Do we see reality as it is, or only through the lens of our ego?
What is meditation?
Meditation is when you see reality for what it is. Ultimate truth is universal. Unconditional. Reality does not depend on your perspective from time and space, on prior knowledge or desire. It is what it is. If your perspective of a thing changes depending who you are or who you have been, then your perspective does not match the underlying reality of that thing. What you see is merely an image or reflection which is dependent on the lens which you are looking through, and not reality itself. Instead, meditation is being with that ultimate reality.
The ego between us and reality
The individual ego, the I, becomes an obstacle to meditation when we put something between ourselves and reality. This something can come in many forms. It could be judgments, commentary, belief, or distraction. You can see this very easily for yourself if you look at an object and watch what springs up between the observer and the observed. Look away from the screen and do this for yourself right now. Let it be a lamp, a carpet, a loved one. Can you see it as it is, without adding something to it or reducing it to a concept that you can comprehend? Without labeling it and assigning it to a box within your mind?
Is it at all possible to observe life without any filters or prejudices? To see things directly as they are, unaltered by our influence?
I can not tell you the answer, but together we can explore the opposite.
When the ego is strong, what happens? There is a strong compulsion to impose our presence. If we are observing a discussion on a particular subject, some people cannot resist but include themselves. "I too have been to that place"; "my favourite way to eat that food is this..."; "I hate it when that happens." it is not a wish to contribute meaningfully to the discussion, the comments come from a desire to feel included. If they have an unpleasant experience, not only does it occupy them for days, but a strong ego needs to share that irritation with others. For those with strong egos, this sharing is not for constructive re-evaluation of perspective, but for the validation and reinforcement of our held views. Why do we wish to hold onto these grievances? Why is it that we prolong suffering in this way?
I ask these questions not to demonise any person, but to acknowledge that as humans, we are all subjected to these flaws of the ego. The real question is, can we minimise the influence of the ego, which distorts our perception of reality and propagates pain?
We have already covered the first component, which is awareness of its existence and influence in our lives (by observing our difficulty with seeing things as they are, rather than what we think of them). The second component is the will or intention to free ourselves from this influence. All that is left is the continued practice of this awareness, and exercising our choice to operate calmly from a centre of peace and wholeness.
The ultimate practice lies, of course, in meditation. An exploration of meditation leads us to understand the fundamentals of all practices, be it asana, pranayama, or even selfless service. Why is stillness so important to the practice of meditation? Because movement triggers the sense of space, of distance and time, and ourselves in relation to that. Although one may think it to be so subtle that the presence of ego is trivially small, those who have experienced the dissolution of space will know that the mental field is very different without the imposition of the ego.
The importance of stillness
Where does movement come from? Movement of the body stems from a dissatisfaction with the body's position as it is, and a resulting desire to change position, of which we may or may not be aware. This is why Patanjali emphasises the quality of sukha (comfort) of the asana. This is also one reason that we practise santosha (contentment) from the yamas.
Practice
So, with this in mind, we can practically minimise the influence of the ego on the yoga mat.
When we approach the posture, we start with a foundation of contentment, alignment, and comfort. All we do from there is move in the direction of the posture, thereby extending that foundation as our body moves in more unusual positions. When there is contentment, there is no target and no mismatch between intention and reality. When there is comfort, there is no struggle or creation of tension. When there is alignment, the body works harmoniously with itself and there is no chance of injury. When we can establish the body in stillness, the mind learns to do the same. Of course, in the course of our practice, thoughts or perceptions - the aspects of the ego - arise and place themselves between us and the practice of posture, but if we remain attentive and accepting of our present state, warts and all, we may well find contentment in the simple process of observing and experiencing.
With this contentment as our foundation, there is not only the promotion of physical health, but there is a spiritual promotion as our minds learn to operate from a centre of connection and attentiveness. Through regular practice of yoga in this way, we start to see the connections with the whole of our daily life, and so we begin to evolve the self. The mat becomes just one more arena in which we can practise that delicate attention and connection.
When the ego with its default of subjective lenses and sense of separation is transformed to a peaceful, considerate presence, there is a beautiful simplicity. There is pure presence, and there is freedom.