Kundalini Yoga

Inez Aires

"The greatest illusion in this world is the illusion of separation.” – Albert Einstein- "The illusion of separation — is the belief that we are separate beings, cut off from others and from the world around us. We may even get snagged by the feeling that there are parts of ourselves at war with one another. There are four myths at the heart of this confusion: the separations of mind and body, head and heart, inside and outside, and nature and nurture. Myth No. 1: Mind and Body Seventeenth-century philosopher René Descartes popularized the notion that the mind and body are distinct things — an idea now known as mind-body dualism. His aim was to prove that the soul exists separate from the body, which then enabled him to explain the soul’s existence mathematically. But his thesis was flawed. It was used to prove that health was limited to the physical body, specifically what was observable and measurable, and that it was mostly uninfluenced by outside factors, including our thoughts. For centuries, this idea of mind-body separation dominated science and medicine. Recently, abundant research has shown just how much our thoughts — as well as environmental factors — impact our health, suggesting we are much more interconnected than we believed. Myth No. 2: Head and Heart One of the best ways to keep your heart alive is to be moved by people’s stories. When we’re under constant time pressure, it’s hard to even listen to someone’s tale, much less be affected by it. But when we take the time to really hear what someone has to say, the whole brain lights up. Telling and receiving stories are among the only human activities that that consistently excite the entire brain. With presence and attention, we can have the experience of feeling fully alive, which is what happens when head and heart come together. Myth No. 3: Inside and Outside Worlds Most of us are seeking greater openness and connection, whether we know it or not. When we feel separated, it’s easy to become discouraged, stressed out, and unmoored.