Don't want to be restricted or limited by anything?

It's normal that all and everyone have the basic instinct or desire of want to be free, being unrestricted or unlimited by anything.

Somehow, if without correct understanding, some people are being disturbed and unhappy towards many existing inevitable restrictions and limitations of the physical body and the thinking mind in the world of selflessness and impermanence, not to say, towards many unnecessary restrictions and limitations that are created by many minds that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism to be restricting the freedom of thinking, actions and speech of all and everyone, under the great aspiration or ambition to be creating and controlling a world the way that they desire.

It's normal that all and everyone don't want and don't like to be restricted by some others for anything.

If without correct understanding and self-control, out of disagreement, dissatisfaction, resentment and rebelliousness, one might be behaving, acting and reacting in the way that would hurt oneself and/or others, and the surrounding environment, to express one's disagreement and dissatisfaction towards certain restrictions and limitations imposed by some others in the world of ignorance and egoism.

Due to ignorance, many minds might also think that self-control is a form of self-imposed restriction limiting one's own freedom of thinking, action and speech.

Many people not only don't like to be controlled or restricted by others, but also don't like to have self-control, time management or self-discipline, or be flexible on doing something that one likes to do but not necessarily at the timing or in the way that one would like it to be, where one needs to be making certain adjustment, adaptation and accommodation in order to be doing certain things that one would like to be doing, but then it's being restricted and limited by certain timing, duty and responsibility, condition and situation, weather and unforeseen circumstances. People want to be able to do whatever they want to do, at anytime and in anyway that they desire, or else, they will be disturbed and unhappy for not being able to do what they want to do at the exact timing and in the exact way that they desire, due to certain restricted timing, duty and responsibility, condition and situation, weather and unforeseen circumstances.

Self-control actually doesn't contradict with the freedom of thinking, action and speech at all. One is having control over what oneself want or don't want to think, do, or say, and not being a slave of ignorant, incorrect and hurtful thinking, actions and speech.

Self-control under the correct understanding towards selflessness and impermanence in the momentary limited life existence of a body and mind, and in all kind of names and forms, where the mind is not being over-powered by the desire of craving and aversion, but knowing what are the current limitations of the physical body and mind that are selfless and impermanent, while having self-control to be managing one's life and whatever oneself wants to do, without forcing and hurting one's body and mind, or generating disharmony in oneself and/or others, or the surrounding environment, as much as possible.

It doesn't mean that one is losing or sacrificing one's freedom of thinking, actions and speech if one needs to be having self-control and flexibility over one's thinking, actions and speech, or certain actions are being restricted by inevitable selfless impermanent changes and certain unforeseen circumstances, where certain things are not necessarily being done in particular timing or in particular way that one desires, but then, it could be done if oneself makes some adjustment, adaptation and accommodation towards certain things that are not in one's control to be exactly the way that one desires.

The inner flexibility of adaptation, adjustment and accommodation to move around and go beyond obstacle, difficulty, challenge and limitation in life, that can be developed through observing many of the observations in yoga or buddhism, enables the mind to transcend all kind of obstacle, difficulty, challenge and limitation, not by fighting against or removing the obstacle, difficulty or restriction, but to move around the obstacle, difficulty and restriction.

Not being determined by the obstacle, difficulty or restriction, but being flexible to make changes in accordance to the existing obstacle, difficulty or restriction, is real freedom, even though one doesn't necessarily doing something in the exact timing or in the exact way that one initially desired.

Being flexible to be making certain necessary changes or adjustments to adapt and accommodate certain inevitable or unnecessary restrictions and limitations is not limiting, or losing, or sacrificing one's freedom of thinking, actions and speech at all, just as many minds might think and understand in such way.

Being determined by the thinking and desire of "I should be able to think what I want to think, do what I want to do, and say what I want to say, at anytime and in anyway that I desire, without the need of self-control, time management and discipline, is freedom of thinking, actions and speech," while being disturbed and unhappy upon being restricted by certain inevitable or unnecessary restrictions or unforeseen circumstances to think, do and say at the exact timing and in the exact way as one desires, is no freedom at all.

It's the prideful ego that thinks and says, "I am weak, and I am being defeated by restrictions, obstacles, challenges and difficulties, if I am the one that has to make any changes and adjustments. I shall not adapt or accommodate, but to fight against all kind of restrictions, obstacles, challenges and difficulties, at all cost, until they move out of my way, to prove that I am strong, that I am stronger than them." That's everyone's freedom of thinking, desire, action and reaction.

