I’ve been dipping a toe into this concept of ‘multiverse.’ Multiverse, defined by simple.wiki “is the theory of a conjectured set of multiple possible universes, including ours, which make up reality.” After reading an article about it on Vox.com, there’s a way to use this theory to help each of us realize the power we have in choices. The more we are consciously aware of ourselves and the cause and effect we have on the world, the more choice we have. We can mold our lives towards living with integrity, manifesting our intentions, and diving into creating a world that lives less out of fear and more out of love and compassion.
From the Vox.com article on the new movie, “Everything, Everywhere All At Once,” (which I have yet to see) what struck me was how quantum physicist, Spyridon “Spiro” Mikalakis, brought the theory on multiverse into practical use for daily life.
TRADITIONAL YOGA
The goal of Traditional Yoga is to refine and transform the mind for Self-realization. Basically, the end goal is to answer the question “who am I?” All the tools and techniques of Yoga are to draw our awareness more and more inward to subtler and subtler experiences. This helps us to discern (viveka) who we are not. This leads, ultimately, to realizing the true essence of ‘me.’
How we travel that path is up to us. There are many, many ways to do this, hence why there are many paths of Yoga (and other spiritual paths). There are many scriptures of Yoga laying out these different paths. It’s important to have a teacher or guru and sangha (spiritual community) on this path to stay focused, inspired and motivated. The guru is a guide, but each of us has to do the work or sadhana (spiritual practice) to refine our mind.
CHOICE AND YOGA
Most of us humans are completely ignorant of the magnitude of choice we truly have each day. All of us have been conditioned, since we were born, to certain beliefs on how to live through family and societal culture. We take these beliefs as ‘the correct way,’ rarely questioning them. When we come in contact with other ideas and ways of living, we can get defensive, angry, and even explosive.
Our mind is trying to protect its way of living and its beliefs. It can be very challenging to let go of beliefs to expand out into the realm of infinite possibilities, let alone being able to let go of thinking there’s a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way. (If your religion or spiritual path is creating judgment, anger and hate, it’s time to look at yourself. These are all patterns that are keeping you further from the truth of ‘who I am’).
CHANGE THE MIND
This is what Traditional Yoga and refining the mind is all about. When we start to get curious about our own reactions and examine them, there is opportunity to grow beyond a limiting belief. Think about it like how a snake grows. It has to shed its current skin so it can grow. It’s the same thing with ‘growing’ the mind. Albert Einstein’s quote expresses it beautifully “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” If you want to truly know “who am I,” you can’t do it with the mind you have now. Otherwise, you would already know the answer.
Do you want to change how you react to the world? Do you want to change feeling anxious, depressed, resentful, or angry, you have to change your mind, your perspective? If you try to use a mind that has a perspective that creates anxiety, you’re going to keep creating more anxiety. It’s truly that simple. (Yet, the journey to changing the mind is one that takes effort, commitment, and practice).
MULTIVERSE AND CHOICE
Mikalakis brings up two points to help inspire us to work on refining the mind from the multiverse theory. The first is:
“It’s the idea that you may not be aware of it, but there is a power of choice that you have at some microscopic level that defines your identity as a citizen of this reality, versus a parallel one: where your most important choices you made are kind of your fingerprint. This is what separates you from this other version of yourself. You made a different choice, and maybe you made the best of that other choice.”
Our minds are highly programmed to look at the negative to keep us safe and to keep us in our limiting beliefs. If I just stay within my comfort zone though, I keep myself stuck in one version of myself. Which is fine, yet if you are someone who has the deep yearning to do more, live with purpose, and to be the best version of you that you could be – this behavior doesn’t help realize that deep yearning.
When you start to become aware of your emotional reactions to situations, you can start to examine that reaction. You can discern if you really want to take action towards that initial reaction. Or, maybe there are some other choices you want to consciously make that will move you towards that best version of yourself?
MULTIVERSE AND LEARNING FROM OTHER SELVES
The second point Mickalakis brings up is:
“…the thing that is also pretty powerful is the possibility that you could learn from the other versions of you. What if you could meet them, and all of a sudden, you realize that you have all these latent powers, potential within you, that were actually explored? And they flourished in this other reality.”
Now, we aren’t able to meet our parallel universe selves at this point, as Peter Parker did in the latest Spiderman movie. But, what we are able to do is examine our past selves. By this I mean, take time to look at memories from the past that continue to bring up strong emotional reactions in us, even though they happened weeks, months, even years ago. I guarantee that our present self is reacting from those past, emotionally charged events trying to keep our future self safe and secure. This system, though great to keep us safe from life and death situations, in daily life situations and relationships this system keeps us from fully showing up in the present. It keeps us from experiencing ‘now’ from an open and curious place.
For example, if I’ve been hurt in the past in an intimate relationship and haven’t worked through that pain, my mind will probably be focused on avoiding that pain again. So what happens? I end up protecting myself, which keeps me from being open to a new experience of connection and love. Then, I end up wondering, “Why can’t I find anyone to love?”
FACING EMOTIONS
What I have personally found, and found with the people I’ve worked with over the past decade and a half, is when we face the past and present emotional reactions, examine them instead of judge and avoid them, there is profound learning. There is also the chance to let go and move towards a more true and uplifting belief or perspective. I hear the words “relief,” “empowered,” and “calm” constantly in sessions when someone goes through this process of learning, understanding and letting go.
We can use these parts of ourselves to grow beyond our wildest dreams. I know that I personally relish facing those emotions now because it’s so empowering and it leads to more peace of mind. And, yes, even though this process brings up fear and other uncomfortable emotions. Those emotions are there anyways, so why not deal with them and move on?
THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY
The final things that Mikalakis says that I feel is worth noting are:
“I want people to know — especially young people trying to figure out where they fit in this world — that they have power to make anything happen, and make that world where they can do amazing things. They can really take control and become that version of themselves that unlocks their true potential.”
“There is something very powerful about just knowing, even though you may not know how, but just knowing that something is possible. Often it’s heroes that are the ones that first believed something was possible, and that fate was not set. Just knowing, or at least believing so strongly that something is possible, then allows you to mess around and experiment and figure out how to actually make it possible.”
Is the thing that’s holding you back the attachment to certain beliefs and perspectives that no longer serve you? Identify one of those and what is the opposite of this belief. What would happen if you started practicing and living that opposite belief?
What would happen in your life if you started to believe anything is possible?
Namaste.
Does this resonate with you? Would you like to know how to take steps to use Traditional Yoga to start changing your mind? Join me FREE Virtual Masterclass on May 11th, 6pm MST – “3 Steps to Start Saying ‘YES!’ to Yourself Now.”