WISDOM WITHIN - August 2018 - Kansas City

Free Yourself from Negative Ego

 

By Suzette Scholtes

 

Feeling separate from love, feeling separate from your spirit, feeling more negative rather than positive, may mean your negative ego is blinding you. An online search for ‘being free of ego’ revealed almost 31,000,000 sites. A hot topic indeed. Now I know a 500 word column may lack substance, but I will do my best. 
 

We have a negative and positive ego, and it serves as our eye to the world. We view the “maya” or illusions of our reality. Our job is to place that information, once delivered by the ego, into context.  It’s complex. Many things go wrong. 
 

 

Responsibility

When I hear how a person is blaming the world, the boss, the stars, the gossip, I know being responsible is a missing link. The self talk may be: If this did not happen; if that person had not hurt me. Now, pretend for a moment your boss or partner or parent told you to take over responsibilities that belonged to them, and you knew you could not handle them. So you feel inadequate, and esteem falls and self worth is questioned. You may feel frustrated, anxious, frightened, and perhaps angry.  Maybe you would feel sorry for yourself. Real panic sets in as now I will get “blamed” for messing up and it’s not my fault. It takes maturity, wisdom, and a strong act of will to overcome this. Think about this. Have you felt this way? 
 

 

Choice

At every moment, even as you read this, you are choosing fear or love. Most of us dance with both feelings throughout the day. I’m really conscious of it. The inhale in yoga (Puraka) is intended to absorb hope, love, and life. The exhale (Rechakra) gives peace and calm. With the pause or the Kumbaka (base of exhale) we gain equanimity and in-the-moment presence. We have a tool now to work with to shift the feelings from fear to love. In class at the Yoga School I may take time to lead students through 40 or 50 cycles of conscious breath with the depth of its meaning. The breath mantra soon becomes a part of you and an easy-reach tool to use daily. 
 

 

Forgiveness

We must forgive self first. What a challenge this presents! The best way I know to forgive ourselves is mindfulness practice of meditation and guided imagery.    Then repeat, repeat, repeat until it is felt in your heart how much you are loved. It may take a long time to heal layers of old stuff.  
 

 

Steadfastness

How do you remember the love? The line itself feels sophomoric. How do you? That’s why we as yogis are committed to our daily prayer or meditation with God and love and our souls and spirits. After time the love affair with this quiet time is habit. Judith Hansen Lasater, famous for her restorative yoga, says, “We say we don’t have time.” Now I understand her point. Do you not have time to give five minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes to devote to your spirit, your esteem, your high self, your love? 
 

 

How many are feeling separate from love, feeling separate from self and your spirit, feeling the negative rather than a positive? I’m surprised the search engine did not reveal more like three billion entries. Find a teacher who knows of this work. Find the books/CD’s that turn you on and inspire you to practice and care about what matters the most: your happiness, peace, contentment, and feeling the love and giving of love. 

 

 

Kansas City