I was recently thinking back to the game of truth or dare — a game we all played as kids. When you were little were you the kid who always chose truth? I, on the other hand, consistently chose dare. Excitement apart, truth tended to make me uneasy and afraid. In my mind truth and disappointment were one and the same. When I was in 11th grade I was afraid to tell my crush I was in love with him fearing rejection. For some of you the fear may lay in admitting that you wanted the lead role in a high school play, or that your feelings were hurt when you only got 2nd chair in the Symphony orchestra. The most important lesson I have taken away from this game over the years is how to be vulnerable and choose truth about the things that truly matter. Taking the dare was always the easy way out for me.
I would rather take my chances and eat a bug than let everyone know my truth and reveal my heart.
When applying this silly game to our adult life which would you choose, truth or dare? And more importantly why one over the other?
According to the Bhagavad Gita, “Yoga is the journey of the self, to the self, through the self.” In other words, yoga helps reveal the self to the self so that we wake up to our own truth. As John Donohue writes, “Awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.” In essence what yoga is asking of us is to DARE TO TELL THE TRUTH. First to ourselves then to have the courage to accept the dare to be our most authentic selves out in the world.
Tapping into your own creative potential, fulfilling the purpose for understanding who you are, and why you are here is what yogis call “Sva-Dharma.” This is translated to mean “self-duty.” I couldn’t think of a more daring thing to do. “Look to your own duty; do not tremble before it; nothing is better for a warrior; than a battle of sacred duty.” -Bhagavad Gita 2:31.
Yoga is both Truth and Dare. When we follow our true paths we are at peace with ourselves. The terrified teenager inside slowly silences and fades away. By daring to fulfill our duty we allow others to be themselves, which leads to a more harmonious world as a whole. This translates to a challenging and exciting practice on the mat as we try new poses, hold poses, or sustain a flowing sequence daring ourselves to learn more about who we are. Our yoga practice eventually becomes reflected in the way we live our lives.
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive.
And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
~ Harold Whitman
This year accept the dare and stay connected to your intentions for meeting the destiny for which you’ve been called to in this life. Follow your svadharma and go beyond your fears and self-limiting beliefs. Don’t hide behind work, which is the adult equivalent of eating a bug because you don’t want to face the truth. Get on with living life on your terms! Find your passion, whatever it may be, become it, breathe it, live it, and hold it true until your biggest dreams manifest. ”Let no doubt into your dreams and intentions. The dreamers are the saviors of the world.” (Wayne Dyer). Be the peaceful warrior you are. Act as if your life depended on it, for it does.
Love yourself, love your day, love your life! Silvia
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[Editor's note: This is a guest post by Daily Cup of Yoga contributor Silvia Mordini, E-RYT, retreat leader, happiness coach, and yogipreneur. Enthusiasm to love your life is contagious around Silvia. Her expert passion connects people to their own joyful potential. Silvia lives her happiness in such a big way that you can’t help but leave her classes, workshops, trainings and retreats spiritually uplifted! Born in Ecuador, raised traveling around the globe, she is an enthusiastic citizen of the world and spiritual adventurer. She has over 10,000 hours and 15 years of teaching experience, owned a yoga studio for 9 years and after being run over by a car used yoga to recover physically and emotionally. Silvia leads Alchemy Tours Yoga Retreats and Alchemy of Yoga RYT200 Yoga Teacher Training.
Silvia can be reached on the Web at www.alchemytours.com or www.silviamordini.com, or via email at silvia@alchemytours.com. Twitter: @alchemytours, @inspiredyogagal; Facebook: Silvia Mordini; YouTube: lovingyourday; Pinterest: Silvia Mordini; Intagram: alchemytours.]
Photo credit: Camillia Lee on Facebook