Quiet Earth

Photo: laihiu

So, after reading this brave post by my friend and fellow yoga teacher, Alicia, I got to thinking about the nature of our habits and our strong attachments to them. Alicia’s blog post talks about binge eating in particular, but what she experiences–that absolute inability to take a step back and stop yourself from what your about to do–would resonate with anyone who has had any form of addiction (and yes, I think it’s safe to say that any habit is a form of addiction), be it food, cigarettes, drugs, shopping, exercising, cleaning, etc.

What is it about these compulsions which makes them so attractive to us, even when we know we’re harming ourselves? It’s such a simple question, right? But when we’re involving the deep emotional attachment that comes along with addiction, it’s almost impossible to get a rational answer. Well, after years of struggling with one form of addiction or another and finding that I know myself so much better since I started a regular yoga practice, I have to say I think I have the answer. It’s all about the ritual.
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Tags: acceptance, addiction, bliss, body, body image, ego, guilt, happiness, judgment, peace, weight loss, yoga