attached? I'm not attached!

Yoga is sometimes synonymous with the idea of "non-attachment," but finding daily ways to practice it can be not so easy. In older times, non-attachment was often part of the lifestyle chosen by yogis who gave up their worldly possessions and followed a life of monastic simplicity.

These days, we have jobs, families, and the things needed for us to fulfill our "dharma" or life path. So how do we stay non-attached? As Dharma Mittra says, we can have whatever we want, but not be attached to it. In other words, if those things or circumstances were gone, we would still be content.

Here's an example: Say I'm hoping for a raise at work. I may go into the meeting with my boss hoping for the best. If I were "attached" to the outcome, if I got the raise I would become smug and self-assured. Maybe I would think I was better than the other people or that I "deserved" the raise. If I didn't get the raise, I would be upset, perhaps angry or jealous of the others who did get a raise.

All these reactions are not yoga, because they disturb our peace of mind. If the person were not attached, they would accept the results of such meeting and then move on. The extra thoughts or feelings would not be created in their mind-body system.

When you think of it, in the case of attachment, our mental attitudes are dependent on the outcome. If we remain independent of whatever happens, we become the ones with control, and we become internally dependent. In essence, we stop looking for satisfaction and happiness in the outside world and find it in ourselves. Pretty cool, huh?