The strength in yoga and buddhism is about being free from attachment and not being the slave of the passionate egoistic desire of craving and aversion, not being determined or disturbed by the selfless impermanent changes. Being able to do what is possible in the present moment, while let go or make changes towards what is impossible in the present moment, is real strength and flexibility. Physical strength and flexibility is nothing, if without inner strength and flexibility.

The ability of allowing one's mind to be opened to inquire the truth of everything, to conquer the impurities and restlessness in the mind, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, not blind-believing, not blind-following, not blind-practicing, not blind-propagating and not blind-agreeing/disagreeing towards anything, and void of attachment, longing and craving, is the great freedom that cannot be given or taken away by anyone, even if one's organ of action and speech are being restricted by certain inevitable or unnecessary restriction and limitation.

Be free, by being able to be flexible to change, to adjust, adapt and accommodate, transcending all kind of inevitable or unnecessary restrictions, obstacles, challenges or difficulties.

Adjust ourselves to adapt and accommodate the yoga (asana) classes, is part of our yoga practice...

Yoga classes are different from fitness exercise classes, where the fitness exercise class format and intensity is purposely designed and adjusted to suit each individual different fitness level and liking. Especially when it is about running a commercial business to provide physical health and fitness exercise classes or services to the clients, then the classes have to be designed into multi levels, different varieties and choices to suit all and everyone, try to 'make sure' everyone is happy and satisfied with the classes and services that the fitness centres provide and sell.

Naturally, when we attend yoga (asana) classes, we usually like to attend the type of yoga (asana) class that is catering for the fitness level that we think we have, and is designed to suit our liking (what types of asana practice and intensity that we prefer, of what we like and want to do).

Very often in the commercial types of yoga (asana) classes, when we don't like the type of yoga asana exercises and intensity that the teacher teaches in the class, we will go to the teacher and tell the teacher what we want for that yoga class, and expect or demand the teacher to give us some other types of exercises and intensity that we prefer, depending on our mood and what we like and want to do for that class.

In fitness classes, it's about what 'the clients' want and like, and give them what they want and like. 'I' pay to get what 'I' want and like, and so, give me what 'I' want and don't give me what 'I' don't want.

But yoga classes is different from fitness classes. Yoga classes are here for us to learn about life, and to accept life as it is, while we do our best to adjust and accommodate every situation and condition that is not necessarily the way that we think it should be, or how we like it to be.

It is for us to practice letting go of the ego, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements. It is for us to let go of craving and clinging onto something that our ego likes and agrees with, and let go of aversion towards something that our ego doesn't like and disagrees with.

It is not about what type of yoga asana exercises and intensity that we do in the yoga class that matters. It is the practice of non-attachment and letting go while performing the yoga asana exercises that our ego likes or dislikes, agrees and disagrees with.

It doesn't matter what is the format and intensity of the yoga class that is being taught by the yoga teacher, we do our best in that class. Do what we can do, and not forcing ourselves to do what we cannot do in that present moment, according to the condition and abilities of the physical body in that time being. Accepting the present condition and abilities of the physical body as it is. Allow impermanent changes to happen from moment to moment and accept all the changes as they are.

Sometimes we find the same type of asana practice is harder for us, and sometimes it's easier for us. It's not because of the exercises or the intensity of the yoga (asana) class is different from what it was that makes us feel harder or easier, but it is because of our own impermanent physical conditions and abilities, as well as the state of our mind that is constantly changing.

We adjust ourselves into any types of yoga classes and different intensity. We accept and accommodate the yoga class as it is, without judgment about the yoga class as easy or difficult, nor judging our performance, our physical conditions and abilities as good or bad. Without expectation towards the yoga class that it should be something that we like it to be, or expect the yoga practice or yoga exercises to be adjusted to accommodate what we like and want. Without expecting our performance to be the way that we think it should be. If we have certain physical limitations, or illness, or injuries during that time being, we adapt ourselves into the practice by making some adjustment, without expecting the class to be adjusted and to accommodate our physical limitations.

Life doesn't adjust itself to suit our preferences, and it doesn't accommodate our liking to be something that we like it to be. But, instead we have to learn to adjust ourselves to adapt any life situations, and be able to accommodate any life conditions as it is.

We cannot expect life or the world to be the way that we like and want it to be. We will be very disappointed by our own expectation, as the entire worldly life existence doesn't belong us, nor in our control of how we want it to be.

We allow life and the world to be what it is, while do our best in adjusting ourselves to adapt and accommodate life as it is, not necessarily the way that we like it to be.

Om shanti.