Freedom

Freedom is peace. Freedom is inclusive. Freedom is love. Yet freedom is also fear. Especially for those who have never experienced it before. Yenomi Park, a North Korean refugee describes the feeling of freedom as scary. So overwhelming in fact that when she first arrived in the Western world something as simple as choosing food from a restaurant menu was daunting. Yet freedom is also about endless possibilities. There is no end or limit to it, only a new beginning, a new level of freedom. But be wary, freedom without structure and the responsibility to own your actions isn’t true freedom. You might end up thinking the world owns you everything without putting in any effort. Freedom is demanding structure and discipline. Your level of discipline will equal your level of freedom.

Take the example of a yoga class. The teacher provides a sequence of poses, and if you discipline yourself to follow along, you will naturally progress in your practice. (Given the teacher knows what he is doing…) Within this structure of a class, there is also the freedom to modify and accent postures to fully express yourself. But there still needs to be some form of framework. Without any frame, the freedom of choice can be overwhelming and potentially dangerous. If you have no idea how to progress in your practice or what poses lead to inversions like headstands or handstands, you can feel lost in the vastness of freedom. The arising fear can paralyze you and prevent you from achieving true liberation.

We all want freedom and having freedom is great. But consider for a moment what freedom is worth without taking responsibility. Most people I admire that have an abundance of freedom, are incredibly disciplined, hard-working, and patient people, that take full responsibility for their actions. Barely do I hear them complain, because they know that they are only the creators of their freedom. They are fully aware that they are not entitled to some birthright of freedom. They don’t take it for granted and continue to create it day in and day out….