Bliss Amidst Devastation
By Theresa Shay
This week another hurricane collided with the southeast United States, where people are still reeling from a destructive storm 10 days ago. Across the seas, wars wage and an anniversary is marked by further violence. Close to home, the struggle with physical and mental health consumes many, and people sag with overwhelm. Amidst such devastation, suffering, and dis-ease, what right do you have to focus on eternal bliss and an inner soulful connection?
First, consider the trinity behind TriYoga®, Sat-cit-ānanda: existence, knowledge and bliss. This is the essence of the soul. The soul is eternal and will continue far beyond the form you’ve taken as the one reading these words - Sat. The soul has highest knowledge, residing above the pairs of opposites and reflecting Universal Mind - Cit. And to complete the trinity, the soul exists in a state of eternal bliss - Ānanda.
Thus, the desire to connect with bliss is not a right; it is a responsibility. When you ask the question whether you have a right to connect with this, you ask from a place of disconnect. Bliss is who you are.
The more valuable question is what you need to do to choose moment by moment to turn toward bliss and trust it, even when the stakes feel high and the circumstances feel difficult. In yoga class, we call this “staying in the Flow.”
The choice to greet life’s challenges from a place of inner connection describes moksha, the path to liberation. This Sanskrit word is derived from the root that means “to free, let go, release, liberate.” This path informs daily life by giving you the ability to place your mind consciously, accept reality, let go of attachments - especially to how you think things are supposed to be, and embrace what is yours to do.
Heavy or frantic vibrations that run through your mind deaden your spirit. To become free of these weights allows you to live. Following your path to liberate yourself from the confusion of the mind, you observe that life’s waves are continuous. So is the presence of cosmic energy and consciousness. As you steadily proceed, you transform. You no longer blame, argue, resist, collapse, or stand paralyzed in disbelief.
When you see what’s before you through the eyes of the soul, you release tension. Your body functions better. You deepen the breath. Your energy increases. You focus the mind consciously and follow it into the quiet. There you listen for the next step that has been given as yours to take, and you take it.
When you focus on letting your soul guide your life, circumstances do not change, but your sense of well-being amidst those circumstances is strengthened. You have resilience, patience, wisdom, health, and happiness. You have the support of the loving Universe, always working for the miracle of your life. With a clear and solid connection to the expansive Sat-Chit-Ānanda within, you align to this sweet and temporary gift of being human, and you are bliss even, or perhaps especially, through the hardest times.
Theresa Shay is the founding director of TriYoga of Central Pennsylvania, where she teaches weekly yoga and meditation online and trains others to teach TriYoga®. Each week, she shares wisdom cultivated from decades of TriYoga study and practice.
Learn more about her here. Theresa can be reached at Theresa@PennsylvaniaYoga.com. Find her on Instagram @theresa_of_triyoga for more inspiration and light.