NON-ATTACHMENT

BY PAULINA BECKER

Detachment or non-attachment repeatedly arises throughout yoga philosophy.

It is mentioned in diverse sutras by Patanjali (e.g. I12, II39), but what does it actually mean? Does it equal not caring at all?

On one side it implies not making oneself dependent on people, thoughts, objects. Avoiding fanatism in philosophy and practice. But it is also about not falling for the other extreme of accepting everything, losing drive, movement, and critical reflection.

In my understanding, healthy non-attachment can be compared to a prototypical parent-child-relationship. For the child to grow and thrive it needs to experiment, go out and fail sometimes. Therefore, parents need to let go while observing and holding a safe space for the kid to come back, and commence new attempts from there. This transfers to relationships we hold with other people, objects, ourselves and our way on the yogic path. Not avoiding, not indulging but exploring, feeling, observing, reflecting, and staying open to whatever outcome. Life holds challenges for everyone. We cannot avoid them and if we did, we would steal ourselves from chances to grow. We face them no matter what. Without attachment – so practicing aparigraha – we increase our chances to grow, without clinging on to them. In the end it is our attitude towards the things life offers, deciding whether we suffer or learn from them.

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