"The Inner Teacher" by Jenny Fellows

The Inner Teacher

by Jenny Fellows,

IYTA Past President, Wellington

Most of us think that we learn from others and that is true. But we also have another teacher - that 'inner one'.  Non-yogis will know it as conscience, yogis’ will know it as consciousness/ awareness/ Spirit. (Note the link between conscience and consciousness).

The rules by which this inner voice guides us are the Yamas and Niyamas encapsulated by Patanjali’s Sutras thousands of years ago.  The challenge, of course, is the extremely strong ego voice that tempts us by 'just this once won't hurt', or 'who will ever know?' or 'he/she deserved it for what they did to me' etc.  Following the ego usually leads us off the path of Right Living into the Jungle of Temptation. We say or do things which are negative and harmful, towards others and ourselves.

Often we are not living by choice of action or word but by reaction which is supported by the ever fluctuating emotions.  When we live in this way we override the inner teacher and inevitably hurt follows. If we choose how we live i.e. with conscious awareness listening first to the inner teacher's rules, then we will be living a rich fulfilling life whatever our life situation.

The inner teacher uses not only that inner voice to teach us but our own senses - eyes to see the miracles which abound in this beautiful planet, ears - to listen to the bird song and music created by inspired masters, noses - to smell the magnificent perfumes of the flowers, touch - to share the gift of ourselves and to experience so much else, and  taste to savour the fruit of the earth, all these are tools the inner teacher offers us, leading us towards the miracle of Life on this Planet and our responsibility to nurture and respect it.  Who would choose a life of un awareness which creates the dread the opposite of life with awareness.... habit!

If we live like that, we miss so much of the glory and the learning and the richness offered by our inner teacher.