There was an interesting discussion in yoga class today about faith. Most of those in the class had grown up in the US and so equate faith belief or having a belief system. However, in yoga these two things are not the same. Faith is itself and can be expressed through a variety of means. If faith is expressed mentally then it is a belief. It’s something we enter into the equation and a filter by which we look at our options and make choices. If faith is expressed through the emotional self then it is knowing. It is not easily explained nor argued, it simply is and yet informs what we do or what we do not do. If faith is expressed physically then it is doing. Having faith that my legs will do a thing is mental if I’m believing it’s so, but it’s doing if I actually use my legs to do that. It is no less faith if I leave out the believing and just take the action. In fact, that we might call that being faithful. 🙂
Yoga is focused to a degree on the physical manifestation of faith. It is in doing the asanas that we demonstrate faith in what we know and what we believe. Faith without action is empty. Many of us believe in ourselves, in a higher power, in others, but act completely opposite to this on a regular basis and then lament that there are such contradictions in life. Many know what can be done, should be done, then discredit that knowing by doing the opposite and belittling the knowing. Until our actions match our knowing and our belief, then we are a bit faithless or faith dysmorphic.
As we come into the weekend, you might think of putting some faith in yourself, not by believing more or doing one more affirmation, but instead acting on that faith. Instead of saying “I believe” say “I do” and then go do it.
