In Yoga, the sacred syllables A-U-M represent the three stages of all phenomenon; A = Brahma (The Creator, beginning), U = Vishnu (The Preserver, sustaining) and M = Shiva (The Destoryer, ending). In order for new beginnings to happen, we must move through a destructive process. Change and impermanence ensure that things will never stay the same.

The practices and process of Yoga is to unpack ourselves as human beings. As we start digging through our psychic closet, we are sure to find things we don’t like, especially since we start out with such a strong ego identity. The ego tends to take things personally and discovering faults, flaws and ignorance is pretty much unbearable for the ego initially. It’s only once we’re ready to crack open and let it all spill out, that we can process and let go of our baggage.

Most people who are striving to reach enlightenment want to be a good person, a noble intention but often a manipulation of ego. We can find ourselves struggling with accepting our flawed humanity. This is not a beautiful and easy process, it is the down and dirty work of destroying the untruth in our lives. The truth is there…our mission is to uncover it by clearing all the social conditioning and mental/emotional debris that hides the brilliance of simple truth. We are here now. Now is all there is.

Never fear though, once we’ve been through the destructive fire, be it by choice or chance, we can use the ashes of what was, to create the fertile ground for what will become…and the cycle begins again.