The Practice of “No-Conflict”

The various aspects of yoga practice are evident in the many styles (schools) of thought available. Frequently, debates form around the perception of conflict between materialism and spirituality, as if they are not interdependent. Few yogis in today’s modern world can practically ignore the effects their living environment has upon their practice.

To have some fun with the debate, imagine that you must design your space to be a reflection of your frame of mind. Then, browse through the product selection at Gaiam while making notes about what products seem appealing to you. Do this during different moods; after an experience of elation, during a fit of creative passion, when feeling stagnant, after a disappointment, and most importantly….after Yoga practice!
You may be surprised to find how the frame-of-mind you are in during a decision-making moment can influence your preferences!

Preferences are often the symptom of a hidden internal condition. Doing the exercise described above can help to bring awareness to the way that each of us must determine the timing of when to actually commit to a major decision, some of which are more consequential than Lotus Leaf Pedals or the aesthetic Mahogany Boat Tealight Holder! (But they’re nice, too…) It’s less dramatic to start with your living environment as a practice, and work towards awareness of factors influencing that major life decision!
By becoming more comfortable with the relationship between the living space you occupy and its effects upon the decision-making mind, more opportunities for deep reflection are naturally invited into your daily practice. This may not provide the answer to that major decision you face….but it does begin to create real opportunities for your internal environment to awaken, which is a guiding force that can be trusted.
When our minds become destabilized because of external disorganization, this is also a manifestation of the same principal. One might appreciate how it brings a lot of awareness to the intersection of external and internal environments; by caring for the former, one may cultivate the latter.

Yogic schools of thought are shared practices; many of the techniques we have learned in asana and pranayama have come from the efforts of many generations. Because practice is historically shaped by the concerns of the practitioners, it makes a lot of sense to engage the modern perception of conflict between spiritual practice and material manifestations of reality…as a daily practice!