Let life flow through you

In class we continue our exploration of how we relate to emotion and experience — especially those big, overwhelming feelings like anger, fear, or rage that we looked at last week.

These emotions can feel too much, so we often avoid them. We chase after what feels good and push away what feels hard or uncomfortable.

But this habit — of holding onto pleasure and avoiding pain — creates patterns in us. In yogic philosophy, these are called samskaras. They’re like grooves or impressions in the mind and body that shape how we respond to life. Over time, they create a kind of web — shaping what we like, dislike, tune into, or shut out.

The thing is, whether we’re chasing or avoiding, we’re still holding on. And when we hold on, life — prana, our life force — can’t flow freely through us. We feel heavy, not in a relaxed way, but in a stuck way. Unprocessed emotions live in the body: in the tight shoulders, the tense neck, the unsettled gut.

But when we allow all experiences — both pleasure and pain — to move through us, we’re actually letting life flow. This kind of surrender isn’t collapse; it’s presence. It’s a form of evolution.

Today we’ll explore this in the body and the breath — especially through kumbhaka, the pause between breaths. This space is where release happens. It’s where we can stop gripping so tightly and allow the holding patterns to soften.

You may notice a paradox: as you let go, you may feel a sense of both lightness and groundedness. That’s where we’re headed — where dualities dissolve and a deeper balance arises.

This is vairagya — detachment. Not about giving up or not caring, but about stepping back from over-identifying with every emotion, every reaction. Letting yourself witness, not cling. In doing that, you become more free — more you.

Om Shanti