Vikalpa Tonic

"I once had a thousand desires. But in my one desire to know you all else melted away." -Rumi

Desire in spiritual communities often gets a lot of bad rep, yet according to the yogic teachings, our Soul actually came into being out of desire.  Everything we do is driven by desire, whether the desire comes from a healthy and connected and conscious space or not.  Our yoga and meditation practices help us develop discernment, to determine the root of our desires and to see more clearly if they are aligned with our highest good or not, and whether fulfilling them will bring us greater peace or contribute to our suffering. 

As January draws to an end, we may want to check back with the Resolutions or Sankalpas we set.  If a Sankalpa (as discussed in the last Tonic I sent out) is an intention or resolve that aligns us with our highest purpose, than a Vikalpa does the opposite.  Rooted in unclear seeing, a place of disconnect and confusion, borne from self doubt and past experiences which bind us to old patterns, a Vikalpa arises from a lower level desire and ultimately leads us away from our highest good. They live in our unconscious, which is the tricky part, so taking time to reflect on and wake up to any Vikalpas that may be intersecting or splitting us from our highest path is a worthy investment of our time. 

This week I invite you to take some time to reflect on any Vikalpas you may have.  Some questions to consider include, are there any “wants” that I have that are feeding a cycle of short term gratification and costing me longer lasting peace?  Are there any false beliefs about myself that govern my choices, such as “I’ll be loved/accepted when....”, or “I’m only safe when I’m in control of......” or “My success in........ measures my value” etc.  Ultimately, is what I’m wanting aligned with my highest Self and if achieved or obtained, will it nourish my Soul?

~Annie Jacob