“Opinions are like a*holes, everyone has one”… and there are many variations to this saying. And I love them all! What does this saying have to do with yoga, you ask? Everything!
Going back to yoga 101, Mr. Patanjali: “Yoga is the cessation of fluctuations of the mind.” All opinions are, are fluctuations of the mind. Opinions seems to come out of your mouth, that person’s mouth, their mouths, but in the end, they are just phenomena in my mind, that rise, sustain and fall. Transient and illusory - in yoga lingo that’s “maya”.
The internet is filled with opinions and I’m not blind to the fact that this blog entry/video is also just that. A passing a*hole. And at the same time it’s an a*hole that is asking you: “What should you be listening to, if all opinions are like that? Transient and therefore void? What sound are the opinions covering up?'“
I used to, and still sometimes feel, overwhelmed by people’s opinions and the way they influence my decision-making. Trying to do right, trying to please, trying not to disturb, trying to find the right balance between everything that I hear, except listening to my own voice or better my own silent knowing.
It’s not about walking around with closed ears or not being open to constructive criticism. It’s letting arise what is arising and also letting it pass again, instead of holding on. This does not only apply to so-called “negative'“ opinions, but we need to practice the same with “positive” opinions as well. A genuine “thank you for the compliment” and then moving on. As long you can think about it, it’s not You. And we want to move closer to the You or Self.
Yoga and all other authentic mystic traditions help us uncover that pristine pearl of wisdom, that we are clutching so tightly that we can’t even see it, or know it’s there.
Let’s practice and shake all those opinions off our back!
Quick ways to shake off opinions aka a*holes
01 : Lion’s Breath
02 : Singing that opinion to a nursery rhyme
03 : Literally shaking :) imagining the energy wash off into the ground
04 : Say a prayer to the person whose opinion you are still carrying.