Humility Purified

I took an early morning yoga class and enjoyed the chance to move my body in extra-ordinary ranges of expression. With passionate reverence, the teacher prompted our attention toward a compassionate awareness of ourselves: "… lift your head, and stretch your chest forward, breathing into the bowl of your pelvis, and bring forth whatever feelings follow the purification of your humility." In that tender and demanding moment, I unexpectedly found the freedom to express an old, familiar, embedded holding in my body. I connected with a part of myself that I usually recognize as an inner effort, fighting its way to the forefront of my attention in defiance of this holding. But instead of thinking in that moment, I breathed and chose to feel. With surprising ease, I found an opening of permission and emerged into an awareness of renewal and strength.

What followed this awareness was an instantaneous download of realizations about my relationship to humility and all that this concept has pre-defined for me through the offerings of my religious upbringing. I immediately recognized the importance of revisiting this held meaning and the weaving of its overt & subtle influences in my self-development. I started with the support of a baseline definition of humility: "a modest sense of one's own importance."1 Humility is referred to as a quality or condition of being humble, which is defined as "an unwillingness to draw attention to your own achievements or abilities; reserved; not large, extreme or excessive; not showy, elaborate or pretentious."

My thoughts immediately flooded with inquiry: Why is so much emphasis put on having a modest sense of self? Diving in further, I discovered that modesty is also synonymous with "unexceptional, ordinary & plain." I understand that in religious terms, we are taught to put our earthly selves in lesser status in order to elevate our focus onto higher spiritual priniciples. However, I don't feel congruent with a model of love that compels me to feel shame and be less than while also offering that I am a divine creation. Everything inside me feels a natural draw to expand beyond ordinariness. I do feel an exceptional exuberance of aliveness in my being. And I do desire to elaborately bring my attention to this realization of personal truth. When I allow myself to embody these actualities, I feel full of grace. My heart opens with ease, and I'm inspired to give and share more of myself.

It seems that this lesson of humility was meant to instill fear around becoming "too full" of my own self and protect me from the danger of not learning the value of submitting to a higher power of support. In this way, humility was designated as the guardian. However, I see it differently now. Humility does have a role in our development; it just doesn't have to be oppressive and limiting to our self-access. We absolutely need a fullness of self to undergo transformation … and humility is the purifier. Purification restores our freedom. In that radical moment of expression, as my spine stretched forward, opening my chest to free my heart's song, the simple gifts of profound gratitude and love for all of life poured forth. I believe that this is the point … the gifts that are made transparent in us from the purification of our humility. And in that moment, humility gave birth to significance, modesty emerged into boldness, and reservation softened into a self embrace.

Now, I invite you to discover the feelings that follow the purification of your humility. Let your humility serve as a guide toward your growth and expansion rather than as a limitation to the acceptance of your promise. Bring your chest forward, stretching your spine upward, breathing wide to spread your shoulders back. Soften your gaze, lifting your chin slightly to feel the opening of your throat and the lightness of your head. Breathe deep down into the bowl of your pelvis, extending your breath all the way down into the tail end of your spine, stretching into your pelvic floor long and strong. Allow yourself several cycles of relaxed inhale & exhale in this position to absorb the power of this cleansing. In this space of gentle pause, consider what gifts have been waiting to express from this purified energy in the core of your being. And without thinking about it, just breathe it into existence and know this truth to be your own.

1 Random House Dictionary