Simplify your life

Peace can be reached through concentration upon that which is dearest to the heart.
-Patanjali

Yoga is is a lifestyle. In the Yoga Sutras Patanjali have prescribed eight aspects, or eight limbs, of yoga. A path that develops an individual’s moral, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual growth.

The first limb is Yama. It guides universal morality and ethical behavior like non-violence, honesty, celibacy, non-stealing, and avoiding materialism.

The last mentioned, aparigraha, is to simplify your life as you simplify your thoughts. Today this beautiful Shiva object gave me some challange. Is 100 yen a waste of money on a detail that gives you more peaceful thoughts?! No, not for me. Now we have one more item in our home, but an important ornament.

Lord Shiva, the lord of mercy and compassion, protects devotees from evil such as lust, greed and anger. He bestows grace and awaken wisdom.

Lord Shiva has three eyes. The sun is his right eye, the moon is the left eye and fire is the third. The enemies are destroyed with "the fire".

The crescent moon on his head indicates that he has controlled the mind perfectly.

The snake around the neck of Lord Shiva symbolizes the yogic power and the endless cycle of life and death. The snake also stands for all passions and desires and represents the ego. The snake curled three times around his neck stands for the past, present and future time in cycles.

The necklace has 108 beads which symbolize the elements used in the creation of the world.

The tiger skin lord Shiva is sitting on indicates that He has concured lust and all other animal propensities.

Lord Shiva holds his palms in Varada Mudra or grace mudra (symbolizing charity) and
Abhaya Mudra or gesture of fearlessness (symbolizing protection, peace and the dispelling of fear).

Lord Shiva simplyfies my life.