The recent passing of a dear childhood friend of mine has led me to share with you how a student of yoga deals with loss.
To address that, I refer to one of the main yoga philosophy texts, the Bhagavad Gita. The translation of Chapter 2, Verse 13 states:
Just as in the physical body of the embodied being is the process of childhood, youth, old age; similarly in the transmigration from one body to another the wise are never deluded.
In other words, a student of yoga knows each of us is a Soul given a body to experience this life. Because we have a body, we will experience pain and pleasure. Because we have a body, it will age and one day die, but that is not the end of us. Because we each are a Soul and a Soul has no beginning or end, we will move on after the death of our body.
Studying and believing this doesn’t mean a yogi does not suffer in the passing of a loved one. We often suffer from our attachment to the person or from the concern of how the person’s death will affect their friends and family.
As a student of yoga who has recently experienced loss, I am taking the time I need to cry and reminisce about my dear friend. Then, I will honor his memory by moving forward with my life and serving his friends and family as best as I can.
Namaste,
Brenda
