There is no competition with God

 You probably have seen somewhere the moto " I only compete with myself". Well, this type of thinking and feeling shows more compassion towards others, but not to oneself.
 What I mean is even when one think that they are competing only with themselves, still have a competition. Roots in a rajasic state of mind that is attached to results, leading to create anxiety and a constant desire for the fruits of actions (results).
  We all want to become a better being, a better practitioner, a better anything you name... We may compete with ourselves each day towards this goal and sometimes thinking just in the results and not being fulfilled in the process.

" Obligatory action, performed without any craving or aversion by a man unattached to results - this kind of action is sattvic. "
Bhagavad Gita.

 One of the best gifts of surrendering to God, the Supreme Power (or you name it..) is the ability of trust. Performing the duties, your Sadhana and thats it. Finding equanimity in the center of ourselves even when life is twisted. And why worry about it? Everything made by him is Supreme Perfection and Supreme Love even when there is pain and fear.
 We do our Sadhana with love, dedication, devotion, determination and faith. God takes care of everything else. Offering the fruits of actions to Him, we create a state of equanimity and peace within.

The Process VS The Results

  Everyone wants results right? In our jobs, our bosses want to see results. As citizens we want to see and have results. Society want results. We expect results in our relationships. We want the things done in our time. Our mind is trained by generations to think and act like that. We are attached to results and we totally rush in the process.
  As yoga is my primary teacher I learned that the process is the most important phase to be lived. The results is just the consequence that we have to face without expectation. In the process we learn, we fail, our ego is little by little destroyed, because the process is a slow transformation that must be accept with patience and love.Our mind is direct to accomplish the results but not in the process. When we start to train our mind to live the present and in the process, we are living fully.
  In Ashtanga Yoga method is a very slow process of learning. There are different series of poses to learn in a formal sequence. We can not skip one to practice the other( even if we know the other ) because this method train the mind to accept the challenge of the process.  I have notice in myself and lots of students the necessity of perfecting an asana. Asana is just a vehicle to experience the inner self. While performing the asana the focus should be in the breath, gaze and Divine. Letting the ego go with the expectations for results. Experience the present moment even if brings pain, insecurity or fear. Being out of our comfort zone we start to see and feels things with equanimity. We start to train our mind to be in balance in the mat when we are felling good or not. Taking the lesson out of our mat into our everyday lives.
  One of the beauty of Ashtanga yoga methods is that you have no choice...It is what it is.... I can not choose what I like and practice. Every asana was knowledgeably put in a sequence by Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois.
  You go to a yoga studio and the boom of the class is the crow pose, headstands and handstands :)" Yes I feel in power"....and when you can not do it you feeI bad...and sad, because you see everyone doing, you see that awesome handstand picture on instagram. The asana don't make you became a big yogi or yogini...The process of learning and accepting where you are is the yoga in a pure essence.
  In the physical aspects when you focus in the process you build more awareness and strength. You are preparing you body and mind in a slow process for the result that may or may not happen...But who cares? Live the experience of the present moment.
 This lessons I take out of the mat to my personal life slowly also. We all have dreams,goals and plans to accomplish. Nothing happen in the time we want. We do our part, living fully with love, respect and devotion and God take care of the rest. Giving the fruits of our actions to God, detaching of the results is live in yoga.

Your practice is your gift

What brings to you inner peace? 

 I believe that any peaceful feeling is related with the Self presence in us and around us. You can call the Self as God,The Great Consciousness,Love,The Unborn,Eternal or the way you feel in your heart. Each everyone of us find a way to connect with God through something.Usually something very simple,with no price, label or form. We just need to look with another perception what really matters to our happiness and inner peace.
  First we analyze what it is by self study. Many of us sometimes have this empty feeling that we don't know how to fulfill our lives. Giving time to think and discover simple things we can do to ourselves that will make us experience life.

What is your practice?
  You may experience God through your art,in silent or in prayer,in the nature or in the church, reading sacred texts and during your yoga practice. I believe there are many ways to approach God and no one is better than you to know what is the best path to live on. There is no way to love one another and live in harmony with the universe if you do not live in love and harmony with yourself. The point is, we must to live and practice whatever takes us to this path toward something greater than us! Practice is not easy. You have to make time, effort, renunciation, detachment and so on... Our mind trick us all the time: I'm too busy,tired,angry,hungry..It is hard to make our mind still and listen the voice of the Self in our hearts. Every time we make an excuse, we stop taking care of ourselves. As soon we realize what bring us inner peace we evolve from that point,we awake and do not regress to the past or to habits and feelings that will take us further from our main goal that is be ONE with the SELF and be fulfill by His love.
  Its is very important to be honest to yourself to know the difference of having the pure feeling coming from the Self and the momentary pleasure happiness coming from the ego. When we act from the ego, our lower self, we have expectations in everything we do that lead us to have painful experiences.

 "Be focused on action and not on the fruits of action. Do not become confused in attachment to the fruit of your actions and do not become confused in the desire for inaction" (2,47). ********************************************************************************
"Perform all thy actions with mind concentrated on the Divine, renouncing attachment and looking upon success and failure with an equal eye. Spirituality implies equanimity."
Bhagavad Gita