Into the deep – A guest blog from Tarik Dervish, Brighton Yoga Foundation Ambassador.

What’s fascinating about the human condition is that we are aware, at least notionally of the vastness of things both externally and from a yogic perspective, internally as well. Our planet is like an tiny dot in the vast expanse of the universe in the same way that a single bacterium living within us is just a tiny dot in the relative vastness of our bodies. When we start to practice meditation, we soon realise that this enormity of existence is not limited to the physical world because we awaken to the hidden realms of our own mind. We encounter our own personal heaven and cower away from our inner hell realising that the the life that we lead is merely a fraction of what it appears and ultimately what it could be. Over time, everything outside ourselves starts to feel magical because our lives are rich with symbolism and we have the capacity to cultivate insight into the cosmic plan if only we paid enough attention. We are living out a great story that is mirrored in the stars by simply being alive because we are like tiny expressions of the whole. The great maxim ‘as above, so below’ is as true today as it has always been.

However, to be able to celebrate this vision, it is important to confront our limiting beliefs first. These beliefs are usually inherited from our parents but they may also be echoes of a fearful society scared of change. It is not possible to be free if we constantly live in fear and hold on tightly to what we know. To overcome fear, we must confront who we are and what we have become. Things are not pretty right now and we need to face up to the world we have collectively created before we can ever hope to change it.

This is a good time of the year to go deep, explore the murky unconscious and find beauty and an acceptance of what we are and where we came from. We are not perfect and that is okay because imperfection is beautiful too. Letting go of false ideas about who we are can be a great relief for many because acceptance is the first hurdle to finding a strong sense of presence. Loosening attachments to what we are used to may be a necessary rite of passage because the more conscious we become, the more light is shed on our circumstances. Many say that awareness is a curse and ignorance is bliss but in time, it is a path that everyone must tread.

Tarik is a yoga teacher of 20 years experience and 15 years teaching Ayurveda. He regularly teaches modules for the British Wheel of Yoga. To find out more about him, visit his website for further information and to sign up to his newsletter.