Dena Kingsberg: That's Where The Light Gets In
Yoga Sutra 2.28
योगाङ्गाऽनुष्ठानादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिराविवेकख्यातेः॥२८॥
yoga anga anusthanad ashuddhi ksaya jnana diptih a viveka khyateh
"By the practice of the limbs of Yoga, the impurities dwindle away and there dawns the light of wisdom, leading to discriminative discernment."
“Dukham evam sarvaam vivekinaha.” For a viveki, a person with discriminative knowledge, everything is painful and also, simultaneously, full and sweet.
As epic poet, Leonard Cohen wrote,
“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.”
When you allow yourself to break and you see your cracks for what they are, you cease to develop the painful pattern of grasping for perfection. In fact, when we embrace those painful cracks, we transform what was painfully imperfect into something supremely beautiful. Truly, if we read just that one sutra of Patanjali, and realize that everything manifests from pain, then there’s little more we need to know.
Our guest today shares her deep wisdom with us and it’s a tremendous honor.
Dena Kingsberg has seen things. She is a Viveki to be sure. She can anticipate the worst, while envisioning the best, and clearly discerning the cracks in the facade of those who come to her for teaching. Harmony shares this kind of understanding of the world, and recognizes the same mystic wonder, strength, courage, and discipline that Dena embodies through her teachings.
“Yoga Is Not Pretty.” — But we’re going to keep persevering anyway, because as Dena reminds us, “No one is going to help you heal yourself.”
And if you don’t do the work to sort out your citta vriti (thought patterns), samskaras (action patterns), and vasanas (unconscious desires) you’re going to live trapped with whatever you get.
We are blessed today to share our conversation with Dena about her personal transformation from an awkward child into an artist, poet, and rock-goddess architect. She built her home using her own hands and she’s built her life in much the same way.
It’s challenging to be a deeply introverted person, while also being called to publicly share the sacred wisdom gleaned from time spent inwardly looking. As popular Australian cartoonist, Leunig, has shared in his poem…
Let it go
Let it out
Let it all unravel
Let it free
And it shall be
A path on which to travel
Between this breaking and unraveling, both Dena and Harmony have come to feel that the weight of life is Full and Sweet.
Knowing how painful things can be in this world, while honoring each simple blessing, and recognizing the flow of grace in every day life, is a kind of miracle in and of itself… And that’s where the light comes in.
Because after all, “It’s the sameness in each of us that makes us truly special.” - Dena Kingsberg
The Finding Harmony Podcast is hosted, edited and produced by Harmony Slater and co-hosted by Russell Case.
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Opening and closing music compliments of my dear friend teaching Ashtanga yoga in Eindhoven, Nick Evans, with his band “dawnSong” from the album “for Morgan.”
Listen to the entire album on Spotify - Click Here.
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