Alignment

Alignment

“Alignment is something to strive for but not always attainable, you can’t attach yourself to being perfect, just to be happy in your body and letting go of your ego.” - Erin, My Soulmate

Life is our time to learn.  Nothing rings more true in my heart and mind than this simple statement.  We can elaborate on love, kindness, faith, pain and suffering, and every other avenue of life, but spending life learning is the essence of our time on Earth.

One of the voices in my head is my yoga instructor’s, Michael. He would speak constantly during class guiding our minds and bodies to better places.  Yoga is the science and art of seeking peace and alignment, encouraging us to leave our ego behind and become true to our soul’s and body’s potential.  

Seeking alignment in one’s life is about becoming true to your heart/soul. Alignment leads to our truth, strength, balance, potential, and peace. No one can do it for you; even in yoga, with Michael pushing and prodding me into place, I had to do the work.  It cannot be thought through in mind only, it has to be felt also in the heart.  And it is not a fixed position; you will constantly tweak, adjust, and remind yourself as soon as one thing is in place to address another that has slipped away.  And to breath, always breath.  Alignment is active, it twists and turns, it roots down, and shoots up.  It is sensing and feeling its way, constantly seeking the truth.  

When carpenters talk about building true, it means the work is square, level, and plumb.  If the construction is not true, problems can arise over time or with further construction. When something is built true it is strong, functional, and anything else can be built off of it with certainty.  Any direction you go, you will go forth with assuredness and ability.  

In our lives, alignment towards truth means building ourselves square, level, and plumb to our souls, our gifts, and our uniqueness.  People can advise but only you can truly find this path.  If you pay attention, you will know when something “sits right” and falls in line with you, whether is a conversation, a person, a behavior, or bigger experiences like marriage, a job, or a move.  If you don’t pay attention or give ego and outside influences too much weight, you will soon be out of whack and far from your truth.

When we are aligned we have Balance. Balance allows us to better see all directions.  If you are constantly attending to an extreme, you will lose sight of possibilities.  Imagine standing centered on a seesaw, one foot on each side of the fulcrum.  You may need a little shift left and right but generally you can stand up strait and enjoy the view around you.  If you go to a direction in extreme, you are now running back and forth to find the balance and that energy prevents us from seeing the whole picture. I see it in overworked friends, for example, never taking time for themselves, never saying no, and over committed.  They end up an irritable combination of tired and frantic, not enjoying the very life they have created.

Alignment leads to strength.  When we have truth and balance, we are more capable and able to help others and ourselves.  The more out of whack or off balance you are, the weaker you become.   Anything can pull you down and you certainly cannot lift another up.

How many times in life has alignment slipped away from you and you find yourself lost? I see it most in relationships and careers; what was once purposeful and fulfilling, is no longer sitting right, or true. But these things have their own momentum and force on our lives and we might succumb to that without taking a look from within.  When that happens, we might become useless to ourselves and others because all our energy is going towards the wrong thing.  What an amazing relief it is when you finally cut that weight that is pulling you so far off.  These are often the hardest times in our lives.  They can be minimized the more we grow from our truth in the first place. 

Therefore, alignment also creates potential.  Maybe this is a byproduct of all the other results; meaning, when you have balance, strength, and truth, you are more able to see and take advantage of all that comes your way.  But I also think that good is actually attracted to it. We are actually creating energy that pulls good in, whether it’s people, experiences, or wealth. 

Athletes specialize in optimizing potential.  Being fit, skilled, practiced, and having their “head in the game,” maximizes their potential to perform well.  They also trust their gut and make quick assessments.  Imagine being the professional athlete of your life, making the plays with skill and ease. Why do you think people are so enamored with athletes?  We are attracted to their skill, capabilities, and potential.  This will happen in your life too, when you become true.  You will find good things coming to you.  

I am reading back my own writing and thinking, “Man, this sounds like a lot of work.” It is!  But then, this is the work of your life. And when you find yourself more aligned, you will also find peace. There is peace in this place that is true to you.  It comes from knowing that you are not bent, you are not stressed, you are capable, you are giving outwardly to the world your best version of you.  And if you remain aligned you are on a journey that cannot and will not be wrong.  Even when things are difficult, or don’t go your way, you will have peace, balance, strength, and potential and be your best to handle them.

To lighten the mood, here is a silly bit I wrote long ago about yoga…

My thighs are rotating to the exterior as I bring my thigh bone forward in space. My calves are rotating from the upper outer shin like a vine down around the back and then over my inner ankle and arch of my foot to the outside ankle in order to lift my navicular bone into alignment. My pelvis is vertical so that my light is shining strait down. I am ironing my butt towards the floor while lifting my ribs off of my lumbar. My shoulder blades are open like the wings of an angel. My ribs are tilted up like vertical blinds and my collar bones are reaching for the ceiling to create a bird bath on each side of my neck. My right leg is bent at precisely a ninety degree angle. The heel of my right foot is in a direct line to the arch of my right. My left heel is stretching and reaching for the floor. I am gazing beyond the reach of my extended right arm, with purpose. Oh, and I am breathing.

Stay on task! I think I'll peek to see how Mary Jean is doing it. I wonder what should I eat for dinner when I get home. Should I go with pewter or brass for the kitchen knobs? How many skylights are in this room? Man, that's a big poodle. Breath.

The instructor is helping someone else. Does he see how hard I am trying? What is he DOING over there? Shit, I forgot to breath. My thigh is burning. I can't worry about my shin vine or my shine line anymore. Something's got to give. Why isn't Mary Jean shaking too? There goes my light! I think I'm stuck.