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What Are Your Nuts?

by Viki Distin

Ram Dass, a Harvard professor turned yogi, tells of an anecdote about catching a monkey in India. When a handful of nuts is dropped into a jar with a small opening, the monkey puts his hand into the jar, grabs the nuts, and then finds that he can't retract his fist. If the monkey would let go of the nuts, he could escape, but he won't let go.

The nuts in this story are symbolic of anything that people attach themselves to. Most people will agree that "nuts" like drugs or alcohol create a lot of suffering. However, the nuts can be anything. A short list of attachments that people might not even consider are sugar, cleanliness, relationships, preoccupation with external strength, daily schedules, a particular way of thinking, drama, desire to remain the same, desire to change rapidly, political ideas, maintaining youth, and financial or material success.

The concern about attachments may be rooted in our craving for continuity. We feel secure in the fragile existence of our everyday life, or the monotony of our jobs, homes, and activities. We build walls to keep out fears and uncertainties and chain ourselves to a narrow circle of the familiar. We feel safe. The ancient yogis thought that attachment creates suffering because it is both a state of wanting and a state of ignorance. We cannot see things as they truly are.

When we transcend our self-centeredness, we open a new perspective. This allows us to feel more vast, more open, and free. Detachment is the desired mental state. It can be thought of as letting go or surrendering. Since this lifetime practice of surrender can be daunting, the yogis recommend beginning with the small stuff.

You may begin to flex your detachment muscles by evaluating your yoga practice. Notice if you feel attached to a particular class, teacher, or way of practicing. For example, while it is helpful to practice slowly while exploring a posture, it is also valuable to learn how to practice flowing through a pose and connecting breath with movement.

You may also become aware of your preference for practicing a pose a certain way. Just because something may have worked for one class or on one day, do not assume that it will always be the best way. For instance, if your teacher invites you to try a new way to rest in savasana that may take you deeper than ever before, it will not work if you are stuck in the way it has worked in the past.

Notice what sensations or emotions may arise if a teacher invites you to grow out of your comfort zone. Attachment to a particular teacher is also worth examining.

One of the boons of practicing yoga is developing this art of surrender in our bodies. While on our mat we become aware of constricting the breath in a pose so that we can then let the breath move more freely. We notice in a difficult pose that we may be holding on for dear life, so perhaps at those times we can let go of some expectations. We continually play with the balance between effort and surrender.

Once we begin to learn this art of letting go on the mat, the "nuts" that we are holding onto can be released. There is a Chinese proverb that says, "When we clench our fist, we have nothing, but when we open our hand, we have everything in the world."