As my travels are taking me all over the world to share Yoga, I am reminded daily to step outside the confines of a 'routine life' which is actually what is being put forth in Patanjali's Yoga Sturas.  In this entry, let's explore a bit Sutra 1.2 and how it relates to this.  Sutra 1.2 is:  Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodah - Yoga is the art and science of observing and liberating one-self from the self defeating thought forms of the invidiuated mind.

When we become 'stuck' in routine life we become very attached to the individuated mind.  "I am ___"  "I wear ____"  "My name is ____".  Now, these are important 'identities' to live in modern society, but there is also a deeper layer of this that allows us to be those things when necessary, but also maintain a constant connection to the higher self (Atman in Sanskrit). 

This was very apparent to me last weekend in Paris during the Fete de la Musique (a city-wide music party in the streets!).  I had my guitar with me and was singing songs to passers by in the streets.  In between the songs, every single time, someone in the crowd looked at me and said "Where are you from?"  or "What country are you from?".  I found myself uncertain of how to 'itentify' myself.  I mean, I was born in America and am culturally American...but I feel that I have much more to 'me' then that label.  But how could I express that in a way that was loving and compassionate while also informing the inquisitor that I do what I can to live beyond those labels.  Ultimately, I answered the answer they wanted to hear and watched the reaction to their faces based on their preconcieved ideas of Americans.  And as I answered, I also found myself exploring my mind as to how I truly identify myself and how ofter we are 'forced' to do so.

Since then, I have become hyper-consicous of what I do on a daily basis that gives me 'identity' and how I relate to that.  From the clothes I wear that show my style and flavor to the music I like to the food I eat even down to the 'type' of yoga that I practice.  All ways to itendify my individuated mind to that I feel I 'AM' somebody. 

So for the rest of the day today, I intend to take it upon myself to act out of 'being' and simply be a human doing the best I can.  And when I find myself either projecting identity on to myself or to others....I vow to stop, breathe and bring the essence of my light being into my heart.  And that is who / what I am!