oneself from the ego and to get back in touch with the sacred self.
He Said: “The ego is only an illusion, but a very influential one. Letting the ego illusion become your identity can prevent you from knowing your true self. Ego, the false idea of believing that you are what you have or what you do, is a backward way of assessing and living life.”
Re-connecting with the Sacred Self requires honouring, accepting, and celebrating all parts of us, including our shadow selves (read back the shadow self in our blog here). Embodying and integrating the shadow self is fundamental to our transformation and our dharma. All parts of who we are, are unique and sacred and it is with many different healing modalities that we can find ways to nurture our sacred self.
Those of you who have consistent yoga and meditation practice already understand how incredible this is to help slow down the mind, reconnect with your body, and help come home to yourself.
But it is important to understand that yoga does not need to be the only way you can heal or nurture your sacred self. There are certainly the forms connected to yoga and meditation such as breathwork, sound healing, embodied and free movement, chakra, and energy healing, but there are also options outside of this.
All of us have experienced moments of coming home – feeling relaxed, grounded, free of the restlessness that characterizes so much of our everyday lives. These moments can arise in nature or in the depths of an activity we enjoy, alone or together with people we love. They show us that we are exactly where we are supposed to be. That we are fully aligned with our truth and our authentic self.
Here are a few that can be practiced and explored further:
✨ Womb healing
✨ Journalling
✨ Therapy/Counselling
✨ Earthing
✨ Coldwater therapy
✨ Heat and light therapy
✨ Breathwork
✨ Ecstatic dance
✨ Sound healing
✨ Ayurveda
✨ Acupuncture
✨ EFT Tapping
✨ Cupping therapy
✨ Massage Therapy
✨ Reflexology
"Following your dharma does not mean overworking yourself. It means honouring your sacred doing.
Your sacred doing is when you're ‘doing’ and ‘being’ merge.
There is no longer any separation between the two. The writer becomes the words, the yogi becomes the asana, the artist becomes the painting, the practitioner and practice merge as one”.
- Sahara Rose, Ayurveda Expert
Take some time this month to journal before or after the practices on the membership and see what shows up for you. Reflect on when and where the ego led on and off your mat throughout your practice and your day-to-day life.
Meditation and journaling are key ways to get more in touch with your authenticity. To start connecting the dots of the things you love and what you can start to change.
Use the following journal prompts throughout the month to help you reflect on how you’re connecting with your sacred self.
✨ Who am I when I remove the labels?
✨ What makes my soul happy?
✨ What does happiness mean to me? Am I happy?
✨ Being very honest, what in my life would I change?
✨ My life is ideal when ….
✨ When I was a child, I loved to …
✨ What are my favourite qualities about myself?
✨ What do I love about myself?
✨ Which habits do I currently have that I know are not suitable for me?
✨ What more can I do to help others?
This month on the Soul Sanctuary membership we have a strong focus on using our asana, meditation, and journal practices to help us re-discover and re-connect with our Sacred Self.
This month's practices will help tap into your intuition and ground you within your body whilst opening any chakras that may be blocked. It will also enlighten you to question and become more curious about your boundaries and life decisions and in turn your soul's purpose/dharma.
You can practice along with our monthly playlist HERE
And download our monthly printable calendar for this month's videos (in colour) AND suggested Soul Sanctuary flows that align with this month's theme. You can link to these additional practices in the Calendar function on the APP or search for them on membership via desktop.
We also have exciting news about our next 'Wild Woman Day Retreat' and our first member's meet-up for 2022, taking place in March.
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