I've been inspired watching some of the recent, SAS: Who Dares Wins. It is so unbelievably tough! I'm pleased to see they have selected a diverse range of contestants, who obviously have passed fairly tough fitness tests to even participate.
In the episode I watched most recently, one test was to complete a course of drills like press ups, burpees, knee tuck jumps etc. Most were done in the view of the DS but a couple weren't and they were secretly filmed.
The test was about integrity, as it's absolute paramount to be able to trust your colleagues in the SAS. Sadly, for one contestant they missed several reps in the drill not seen directly by the DS. Needless to say this didn't go down well.
One of the definitions which popped up in my google search of integrity.
'A person with integrity behaves ethically and does the right thing, even behind closed doors'.
It made me think about yoga practice. Not necessarily those practicing behind their camera online, but more about our attitude to it and at the end of the day it's how we practice and our own commitment/integrity that counts. This is Tapas (self discipline) from the Niyamas, which are the ethical guides on the 8 fold path from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.
This is from Yoga International. 'Remember that tapas can go hand in hand with any task—even something as mundane as cleaning the bathroom floor. Whenever we perform our actions with full determination and effort, they are performed with tapas'. Here's a link to the piece. https://yogainternational.com/article/view/yoga-philosophy-basics-the-5-niyamas/ I find this really helpful when tackling day to day chores.
With yoga this isn't something that happens straight away but evolves as we practice more. Which is probably why most yogi's start their journey through a physical practice (yoga classes) and the more philosophical stuff follows later.
It's also made me think about one of the Foundational Texts again, the Bhagavad Gita, which is one of the oldest books in the world and highly respected in the Hindu Tradition. Especially, the Shloka (verse) 47, in chapter 2, which I referred to last time. https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/2/verse/47
This is about being less concerned about the rewards we get at the end. Whether that's being able to lift into a full backbend in yoga, or maybe our motive for doing something is validation? It's about turning up, having a go and being present to the journey or process, however difficult it might be. Having integrity when no one's watching. Like in the SAS: Who Dare's Wins episode and the girl who only did 9 knee tuck jumps instead of 15. We are accountable for our own actions and inactions.
Have a lovely weekend.
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