The Yoga Sutras: The Brain Doesn't Have an off Switch
My brain doesn’t have an off switch.
My mind turns in a myriad of ways, but the Yoga Sutras narrows it down to the 5 most common:
◓ Correct perceptions
◓ Mistaken perceptions
◓ Imagination
◓ Sleep
◓ Memories
Your brain is constantly running through these 5 categories.
It’s a jumbled-up thought flow that barely catches your attention ... unless you're really thinking about it.
“That store associate was so rude to me earlier.” → “I really wish I had a house on the beach.” → “Remember that beach vacation from when you were 15?” → “I could really go for some fish tacos right now.”
Your imagination is your daydream. The way you want things to be.
Sleep is, of course, your subconscious.
Memories, the way your mind has interpreted things from the past.
Perceptions can be tricky.
Perceptions are impacted by the environment, the perceiver, and the perceptual system in the environment. How you perceive something can give you validation even if it's incorrect.
This is typically seen during conflict.
One person views the situation one way while the other person views it another way. They both think they are correct and that the other person is wrong.
There's no space for both to be right, or both to be wrong, or for right and wrong not to exist.
Like the saying goes, “There are three sides to every story: Your side, my side, and the truth.”
So those are mistaken perceptions.
Correct perceptions, on the other hand, are anything that leads you closer to compassion.
The Essential Yoga Sutras says, “It’s true that I misunderstand how I am, but not that I am.”
Mistaken perceptions are anything that leads you toward division.
Realistically, what you believe to be true could be an alternate reality your mind has created and is impacting you as a result.
So make what you believe just as sweet as you want your reality to be.
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