Recently, I was Skyping with my beloved teacher and asking him to disambiguate some confusing Yoga concepts.  As usual I was over-thinking and entering into a very cerebral place about one of the many conceptual experiences the ancient Yogis describe.  Swamiji asked me, describe 4 things that I am.  I responded, “I am a woman, I am Black, I am a mother, and I have curly hair” (I’ll never forget those attributes I selected!).  He said, “you are none of those things, those are simply roles you are playing.”  We went onto to corroborate the nature of our true Self (notice the capitalization– it will be discussed in future postings). Furthermore, he expounded, “when you meditate you set those things [identities] down. Then, later on when you pick them up, they are a little lighter.” That’s it in a nutshell– meditation is practicing our true identity–which is something far greater than the illusion of words.  Today was a day when I was particularly caught up in the mundane– I felt as if the outside world was against me.  But, it can’t be… because like my roles the macrocosm has roles–and everyone in it is playing a part.  They can’t be against me because we are the same.  Meditation helps to establish awareness of that connectedness.  Now, regardless of how my perceived conundrum unfolds, I will return to the Center and know that I am unchanged–for the better.